Street Food

One of the reasons that SE Asia is so cheap is that it is literally possible to eat for $2 per day. This is accomplished by eating at street stalls, carts, bicycles, and even baskets. Entire restaurants were carried around by old women in two baskets suspended from the ends of a bamboo pole.

A restaurant on the back of a bicycle in Cholon, the Chinese section of Ho Chi Minh City.

While I did eat at street stalls in all four of the countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia) I went to, I can really only compare the first three since I was only in Malaysia for three days and only ate at one street stall.

Vietnam, by far, had the best street food. The was an infinite variety and it changed from city to city. Each region and town had its own specialties. Dishes ranged from fried pancakes with shrimp and pork in them in Hoi An to cold noodle soups in the vegetable markets of Hanoi. In Ho Chi Minh City, which experienced heavy American influence during the war, it was possible to get a Vietnamese style sandwich. There are also a variety of mysterious things wrapped in banana leaves which have been steamed. I have no idea what most of them were, and most of them didn't taste all that good anyway.

Thailand, unlike Vietnam, has numerous curries which can be selected and poured over rice. There is also the ever present pad-thai and spring rolls. Thai bar-b-que is also very common and cheap as well. In southern Thailand fried chicken is also very common, particularly at railroad stations where you have just enough time to hop off the train, buy something, and jump back on before the train leaves again.

Cambodia is an interesting blend of Thai and Vietnamese. There are the curries, but there are also lighter dished more typical of Vietnam.

In all three countries smoothie stands have become very common in response to tourists. There are a variety of fruits from the normal apple and banana to more exotic things like dragon fruit. Fruit, ice (some places even have "safe" ice), and condensed milk are blended thoroughly. The smoothly is then put into a plastic bag which is sealed shut with a straw sticking out of it using a rubber band. This bag is then put into another plastic bag that has ice in it and handles so that you can carry your beverage. It really is a genius system and an excellent mid-day snack for about $0.20.

On of the most important things to know about eating street food is how to pick where to eat. They all appear similar at first, but a closer inspection is a must before deciding where to eat.

1. Are locals eating there? The locals know the best places to eat, just like you do when you are at home.
2. How clean is the place? Remember that cleanliness is a relative concept, so don't expect Martha Stewart's kitchen, but just check to see that there aren't flies all over the food.
3. Is there active food preparation going on? Don't eat at places at 4 in the afternoon where it looks like the food was originally cooked at 9 in the morning.
4. If there are only tourists at the stall, do not eat there.
5. If there is not a sign with a price, negotiate the price first. Expect to pay a little more than the locals, but do not get completely ripped off.
6. Take it easy with the chili sauce. It is a lot stronger than you think it will be.
   
7. Take pepto-bismol. It can't hurt.

Finally, here are a few photos of some of the places I ate on my trip...

Bar-b-qued pork (I think) wrapped into a spring roll on a side walk in Hoi An.

Cao Lao, the fried pancake things in the font, at a food stall in the market in Hoi An.

Mystery drinks in the Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City.

A soup stall in Bangkok.

Fried crickets, meal worms, and other unidentifiable bugs... (Bangkok).

Speaking of bugs...

Here are those spiders that didn't taste so great (Phnom Penh).