In Asia, the best food is not always found in fancy restaurants. More often than not, it’s in stalls, family-run shophouses or mom-and-pops that line bustling streets or are tucked in secret alleyways.
Customers can sit amid the smoke and fumes and people-watch or converse with locals while enjoying craveable flavor combinations of sweet and savory, tangy and tart and sometimes fiery.
Traveling might be out of the question for now, but that doesn’t mean our taste buds can’t. Here are some of the most popular street food in Asia and where you can have them in Cebu, even without leaving the house as these are available for delivery.
Chicken Satay (Banana Leaf)
Chicken is marinated in a spice blend, threaded onto skewers, grilled until slightly charred yet succulent and plated with a special peanut sauce on the side.
Takoyaki (Sachi)
A kind of dumpling, these are grilled puffs of dashi-flavored batter with chunks of octopus, drizzled with Japanese mayo and takoyaki sauce, which is Worcesterhsire sauce-like. These are then topped with bonito flakes.
Samosa (Hyderabad Dine In)
Crispy and flaky, this deep-fried snack is stuffed with spiced potatoes, green peas, onions, lentils and sometimes, meat. Usually served with chutney, samosas vary in filling, depending on the region.
Sheng Jian Bao (Queen Bao PH)
A specialty of Shanghai, these pan-fried pork soup dumplings are soft and fluffy with a crispy bottom. Encased in yeast dough are seasoned pork-based filling and gelatinized meat broth which transforms into a savory soup once steamed.
Pad Thai (Little Thai Kitchen)
Popular around and outside Thailand, pad thai is a stir-fried dish made with rice noodles, tofu, eggs, shrimp or chicken tossed in a mixture of fish sauce, tamarind pulp, garlic, shallots, chilis and palm sugar.
Hainanese Chicken Rice (Banana Pancake Trail)
Chicken is poached till tender served on a bed of fragrant rice that hints of chicken essence as it is cooked in the same stock but flavored with garlic, ginger and pandan leaves. The dish comes with sauces of chili, ginger, garlic and light and dark soy.
Vietnamese Pizza (Draft Punk: Brewers and Skewers)
Also known as banh trang nuong, this pizza has a light and crispy base of grilled rice paper and is typically topped with eggs, spring onions, pink sausage, dried shrimp, chili paste, sweet chili sauce and mayonnaise.