Take a good look. Can you figure out what this is? Hint: We are in Bali and, no, it has nothing to do with diving.

Scroll down to find the answer:

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It’s the beautiful skin of a snake fruit, known locally as salak. Peeled, the sweet fruit slightly resembles a large piece of garlic. And if you happen to eat the fruit when it’s not fully ripe, your mouth will respond by uncontrollably tightening into an odd pucker. Salak in Bali is reputed to be especially sweet and commands higher prices than salak from other parts of Indonesia.

Are you in the Halloween mood for pancreatic tissue, liver cells and stomach lining in a hearty broth? If the answer is yes, you will feel right at home in Singapore where locals seem to dig exotic pig organ soup. But not to worry. Even culinary wimps who don’t want to venture too far into unknown kitchen territory can skip the tricks and find a treat that can soothe their Western palates.

From Asian-style barbequed chicken wings and fiery sambal stingrays to Indian masala dosas and German sauerkraut and sausages, there’s nothing you cannot find in Singapore. Food is everywhere. While some dishes here are similar to those we found in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, others are distinctly different. It is obvious that Singapore’s chefs are quite experimental, many using unusual ingredients and spices to create fantastic fusion cuisine.

Savory pumpkin cakes with black-eye pea and sticky rice is one of the unique local dishes we came across on our first day in the city. Topped with sweet soy sauce and chili, the delicious combination of seemingly unrelated items has quickly become Tony’s preferred lunch time special at the Bugis mall food court. Yum! (Now we know what to do with all those old Jack-O-Lanterns.)

Another one of our favorite dishes here is katong laksa. The rich and creamy coconut-based soup is served with rice vermicelli, prawns, fishcake and lots of chili paste. We tasted several takes on this delicious soup, some with chicken, others with mussels (my favorite). I’m afraid this delicious dish gives Penang’s famous assam laksa a serious run for its money.

Other Singapore specials include fish head curry, satay, frog leg porridge, oyster omelettes, Hokkien mee, and chili crab … the list could go on and on. But rather than just rambling about my own personal favorites (and there are many), I’m including a link to CNN’s “40 Singapore foods we can’t live without.” It’s a great collection of food items and a description of where to find them. What didn’t make it onto the list was the pig organ soup – a dish the author can obviously live without.

By the way, you don’t actually have to dine in expensive restaurants to sample any of the dishes mentioned. In fact, the cheapest katong laksa we had in a food court was actually the most delicious. Every mall in town has a food court offering excellent dishes at cheap-for-Singapore prices. The food court at the Marina Square mall even offers an additional bonus – a sweeping view over the bay and the Marina Bay Sands. As far as hawker centers go, try the one at the waterfront north of the outdoor concert stage at the Esplanade. It’s an excellent place to watch the sunset while having a feast.

We first mentioned kopi luwak, or palm civet coffee, while we were traveling in Vietnam. Considered the most expensive coffee in the world (yes, even more expensive than Starbucks), the beans undergo one unusual step in the processing which leaves some people gulping in delight and others gagging in disgust.

Coffee berries are fed to civet cats which function as little enzyme machines shortening peptide bonds and increasing free amino acids in the beans. After passing the precious load, the beans are collected, washed, sun-dried and lightly roasted. Connoisseurs swear the chemical changes make for a tastier and less bitter coffee blend.

Some of you may remember from our Vietnam post that we were quite skeptical about whether the weasel coffee we sampled there was authentic. So if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

Fast forward to our recent bike tour to Ubud. After the trip, we stopped by a coffee farm to take another shot at the unusual brew – different shop, different civet. Actually, the small farm was a complete coffee and tea tasting experience with kopi luwak as the final highlight.

After free samples of vanilla coffee, lemon tea, sweet hot cocoa (as well as a side dish of shavings of orange-tinted chocolate), Lisa, Garrett, Tony and I got to taste the real kopi luwak (fresh from the weasel, so to speak). Kurt and Aimee passed on the experience. At $6 for an expresso-sized cup complete with cinnamon bark stirrer, the price for the luxurious drink was “a bargain.” But after so much build-up, our expectations were high.

Drum roll. It tasted… just like… uhhh… Starbucks. What the hell?!? I would accuse Starbucks of getting its beans out of a civet’s butt, but – well – cost tells me otherwise. I’ve never really liked Starbucks coffee, but I guess it tastes just like the most expensive coffee in the world. I might have to reconsider my opinion of Starbucks. You don’t suppose they have a little civet sweatshop somewhere in the third world, do you?

“Aren’t you sick of Asian food?” a German friend asked recently. Interestingly, I’m not. Well, not yet anyway. True, Tony and I are a little sick of rice, deep-fried foods, and the surprising lack of vegetable dishes here in Indonesia. This is especially strange because the markets are full of fresh produce – if only the restaurants knew about it.

As it turns out, one did. when we stumbled upon a little eatery just outside of Borobudur offering veggie and tofu based Javanese cuisine, we were quite delighted. Sitting behind a sheer lace curtain protected from inquisitive flies were a dozen different dishes. This wasn’t your typical fried Indonesian fare. Instead, sweet’n spicy cabbage, green leafy vegetables, stewed jackfruit, and spicy green beans sat next to soft and crispy tofu dishes, marinated eggs, chicken and fish curries as well as several sassy tempe creations. (Tempe, a soybean cake made of whole beans, is our new favorite food.)

It took us way too long to understand that this worked like a buffet-style lunch. For less than a dollar, we could fill our plates with everything but meat. Chicken curry and deep-fried catfish would have cost just a little more, but that wasn’t for us. Our bodies craved vegetables – the greener, the better. And what made this meal absolutely perfect was the home-made pecel, an aromatic peanut sauce with ginger, lime leaves, garlic, chili and shrimp paste. Yum!

Sure, in the end, there it was again – nasi putih, steamed white rice. But, evidently, I’m not so riced-out when it’s covered in peanut sauce.

Twenty years ago, the markets of southern Thailand and Malaysia were visually stunning events marked by the colorful silk robes and wispy conical headscarves worn by ethnic Malay women. Eye-popping floral prints and soothing pastels greeted visitors as did the hospitable smiles of chatty sales women. But not-so-subtle changes reveal the allure and the sway of more fundamental Arab influences on the once moderate Islam of Southeast Asia.

Increasingly, we are seeing fully veiled women, and much of the colorful clothing has been replaced with solemn shades of black and grey. Equally noticeable is the more conservative behavior of these women. Interestingly, outside of conservative Aceh in northern Sumatra, this kind of clothing was virtually absent the first time I came to Southeast Asia in 1990. The visible shift in style along with references such as this disturbing menu in Penang can leave visitors somewhat uneasy.

For Thomas and me, these shifts can be unsettling for various reasons, most importantly some residual fears after being caught up in the attack on Mumbai. More severe Islamic clothing still sends a shiver down my spine, whether it’s fair or not. Muslim friends we meet along the way assure us that clothes are  just clothes. On several occasions, I have heard Muslim men swoon with memories of their veiled mothers cooking delicious meals for them as a child. These recollections have been completely incomprehensible to me… until now.

Entering the small restaurant in Trang town, we were greeted by a young woman wearing typical, colorful Malay garb, but when we tried to order in English, she ran into the back and brought out another woman dressed in somber black and completely veiled with the exception of a narrow slit revealing her eyes. Interestingly, many in Southeast Asia incorrectly refer to this kind of clothing as a burka. In reality, what the woman was wearing is called a niqab; burkas are full length veils which cover the entire body. For some reason, this misnomer disturbed me as well: it was as if the people were trying to wear the most extreme clothing they could find, but got it slightly wrong.

The woman in black approached nervously gaining the courage to take my order in English.

“What would you like to eat?” she blurted out excitedly, I could tell her cheeks had bounced into a nervous smile under the veil, her happy eyes stared down at me waiting for an answer. She looked exactly like Kathy Najimy in Sister Act – with a veil. I immediately liked her.

We both ordered roti canai, a simple pancake-like bread served with a side of curry. She hurried over to the outdoor kitchen and immediately began preparing the dish.

Rather than rushing out an order of cookie-cutter rotis, it was immediately clear that this woman was preparing something special. She took a small ball of dough and massaged it with oil working it into a thin, tortilla-like shape. Suddenly, she pulled up the tortilla and whirled it around slapping it on the counter thereby stretching the tortilla into a miraculously paper-thin sheet. It was spectacular.

Just as the roti thinned to the point of ripping, she gathered the whole thing up into a wrinkly mass and bunched it loosely back into a ball. That was a lot of work for nothing, I thought to myself. But oh, was I wrong.

The woman in black loosely reflattened the ball into another tortilla shape leaving the veins and folds within the dough. She threw a spoonful of something spectacularly orange on the grill and fried the roti until it was irresistibly crispy. (I was literally drooling at this point.) Removing the roti from the grill, she dabbed away excess oil and then, completely unexpectedly, she started crushing the roti into bits. What was she doing?

Repeating the process four more times, she created two piles of crispy, crushed roti. She added a side of curry and presented us with the masterpieces.

Oh my god, there is food – and there is art. I promise everyone reading this that nothing served in any Michelin rated three-star restaurant would ever make me as happy as that roti canai. The curry was a savory, scented stew of sweet potato, chicken, carrot and cassava. Did I taste cinnamon in there? The flaky roti was so delicious that I thought either Thomas or I would literally break into tears. Thomas commented, with stuffed mouth, that the roti tasted remarkably like a dish his grandmother used to make.

Day after day, we went back to the woman in black to indulge in her supremely awesome roti canai and every day she greeted us with happy eyes and plates full of flaky goodness… until one day, she wasn’t there.

Oh my god, where was the woman in black? Who would fill our stomachs with the world’s greatest roti canai? We were told to come back the next day – it was an agonizing 24 hours. Where was she? Would she be back?

And surely enough, the very next day she was back ready to whip up our favorite dish with a mouth-watering side of curry. I was elated. And suddenly, I understood the feeling that those Muslim men had been trying to convey to us, and a little bit of my fear faded and was replaced with appreciation. The art of roti canai just might change the world.

If you would like to try this lady’s roti canai for yourself, her restaurant is just opposite Andaman Islands Tour and Travel near the train station in Trang. The restaurant sign is not written in English.

As Tony previously mentioned, one of our greatest discoveries in Georgetown was Restoran Kapitan. Whenever we are not busy sampling Chinese specialties with Ken’s family or exploring Malay street fare, we head straight for the best Indian food in town. After having spent fifteen months in India, we can comfortably call ourselves experts on Indian cuisine. Kapitan’s food is, hands down, some of the most authentic Indian food that we have had outside of India.

And, clearly, we are not the only people who appreciate their food. The 24-hour restaurant in Little India seems to be buzzing with locals at all times. In fact, that’s what drew us there in the first place. Well, that and the cheap prices.

For only 7 ringgit ($2.30), they offer a killer quarter tandoori chicken with freshly baked naan and a selection of mild and spicy chutneys. Chicken biryani goes for about the same. Even cheaper are the vegetable curry dishes like aloo gobi masala (potato and cauliflower) or aloo capsicum masala (potato and green bell pepper).

From about 7-11 AM, Kapitan offers one of our favorite breakfast foods: masala dosas, or tosais as they are called in Malaysia. The pancake made of lentil flower is stuffed with a mixture of cabbage and potatoes and is served with a creamy coconut chutney. For under a dollar, it makes for a cheap but delicious breakfast.

It’s just so great, we keep coming back for more. After several weeks in Georgetown, Kapitan’s smiling waiters even welcome us with a handshake. Now, that’s service. Honestly, I don’t want to leave here any time soon. Where am I going to get my Indian food fix?

Travel Tip:

Restoran Kapitan is located on the corner of Chulia and King Street. Although the restaurant is open 24 hours, certain food items are only served at certain times (tosais in the morning, warm badam milk, with almonds and cardamom, in the late afternoon and evening). This is also one of the safer places to try nasi kandar. They also have very refreshing mint maans, the local version of a lemonana.

Thomas Holding a Bundle of Ketupat

In 2009, Penang was voted one of the New York Time’s Places to Go primarily due to its amazing cuisine. Superb Chinese, Indian, Malay and Nyonya cuisine make Penang a place to eat, eat, eat. Ken’s family knows the ropes when it comes to food and we have benefited big time from their years of experience and culinary expertise.

While not everyone will be able to find steamed stingray with ginger or fried mantis shrimp on the menu, most serious travelers will be able to locate our recommended specialties below. Many hotels and guesthouses also provide an excellent, free brochure titled “Penang Food Trail” to help gourmands find their way around town.

Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa – It looks terrible, but this spicy fish soup flavored with tamarind will knock your socks off.

Ketupat Pulut – Sticky rice with red bean wrapped in a palm leaf.

Popiah – This is the Hokkien version of a spring roll. The wrap is breadier or more pancake-like than other spring rolls.

Yam Cake – A thick, starchy, savory cake made with yam and topped with fried onions.

Tandoori Chicken with Naan – Don’t miss out on Georgetown’s spectacular Indian food. The inexpensive tandoori sets at Kapitan Restaurant on Chulia Street were our favorite!

Char Koay Teow – Sold at half the hawker stalls in Georgetown, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding this flavorful dish featuring large flat rice noodles.

Hawker Making Roti Canai at Market in Butterworth

Roti Canai – A delicious and inexpensive pastry-like bread served with a side of dhal (lentil curry).

Satay – You can’t leave Malaysia without sampling this classic dish. Good satay is getting harder and harder to find as street vendors are starting to cut corners. Malay vendors usually make better satay; however, on this visit I couldn’t find one vendor serving their satay with real nasi himpit (congealed rice cubes). Bummer!!!

Nyonya Kuih – Kuih are tasty, multicolor treats made from glutinous rice. They come in many flavors, shapes and sizes.

Keralan Banana Leaf Thali – Banana leaf thalis, simply called “banana leaf” here, are served in many places in Georgetown. Our favorite was at the Restaurant Passions of Kerala in New World Park on Jalan Burmah.

Chee Cheong Fun – This dish, thin rice-flour pancakes rolled and cut into pieces and served with a thick sweet sauce, is my absolute favorite. It’s simple, but I can eat chee cheong fun by the kilo!!!

Plate of Refreshing Cendol

Ice Kacang or Cendol – Two types of shaved ice desserts to help cool you down. Ice kacang is topped with red bean, corn, grass jelly, palm fruit and, occasionally, vanilla ice cream. Cendol is a simpler version with thick starchy green noodles.

Otak Otak – Congealed coconut curry fish paste wrapped in a banana leaf, this snack is another one of my favorites. The flavor reminds me of fish amok in Cambodia.

Samosas – These deep-fried Indian pastries filled with vegetables are already well known to many travelers. But we found street vendors here in Georgetown selling amazing samosas for as little as half a ringgit. Not quite as cheap as in India, but still a bargain here in Southeast Asia.

Hokkien Mee – Since Georgetown is filled with Hokkien Chinese, this delicious prawn noodle dish is almost a requirement.

Selection of Dim Sum

Dim Sum – We are major dim sum fans, so this is an obvious recommendation. Our favorite place was Chew Choon Restaurant in Butterworth, but dim sum is available in Georgetown as well.

Nasi Kandar (WITH A WARNING) – This local specialty is a plate of steamed rice topped with a variety of delicious Malaysian curries. BUT BUYER BEWARE, many nasi kandar stalls are scams in tempting disguise. Stall owners hand customers a plate of rice and allow them to choose their own toppings. Once the customer fills his plate, the owner demands outrageous sums of money for the toppings. If you dare to eat nasi kandar, verify the price over and over and over again. Then verify it again. Stall owners will pretend to be insulted, but they are very aware of why you are being so careful. Hopefully, the Malaysian government will crack down on this EXTREMELY UNETHICAL practice.

Penang is a vastly more personal experience for us because we are meeting our Malaysian family, the family of my stepfather Ken, for the first time. For years, we have heard stories about Ken’s mom, Jimmy, Ken, Mei Ling, David and Stephen and their respective families. Getting to know the people behind these names is unquestionably a highlight of our travels so far. They have greeted us with open arms and more food than anyone could ever possibly eat in a lifetime. Oh my god, people, you’ve never seen so much food!!!

We ate and ate and talked, and then we had a snack before we went to dinner. After dessert, we stopped to try a local specialty. The next day, we ate and ate some more. I have literally never eaten so much food in my life – and I have loved every bite. In Chinese culture, food is a warm welcome. And nobody has ever greeted us so warmly before… ever.

Johann, a family friend, treats us to a lunch feast at Look Yuen Restaurant

Every single member of the family went out of their way to stuff our stomachs. David must have shuttled us 1000 km back and forth from street hawker specialties, to a small town boasting the perfect Assam Laksa, to the best dim sum in Butterworth, to a seafood extravaganza along the coast. Mei Ling, who I strongly suspect is psychic, would come running out with delicious treats every time I even thought about food. (Martha Stewart watch out. If Mei Ling ever gets a TV show in the States, your days are numbered.)

Pigging out on dim sum in Butterworth

Every brother treated us to a special meal to celebrate our visit and the New Year. Every sister-in-law prepared something spectacular to stuff our bellies. Ying Ying went out of her way to make sure we sampled each dish. Matthew filled us in on the associated traditions. So much food, so much generosity.

Kim organizes a huge gathering (three tables) of the extended
family. Sister Poh Poh has me cracking up all night!

Even Ken’s cousin Kim, who happened to be visiting from London during our stay, took the time to organize a huge dinner in Georgetown to celebrate the New Year with the extended family. What a crazy, hilarious, and entertaining group of characters. I just cannot get over how amazing Ken’s family is and how warm they have all been. To prove that we are not exaggerating, here is more photographic evidence of some great family and some serious eating.

Jimmy’s family (clockwise): Ying Ying, Matthew,
Yan Yan, Lai Yin, Yim and Jimmy

Laughing and performing the traditional
New Year’s salad tossing for prosperity

Ken’s family (clockwise): Eddy and girlfriend Yee Ling, Ah Lian, Ken,
Joo Nee with with husband Ah Soon and daughter Chloe Boo

Studying street food with David, Stephen and Sharon in Butterworth

Mei Ling waters the garden while we stuff our faces

Stuffing our faces in Ken’s family garden

Stephen’s family: Taegan, Stephen, Tristan, and Sharon

Ken and Freda with Johann and wife Gaik Peng

Eying snacks between meals

Ken (Fatt) and his mom rest their stomachs in
the garden while pausing between meals

New Year’s vegetarian breakfast in the family kitchen

The Thipsamai is not a cozy restaurant. Stainless steel tables, white tiles and cold fluorescent lights don’t encourage guests to linger for an after-meal drink. But it doesn’t seem to matter. People come here for one reason and one reason only – to eat the best Pad Thai in town. And they come in droves.

The night we went, the smallish restaurant was so busy, it overflowed onto the sidewalk. A volcanic collection of sooty woks sent rivers of sparks streaming into the surrounding tables sending patrons running for their lives. But they kept creeping back for more good food.

We found a table away from the radiating heat of the cooking station and started flipping through the menu. The choice was easy as there were only a few different dishes being offered. We went with “Superb Pad Thai” for 60 Baht ($2), which most people seemed to be eating.

The mouth-watering prawn Pad Thai came artfully wrapped in a paper-thin omelette. Once the egg mantle was broken, we topped it with bean sprouts, spring onions, cilantro, chili powder, lime and peanuts. Slightly sweet and enjoyably spicy, the noodle dish really lives up to its reputation.

Apparently, Thipsamai’s Pad Thai is special because it is cooked over high heat to keep the noodles firm and give the dish an extra smoky aroma. I’m sure there’s more to the recipe than that, but whatever they do, it works!

Location

The restaurant is located on 313 Th Maha Chai, not far from Wat Saket in Banglamphu. There’s no English signboard, just follow the crowds and the smell of freshly cooked Pad Thai.
View on Google Maps

Like miners prospecting for that legendary vein of gold, Thomas and I have been scouring Vietnam for culinary treasures. When we finally set foot into Quan An Ngon, I screamed, “Eureka!” – well, at least mentally.

Fodor’s states that Quan An Ngon “just might be the best restaurant in Vietnam.” But don’t expect super-chic poseur portions with vertical stacks, flash-dried mousse, or chemo-cuisine. Nope, this restaurant is all about real, well-made, traditional Vietnamese food. And don’t mistake this for some sad tourist enclave; most of the people standing in line to get into this very popular place are Vietnamese.

The menu reads like a culinary tour of Vietnam, a collection of the best of the best from all regions. Almost everything we have mentioned on our blog can be found in this one restaurant as well as dozens of additional mouth-watering dishes.

We dined at Quan An Ngon twice and personally sampled a range of their amazing dishes. New dishes included: cassava noodles with eel (mien xao luon), grilled pork ribs with lemon grass and chili (suon nuong xa ot), pounded shrimp hash fried on sugar cane served with vermicelli and spongy rice paper (banh hoi chao tom cuon banh trang) and sweet tapioca soup with mung beans (che hoa cau). We also tried several classics including: banh xeo, banh cuon, deep-fried frog legs, green papaya salad with dried beef, and their delicious version of che.

And, yes, everything was good.

All you serious travel-foodies looking to explore Vietnamese cuisine, Quan An Ngon is the culinary Mother Lode!!! So get on the Internet and book your flights to Hanoi. And to all Americans out there, this restaurant might even be worth the TSA’s new and improved pat-downs.

Location

18 Phan Bội Châu just off Tran Hung Dao
Hanoi, Vietnam
View on Google Maps

I guess there are always two sides to an Excellent Food-Venture…

If you want to eat your banh cuon like a pro, order up a side dish of cha lua, a delicious Vietnamese sausage. And don’t forget to rip up some mint leaves and throw them in with your nuoc cham, the tangy dipping sauce. Yum, my mouth is watering as I write this. I think I’m going to go have another one right now!!!

We didn’t want you to think that a Vietnam Food-Venture comes without its challenges. Sometimes, the deep-fried frog isn’t quite up to your expectations or the stir-fried rabbit seems a little uninspired. Was that freshwater eel nothing but bones? Bummer. Those trapped in a train for 24 hours might survive on fried guppy and white rice. Escargot fans will discover that Vietnamese snails are a bit flavorless – there’s a reason the French drown them in garlic butter. And that chicken head in black sauce tasted a little like run off from a Chinese herbal shop. Oh well – no pain, no gain.

Who would have thought that Sapa, a small highland town near the border with China, could boast such a fantastic, cosmopolitan selection of international cuisines. From Italian to Indian to French and back to Italian, Sapa seems to offer all of the classics and anything in between. Interestingly, we didn’t fancy any of the “foreign” foods. Our eyes went straight to a row of restaurants serving Vietnamese hot pot.

Up until now, we have passed up on this wintry dish because of the heat and humidity in the lower regions of Vietnam. Sitting around a HOT POT just didn’t appeal to us. But with cold fog drifting through the streets and a light drizzle, it suddenly seemed like a great idea.

We picked the Sapa Lotus Restaurant which screamed cozy mountain lodge: terracotta tiles, natural stone, beautiful wood paneling, an open fireplace, and antlers. I admit, the sleek propane heaters on the tables seemed a little out of place, but in reality, it was all about the food.

Little by little, thinly cut pieces of pork, beef, chicken, shrimp and squid, as well as mushrooms, tofu and leafy greens disappeared into the metal pot on the table. Things were either boiled or blanched in the simmering vegetable stock and then served with soy sauce and red chili on noodles. It took a well-coordinated effort between Tony and me to stay on track. Adding stuff, eating, removing stuff. Adding stuff, eating, removing stuff. In the end, it took about an hour and a half before it was all gone (we even ate the decorative carrots carved into flowers).

As we found out later, we must have chosen the tourist-safe version of hot pot. Certain local places prefer more challenging ingredients, such as horse meat, innards, and boiled blood. Mmhhhh…sounds intriguing.

Wow, that’s a trick.

But the funniest part of the story is that the researchers asked the restaurant owner to set aside some of the lizards until an expert herpetologist could be called in to examine them. After flying in from California and spending two days on a motorcycle to reach the village, the expert discovered that the restaurant owner had gotten drunk and fried up all the lizards for his patrons. Honestly, you couldn’t make this stuff up. Fact is indeed stranger than fiction. Read more about the discovery for yourself at CNN.