I learned so much in Laos. I learned that fried silkworm larvae are delicious. I learned how to make ant-egg salad.
The dish that changed my life was tom yum kum. You start with a pot of water, add lemongrass, lime leaves, lime juice, coriander, mushrooms, and shrimp; ten minutes later, you have the most incredible, intense soup.
I ate bugs while I was in Thailand.
You put out a funny podcast, you talk about bak chor mee. I will say mee siam mai hum.
Filipino food is not common when compared to your local Chinese food options.
I think that Manila is underrated in terms of food in the Philippines.
Going to Southeast Asia for the first time and tasting that spectrum of flavors - that certainly changed my whole palate, the kind of foods I crave. A lot of the dishes I used to love became boring to me.
Southeast Asia food uses many different types of spices which are quite new to me, like the curry leaves which I saw at the Kreta Ayer wet market in Chinatown. With such spices used in cooking, this usually imparts a strong aroma to Southeast Asian food, which appeals to the senses.
