Top Australian Food

Regular ES readers know that I love to celebrate/poke fun at the deep-fried ridiculousness that is American cuisine. My 2008 expose on the Top 10 Foods Only America Could Have Invented remains one of our most popular posts, and by far the most controversial. Every few days a new reader finds this story via social networks and leaves an outraged comment, intimating that I clearly must be a communist for daring to disrespect corn dogs. The BS haters’ favorite line of attack is pointing out that America is not alone in our attempt to deep fry every food. For example, Tav68 rails:
Someone needs to set this poster straight. America is actually number 11 on the list of the worlds fattest nations. This is Directly from the UN web site. Not from some reporter who wants to bash America but from the UN who keeps statistics on this type of thing NOT used for the purpose of Nation Bashing. Australia is the world’s fattest nation, with 36.2 percent of adults being obese…
Hey, point taken. While I have long believed no country can top America when it comes to the great art of artery clogging, I’m willing to give any of them a chance. So in honor of January 26 — Australia Day — and the fact that there is a bring the KFC double down sandwich to Australia facebook petition — I bring you the top 10 foods that only Australia could have invented:

1. Australian Hamburger with “The Lot”

The Aussies may not have invented the hamburger, but they sure have taken it to levels not many cultures could have imagined. Ask for one with “the lot” and it will come loaded with a runny fried egg, bacon, cheese, beets (!), pineapple, tomato, lettuce, onions and ketchup (which they call tomato sauce). Makes the New Luther look like snack food. (Photo: Vanessa Pike-Russell)

2. Burger Rings

Speaking of snack food, when you can’t find a burger with the lot in Australia, you can always grab a bag of burgers — a.k.a. these beef-y snack rings. If the thought of popping burger-flavored snack rings into your mouth makes you want to gag, then you probably won’t want to know that these things reportedly taste like semen.
3. Chiko Roll

Found at football matches and many Aussie fish-and-chip shops, the Chiko is basically a Chinese egg roll, only upgraded so that it’s large enough to serve as a whole meal. Inside, you’ll find more than just shredded cabbage: usually beef, barley, carrots, green beans and onions. (Photo: Wikipedia)

4. Bacon and Egg Pie

This is what I call a solid breakfast. As in most countries formerly ruled by Britain, Australians are obsessed with savory pies. The meat pie has even been referred to as the national dish here, and it can be made with anything from minced beef to lamb and steak. But how can you beat one stuffed with good ol’ bacon and eggs? (Photo: Wikipedia)

5. Potato Cakes

Now this is where the Australians really start to challenge us for the deep-fried crown. Smartly realizing that a plate of fried fish and chips just isn’t substantial enough for many people, many chippers here serve their fish with potato cakes — basically giant circles of mashed potatoes deep-fried within an inch of their life. This is one oversize side that puts french fries to shame.

Top 10 Singapore Food

Singapore is a food paradise and the varieties of local food are simply amazing. No one could ever get it right to list the top 10 local favorite food and neither are we better at it. We will offer our take on the top 10 affordable dishes (consist mainly of hawker food) that any visitors to Singapore must not miss while in Singapore. Most of these places recommended here are quite out of the way and you likely need a local friend or take a cab to find them and thus does not appear in your average tourist websites. We will like to clear the air that we are not affiliated to any of these restaurants and we are not paid to write good about their food.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is almost a national dish by now and can be commonly found in hawker centres, food courts and restaurants. Many celebrities from Taiwan and Hong Kong have singled out this famous dish whenever they are in Singapore. Other than the chicken and fragant rice, the dish typically served with tomato, ginger and cucumber. Pao Sing restarant located at Serangoon Garden or Boon Tong Kee (Balestier) are highly recommended. Cost per person shd be less than US$15 per person.

Roti Prata

Roti Prata is a famed local indian dish. Much like the nun you have in india, Roti Prata is made of flour and it can be topped with various toppings such as egg, cheese, onion and others. The plain or egg prata are the most popular, order a plate of mutton curry (highly recommended) or curry chicken (if you can not take mutton) that goes with Teh Tarek (a local milk tea, the cuppuchino-like bubbles are created from "pulling" the tea). There are the several Roti Prata shops in Jalan Kayu, the famed one goes by the name Thasevi Famous Jalan Kayu Prata Restaurant. Cost per person should be less than US$10.

Katong Laksa

 
Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture. The place to find the local variant known as Katong Laksa is at East Coast Road in the Katong area. There are more than 5 stores in close proximity fiercely competing to be the King of Laksa of Singapore. Go to the one with the most customers :) Each Bowl should be less than US$3.

Duck Rice

Like the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice, the braised duck with rice cooked with yam or plain white rice, served with a thick dark sauce is becoming a common sight in many foodcourts and hawker centres. A popular franchise is the Yew Kee Happy Duck Rice which can be found in many foodcourts in Singapore. Each plate of duck rice is less than US$3 per plate.

Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese pork ribs soup cooked in herbs, pepper and garlic. It is eaten with rice and other side dishes including fried dough and salted vegetables. Try the Leong Kee Bak Kut Teh (梁记肉骨茶) at Beach Road, Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha at Outram Park (PSA Building) or  Ng Ah Sio Pork Rib Soup (黄亚细肉骨茶餐室) at Rangoon Road. Less than US$7 per person.

Fish Head Curry

Fish Head Curry is a dish where the large head of a fish simmered in a thick curry gravy with lady's fingers added to the dish. It is best eaten with white rice. There are the Chinese, Paranakan and Indian versions of this famous local dish. Visit Muthu's Curry at Race Course Road. Cost of a bowl of Fish Head Curry is less than US$20-30.

Satay

Satay is barbecued sliced meat on wooden sticks which is a popular Malay/Indonesian dish in this part of the region. It is served with spicy peanut sauce, slices of cucumbers, rice cubes and onions. The meat are typically beef, chicken or mutton, though you can find the pork version in some Chinese stalls. We recommend the chicken version. Go to the open-air foodcourt next to the Esplanade with many competing satay stalls, enjoy the wonderful seaview while you sampling this iconic dish. Best to go with a cup of tea with milk. Alternate place is "Satay Street" at Lau Pa Sat. Cost for 10 sticks is less than US$5.

Seafood Tze Char

Seafood Tze Char (or spelt as Zi Char, Zhi Cha, Cze Char, the variants are translated from the Mandarin words 煮炒) which literally means 'cook & fry', which almost always use woks in preparing most ala-carte dishes. Most of the local coffee shops usually have a Tze Char stall as a anchor tenant. Some of the famous Tze Char dishes are black pepper/Chilli crabs, drunken prawns, curry fish heads, seafood steamboats, steam fish etc. A good one to go to is Jumbo Seafood Restaurant at East Coast Seafood Centre or Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant at One Fullerton. Depending on what you order, the cost per person should range from US$30-70 per person.

Fish and Co

This dish is strictly not a hawker food but is definitely a home-grown dish that is famous locally. This home-grown franchise has been expanding rapidly over the last few years is a testament that their food is welcome by local diners. In a restaurant setting, you pay less S$15for a fish-and-chip meal per person. The kids meal goes for less than S$7. You must try both the tata sauce and chili sauce, they are super yummy.
Fish-and-Co have many outlets in Singapore, for the tourists we will recommend you go to their flagship store at the The Glass House (9 Penang road #01-24 park mall Singapore 238459 beside Park Mall just behind the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station) or the Paragon outlet (290 Orchard Road #B1-35/36 Singapore 238859 near Somerset MRT).

Top 10 Thai Food

Thai cuisine is a favorite of gourmet food aficionados around the world. It is well known for diversity of ingredients, complex spiciness and intricate flavors and aromas. Many Thai dishes are even prepared with a blend of herbal ingredients that are purported to have health benefits.
There is such a broad range of favorite Thai food dishes available that many people will come to Thailand and wonder where to begin; and so, I have prepared this article to present a list of my Top 10 Favorite Thai dishes.  By the way, I am Tomi and I am a self-proclaimed authority of Thai food.  In my humble opinion Thai food has no equal; try some of these dishes and you will see why.
An important (mostly unconscious) principle of Thai food is a balance of five flavors – spicy, salty, sweet, sour and bitter. The one indispensable ingredient which is used in seasoning many Thai dishes is fish sauce. Fish sauce is considered an essential ingredient in Thai cooking in much the same way as soy sauce is important to Chinese cooking.  Thai food is eaten either as a single dish or with rice. Steamed rice is the staple food although sticky rice is more popular in the north and northeast of Thailand where special rice varieties are produced for their sticky starch qualities.
Thai food is one of many things that you should not miss while you are traveling in this beautiful “Land of Smiles”. Since there are countless delectable Thai dishes, I am writing this guideline for you to select the most popular and authentic from the plethora of Thai signature dishes.
The following list is a top 10 favorite Thai food dishes that you must not miss. The consideration and ranking is based on the popularity, uniqueness and authenticity of these Thai delicacies. Here are the winners of my Top 10 Thai Food Dishes.

		10. Gai Pad Met Mamuang (Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts)Even though Gai Pad Met Mamuang does not represent the overview of Thai food but it is a very nice treat to your taste buds. Since it is by no means spicy or hot, this slightly sweet and salty chicken fried with crunchy cashew nuts is aptly satiating for children or beginners who are not used to spices.
		9. Por Pia Tord (Fried Spring Roll)Fried spring roll is one of the most popular appetizers for foreigners because it is not spicy and comes with sweet and sour dip. Spring rolls are crispy pastries with fried vegetable fillings. Though spring rolls are commonplace in many Southeast Asian countries, Thai Por Pia is different in flavors with a special dip prepared from Japanese apricot.
		8. Panaeng (Meat in Spicy Coconut Cream)Panaeng can be cooked using either pork, chicken or beef. Panaeng tastes like Thai red curry but the coconut milk sauce is thicker and richer. Compared to Thai red curry, Panaeng is mildly spicy and sweet. Paneang is best served with warm steamed rice. There is nothing to dislike about Panaeng expect the fact that it can be too meaty for some people that prefer vegetables with their dishes.
		7. Som Tam (Spicy Papaya Salad)Som Tam is one of the most popular foods among Thai people for its fiercely spicy and sour flavors. Som Tam, which literally means “Sour Pounded”, is a spicy salad made from a mix of fresh vegetables including shredded unripened papaya, yardlong beans and tomato. Som Tam is unique that the spicy dressing and salad vegetables are pounded and mixed in the mortar using a pestle. Somtam is usually served with grilled chicken and sticky rice. Som Tam is good for your health that it contains no fat, low calorie and high vitamins. This is a truly authentic Thai dish that will make a great impression. The only reason why I’m ranking Som Tam at No.7 (though it deserves higher rank) is its strong spiciness that might leave your tongue burned and swollen. Just say “Mai phed” (not spicy) to your waiter if you want less chili pepper.
		6. Moo Sa-Te (Grilled Pork Sticks with Turmeric)This tantalizing sweet-flavored grilled pork sticks are refined with rich, juicy sauce made of turmeric and curry powder. Moo Sa-Te makes a savory hors d’oeuvres that will appease any taste buds. These juicy grilled pork sticks are usually served with two saucy dips – one is a mildly spicy thick sauce with ground peanuts, coconut milk and curry powder and another one is a sweet and sour vinegar sauce with chopped shallot, pepper and cucumber to mitigate its oiliness.
		5. Tom Yam Gai (Spicy Chicken Soup)Chicken soup is very good to eat when you have a cold but Tom Yam Gai or spicy chicken soup is a yummy treat that you will fall in love with just in a first sip. Tom Yam Kai is a clear chicken soup seasoned with a blend of chili, lime and fish sauce. The broth is simmered with Thai herbs as lemon grass, shallot and galangal which give it a unique and satiating aroma. My foreign friends order this tasty soup as a favorite where-ever they go so you should not miss it by any means!
		4. Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup)Although Tom Kha Kai is another variation of chicken soup, it deserves the No.4 because of its unparalleled taste and popularity. Similar to Tom Yam Kai, the broth is prepared with many types of Thai herbs with the special addition of coconut milk that makes this soup unique. Though the soup is seasoned with chili, lime and fish sauce just like Tom Kha Kai, thanks to the coconut milk, the broth is milder and less spicy. This is probably more preffered by non-spicy eaters.
		3. Kang Keaw Wan Gai (Green Chicken Curry)Since we are having three dishes in a row made of “Gai”, you would have guessed that it is the Thai word for chicken. Chicken is on of the popular meats used in Thai cuisine; it is usually available in most curry and soup. Kang Kiew Wan, literally translated as “Sweet Green Curry”, is nicely sweet and slightly spicy and tastes very delightful with a proper blend of the spiciness from green curry chili paste, blandness from coconut milk, sweetness of sugar and saltiness of fish sauce. It is usually eaten with steamed rice or served as a sauce to rice noodle known as “Kanom Jeen” a more ‘spaghetti-like’ noodle.
		2. Pad Thai (Fried Noodle)This national dish prides itself for its long history traced back in previous centuries. Pad Thai flaunts the authenticity of Thai culinary arts in using only fresh and best ingredients and the well-balancing of the five fundamental flavors. The stir-fried noodle has become popular because it tastes yummy and is served with a variety of seasonings to suit your tastes. Through history, Pad Thai has evolved into two different styles: the classic and the variation. The classic Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chili pepper plus bean sprouts, shrimp and tofu and garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander while another style is relatively dry and lightly-flavored. The latter is easily found in street vendors and dominant in Thai restaurants in the West but having classic Pad Thai freshly cooked in country of origin is the way to go.
		1. Tom Yam Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)No other dishes can defeat this renowned Tom Yam Goong as the optimal representative of Thai gourmet. Tom Yam Goong is truly one of a kind with its fierce spiciness and sourness and a blatant use of fragrant herbs including galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, shallot, tamarind and chili pepper. There are two styles of Tom Yam; the clear spicy soup and thick spicy soup. The latter is cooked by adding coconut milk or milk to the broth in order to thicken the stock and give the dish a milder flavor. Tom Yam is very versatile and can be made with prawns, chicken, fish and mix of seafood, and mushroom. Tom Yam Goong is the most popular variety of Tom Yam since Spicy Shrimp Soup is the original. Though not very surprising, Tom Yam Goong is definitely a signature dish of Thailand.

Even though it is commonly known that Thai food utilizes many health herbs and spices, there have always been debates whether Thai food is really good for health since they tend to be somewhat spicey and oily. I think that it really depends on each dish; sure some can be highly caloric but many dishes are recogized as being very nutritious and healthy. Garlic, for example, is widely used in Thai food and very good healthwise because it can prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cancer.
No matter what the food is, the same old concept of moderate intake comes into play. From Mcdonald’s burger to Japanese Sushi, a key is to avoid overconsumption. Thus, a claim that Thai food is mainly coconut-based and fattening should never be an adequate reason for you to go order a Big Mac.  Spoil your taste buds with Thai food – tasty and healthy!