Food and Drink

Pho in Vietnam

Vietnamese Phở: The Nation’s Best Loved Soup

Eating phở in Vietnam is a traveller rite of passage. The country’s national dish is an aromatic noodle soup with a vibrant history. Learn all about it, including where to eat it, in this complete guide.

Indonesian Drinks

Top 12 Traditional Indonesian Drinks

We always talk about the food but what about the drinks in Indonesia? This sprawling country is home to some mouth-watering beverages that you’ll want to try on your next trip!

Fish amok in Cambodia

Fish Amok: Cambodia’s National Dish

Fish amok is commonly said to be Cambodia’s national dish. This creamy curry dish can be made with a variety of ingredients, however, fish is the most common. Check out this post to learn more about one of Cambodia’s most popular dishes!

Singapore Food Scene

Food in Singapore: 10 Must-Try Dishes and Cheap Eats!

Singaporean food might not be Asia’s most well known cuisine but it is some of the best! A melting pot of cultures contributes to an exciting cuisine, making Singapore a destination that foodies will love. Here are some of the best dishes for those on a budget!

Indonesian Food: 18 Must-try Dishes!

Indonesian Food: 18 Must-Try Dishes!

Indonesian food may not be the most famous of all Southeast Asia’s cuisines but it is surely one of the best. Add these must-try dishes to your list!

Coffee in Vietnam

Coffee in Vietnam: Drink Like a Local!

As the world’s second-largest coffee producer, Vietnam is a country that knows a bit about coffee. The drip coffee method has become famous world over and is directly responsible for some of Asia’s best caffeinated drinks, including egg coffee! This article covers everything you need to know about the history of coffee culture in Vietnam.

Vegan meal Southeast Asia

A Vegan Travel Guide to Southeast Asia

If you’re heading to Southeast Asia as a vegan, you may be a little concerned. There is no need to worry though! Southeast Asia is one of the most vegan-friendly regions in the world.

Cendol: Southeast Asia’s Coolest Dessert

Cendol: Southeast Asia’s Coolest Dessert

Cendol is a sweet iced dessert which you must try if you are travelling Southeast Asia. Widely available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, this famous dish has a long and fascinating history!

Banh Mi: Everybody’s Favourite Vietnamese Sandwich

Banh Mi: The Vietnamese Sandwich

Banh Mi is one of Vietnam’s best loved street foods. This iconic sandwich is packed with fresh ingredients and has a fascinating history.

The 20 Best Filipino Snacks

The 20 Best Filipino Street Food & Snacks

These Filipino snacks will keep your belly from grumbling on those jeepney journeys. Most of them are delicious but there are some choices for only the bravest of travellers!

Top 22 Must-Try Drinks in Asia

22 Asian Drinks – How Many Have You Tried?

From Thailand’s notorious ‘Bucket’ to Malaysia’s beloved ‘Teh Tarik’ we pick the best beverages in Asia. Healthy and refreshing or devilishly alcoholic and mind-blowing! Here are the TOP 22 must try thirst quenchers! How many tipples have you tried?

Satary Stall on Kuala Lumpur food tour

Kuala Lumpur Food Tour! A Taste of Traditional Malaysia

On the hunt for the taste of traditional Malaysia, writers Ellie and Will join A Chef’s Tour – a foodies dream journey through the old markets of Kuala Lumpur. Find out what local delights made their mouths water and most importantly, what they thought about Durian!

Must Try Vietnamese Street Food Dishes!

Vietnamese Street Food – 23 Must Try Dishes!

23 Must-Try Vietnamese Street Food Dishes to look out for during your adventures in the country! From the famous Bahn Mi and Pho Bo, to the not-so-famous “Bánh Tráng Nuog” AKA Vietnamese pizza!

Backpackers savouring Vietnamese street food

Hanoi Street Food Tour – Eat Your Way Through Vietnam’s Capital

A Hanoi street food tour is a must-do experience in Vietnam’s crazy capital, especially if you’re only in the city for a few days! A food tour is a fantastic way to sample a variety of Vietnamese street food delights, meet new travel buddies and discover more about Vietnamese culture and traditions along the way.

Choon Paan Truck in Sri Lanka

The Journey of Sri Lanka’s Choon Paan Man (Bread Man)

In most countries, the strains of music you hear wafting through the streets mean ice cream is approaching. In Sri Lanka, however, the drifting tunes of Beethoven’s Für Elise signify the coming of one thing: the choon paan man.

Useful Thai Phrases: When Ordering Food in Thailand

Watch our video filmed at a night market in Mae Sot to learn a few Thai phrases to use when ordering food. Earn smiles from the locals and maybe a bit of discount on your purchases too! From how to ask for your meal not spicy, without MSG, or tell the waiter you’re vegetarian, to how to order a beer, with or without ice, or your fruit shake without sugar – these useful Thai phrases will help you kin dee (eat well) in Thailand!

Craft beers.

A Taste of Hanoi: Foodie and Craft Beer Tours in Vietnam’s Capital

Do you travel to eat and drink? For me, one of the most exciting things about travelling to a new country is to sample a brand new cuisine! Hanoi’s street food scene is famous worldwide, but did you know about the city’s craft beer scene? These two tours are a great way to explore the capital through your stomach!

Pad Thai, Thailand.

Pad Thai: The Forgotten History of Thailand’s National Dish

Today, Pad Thai is a popular street food dish in many parts of the country and it’s on every menu in Thai restaurants that cater to farangs (foreigners). Popular as it is, how many of you actually know the fascinating history behind the dish?

Tea leaf salad

10 Must-Try Foods in Myanmar

Myanmar is not often thought of as the culinary capital of South East Asia. Yet, visitors to this fascinating country, formerly known as Burma, will not only discover authentic culture and picture perfect landscapes, but delicious food too! Backpackers will fall in love with the country and the generous and kind people who cook up some of the most amazing dishes that you have ever tasted…

A Healthy Habit: Fruit Winter in Chiang Mai

Every year, the beautiful northern capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai, plays host to a unique event called The Fruit Winter. A festival that’s the brainchild of US life coach and therapist, Conor McMillen, that inspires people to eat raw fruit and vegetables and practise healthy living. Traveller, Martin Higgins explains his own experience and why his body and mind thank him for keeping up his annual habit of wintering in Chiang Mai…

Two Sisters Start Café to Help Students in Siem Reap, Cambodia: Meet Sisters Srey!

Originally from Australia, the sister-duo (aged 25 and 22), opened their fabulously popular Sister Srey Café on the riverside, near the Old Market of Siem Reap, Cambodia, in 2012. The cosy two-floor venue quickly turned into one of the most popular hang-outs in town. Best of all, though is the vision that sparked off their savvy venture – to support young Cambodian students. Is it possible to eat for a better cause? We were lucky enough to catch up with Lauren, who willingly spilled the beans (pun intended!) on how it began…

10 Great Places to Eat & Drink for a Cause in South East Asia!

Helping students learn English. Helping families gain financial independence. HIV and contraception awareness. Promoting the use of local organic vegetables. You’ve gotta eat, so why not make sure that your money is going back into the pockets of the local community. We’ve found 10 fabulous restaurants to try in South East Asia that support more than just your stomach!

A young girl eating with chopsticks.

Chop Chop! Make Sure you Know your Chopstick Etiquette Before you Travel

A lesson in chopstick history and etiquette for all fumbling foreigners. From Confucius to Bill Bryson, we explore the oldest, longest and unluckiest pair of chopsticks! If you’re concerned that you might starve rather than master the skill of the chopsticks, don’t fear, we’re here to help with all the chopstick dos and don’ts!

A chili crab curry goes perfect with a cool Tiger beer!

The Backpacker Beer and Curry Guide to South East Asia

It doesn’t matter which country you are travelling in South East Asia, it’d be rude not to sample the local ale and national curry. We’ve put together a beer and curry matchmaking guide for backpackers. ‘Cos let’s face it, you drink enough of the stuff!

Joma Fair Trade Coffee: Helping Communities & The Environment in Laos

Joma Bakery is leading the way in Fair Trade, organic coffee in Laos and Vietnam. Working with the Jhai Coffee Farmers Co-operative (JCFC) to cultivate the unique ‘arabica’ coffee bean, Joma is able to serve coffee that is delicious, ethical and environmentally conscious. The local ethnic groups who work in the Bolaven Plateau coffee growing area are ensured a fair sale price and the plants are grown in an eco-friendly way. Learn more about where coffee comes from in Laos and why it is important to be aware of where your food and drink comes from!

Mud, Sweat and Rice! Learning How Rice is Grown in Chiang Mai, Thailand…

As the World’s largest exporter of rice, Thailand’s country and culture revolves around this tiny pearly grain. Paddy fields dominate over half of all the arable land area and consume over 50% of the country’s labour force. Rice can also be found throughout the Thai menu, in all it’s forms and varieties. The most common type of rice grown in Thailand is Jasmine rice, known locally as ‘Hom Mali’ and it is in a paddy field full of the crop that my story begins! 20-year old student Laura Davies, on a three-month internship with S.E.A Backpacker Magazine, spends the day in a rice field learning about Asia’s most important grain…

Backpacker Video Diaries: Bug Eating in Bangkok!

It’s a backpacker rite of passage. After a couple of beers someone in your group suggests that you go and eat some grub. Literally! In carts up and down the Khao San Road in Bangkok and elsewhere in the city, you’ll see insects for sale as a tasty snack. There are crickets, silk worms, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches, and last but not least scorpions!

Oodles and Oooooodles of Noodles…

Big ones, fat ones, curly ones, straight ones. Noodles are a national treasure in Thailand and there are enough different types of noodle, ways of preparing them and dressing them, that you could probably eat a different kind every day for the entire year. So how do you eat yours?

Rice paddies at an angle

South East Asia: A Rice Ingrained Culture…

For backpackers in Asia, rice forms part of a cheap meal, but to the people of Asia, especially for the very poorest, rice is not just a food. Rice equals life. In fact, nearly 7 out of 10 people, or two thirds of the world’s population depend on it for sustenance…

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top