Visitors to Asia can expect to enjoy a wide variety of experiences. Cultural, natural, and historical wonders are there to be explored, and the memories are sure to live on for decades – provided that you plan and execute your break appropriately.
Of course, some of the most compelling reasons to visit this part of the world are edible. There’s a tremendous diversity of food and drink to enjoy – and many of the dishes you’ll experience might be completely unfamiliar to you when you first step off the plane.
Street Food Adventures in Bangkok, Thailand
For an authentic dose of local cuisine, you’ll want to look first to the street vendors. Major Thai cities like Bangkok enjoy a great reputation for quality street food, especially if you know where to look. Pad Thai is a staple, but you might also look for sticky rice, and papaya salad. If you’re in the city and looking for an ice cream, then Catuchak Market is a must-visit. For a sit-down experience, there’s Steve Café & Cuisine, which overlooks the Chao Phraya River.
Sushi Mastery in Tokyo, Japan
Head over to Japan, and the food is just about unrecognisable – especially if you’re visiting a sushi restaurant. If you’re unfamiliar with sushi, then you might be amazed at how much variety the various restaurants in Tokyo can offer. There are the familiar conveyor-belt restaurants, as well as the more traditional omakase experiences. Sushi is served in refined Micelin-starred restaurants, as well as in cheaper street-food stalls. A few days in the city, and you’ll be able to try a variety of dishes.
Spice Routes: Culinary Journeys Through India
India is an absolutely enormous country, with fantastic regional diversity when it comes to gastronomy. In the mountainous north, the flavours tend to be more aromatic; in the south, the spices come to the fore. If you want to experience it all in a single trip, then the best approach is often to look for escorted tours to India. That way, you’ll not only get a taste of the best cuisine, but also an education in how the various dishes came to be developed.
Dim Sum Delights in Hong Kong
If you’re paying a visit to Hong Kong, then Dim Sum is just about unavoidable. There are countless places to enjoy it, and countless different varieties on offer. You might favour a traditional snack, like egg siu mai or har gao. The deep-fried ‘three treasures’ are also worth a try. This dish comprises vegetables stuffed with dace fish paste and sausage. It’s often garnished with Worcestershire sauce.
Fusion Flavours in Singapore
Singapore is something of a melting pot of Asian cultures – and the cuisine draws on a variety of influences from around the region. You can try Chinese, Malay, Indian, and fusion foods around the hawker centres, or you can visit quality restaurants, like Odette, that offer a more refined expression of what Singaporean cuisine really amounts to.
