Taiwan - The destination for foodie

Taiwan is one of my top destinations when it comes to food. While it's famous for beef noodles and dumplings, my culinary adventure in Taiwan has been so much more exciting, I've discovered many other dishes that deserve more attention. Here are my top 5 must-try dishes when visiting Taiwan.

1. Crystal Meatball (Ba-Wan): a Taiwanese street food staple made with a translucent, chewy dough - usually a mix of sweet potato and rice flour - filled with seasoned pork, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. It's steamed, sometimes lightly fried, and served with a savory-sweet sauce. Think of it as Taiwan’s glossy, glutinous dumpling with a flavorful surprise inside. We'd never heard about it until we stumbled at the restaurant on the way to 2nd Market in Taichung, and it became one of our most curious food experiences.

2. Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan): a humble bowl of tender minced pork, slow-cooked in soy sauce and spices, served over fluffy white rice. Simple, comforting, and packed with flavor. You can find Braised pork rice everywhere in Asia, but in Taiwan, it's on another level.

3. Braised Pork Trotter: melt-in-your-mouth pork trotters simmered in a rich, savory-sweet soy-based sauce. Gelatinous, flavorful, and totally satisfying.

4. Grilled & Smoked Pork Trotter: smoky, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. This dish takes pork trotters to the next level with deep, charred flavor and juicy richness. You can find this mostly in night markets.

5. Century Egg with Silken Tofu: strange... but strangely good! A chilled, savory dish featuring creamy silken tofu topped with sliced century egg, drizzled with soy sauce, and a touch of sesame oil. Smooth, bold, and surprisingly refreshing

If you're planning your next visit to Taiwan, be prepared for food comma.

Malaysia – where Asian food cultures cross paths and harmoniously blend.

After spending over two months living in different neighborhoods across the country, I was lucky enough to indulge in all kinds of local eats. Here are my top 5 must-try foods in Malaysia:

1. Nasi Lemak: A classic Malay dish made with fragrant coconut or pandan rice, served with a variety of sides. It’s commonly paired with juicy fried chicken, roasted peanuts, crispy dried anchovies, and a generous helping of sambal - a super spicy sauce that brings all the flavors together.

2. Curry Laksa: extremely hot spicy and tangy noodle dish with a thick curry base.

3. Assam Laksa: A sweet and sour fish-based noodles soup. Asam is the Malay word for tamarind, which is the key ingredient that gives the dish its intense sourness.

4. Kaya Toast: This is a dish consisting of two slices of toast with butter and kaya, which is coconut or pandan jam. It's commonly served alongside a Kopi - traditional coffee and 2 soft-boiled eggs. It's believed that Hainanese immigrants created the kaya toast and brought it into Malaysia.

5. The thickest Egg Tart in Malaysia: not just any egg tart, but it is the thickest and creamiest egg tart in town. If you love egg tart, don't miss it at @orientalkopi.asia they are the best!

That's my top 5 most delicious food that I've tried in Malaysia, how about yours?

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞!

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠 is one of the street food capitals of 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦 with wide range of food selections, affordable price, it can be extremely tasty but also healthy at the same time!

Besides of Danang's signature Banh Xeo & Nem Lui (The yellow crispy pancake and lemongrass wrapped pork sausage), there are tons of underrated but mouthwatering dishes that will keep your tummy smiling. Here are my top picks:

𝟏. 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: You’ve probably seen the components served separately: Summer roll (could never go wrong), Spring Roll (crispy and meaty), Pork Skewer, Fried Dumplings. 

𝟐. 𝐍𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐮𝐢: Classic Central Vietnamese grilled pork sausage wrapped around lemongrass skewers. So juicy and flavorful!

𝟑. 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐡 𝐗𝐞𝐨: Vietnam’s famous yellow crispy pancake, stuffed and served with herbs and dipping sauce. You’ve definitely seen this all over Instagram!

𝟒. 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲: Tender meat with crackling skin, a regional fave. Try the Đà Nẵng version served with Bánh Hỏi (woven vermicelli sheets) and fish sauce, it’s called 'Bánh Hỏi Heo Quay'. I could eat this every day 🤤

𝟓. 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐡 𝐌𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞: The ultimate grab-and-go combo that never fails.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐛𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚