· Food is a major highlight on the road and everyone goes home with at least a few new favourite dishes. Hotel breakfasts are often uninspiring and can be a wasted eating opportunity. However, some are really good and can assist the budget by keeping you full until dinner time. Or at least ice cream o'clock. 🍦🕒
· At the breakfast buffet beware of eggs that have been sitting around for an unknown period of time. Food poisoning isn't a pleasant way to spend the day. Much better to be cooked in front of you at the egg station.
· In Asia don't expect your eggs to come out perfectly cooked. In fact, quite often they will be far from it. Eggs for breakfast is a foreign concept and not what they would be eating. Also, your toast won't be very toasted and your bacon won't be very crispy. Best to start getting used to noodles and curry for breakfast.
· If you book all of your hotels, you'll probably end up with around half of them having breakfast included.
· In Sri Lanka I had bacon and eggs every morning for a month. Followed by a stack of toast with butter and jam and a large pot of tea all for myself. Dinner was often an all you can eat buffet. Somehow, I thought I had lost weight until I got back on the scales.
· In Brazil they often start the day with an Acai Slurpee. I'm sure this is where they get their energy and zest for life from. In Germany you'll get breads, sliced meats and cheese. It's hard to beat the full English, Mexico has Huevos Rancheros and in the USA, there will be enough food on your plate to feed 3 people. So have what the locals do and when in Rome have a coffee and cornetto.
· Surprisingly many people have their secret guilty indulgences at the ubiquitous convenience stores. Weird sandwich combinations and microwave treats. You can even get good coffee and reasonable sushi. They are good for late night snacks on the way home while you stock up on water.
· One of my favourite meals is brunch. This means a sleep in as well as a nice slow and hearty breakfast. Dim Sum is a great version of brunch. Trying as many little steamer baskets as you can afford. Washed down with lots of Chinese tea. Leave a bit of room for an egg custard tart.
· Brunch should be eaten at a leisurely pace. It's all about relaxing and enjoying life. A popular one is the four-hour free flow boozy buffet Sunday Brunch with a little Jazz thrown in as well.
· You can generally tell the hygiene of a place by the hygiene of the people working there. If they look clean and healthy their food probably is too.
· The same with street food. At least you can see in their kitchen and how they cook.
· There's a lot of expensive places that you would probably rather not know what goes on behind closed doors. Just watch Gordon Ramsay. Another good sign of course is anywhere that's busy and popular with the locals.
· In main tourist areas in Europe avoid restaurants that cater especially to them as they are usually expensive with bland food. If they are set up for bus tours (anywhere) avoid them like the plague.
· Generally, a lineup of touts can be annoying while you're trying to choose a place where to eat. Like touts everywhere ignore them and don't make eye contact. In some areas it is the done thing and they may be worth following.
· Another annoyance is the server handing you a fifty-page menu then expecting you to pick something straight away. Order the drinks and ask for some time to decide.
· In Asia it's best to eat Asian style and order a heap of dishes and put them in the middle of the table. If you have people in your group who don't want to share get your waiter to split the bill beforehand.
· Night markets are great fun. You need to pace yourself though. Do a lap first to see what’s available. Then go around again and get small portions. Grab a table and some drinks and watch the show. Hop up and get some more as you feel like it.
· Street food is a great way to eat. It's cheap. Usually, they are cooking one or two dishes that have been perfected over several generations. Just avoid anything that looks like it's been sitting around all day. You can get sick anywhere but generally you have to be more careful in some countries than others.
· It wouldn't hurt to become a vegetarian in India for example.
· In the USA, they give you huge portions so often one meal will do two people.
· In Chile beware of the olive stones inside the empanadas.
· If you're eating grasshoppers in Thailand, take the legs off first.
· Be wary of dried chilies in China, some can wreak havoc with your system for weeks.
· One of Asia's greatest gifts to the world is noodle soup. It comes in an infinite number of varieties. A multitude of different noodles, broths, meats, vegetables and spices. It is great any time of the day or night. You always feel better after having a bowl. They are cheap and healthy.
· In Singapore and Malaysia, you get Laksa. A delicious curry flavoured bowl that some people couldn't live without. In Thailand they are called Boat Noodles as they were sold from boats in the floating markets. There are very many variations including the favourites duck, red pork and wonton. Up north you can't beat a rich bowl of curry flavoured Khao Soi. Similar soups exist in Laos. If you can, get the wonderful peanut and chilli condiment called Suki.
· The cheapest way to eat in Japan is with a delicious bowl of Ramen soup. Get Udon soup if you want thicker noodles.
· Every Vietnamese loves their Pho especially for breakfast. Some recipes call for the broth to be cooked for over 72 hours!
· In Taiwan they specialize in beef noodle soup where a bowl of the Presidents noodles can set you back over $300! In other areas people line up at 4.30 am to get the freshest beef!
· In Myanmar they start the day with a bowl of rich fish soup and noodles called Mohinga.
· Cambodia and South Korea have their own versions of this restorative meal in a bowl as well.
· These are just a few examples of the many waiting for you to try. Instant noodle soup is probably the cheapest and easiest way to keep hunger at bay. You can even eat them raw like chips.
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The best pork on a stick in the world - Chanthaburi, Thailand
· Of course, that old comfort food Chicken Noodle soup is called Jewish penicillin. So, it's definitely good for the health and anything that ails you.
· Forget about the soup part and you've got a whole new world of noodles. Fried, boiled, steamed, hot, cold. In China one dish Biang Biang Noodles consists of one very long noodle on the plate.
· Most places have their own specialties usually a product of local ingredients and history. It's worth chasing these down as you may not be able to try them elsewhere. Or they may not taste the same anywhere else due to the local water or terroir or something.
· Food doesn't always taste better in its home country but there is always much more variety than you see at home. Try the national and traditional dishes. Things like Irish Stew in Ireland and in Brazil they like to eat Feijoada for Sunday lunch. A rich porky, beany stew with fresh orange.
· A cooking school is always a fun way to spend the day and will give you insights into the cuisine. They normally include a trip to the local market to buy the ingredients and they give you a recipe book containing the dishes you cooked. It makes a unique souvenir to take home and impress your friends with an authentic dinner party.
· The colonial period has left a legacy with food around the world. This is generally a good thing especially where the French were concerned. Where would we be without Vietnamese Banh Mi.
· Some places will put things like bread or snacks on your table that you did not order. Sometimes they're free sometimes not. Sometimes you can send them back sometimes not.
· In Brazil they have a system where you pay by the weight of your plate. Fill up at the buffet and there are scales waiting for you at the cash register. It can be a little embarrassing when you want to try a bit of everything.
· Buffets in the Philippines may charge you double if you overload and can't finish your plate.
· Avoid beef in Asia. Unless you are at an expensive steakhouse it will most likely be buff. Buffalo and a bit dry and tough. Indian restaurants around Asia always have mutton on their menus but you seldom see sheep. Usually it is goat, which is not a bad thing.
· Despite what a lot of people think not many Asians eat dog. If you want to try it, you'll have to go to select parts of Vietnam, China, Korea, Indonesia on special occasions or Switzerland. Stick to pork, chicken and seafood and you can't go wrong.
· Try not to eat endangered species like pangolin. China seems to be the biggest culprit for this. Usually, a giveaway is if something is unusually expensive.
· Vegetarians get a bit of a mixed bag for choice. Often there is a good variety of fruits in the tropics. Places like India have a great range of dishes and you are less likely to get sick. And its free if you go to a Sikh temple.
· Other places just won't get the vegetarian thing. Why wouldn't you eat meat if it was available. A woman in Laos was complaining that there was meat in her 'vegetarian noodles'. "Yes" she was told by the cook "but only a little bit". He had picked the big bits out.
· You will come across all sorts of exotic things to put in your mouth. Tarantulas, grasshoppers, scorpions, beetles, bugs, snake bile, mud, duck discs, deep fried sparrows and not surprisingly most of them taste like crap. That is just my opinion. Try a few things but don't feel pressured to have a go at everything.
· In Japan a real highlight is shopping at the train station for the best Bento Box available then hopping onto a Bullet train, putting your tray down and slowly savouring each section.
· Bentos are partitioned into segments (sometimes 9 or 12) and each segment can contain a number of different ingredients. Often rice, meat, fish, veg, pickles and all sorts of little treats and delicacies. The sellers take a lot of pride in their wares and people travel across town just to buy their boxes.
· Initially I made the mistake of shopping for a bargain. Instead, you should spend as much as you can afford. Go into debt if necessary and get the best available. You will enjoy all of the little extra bits and your journey will fly by in gustatory bliss.
· Late night eats are another favourite. Particularly if you've skipped dinner and carried on from Happy Hour. Everything tastes great with a lubricated appetite. Meat on a stick cooked over charcoal is hard to beat. Every country has their favourites so once again, when in Rome. For example, Indonesia / Singapore / Malaysia - Satay / Sate, Thailand - Moo Ping (with green papaya salad and sticky rice), Japan - Teriyaki / Yakitori, Middle East - Kofta, Turkey - Shish Kebab, Spain - Pinchos, Greece - Souvlaki, - you get the idea.