Our Favorite Dishes in Asia

We have been traveling for seven months now and while every country has their delicious dishes there are two countries that really stand out in our mind for the spectacular cuisine.

And those two countries happen to be Japan and Thailand. Japan was the first country we travelled to, and though we were only there for 2 weeks I made it my top priority to eat as much Japanese food as possible. Thailand, on the other hand we spent 2 months is, so there were plenty of opportunities to eat my favourite dishes over and over again.

Japan

Everything we ate in Japan was top-notch and impeccable. While it’s hard to pick favourites there were a few dishes that stood out from the rest.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a classic Japanese street snack. These lightly fried balls are made using a flour based batter and filled with minced octopus, tempura scraps, green onion and pickled ginger. The batter is then poured into the special takoyaki pan – a cast iron pan with half spherical molds. The cooked takoyaki are then sprinkled with shaved bonito flakes, mayonnaise and a dark sauce similar to Worcestershire. Originating in Osaka this dish can be found at various street vendors and is nothing short of delicious. The takoyaki itself is crunchy on the outside, yet full of bold flavors on the inside and the mayonnaise and dark sauce further compliments the dish. An absolutely must try, and a dish that is not commonly known outside of Japan.

Sushi

Sushi is perhaps one of the most well-known parts of Japanese cuisine and has made it into restaurants all over the world like the So Good Sushi restaurant in Nice. The standard formula starts with a long rolled and flattened piece of vinegared rice, to which wasabi is added and then topped with a piece of raw fish or seafood. Though sushi is now easily accessible in many parts of the world, I believe the best sushi is still found in Japan however with it being so common and produced internationally we came across a great variety of sushi when we visited the UK a few years back at Red Hot World Buffet. It really was the next best thing to eating in Japan itself.

Our couchsurfer in Tokyo took us to his favorite sushi spot, and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. The sushi was beyond amazing, The fish was so fresh and tender, it literally melted right in your mouth. Though sushi comes with a price, and a requirement of being adventurous enough to try raw fish, it is definitely worth it. Not to worthy though, if raw fish isn’t your thing you can always go with maki – sushi rolls, where you can opt for vegetarian options or cooked fish.

Japanese Soups

It would be too restricting to limit myself to just one Japanese noodle soup, because there are way too many and all of them are so good. There are ramen based soups, miso soups, soups with pork, etc. We had the pleasure of having home made miso soup prepared for us by our couchsurfing host in Kyoto and it was a great way to start the day. Followed up by a ramen soup for lunch and a udon noodle soup for dinner, we could go days eating nothing but soup. Japanese soup are unlike any other. The broth is so rich and full of flavor and the roasted pork that is added is unlike any other. The meat is so tender and juicy that it goes perfectly with the depth of the broth. Add in the noodles and you can instantly see why in Japanese culture it’s considered polite to slurp up your soup loudly – to make it known to every one how much you are enjoying your meal.

Thailand

Thai food is so incredibly diverse that you could spend months sampling all the different dishes and cooking styles. From salad, to curries to soups the country has a lot to offer in terms of food and it’s difficult to narrow down a few favourites.

Papaya Salad

Papaya salad is a Thai class. This dish is made with shredded unripe green papaya, garlic, peanuts, dried shrimp tomatoes, long beans and chilies. The “dressing” itself is made with palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. While the locals enjoy this specialty with 10+ chilies, I like to limit myself to just one. The finished product is a perfect balance of spicy, sour, salty and sweet – just the way Thai food should be. You’ll see street vendors lightly mashing up the ingredients in wooden mortars and this salad can be found for as cheap as $1. Bursting with flavor and the perfect crispy and refreshing dish to battle the heat.

Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew is a Thai noodle dish made with rice noodles and flavored with both regular and thick dark soy sauce. The noodles are over and inch thick and always fresh. Kale or other greens, and some sort of protein (chicken, beef) are thrown into the mix and in a particular order everything is tossed in the wok. With ingredients prepared beforehand the dish takes minutes to put together and is delicious at any time of day. The fresh noodles are tender enough to melt right in your mouth (kind of like that sushi – same same, but different) and the sauce is just so so good. This is my go to Thai noodle dish and is a must try.

Steamed Fish with Lime Sauce

This is hands down my all time favourite Thai dish. The fish is lightly steamed (usually either sea bass or snapper) and served in a long metallic dish over an open flame. The fish is submerged in the lime sauce and sprinkled with fresh herbs. The fish is soft and tender and the sauce is just bursting with flavor. I can never stop myself from simply spooning mouthfuls of the sauce into my mouth. It is sour, spicy and salty all at once, with just the right balance.

Keep pouring the sauce over the fish to add even more flavor. And then when the fish is finished you’ll find some cabbage underneath which has slowly been grabbing flavor from both the fish and the sauce. You simply cannot leave Thailand without tasting this simple yet delicious dish.

Trying different foods and cuisines all over the world is one of my favourite parts of traveling and gets me excited every day. Luckily with the wealth of international food establishments abroad many of these dishes can be found in various countries for those do not have to time to travel.