ecr

Bananas are common in Vietnamese cuisine -- eg. as an ingredient in bun oc (noodle "stew" with snails) and as part of the lettuce/veg/herb platter that comes with steamed fish and rice wrappers. ecr EatingAsia

Hey jokhm, were they selling any Sichuan food ingredients on the first floor of this place? I could swear I ate at the same place in '95 .... in a building owned by the Chongqing municipal govt, I think. The decor (what little is visible in the photo 1) looks suspiciously familiar....

Swati, dunno! We ate a lot of sate kambing (lamb) in Bali, and that's cubed, but I understand that's introduced from Java. The indication was that the chopped meat+coconut sate is Balinese, and kind of a special occasion food. Asking a question like yours of a few Balinese is likely to produce a few different answers ... esp if they are from different parts of the island! *Must* go back and do some serious research!

SwatiC, Balinese away from the coast don't eat a lot of fish. So, pork (or duck or chicken) shows up in this sate more often in those areas.

Head to the Denapasar morning market for your kitchen utensil needs (including lava stone mortar and pestle -- won't be more than $10, and that's high "foreigner" price ... you will have to season it after you get it home). This market should not be missed,whether you plan to purchase anything or not. Go early! Forgot to mention -- keep an eye out for white mangoes, they may be in season. You'd find them at the market if they are. Delicious but strangely vegetal flavor. And daun salam, dried Indonesian "bay" leaves (as they are usually called in cookbooks, but in reality they are nothing like western bay leaves) which are integral to Balinese (and Indonesian in general) cuisine. Condiments -- not much used in Balinese cooking, other than the usual (soy, kecap manis, etc). Most things are made with a "master paste" ground together in the pestle and mortar. Can you get fresh turmeric in Japan? If not, consider taking a pile home and freezing it. It's a key flavor.

To eat (some dishes may be hard to track down): -sate kambing (lamb sate) -sate of chopped pork, chilies, lime juice, and grated coconut (forget the name); it's molded around a skewer of lemon grass -anything with banana stem in it (soups, usually) -roasted suckling pig -dadar (dessert of rice flour "pancakes" rolled around coconut-palm sugar filling -- try to get some warm and just made) -timbungan ayam -- chicken soup with young leaves of the starfruit tree -lawar (duck or pork meat chopped, mixed with young jackfruit, coconut, spices ... and blood, but only if you're attending a temple feast!) -jackfruit curry -- yum, yum, and double yum! To take home: -vanilla beans -Balinese red rice (may be difficult to find as it's usu grown for family consumption) -palm sugar!! the very best quality will be in half-globe shapes (cooled in half coconut shells), wrapped in dried banana leaves, and it will sound a little hollow when you tap it -- this indicates it's been aged a bit, which adds depth and complexity to the flavor

Thanks Shalmanese ... I googled Sydney markets and came up with the Haymarket one, will try to check it out. DJ Food Hall and Simon Johnson's may be overpriced, but I can't buy stuff like really good olive oil where I live, so I'll be visiting them anyway. Loiosh -- which is the good tapas bar, got a name?

Hello all, We'll be in Sydney for a wk, looking at serviced apartments so we can do a bit of cooking with all the wonderful ingredients. Likely locations are: -corner of KentxBathhurst near Chinatown -King Street Wharf -Chatswood -Harbour Bridge end of York St in the CBD In terms of convenience to eating out, drinking out, and shopping at markets offering wonderful packaged goods and cheeses and produce and -- definately -- seafood .... which would be the most convenient? And as long as I'm at it, might as well throw out a few restaurant ideas: Sean's Panorama, The Pier at Rose Bay for the raw plate, Claude's, Icebergs .... what we're looking for is an emphasis on beautiful ingredients cooked simply. Not looking for 14-course tasting-athons, architectural presentations, "event" dining. I have to admit we're not much for getting *super* dressed up, either. And we LOVE seafood! Comments, other suggestions? Any thoughts on food in/near Jervis Bay, eating out or shops for provisions? Many thanks......

The only hot and sour soup I ever had in Sichuan, some 20 years ago (oh dear) was nothing like the stuff you get in the States. It consisted of broth with pork strips, dried chilies, and lots and lots of shredded pickled cabbage (pickled with chile) -- no tofu, lily buds, etc., very little soy. It was very hot and very sour (from the pickle). And delicious.

Re: Thailand, would you consider getting a bit off the beaten track in the north? There is good food to be had in Chiang Mai, but we found food exploration to be most rewarding to the east: Phrae, Nan, etc. The market is Nan is spectacular. Doesn't matter if you speak Thai or not, it's easy to get around, cheap, and Thais are so helpful and friendly, esp if you show an interest in local food! We are planning another more intensive food trip to the NE early Nov -- if you're interested check back for details. Will most likely post on my blog. eatingasia.typepad.com For Vietnam, have a look at noodlepie.typepad.com. His site will get you well versed in Vietnamese treats to look for on the streets of Saigon and beyond!

I thought the ai qing yu quite tasty, but what a weird fish --- skin almost like rubber gloves. Vendor pulled it right off in one or two sheets. Actually we all didn't really share the pulut panggang --- since Mr ecr and I hogged most of them! (sorry 'bout that...)

Yes did so just last night, to have with steamed fish. Delicious! We didn't cut it with regular white rice ... and I'm glad. Are some of the grains "broken"? It has a wonderful texture -- leftovers will make a nice rice salad. Can you buy it in KL?

Lovely photos Teepee, esp the hokkien mee "action shots". Don't worry -- "Mr. ecr" got pictures of the laksa, should be on my blog in about a wk. Thanks for hosting all of us -- BTW I tried the smoked garlic stir-fried with 3-layer pork, delicious as you described!

>>Can you imagine eating xiaolongbao the size of your fist?<< I don't know ... is it a tasty one?

Anzu, I don't think anyone is bicycling across Shanghai these days since the municipal govt has banned bicycles on most city streets. Re the Chs versus American diet -- compared to twenty years ago there are now many more overweight if not obese mainland Chinese, unless you go to really poverty-stricken rural areas. And the proportion of meat-to-veg in stir-fy dishes is much much higher now unless -- again -- you are in poorer areas. Pple will also choose to cut back on rice to eat more meat main dishes, if they can afford it. So I would wager that in spite of little dairy consumption and not much in the way of dessert consumption, you will see a larger and larger proportion of overweight mainlanders over the next decade or two. Perhaps never matching to American statistics, though....

I don't think Chs restaurants in KL hotels are halal, unless they advertise as being so. I've eaten porky treats for dim sum and other meals at Xin (the Concorde) and the Chs resto in the Hilton (very upscale, and tasty), for instance. And I've been advised the xiaolongbao at the JW Marriott are good ... I'm betting my advisor would not reco veggie xiaolongbao (you know who you are).

Vey nice post. I'm amazed at the amount of ground covered -- esp since a lot of it must have been with a hangover.

Shiewie -- phad kee mao should have lots of basil and lots of fresh chili, so it's very spicy before you even add the condiments. Noodles are stir-fried with a bit of black soy, I think ... usually there is some baby corn and ridge-cut carrots (what's with ridge-cut veggies in Asia? Vietnamese love them too) ... can be chicken or pork but best is seafood version. Vying for my favorite Thai noodle dish. Laad naa -- gravy is light, basically a broth (obviously every vendor has their own recipe) thickened with tapioca starch. No egg. Plenty of greens. Usually pork. Any of the Thai condiments will do, but I like lots of chili vinegar, which is just white vinegar with sliced fresh chilies floating in it.

No one's mentioned that CKT is quite similar to guaytiaow phad kee mao (Thailand) -- without the basil and with fewer chilies (I mean the Thai version is hotter). And on Gurney Drive in Penang I had a guaytiaow dish very similar to Thailand's gauytiaow laad naa .... same rice noodles as CKT topped with a pork and greens "gravy" and served with chili vinegar. Can someone tell me the name of this dish in Malaysia? (I have so much to learn....)

*Anything*, including pho, can be delivered in Saigon. Vietnam's low general income level means that there is someone to do almost anything for you, for a few thousand dong (or less). You can even have fruit delivered to your house, if you want -- peeled and prepared or left as it. Some of the more "upmarket" (a relative term) noodle and snack shops have their own delivery pple, but most are freelance. There are also "noodle knockers" --- kids walking the streets striking together two short bamboo or metal or wood rods to make a distinctive sound. If you hear one coming and you're hungry, he (usually boys) will run off to find a bowl of noodles for you and deliver it to your door.

Great report Dave, I've been too lazy to post anything new about Saigon on the con solidated thread. Would like to add some recommendations if anyone makes it to K Cafe -- this is an at-least-once-a-wk place for us now. Raw oysters from Nha Trang, plump and firm (not mushy), topped with lightly pickled slivered daikon, seaweed, and squeeze of lime, served with a vinegary dipping sauce. Truly the best raw oyster prep I've had anywhere. Rolls: in addition to the soft shelled crab, deep-fried salmon skin and grilled smelt. Agedashi tofu is perfectly fried and very light. Tonkatsu is righteously crispy and grease-free. Whole raw skipjack mackerel marinated in ginger -- taste matches the fantastic presentation. And always check the blackboard for specials. Re: our second lunch, we had 2 bahn cuon --- the thit nuong (with the same roasted pork as bun thit nuong) and the tom (shrimp). They have a few other kinds as well (egg and ground pork) but I think the thit nuong is stellar (this last wknd they jazzed it up with some crispy butter lettuce rolled up with the pork). And the bahn cahn is "cua", with crab. I do think this may be one of the best versions in HCMC -- little crab claws (watch out for the occasional shell piece), ground pork, lots and lots of Vietnamese black pepper, with cut-up youtiao on the side to add along with lime. These noodles are part tapioca starch and the broth is also thickened with it. I'm loving this noodle soup more and more. Chao vit -- what can you say? Glad you liked it as much as we do. It was actually 80,000 dong for the two of us (little over $5) but that's with a half a duck ... still a bargain in my book. Must check out the Underground...............

More great info! Spent the wknd online, think we've narrowed it down to Mornington or a wk on Waiheke (I like the rental options, weather seems good) with some days in Auckland before or after. Checked out public holidays in Aus/NZ that time of year ... and I'm wondering when can I count on all restaurants/stores (for food provisions) being closed .... Dec 25 25 AND 27? Jan 1 obviously, will things be back open on the 2nd? Julles - yes would love to see more of NZ but basically we are lazy and don't want to move around too much in such a short period of time. And we live in Asia, so if it's just Waiheke/Auck this trip no worries, a return trip is in the cards!!

Thanks both! Arbuclo -- to clarify -- I meant once we're in the rental, don't want to be much more than 1/2 hour away from provisions (a market, whatever) ... rental can be several hours away from our arrival city. Will have a look at the peninsula and Margaret River area....

I've been googling, and I'm a bit ovewhelmed by the possibilities ... hope someone can help. We have about 10-12 days, and the scenario is a few days in a fun city with great eats and good shopping, then retreat by car to a rental place in a beautiful, quiet area where we can relax a lot, run, bike, and eat eat eat (and drink drink drink - wine). Not looking at NE Aus -- we'll save Barrier Reef Daintree etc. for another trip. It will be over Xmas/New Year (or maybe just over New Year). Don't want a plane ride within Aus or NZ -- so we'd be flying into Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland etc. Don't care about temperature, warm/cool, either is fine. Coast or not, doesn't matter as long as we're in the midst of some nice scenery. Don't want the rental to be in a city, but would like to have fairly easy access (1/2 hour or so drive) to wonderful raw materials to cook with. Seafood and cheeses high on the list. Any ideas??

Just came across this thread -- next trip to Italy will definately include Puglia, my kind of food. Burata (sp?) --- there IS an Italian guy in California making it, and he does mail-order. It was written up in Saveur a year or two (or three) ago. The article should be on the website, if not I might be able to dig it up. Article begins something like this: "It's so creamy!" a chef friend said. It sounds like it's the real deal (not that I've ever eaten the real deal).