Top 10 Street Foods in South East Asia

When you talk about South East Asia, you hear about travelers who have fallen in love with these countries for their culture and cuisine. Some visitors are drawn to the breathtaking attractions offered in the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

street food allegri vietnam

Another reason why South East Asia continues to pull off its extreme popularity is the gastronomic experience it offers to travelers. As you move from one country to another, you will truly appreciate how its culture and traditions have molded their food. These countries also provide greatest street food experiences as well as authentic cultural dishes.

But, if you are not yet sure what food you are going to try, check out our top 10 list of unforgettable and scrumptious South East Asian dishes.

1 Nasi Goreng

It is one of the most delicious dishes from Indonesia. It’s a version of fried rice with fried egg, served with shrimp crackers. You can experience its pleasurable taste almost in all versions of fried rice in Asian countries. We’d recommend that you try Nasi Goreng at any authentic restaurants that do justice to the recipe.

2: Pho

It is a type of meal that you can eat anytime you want and in any weather conditions.

Pho is very well-known in Vietnam, and as you travel to through the country, you have to complete the experience with bowel of Pho. It is a rice noodle soup served made from chicken or beef broth with thin pieces of meat floating among delicious asian herbs usually basil, chili, mint leaves, limes, sprouts, and onions. The best part is that this meal is very affordable, especially for travelers on a tight budget.

3: Black Pepper Crab

If you are seafood lover, you may want to consider trying the black pepper crab or fish.

It has become very popular in Singapore. When visiting the country, you can look for this dish at any restaurants. The mind-blowing main ingredients include hard-shell crabs. Then, chefs usually cover these crabs with black pepper. In some other regions of the country, they serve this dish with black pepper sauce and rice, simple but delicious.

4: Pad Thai

It is one of the most famous meals in South East Asia. Moreover, many versions of this dish are available all throughout the globe. Thailand’s pad thai offers a remarkable burst of flavors in your mouth. It has a superb balance of flavors from sweet to spicy. Plus, chefs prepare them properly with reasonable prices. Its primary ingredients include flat rice noodles with stir fried egg, veggies, spices, and meat or prawns.

5: Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia. It has aromatic rice cooked with pandan leaves and coconut oil. You can find these main ingredients in the region. Chefs usually serve this dish with roasted peanuts, spicy sauce, fried egg, fried chicken, and fish

6: Amok

If there is one food you want to try in Cambodia, it is the famous Amok. The dish has cooked fish or chicken served in a banana leaf to preserve its flavours. Then, chefs usually prepare a special curry for this delicious meal. Also, they usually plate the dish with the coconut milk as the base. What makes it unique is that a few indigenous and Indian spices season the dish. When you’d try this meal, expect a creamy coconut curry that you won’t find elsewhere.

7: Chicken Satay

Another important dish in Indonesia is Chicken Satay. Its main ingredient is a seasoned, barbecued, skewered or grilled chicken on wood and charcoal fire. Locals usually eat this food as a snack or an entrée. Cooks usually serve this with peanut sauce. They can even prepare this using a fish, beef, pork, goat, mutton, and other meats.

This dish has become so popular that many travelers in Indonesia copy the recipe at home and while camping. It is a to-go food that you can eat during lunches, dinners, and snacks in camps.

8: Fried Spring Rolls

These are crispy and oily versions of spring rolls. They are a traveler’s delight when they head to Sapa, Vietnam. Guests usually stop by just to take a bite of these special spring rolls. They contain crunchy vegetables, pork, shrimp, and noodles. All you have to do is to dip it in a peanut sauce. Although not a very healthy meal, you cannot resist trying them.

9: Lechon

You can taste this authentic dish in Cebu, Philippines. However, it is also available in other parts of the country. But, Lechon is well-known in Cebu. It is one of the juiciest and tastiest take on a suckling pork. Plus, it also has the most crispy pork skin. Locals usually eat this meal with a bottle of cold beer.

10: Fried Pancakes

The streets of Laos also boast  sweet delicacies, which are friend pancakes. Northern Thailand also has the same version of this pancake. However, it has coconut in it. But, both of these cultural dishes may have you convinced with just one bite, usually served with warm bananas. In Laos, they fry the pancakes with butter. Then, they fill them with whatever other ingredients you choose.

So, to sum everything up, traveling and food tripping in South East Asia is just out of this world! Aside from the countries hidden paradises, you can satisfy all your food cravings all you have to do is to fly from one country to another and experience their unique gastronomic delights!

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Lived in England since 1998 and travelled the world since 2005, visiting over 100 countries on 5 continents. Writer, blogger, photographer with a passion for adventure and travel, discovering those off beat places not yet on the tourist trail. Marco contributes the very best in independent travel tips and lifestyle articles.

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