I decided to take a culinary tour of the South China Sea. I included Thailand in the tour, because who doesn’t love Thai food?

I discovered that across countries alot of the food is very similar, or even the same. It was hard to find food that was unique to a specific country. So I started looking for interesting dishes to make and challenge myself with.

Indonesia – Beef Rendang

Spicy Dried Caramelized Beef Curry

Singapore – Hainanese Chicken Rice

Malaysia – Curry Laksa

Thailand – Angel Wings

Boned out chicken wings, stuffed with Pork, Shrimp, and Vermicelli. Steamed, then fried.

Vietnam – Bahn Bot Loc

Pork Belly and Shrimp Clear Dumplings

Hong Kong (restaurant) – Szechuan Fried Tofu, Sizzling Black Pepper Beef, and Crispy Noodles with Chicken

Hong Kong (restaurant) – Xiao Long Bao, and Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

Taiwan – Lu Rou Fan

Braised Pork over Rice

Philippines – Kare Kare

Oxtail Peanut Stew

If there was a lesson to learn here, it was that Asian food is complex. It is time consuming. Some of the recipes asked some 6 hours of my time. I have developed a deeper respect for it. I don’t think I’ve felt more connected to the food I was cooking before. You could feel the depth and history of some of the dishes.

If you want to develop a greater appreciation for South China Sea flavors, watch the show on Netflix, Street Food. It is excellent.