Southeast Asian Food

Amok - Battambang, Cambodia

We couldn't believe that we made Amok this good! Neither could our Cambodian cooking class instructor when he sampled our dishes. Amok is a signature Cambodian fish curry made with chunks of fish, eggplant, long beans, curry paste, shrimp paste, coconut milk, keffir lime leaves, galanga (ginger), lemon grass, tumeric, garlic, chilis, and basil. It's not spicy like Thai curries, but has a subtle, rich taste. And, if you can get the ingredients (or a few close substitutes), it's not terribly difficult to make. The secret: fresh ingredients. Read more about a Cambodian cooking course in Battambang.

Prahok (fish paste) Dip and Vegetables - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Our first meal in Cambodia consisted of fresh vegetables and prahok (heavily fermented fish paste dip). We ordered it because it sounded interesting and authentic. The waiter was hesitant, and asked us if we were sure we REALLY wanted to order this. He explained that most foreigners don't like its smell and often leave it untouched. We decided to try it anyway, and actually enjoyed it blended with chili and lime. A wake up call for the taste buds! Read more about Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pig's Head - Battambang, Cambodia

Somehow, we keep running across pig heads.... Read more about a Cambodian cooking course in Battambang.

Cambodian Morning Soup (Num Banh Choc) - Angkor, Cambodia

We found our tuk-tuk driver having breakfast with other drivers when we exited the temples at Banteay Srei. He invited us to join him and he introduced us to a fantastic morning soup. It consisted of a subtle yellow curry fish broth with fresh rice noodles, paper-thin chopped banana blossom, cucumber, and cabbage and topped off with a spoonful of dark sweet soup. A bowl of bitter herbs and long beans was passed around the table as the final touch. Read about our morning visit to Banteay Srey.

Variety of Dips - Luang Prabang, Laos

A delightful afternoon snack with dips made from roasted eggplant, sweet tomatoes, and cilantro. The dark mixture in the spoon is jaew bawng, a sweet-spicy sauce made from roasted chilis (Audrey calls it the Luang Prabang barbecue sauce). The dark strips are khai paen, pressed river weed (think of it as downscale version of nori) fried with sesame seeds. Roll it with sticky rice and you're set. Sticky (or glutinous) rice is the staple of Laos. With a few tasty varieties on offer and a rich, nutty flavor found nowhere else in the rices of Southeast Asia, we were hooked. We welcomed late afternoons as an excuse for a snack of khai paen, jaew bawng, and sticky rice washed down with a cold Beer Lao. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Chickens for Sale - Battambang, Cambodia

Our cooking instructor bought one of these chickens for stock. We were surprised at the cost - $3.50 for one chicken! That seemed like a lot considering the average income in this area. And you couldn't really eat it. Read more about a Cambodian cooking course in Battambang.

Fresh Rice Noodles Under a Kromar (Cambodian Scarf) - Siem Reap, Cambodia

These rice noodles awaited their turn to be scooped into morning soup. Rice noodles are plentiful in Southeast Asia. This particular batch had to be the tastiest and freshest we encountered during our travels. Read about our morning visit to Banteay Srey.

Cambodian Style Bahn Xeo - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We had associated bahn xeo (pancakes with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts) with Vietnamese food. Our visit to the Russian Market in Phnom Penh demonstrated that the Cambodians also enjoy a good savory pancake. Read more about Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Grilled Prawns - Vientiane, Laos

Our first night in Vientiane takes us to one of the many restaurants set up along the Mekong River. They all serve the same type of food at similar prices, so we opted for the place with the freshest looking seafood. After a brief negotiation, we ended up with fIve of the meatiest giant grilled prawns we've had in our lives for $4. Paired with a lemongrass-stuffed whole fish, this made for a simple, yet transcendental culinary experience. Read about our first impressions of Vientiane, Laos.

Or Lam and Purple Sticky Rice - Luang Prabang, Laos

It's possible to visit Luang Prabang and be tricked into thinking you're eating Lao food. Most of the restaurants pimp Thai curries as Lao food. Although most don't do it to be deceptive, it's a disservice to real Lao cuisine. We searched around for traditional Laotian dishes and found some at a simple restaurant named, of all things, the Fruit Shake Restaurant. Yes, we know, with a name like that, how authentic could it be. Plenty, it seems. The stew in the foreground is Or Lam - a spicy stew with mushrooms, eggplant, meat, lemongrass and chillies. This particular Or Lam did not have the wood bits that give off a spicy numbing feeling when you chew on it. We tried the wood later on in Nong Khiaw - a truly bizarre taste sensation. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Street Food Market - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Remarkable, dirt-cheap and authentic amok and pressed sticky rice squares with mango marked our visits to the Siem Reap street market. Read about our first impressions of Siem Reap.

Mekong River Weed - Luang Prabang, Laos

This bright green river weed gets pounded flat and is then dried in the sun with tomatoes, garlic and sesame seeds to make khai paen. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Grilled Fish - Luang Prabang, Laos

These tilapia fish are stuffed with lemongrass and herbs and grilled until the meat is soft and buttery. A filling meal for two for under $2. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Grilled Sticky Rice and Banana - Mekong Delta, Vietnam

A mid-afternoon snack in My Tho of sticky rice and banana wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled on charcoal. Read about our journey from Saigon to Phnom Penh on the Mekong.

Eggplant and Chilies - Luang Prabang, Laos

Contrasting beautiful colors weren't in short supply at Luang Prabang's Phousy Market. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Water Buffalo Hoofs - Luang Prabang, Laos

The meat section of Luang Prabang's market was full of troubling bits. Here, water buffalo trotters are on sale next to some type of bile-based liquid (no kidding). Water buffalo meat is part of the diet here and all of it is used out of necessity. The skin is cut into small pieces and used traditionally in jaew bawng (Luang Prabang barbecue sauce). We chose to pluck it out - it was too rubbery for our tasts (like an old gummy bear) and didn't impart any additional flavor. Learn more about Lao cuisine and markets.

Skinned Pig's Face - Mekong Delta, Vietnam

A skinned face on offer at the Cai Rang market. Sometimes, you have to take the bad with the good. Read about our journey from Saigon to Phnom Penh on the Mekong.a>

Purple Sticky Rice Snack - Mekong Delta, Vietnam

In the alley just beside our hotel, we found a woman making sticky rice snacks - purple and black sticky rice, coconut, sugar and some type of soy or coconut milk topping all wrapped in a rice paper. We were enjoying our snack immensely, snapping photos of it, when everyone around us started teaching us the name of the snack (and other phrases) in Vietnamese. Of course, unable to navigate the tones, we mauled their language and amused the whole street with our futile attempts. Read about our journey from Saigon to Phnom Penh on the Mekong.

Mango and Sticky Rice - Hoi An, Vietnam

The Swedish women who were on the trek with us in Sapa recommended Mango Rooms restaurant in Hoi An where, surprise surprise, everything on the menu features mango. We decided to finish off our meal with a sophisticated version of mango and sticky rice. It was almost too pretty to eat....but we managed. Read about Hoi An's food specialties.

Cao Lau - Hoi An, Vietnam

Cao Lau is another dish that can only be made in Hoi An because the secret ingredient is water that comes from one special well in town. The dish is wonderful with thick rice noodles, roasted pork, fresh herbs, thin crispy croutons , all topped off with a rich soy sauce. Read about Hoi An's food specialties.

Squid Flowers - Hoi An, Vietnam

Pieces of squid cut for the effect of a flower. This was part of the preparation of warm squid salad in a pineapple. Scoring squid not only makes it look pretty, but allows it to expand while cooking in order to better absorb the flavor of the sauce it's cooked in. Read about Hoi An's food specialties.

Fresh Herbs and Vegetables - Hoi An, Vietnam

Piles of fresh mint, cilantro, spring onions, lettuce, morning glory, and many other greens welcome us at the market in Hoi An. The availability of fresh herbs in Vietnam is amazing - we used to search high and low in Prague for just a fraction of the selection you see here. Read about Hoi An's food specialties.

Prawns - Saigon, Vietnam

A great selection of huge prawns on offer at Ben Thanh market in Saigon. We were fortunate that our hotel was just half a block away, making it a easy to pop into the market for a small (or substantial) snack at one of the stalls when we were feeling peckish. Read more about snackin' in Saigon.

Selling Guavas - Saigon, Vietnam

These women sell baskets of fruit outside the Ben Thanh market. We were spoiled with the choice of fruit and other foods on offer. Read about snackin' in Saigon.

Blood Arcas - Saigon, Vietnam

Sounds gross, we know. Absolutely not. The recommendation came from the waitress at our favorite sidewalk restaurant outside of Ben Thanh market. And inquiring minds wanted to know...or at least try. The taste more than exceeded our expectations - grilled mollusks (blood arca) that were buttery and clean, topped with roasted peanuts, spring onions, vinegar sauce and fresh herbs. Read about snackin' in Saigon.