Growing up in Malaysia, eating was such a big part of my life. It's what unites everyone together, a meal out at the local coffeeshop and the roadside haunts (let's not question the clealiness). These were just some of the things we had when we made the trip back home, and some of my very favourites! I thought I'd show everyone what you should have if you ever head to the exotic East ;-)
SHAVED ICED AT SNOWFLAKE
Meet one of my favourite desserts - Taiwanese shaved ice topped with matcha konyaku and and taro balls, drizzled with soy milk. Absolute yum! It's dairy free so I'm a happy lady, and it just full of chewy and matcha goodness you can't say no to. It's also got red bean/adzuki, a Asian dessert staple, of course ;-)
(INDIAN CURRY) BANANA LEAF RICE AT KANNA CURRY HOUSE
Sweet mother of pearl. I could use some of this right now. Hands down, it makes it into my top 5 favourite dish ever.
Don't let the name fool you, it's a Southern Indian dish. Ain't no chicken tikka sh*t here, nor are there any thick buttery cream I can't eat. Premise: served on faux banana leaves (we debated whether it was because real banana leaves are too expensive), you get a basic serving of rice, dahl curry (for those who can't take spicy food!), chicken curry and fish curry sides. All for a mere price of £8 *wipes tears of joy*.
Have I mentioned: unlimited/free flow/eat as much as you want papadoms!
Top it all off with a legit OG refreshing young coconut. It's my winning meal combo. I miss it so much you don't even know. If there's one thing you need to try if you ever visit Malaysia (any part of it) it this.
PAN MEE
Pan mee is another childhood favourite. These are hand pulled noodles (mmm) served with (optional) chilli flakes and topped with an egg and crunchy anchovies. The anchovies were my favourite part growing up. In the soup version, you get a thin but flavoursome broth that will soothe any cold soul. There's a tonne of pan mee stalls in hawker centres (basically a food court with different kinds of food), specialised pan mee restaurants and possibly my favourite morning pick-me-up!
BEEF NOODLES
Another soupy choice, another favourite. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, as it does come with beef liver (lol judge me) and beef strips. It's (obviously) beef flavoured, and the soup made a nice hearty meal in the morning before I went to my morning classes... the nostalgia it brings back is priceless, I can almost bring myself back to the afternoons I would have it after lessons.
RAMEN
I know London is home to so many ramen places - too many to count – but when you're in Asia and can't make it to Japan.... A large proportion of the foodie scene Malaysia is Japanese because we luv our azn food and fresh seafood and this meant ramen was also brought over. And who doesn't love a good, warm bowl of ramen? The broth is thick and the pork is rich and... JUST LOOK AT THAT TAMAGO.
TONKATSU
Another Japanese place - again I have my go-to in London but nothing quite beats having some authentic af tonkatsu at a specialty tonkatsu restaurant. They have a variety of tonkatsu (different pork sections) and it's crispy, light, and mouth wateringly good...
To close, I thought I'd just insert a random picture of strangers hanging out at a resto-café. Eating and dining, as I mentioned, plays such an important role in our culture: it gives us a reason to meet people, learn and laugh together and ultimately, enjoy good food from a diverse food palette. I suppose this is also why I love going out to trying new places in London - albeit not quite the same, because I would like to think that I can bring the same sentiment to everyone I love here too :-)
This is the sunset one evening near our house, while we were on the way to meet my best friend for (you guessed it) dinner!
Let me know if you've ever tried any of these foods before, or what else you have tried and love if you've been to Asia.... we all know I looooove food.
