Five tasty foodie experiences to have in 2020

Places are often described as a ‘melting pot’, but for Malaysia, the cliché is absolutely true. While the majority population is Malay, there are also large Chinese and Indian communities. Where it gets interesting is when food traditions have mingled. Peranakan or Nonya cuisine is the best example. It’s a sense dazzling combination of Malay-style cooking with the zest of Chinese herbs and spices. Laksa, a comforting bowl of thick noodles often with fish in a fragrant spicy soup, is our favourite. Georgetown, on the spice island of Penang, is a foodie hotspot and the ideal place to get slurping.

Vietnam’s national dish is Pho – a noodle soup dish. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes we think it can be a little bland. There’s way more to Vietnamese food than this well-known dish. One of our favourite food hotspots is Hue. There there are heaps of sense-dazzling dishes to try, but if we had to pick a favourite it would be Hue pancakes or Banh Khoai. These are no ordinary pancakes – they’re crispy and light and filled with shrimp, pork, egg and beansprouts. What takes them to the next level is the dipping sauce they’re served with. A combination of soy sauce, pork fat, peanuts and sesame, every restaurant has its own recipe. It’s usually a closely guarded secret.

It’s easy to assume you know Mexican food, but to really Mex it up, we recommend Puebla. It’s nestled in central Mexico on a fertile plain with mountains rising on all sides. Here local dishes are influenced by the cuisines of Spanish and Asian immigrants. The most famous is a sauce called Mole. There are many Moles in Mexico but Mole Poblano the sauce from Puebla is particularly special. To make it the traditional way takes time and love combining different types of chili, tomatoes, garlic, stock, herbs and spices, and the secret ingredient… chocolate! Typically it’s served over grilled chicken but it’s used to flavour to all kinds of dishes too.

Located on the shores of a peaceful lake and surrounded by leafy tea plantations, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s historic royal capital. It’s home to the Temple of the Tooth where one of Buddha’s teeth is said to be preserved. It’s also a foodie capital. A dish to try here is a hopper. One version is a like a crispy pancake, but the one to really get your teeth into is the string hopper or Idiyappam. These are nests of steamed rice flour noodles. You can use them to soak up both sweet and savoury sauces, but we think the best way to eat them is with a spicy coconut milk potato curry.

You’re bound to have tried red and green curries and the inevitable Pad Thai. But did you know Thai salads are spectacular? They’re often fiery and always zesty enough to make your tongue tingle. The most widely found is Som Tam and its preparation is an art form. The main vegetable is green papaya which is sliced a particular way straight off the fruit. Other raw veggies are added along with peanuts. Then comes the magic: the dressing! Lime juice, garlic, chili, fish sauce are pounded fresh in a pestle and mortar. The balance between hot, sour and sweet has to be just right. And every Thai cook will tell you they have the best recipe.