While sitting at home during a pandemic, I thought why not share some of the best foods I ate soon my trip! Before the world race, my palate was limited and conservative to say the least. However, I got to experience and try SO many things far out of my comfort zone. While they all weren’t winners, I am pleased to share the good ones with you. You’ll see the majority of the foods listed are from Thailand and Malaysia. This is because I lived in such a rural village in India, and didn’t have many opportunities to try new foods. However, not pictured is the daily potato curry (no heat because our hosts knew we couldn’t handle it) with fresh vegetables and white rice. I was only in Costa Rica for two weeks, but I did enjoy Gallo Pinto (a famous beans and rice dish) every morning along with plantains.
Here’s the list:
This is the first noteworthy meal of my race–a quesadilla cooked in an Atlanta hotel with an iron on an ironing board. Innovation at its finest.
This is an Asian food called Dim Sum. In some dishes, it’s like a soup dumpling, but I loved getting it plain at a night market in Thailand. There are many different types, but this one was stuffed with a sweet-flavored barbecue.
My top food from Thailand is something called Pad see ew. It’s comprised of thick rice noodles often fried with vegetables, chicken, and eggs in a brown soy sauce. While I tried to branch out, I found myself ordering this off of any menu that I saw. I am excited to attempt to make this at home!
One of the best memories I have from Thailand is going to a little cafe to visit my friend. We stumbled upon her shop in our first week there, and quickly felt at home. The kind company and home-feeling Thai meals were enough to bring us back every other night. We would share music, dance, and laugh nightly then rush back to our hostel for curfew. The food was always freshly prepared with so much flavor. My friend’s favorite was her green curry. Pictured is a pineapple chicken fried rice.
I actually enjoyed my favorite Indian food in little India on the island of Penang, Malaysia! The island includes much diversity in cultures, so the food is rich and authentic! This is a simple and classic meal: garlic buttered naan with assorted sauces that range in sweetness and spice. I always paired it with one of my favorite drinks–a mango lasse! My friends and I quickly found this spot to be our place, and the friendly staff began to recognize us. It was hard to leave.
Another great food in Malaysia was eating this simply but delightful meal at a restaurant known for their “bamboo leaf” lunch. It’s a whole experience, and soo much fun! You get plain white rice and different sauces to choose from. You can add meat or veggies. It’s all served on a bamboo leaf, and you eat with your right hand (part of Indian culture). You mix the sauces with your rice and then enjoy! It’s messy, but so worth it.
The fresh fruit in Malaysia was incredible. You could get it at carts along the street in the afternoons. My favorite was a sweet man whose cart was in an alley near the coast. He would slice my pineapple with a smile, and eventually could guess what I wanted before I spoke a word.
This discovery was life-changing to say the least. What you see below is called an almond bun. My friend and I ordered it by chance at this under-appreciated ramen restaurant, but found ourselves going back several times a week. I don’t know how to describe it except to say that it is magical. It’s a soft, light & fluffy, crumbly-crusted bun filled a delicious, moist, and sweet center of almond cream. If you ever go to Malaysia, this is a must!
Being so diverse, Penang, Malaysia also had some delicious Chinese and Japanese food. After a day of exploring the artsy, fun area of Georgetown, Penang. We found a cool Japanese restaurant just in time for lunch. My friends and I sat criss cross apple sauce at a low table and ordered vegetable sushi and ramen dishes. The flavors were strong and spicy, but packed with spices and fresh vegetables.
India’s traditional chai tea was so smooth and so sweet! It’s such a part of the culture that I had the pleasure of consuming it often. It served as coffee does in the US…comforting, and a part of the routine. I had it every morning and many afternoons as well. One time my team and I had a Christmas movie night. We watched Elf, sipped warm chai, and ate our favorite pastries from the nearby bakery. If you are wondering, Indian chai is not comparable to chai tea in America. This is because chai quite literally means “tea” and isn’t used as a spice like it is in the US.
Hoping you are staying happy & healthy during these strange times,
-Lexi 🙂
