My A to Z of Asian Food: Travelling through Food during the Pandemic

Thai Lotusland Street Food served in Surrey.

After repeated cancellations, lockdowns and the near impossibility of travel, I made the decision to travel instead through cooking, street food, and restaurants here in the United Kingdom. I wanted to explore Asian food, which I classified as everything from the MENA region, through Central Asia to the Far East, and down to Southern Asia. I set off using the hashtag #atozasianfood @atozasianfood on Instagram to capture the culinary journey I was about to embark on.

Cambodian Fish Amok I cooked, where the curry is served in a Banana Leaf.

During the pandemic, I have cooked, or eaten out at a restaurant from the following countries, hence the name A to Z in #atozasianfood : Cambodia (Fish Amok, Lort Cha), China (Dim Sum, Bao Bao Buns), Egypt (Koshary), India (Vada Pav from Mumbai was special), Indonesia (Beef Rendang with Indo Tea), Iran (Khoresh-e Fesenjān, a walnut and pomegranate stew), Japan (Gyoza, Sushi, Yakiudon, Yakisoba, Ramen, Katsu, and more), North Korea (Naengmyeon, a cold noodle soup), South Korea (bibimbaps, some great Korean street food places all over SE England), Lebanon (Kebabs with Chateau Musar, Shakshuka), Malaysia (Char koay teow 炒粿條), Mongolia (Dumplings), Myanmar (Fish Mohinga), Nepal (Momos — Nepalese dumplings, Curries made by restaurant businesses run by a nearby Nepalese community), Oman (Date Bread Breakfast, Omani Tea), Palestine (Aalayah Breakfast made from mince), Taiwan (Ji fried chicken in Chinatown), Thailand (Pad Gra Prow a favourite, as well as Jungle Curry), Tibet (Po Cha Butter Tea), Turkey (Kebabs, Turkish Delight), Vietnam (Pho).

The Cups, Egham, one of the best Korean BBQ Street Food Restaurants. The drink here is Bon-Bon Grape Juice, which has the grapes inside the can, a must try.

Over a year on, I can say my cooking skills have improved massively, and even things like Mongolian dumplings or Chinese Dim Sum, are now something quick and completely doable for a dinner party.

Japanese steamed Gyoza, with ginger and soy sauce, accompanied by a Ramune drink, where a marble holds the lemonade bubbles inside the bottle.

Omani Date Bread was my biggest surprise, using a recipe from the Anglo-Omani Society, it was absolutely delicious served with cream cheese and an egg, along with Omani coffee.

Omani Date Bread, delicious with cream cheese and an egg.

If you’re keen to join me on this journey, I recommend signing up to the Royal Society for Asian Affairs Newsletter, where at the end of each weekly email is a new recipe and book suggestion. I have to say I recently noticed there is a Netflix series, called Street Food: Asia, another recommendation. Also worth heading to your nearest multicultural City, where food you perhaps had never known about is just waiting to be explored.

Of course Asia is so large, I could spend years cooking, and eating out, but may never get close to even the tip of the huge variety of dishes throughout the continent. I am eager to learn even more about this huge continent’s tastes, spices, dishes and the incredible hospitality in our restuarants here. That is, until I can travel to Asia once more.

Thai Bubble Tea.