Is Vietnamese food the best in SE Asia?

[ASEAN NOW News]

When you are lucky enough to live in SE Asia or maybe go there on holiday, you never know where your next great meal could come from.

 

It could be from a street vendor in a quiet soi in Bangkok.

 

It could be smack in the middle of noisy Old Town Hanoi, from a street chef.

 

Sometimes if you have the budget, it’s at high-end establishments, replete with white tablecloths and clinking champagne flutes.

 

In Southeast Asia, however, the best meals are usually at the humblest of eateries: a street cart, a fluorescent-lit dining room with plastic chairs, or a roadside shack with a hand-painted sign.

 

This part of the world doesn’t care about ambiance — it’s all about flavor.

 

And Southeast Asian cuisine brings the flavor in spades.

 

It’s difficult to narrow down such a breadth of culinary choices into one small list, however, here are five top meals in Southeast Asia:

 

1. Banh Xeo — Crispy Pork and Shrimp Pancake — Vietnam

 

Photo: Anthony Tong Lee, Creative Commons

 

This simple-yet-delicious Central Vietnamese meal, Banh Xeo brings it all: contrasting textures, hearty and satisfying flavor, and a dash of freshness. Juicy shrimp and hearty minced pork are fried in a wok, then stuffed into a gorgeously crispy rice-and-turmeric shell.

 

Bean sprouts and fresh herbs punctuate the savoriness, giving it a lift that keeps you coming back for more. Wrap it up in a rice paper, dip it into briny nuoc cham, and you’ll have a flavor explosion that will linger in your memory for years to come.

 

It’s a specialty of Hoi An, but you can also find it on menus in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

 

2. Babi Guling — Slow-Roasted Pork — Indonesia

 

Photo: Rollan Budi, Creative Commons

 

It was a tossup between Indonesia’s babi guling and the Philippines lechon baboy — both slow-roasted pork dishes that are delicious. 

 

The babi guling just wins for a couple of reasons: consistency and spice.

 

In the Philippines, the best place to get lechon is in Cebu, where the Sprite-soaked crispy skin is a piece of crackly heaven.

 

The Indonesian dish not only includes the same ingredients all over the island, but it also packs in several layers of spice.

 

Sweet spice from ginger, galangal, and lesser galangal.

 

Earthy spice from fresh turmeric and black peppercorns. And fiery spice from loads of birdseye chilis. In addition to the briny shrimp paste that pervades all things Balinese, it obliterates all corners of your palate.

 

You can eat it in mostly Muslim Indonesia, it’s hard to find pork outside of Bali. There are several famous babi guling restaurants throughout Bali and the Gilis.

 

3. Khao Soi — Crispy Noodle Curry — Thailand or Laos

 

 

Some call it a curry; some call it a soup.

 

Its true nature is entirely dependent on where you’re eating it. In Laos, it’s a clear-broth soup with egg or rice noodles and minced pork.

 

But in Northern Thailand it achieves legendary status.

 

A coconut milk and turmeric sauce cradles pillowy-soft, cooked, and crispy-fried egg noodles, giving a texture bite that most curries are missing.

 

Fried shallots bring a hint of sweetness, fried chilis a hit of tempered spice.

 

A shot of lime rounds everything out with just enough tang to lift everything up from “just another meal” to “one of the best meals you have ever had.”

 

Usually served with chicken or beef, you’ll have a tough time not eating this every day.

 

This dish is a staple of Northern Thailand — good luck finding it in the south, or anywhere outside of the country. 

 

Chiang Mai‘s restaurants are a fun way to find your favorite version of this dish, but it can be found in Pai, Chiang Rai, and other Northern Thai cities.

 

4. Fish Amok — Fish Curry — Cambodia

 

A pretty package: Fish Amok

 

Poor Cambodia. It’s so often overlooked as a culinary destination in Southeast Asia. Yes, Cambodia is sandwiched between spicy Thailand and French-influenced Vietnam.

 

But it has plenty to offer the hungry traveler, if only they knew where to look.

 

And nothing is a better testament to the cuisine than Fish Amok.

 

If you like your sweet with hit of tart, you’ll fall in love with the thick, almost custard-like sauce that forms the base of this dish.

 

The ginger-galangal-turmeric trifecta is back, ground down into a paste. Into all this spicy, earthy goodness, tart lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves create the perfect tart tang to cut through it.

 

A little hint of chili a splash of coconut milk round everything out. Tossed into a banana leaf with freshwater white fish and steamed until done, it is perfection on a plate.

 

You will find this dish on menus all over Cambodia, no need to make a special trip for this one!

 

5. Chili Pan Mee — Stir-Fried Wheat Noodles — Malaysia

 

This iconic noodle dish is served two ways: wet or dry. Both are excellent, but the dry version really speaks to my soul. Thick, hearty wheat noodles are smothered in a just-fiery-enough caramelized chili sauce.

 

This is then topped with seasoned minced pork, crispy fried shallots, dark and light soy sauce, and crispy-fried anchovies. Yes, anchovies. It sounds gross, but they lend the perfect umami crunch to offset the fiery chili. Many places also serve this with a poached or soft-boiled egg — break the yolk, shovel it down, and thank the universe that you are a human with tastebuds.

 

The best place to find this is in Kuala Lumpur — there are several restaurants and food stalls in the markets that offer it.

 

Of course, we are sure you will have your own favourites so do let us know by posting a suggestion and why.

[Anna051201]

Yes,it is. I just finished a food tour with the guidance of (https://antoursvietnam.com/), there are many delicious dishes. There is a dish I really like, it seems to be called Pho, it's also a dish you should try when you come to Vietnam, it's very good.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, Anna051201 said:

Yes,it is. I just finished a food tour with the guidance of (https://antoursvietnam.com/), there are many delicious dishes. There is a dish I really like, it seems to be called Pho, it's also a dish you should try when you come to Vietnam, it's very good.

Disagree, Indian food is absolutely the best.

[GypsyT]

Have never got good food in Vietnam!

The best in Dalat was Thai place which wouldn't survive a month in business in Thailand.....

Pho in restaurants is disgusting oily mess.

 

However, they eat very well in Vietnam at home.

 

 

 

[Celsius]

On 8/26/2023 at 3:44 PM, BritManToo said:

Disagree, Indian food is absolutely the best.

Extremely unhealthy. That being said they have clearance sale at lotus 89b each

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Celsius