A South East Asian Adventure
Food is at the very heart of South-East Asian culture.
CHARLOTTE BRIDSON
Food is at the very heart of South-East Asian culture. It’s how they welcome you into their country and homes, show their gratitude and share their world with you. Every meal I had was laced with aromatic flavours, tempting smells and new experiences.
I began my adventure with a few days in Laos, and for this part of my trip, I was completely solo! This was my very first solo travelling experience, and food and restaurants became a safety blanket if ever I felt a bit lost or alone. My first day, I went straight into town for a walk, but felt a bit nervous, so wandered into a beautiful little restaurant, balanced over the Mekong River. Here, I tried their famous dish, Larb, for the first time. This aromatic, savoury meat salad is bursting with freshness. From the crisp salad and vegetables, to the herby, hearty meat, it’s filling and satisfying. I ate it, looking over the river as the sun set, and felt more comfort as I settled into my solo adventure.
There is a famous night market where I stayed in Luang Prabang, and if you wander far enough down the eclectic stalls selling everything from crockery to fashion to artwork, you’ll find the food market. Bustling with people trying all the food you could imagine. Dumplings, spring rolls, pho, bbq meats, sushi, ramens, fried chicken, grilled meats, fresh fruits. It’s here where I found my first friend of the trip! We’d been on the same sightseeing tour in the day and bumped back into each other in the evening at the market.
We instantly bonded over our love of the food, and spent the next couple of days together, returning to the market to share different dishes so we could try more things! But I couldn’t share the mango sticky rice, that was all for me! Having spent time in Thailand last year, I never would have thought I would find the best mango sticky rice of my life in a comparatively small food market in Laos. The perfect balance of sweetness, the juicy mango complemented perfectly by the rice. What a treat!
After travelling Laos, I made my way over to Vietnam, and if I thought the food in Laos was good, I was in for a treat. What else could I have for dinner on my first night in the buzzing Hanoi other than the famous Pho.
My advice… be careful how spicy you ask for your Pho, a few of my fellow travellers were burned by that! What mesmerised me the most throughout Vietnam was the endless supply of brightly coloured, delicious fruits. Every market stall was a visual delight. From hot pink, vine-like dragon fruit, to humungous, multicoloured pomelos, and, confusingly, green oranges! Fresh fruit was a persistent theme throughout my travels, as it was often a complimentary treat at the end of a meal to refresh the palette.
A favourite moment of the trip was our “Afternoon Tea” on the Mekong Delta… but not Afternoon Tea as we know it. This was a table overflowing with fresh fruits. The return of the green oranges, juicy little lychees, and a new personal favourite, milk apples! The sweetest bite, these white and purple delights had me obsessed instantly. I was very tempted to take the seeds to attempt growing a milk apple tree at home, but I’m not sure the British climate is quite suited. What made this day so special was the cultural exchange the meal allowed us. Our guide and host, Nhan, had never before experienced a traditional British Afternoon tea, so we were able to tell him all about our traditional sandwiches, scones and cakes. I also may have invited him to England and promised my Mum would bake him scones… I’m sure she won’t mind! It was wonderful to be able to share a little bit of England in a country that had given me so many experiences and learnings.
This afternoon tea was part of one of the homestays of the trip, where you stay with the family and they absorb you into their lives, sharing stories, playing with the kids, and of course, they cook for you. Food is so central to their culture, it is very important to clear your plate and not waste food in case you disrespect your host… not that this was an issue with such delicious food! Vietnamese pancakes, noodle soup, egg fried rice, fresh fish, spring rolls and of course, plenty of fresh fruit.
Not only were we cooked for, but we also got to try our hand at the cooking as well. We attended an incredible cooking class, overlooking the river in Hoi An. On went our chef hats and away we went! We began by making fresh Vietnamese salad rolls, bursting with prawns, pork and vegetables, with a delicious ‘nuoc leo’ peanut, hoisin dipping sauce to accompany them. Safe to say we licked the bowls clean. Next up was a scrumptious Vietnamese egg pancakes which posed its own challenge.. the flip! Despite specific warnings to only flip OVER the table and not the floor… the floor claimed a few pancakes that day. I’m proud to say mine was not one of them! These were a delicious revelation, packed with juicy prawns, crispy beansprouts, and of course, a sweet ‘nuoc cham’ dipping sauce to dunk in. Finally, we rounded off the class with ‘mi xao thit bo’, the yummiest beef and veg stir fried noodles. I now consider myself a fully qualified Vietnamese chef, and I do have the recipes if anyone would like to hire my services for a very specific menu. Now to track down some milk apples for dessert!
It would be remiss to recount a trip to Vietnam without mentioning the world-renowned Banh Mi. This famous delight is an absolute must. A crispy, yet airy baguette, overflowing with fillings. The classic is to have the mixed meats… barbecued Chinese pork, Vietnamese minced pork, grilled pork sausage, chicken, and of course, the pate. All accompanied by fresh, crunch veg and the bold coriander and chilli flavours. Again, be very careful what spice level you ask for! We were guided to ‘Madam Khanh’ in Hoi An by our local guide, and I can highly recommend it. The mixed Banh Mi accompanied by a fresh, sharp passionfruit juice, what a lunch!
It is impossible to contain all the sensational meals I had across my trip into one post. But more than that, it is impossible to contain all the amazing stories and people I met along the way. Starting out as a solo traveller and coming home with friends I will cherish for life, it was a trip I will never forget.