Asia

You know how much I love food tours so it was great to get this guest post from Kylie who took this food tour in Malaysia! If you're headed this way and love food like us, then you will for sure want to read this article! 

Penang is one of the great cultural melting pots of the world, and is renowned for its incredible street food. While we were visiting we also wanted to find out more about the history and heritage of Penang, so decided to combine the two by taking a dinner tour with Heritage on a Plate.

The Heritage on a Plate tour is a 3-hour food hop, where you get to experience a mix of Indian, Chinese and Malay street food, as well as learning about the fascinating history and background of the UNESCO heritage city of Georgetown in Penang.

We met our guide Dhanen in the heart of Little India in Georgetown, where he ran through the format of the tour. He wisely told us to pace ourselves, given that there was three hours of eating ahead of us!

First stop was a little street side cart which specialised in Southern Indian sweets called Kolkhatai. Dhanen explained that due to commercialisation and a growing preference for mass produced Northern Indian style sweets, these were in danger of becoming a dying art. We tried the ragi kolkhatai which was the darker sweet made from jaggery (a type of sweet honey), coconut and ragi powder, and the mothagam made with dhal and coconut. They were both delicious!

Next stop was over to another streetside stall in Little India. Here we tried roti jala which was a mutton (goat) curry, served with roti bread. The roti is cooked to look like the famous jalebi sweets. It was absolutely divine, very rich and tasty but without being overly spicy. We also tried some egg samosas here and the famous Malaysian kopi which is coffee made with sweetened condensed milk.

We stopped to admire the stunning Masjid Kapitan Keling and Dhanen pointed out a very ordinary looking shop next door called Nasi Kandar Beratur which loosely translated pretty much means ‘queue up’. This restaurant only opens at 10pm and was traditionally THE place to eat for port workers who were finishing their shifts and looking for a place to eat. The port hasn’t existed for many years, but the restaurant is still going strong and often has queues down the street well before 10pm!

As we wandered over to the Chinese heart of Georgetown, we passed by some of the beautiful heritage mosques, temples and colonial style buildings. Dhanen gave us insights into the history of these buildings and helped us to understand the fabulous history of Penang, including its more recent history as a street art mecca. It was also a great way to make some space for some more delicious food!

Once we hit Kimberly Street, it was time to try some Chinese and Hokkien style delicacies. First up was Duck Kway Chap which was a beautiful rich broth filled with noodles, duck, herbs and a duck egg. It was absolutely stunning. Traditionally the soup is made with all of the duck innards and offal, however we opted just for the duck meat version!

We also tried a selection of Chinese sausage called Lorbak which is typically eaten as a snack food. It’s served with a dipping sauce of tapioca, egg white and soy sauce. Our last dish in Kimberly Street was a dessert called Bee Koh Moy, which is a black sticky rice served with coconut milk and salt.

 

Starting to feel very full, we wandered further up towards the UNESCO World Heritage Site Buffer Zone, where Dhanen took us to his favourite bamboo noodle joint Hong Kee Wan Thun Mee. These noodles are made by combining the eggs and flour, then are pressed with giant bamboo poles. Apparently they are quite new on the scene, but the noodles were absolutely delicious, almost crunchy like, and served with a warm broth. It was great to sit outside the shop and watch the staff prepare the noodles. If you visit during day time, you can see them making the noodles with the giant bamboo poles.

To wash all this food down we ordered a Pa Poh drink made from Chinese herbs which tasted slightly of aniseed and was very refreshing. By this time we were almost full to the brim, but Dhanen said there was one last stop and took us back to Little India where we began. We visited one of his favourite shops where he ordered us a roti bomb. Not quite sure what to expect, we were delighted when out came a delicious flaky roti that was stuffed with sweet sugar on the inside. It was a divine treat that we washed down with a smooth mango lassi.

After almost four hours we said our goodbyes and headed for a taxi. We really enjoyed our tour with Heritage on a Plate, and Dhanen was a very knowledgeable guide about both the food and Penang’s heritage which is one of his passions. He also pointed out lots of food stalls that were only open during the day so we could make a note of them to come back and try the food.

We really loved doing the tour as it gave us the confidence to explore more Penang street food during our stay, and we returned to a few of the places we’d visited on the tour to try the dishes again with a less full stomach!

Kylie Gibbon is a passionate traveller and foodie who's been to over 45 countries around the globe. The Our Overseas Adventures blog chronicles her family travels with her husband and 5 and 7 year olds in tow. Last year the Gibbon family quit their jobs, packed up their lives and took an 8 month sabbatical through SE Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Now based back in New Zealand, the family is continuing to travel as much as possible and are always planning their next adventures!

The first time I visited Dubai I had only a few days to see the city. It was so overwhelming (and a little bit confusing) that I attended the meetings I was there for, stayed in my hotel, spent an afternoon with a local friend, and left. This year I west back and with a lot more travel experience under my wings, and more comfort with the city I knew seeing the other side of Dubai was a must.

Why was Dubai confusing to me? Frankly, it's the most peculiar place I've ever been. It's the Middle East, hot and humid to be certain. But everyone speaks English. There are giant billboards advertising gold bars as a prize for winning a contest. At the mall I saw women buying boxes stacked 3 and 4 high of Louboutin heels. In Deira, one of the more “authentic” neighborhoods, things were as I knew other places in the region to be. But hop back on the metro system and the contrasts hit as hard as the air conditioning.

I left scratching my head trying to explain what Dubai was, or wasn't. I often failed miserably.

So, for the second round the first thing I did was book a food tour with Frying Pan Adventures. I had heard good things, readers know I love food tours, and I figured if the food tour was as good as people claimed I would get to know the side of Dubai that I was missing.

There are great Dubai restaurants but I wanted something else. I wanted traditional food. Trust me when I say finding authentic Emirati food in Dubai is TOUGH! So I chose the Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage. Frying Pan Adventures offers several tours but this one fit my schedule and wants the best. My stomach completely approved of this choice.

All of the stops were great but the first and second were really my favorite. Here we ate some of the best Palestinian food I've ever had in my life. These falafels are magic balls of goodness. They're made fresh, served hot, crunchy on the outside and perfectly smooth on the inside with loads of flavor. Get the additional fried eggplant and cauliflower and magic garlic sauce to create the ULTIMATE vegetarian sandwich.  They're so good I've really considered going back to Dubai just to eat at this place again. Seriously!

Here we also had masakhan and fatayer. Both were good but I was too busy dreaming about these falafels. I knew there was more to come and even though I really wanted to eat more, I stopped myself.

Next it was on to something sweet. We went into the kitchen where they were making my very favorite Middle Eastern dessert – konnafa. I don't even have many good pictures because I was THAT excited to eat it. If you've never had konnafa then that's reason enough to take this tour. It was literally made in front of us so that everyone could see the start to finish process and we ate it on the spot. I'm sure everyone else on the tour thought I was a freak because I was that excited to eat this. Talk about a behind the scenes treat.

To balance all the food a coffee break was in order to Arva, our guide and company owner gave us a history of Arabic coffee and how to drink it along with maybe one or two more cookies. We couldn't have the coffee be lonely could we?

There were two more stops left though I was tiring out and had a really early morning flight so wasn't sure I'd make the rest of the evening. The second to the last stop however was a restaurant that promised REAL Emirati food, or at least as real as it gets if you're not at someone's home. I couldn't wait and had no idea what to expect!

There were three main things that we had, while being served and eating traditionally, sitting on cushions on the floor. First was a lentil soup that was very good. Second was rice with a goat stew and a fish stew. Not surprisingly seafood does play a role in traditional Emirati cuisine. The dishes are eaten communally with rice that is dalloped with yogurt as the utensil. It's a bit like how some people eat couscous in Morocco by rolling a ball with their hands.

We each had our own plate so if you're worried about this – don't be! While I really loved the experience I can't say it was my favorite stop – but I learned a lot and am really glad to have tried it!

The final stop of the night was for an Iranian ice cream but sadly I had to leave the group to get back to my hotel, pack and catch my 2am flight. But, I am sure the next time I go to Dubai I'll do another tour!

Overall, if you're in Dubai I think this is something you really should do. The food was excellent, the tour is well planned and informative. It offers a much deeper look into the culture here and of course the food scene as well.

The tour is on the expensive side, at 419 Emirati dirham (a little over $110) per person. It would have been hard for me to justify taking the tour if I would have had the kids with. But, I think if you're someone that really loves food and wants to know a bit of a different side of Dubai it's well worth it.

Until next time Dubai!

Want to explore some of Vietnam's unique food offerings? Than you'll love this guest post from Graham and Charlie of Undiscovered Guide! 

Hanoi is famous around the world for its awesome street food, from banh mi to bun cha and spring rolls. And rightly so – Hanoi’s street food is just delicious. However, there are a few food on offer that might be a little, erm, odd, to the western palate. I’m not gonna lie, we haven’t had the stomach to try ALL of these. Yet. We’re working on it. If you’re after something a little more on the wild side than a bowl of chicken pho, you’ve come to the right place.

Egg Beer

You might have heard of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee (“cafe trung”), but did you know about the beer option? We’ve only found it at the famous Giang Cafe, where they serve a can of 333 beer and a glass with the same meringue type mix that is used in egg coffee. Just pour in the beer and you're good to go. Although the sweet egg-based concoction might not be the obvious choice to mix with a beer, it is surprisingly tasty. It’s also very rich, so you won’t be drinking glass after glass, but it is nice to try. They also serve the same mix with rum, which is really good too.

Snake Heart

This is one we have firmly noped out of trying. However, we know plenty of people made of stronger stuff than we are, who have shared their stories with us. There is an area just out of Hanoi called “Snake Village”. It is here that you can choose the live snake – often a cobra – you would like to eat for dinner. The restaurant will then give each member of your party a shot of the snake's blood cut with some rice wine – and one lucky person's glass will contain the snake's still-beating heart. The snake is then fried up and served in a variety of traditional ways. You can also try a shot of snake rice wine (a large bottle of rice wine that a snake's been left to slowly ferment in) whilst you wait on your meal. The snake wine is believed to have a number of medicinal qualities, and to also work as an aphrodisiac.

Ragworm Cake

Another food that is firmly embedded into our “nope” list can be found at the night market: fresh ragworm cake. The little guys are kept live in a container, wriggling around next to the gas burner, which will be their doom when someone orders one. They are fried fresh with a mix of worms, dill, spices and mandarin peel – and the whole worms are very visible in the finished pancake.

Fertilised egg

This one I was almost brave enough to try. Well, I did try it. I just didn’t finish it. Fertilised eggs – that is, there's a half-formed little bird in there – are hard boiled and served with a variety of leaves and herbs. Both duck and chicken eggs are served up like this, right on the street. I managed a fair bit, but “chickened” out when I watched my friend pluck the little bird out and pop it whole into his mouth. Eggs, sure, chicken, sure – but halfway between? Not for me. What I tried was actually pretty tasty – but it's hard to ignore the half-formed beak and feathers…

Ga Tan

The interesting thing about Ga Tan, a slightly medicinal-tasting poussin soup, is that the bird is typically cooked in an old soda can. You can find in Hanoi's Old Quarter the odd sight of trays of Coca Cola cans slowly steaming over a small charcoal fire on the street, with little chicken feet sticking out of the top. The dark, nearly black, soup isn't very photogenic, particularly as it often contains the entire bird – beak, feet and all. But it's surprisingly tasty, and supposedly good for whatever ails you.

Hanoi is full of delicious foods, some more suitable for the sensitive stomach than others. Would you try any on this list?

Biography: Charlie Metcalfe is a blogger, explorer and teacher that left her home country of England in 2013, along with partner in crime Graham, to explore the world. Since then they have travelled to 15 countries, and currently live in Hanoi. You can find out more about their travels and get advice for your own on their blog www.undiscoveredguide.com, or follow along on Instagram.

This is a guest post from my friend Nathan of Foodie Flashpacker a fantastic guy that I met when he came on our food tour last year. He's a great writer and a kindered spirit when it comes to food travel adventures. In this post he shares the kind of moment I love to have when I travel – the human connection formed over food.