Overseas

When I Was In Spain…

Although I was constantly on alert for pickpockets, I love-love-loved travelling through Spain! I loved the language, the history, the castles, the palaces, the churches, the monuments, the artwork and of course the food! It is a beautiful country that I must definitely return to.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar

Plaza de España

Jamón Ibérico

Sagrada Família

La Rambla

Paella

Port de Barcelona

Olympic Stadium

Barcelona Olympic Stadium

Spanish Chorizo

Casa Milà

(or more popularly known as La Pedrera)

Patatas Bravas

Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas

El Oso y El Madrono

(the Bear and the Strawberry Tree)

Aqueduct of Segovia

Segovia Cathedral

The Market of San Miguel

Churros

I sampled churros from various places and found that the churros in Spain are less sweet and more crispier and lighter than the churros in Australia. The chocolate dipping sauces in Spain were also different in that they were less rich (but still delicious).

Flamenco Dancing

Roman Bridge of Córdoba

Cathedral of Cordoba

Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

This place has such a rich history! Over time it has been a temple, a mosque and a cathedral.

Royal Palace of Madrid

(on a very FOGGY day)

Tortilla Española

(Spanish Omelette)

Toledo

Seville Cathedral

Toledo Cathedral

Plaza Mayor in Madrid

Montserrat

Orange trees lining the picturesque streets of Seville

When I was in Portugal…

This was a very short visit and my sole regret was that I didn’t get to sample any authentic Portuguese barbecued chicken. Talk about first world problems.

Jerónimos Monastery

Portuguese Custard Tart

From Pastéis de Belém. Known to have the secret recipe of the ORIGINAL custard tart, this store was established in 1837 and sells around 18,000 tarts per day! The pastry was light, flaky and crispy, while the custard was creamy and mildly sweet. These delicious morsels are sold fresh from the oven and are a MUST HAVE if you are ever in Lisbon.

Belém Tower

The lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent

Portuguese Black Eyed Bean and Tuna Salad

Monument to the Discoveries

Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge

Resembling San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the name of this bridge commemorates the Portuguese Carnation Revolution that occurred on 25 April 1974.

Dom Rodrigo

A conventual dessert from the south of Portugal that comprises of sweet egg threads and cinnamon. This delicacy is typically wrapped in colourful metallic paper and presented in a pyramidal shape.

Sagres Fortress

Portuguese Orange Roll

When I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia…

This post is more travel related and less food related as I was only in Cambodia for 3 days and spent most of my time exploring the magnificent sites rather than the local food. I suppose that will have to wait until my next visit!

Angkor Wat

Face Temple

Bayon Temple

Fish Amok

(Cambodian fish curry)

The Victory Gate

Ta Prohm Temple

Siem Reap Art Center Night Market

Chicken Kuy Teav

(Cambodian rice noodle soup)

Preah Ang Chek Preah Ang Chorm Temple

Wat Thmey Killing Fields Skull Monument

When I was in North Vietnam…

Pho bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

A trip to Vietnam is incomplete without pho.

Pho Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

I had pho almost every morning and found the broth to be simple and light. Although less ingredients are used compared to South Vietnamese pho, I found North Vietnamese pho to be delicious!

Ha Long Bay

Hạ Long Bay

Cá kho to (Vietnamese caramelised & braised catfish)

Nem cá (deep fried fish spring rolls)

Thien Cung Grotto

Buddha’s hand fruit

I saw these being offered at quite a few Buddhist temples and found their appearance to be completely bizarre. Although I didn’t get to sample any of this fruit, I discovered that aside from representing Buddha’s hands in prayer, they also represented good luck, happiness and longevity.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Sen Xanh Jelly Fish Salad

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The Presidential Palace of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Chùa Mot Cot (One Pillar Pagoda)

Văn Mieu (Temple of Literature)

The Huc bridge and Hoan Kiem lake

Thang Long Water Puppet Show

Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Pork Roll)

When I was in Turkey…

The Republic of Turkey (as it is officially known as) is a country with a vast history with cities uncovered dating back to the Neolithic Period (or New Stone Age). It is a country bordered by eight countries and three seas, and sits in two different continents (Europe and Asia). It is a place that I found to be truly fascinating and unique.

Kaymakli Underground City

Pigeon Valley

Turkish rug in the making

Turkish rugs

Börek

(Filo pastry with spinach and feta cheese)

Göreme

Turkish ceramics

Whirling Dervishes

Sultan Han

Mevlana Museum

Pamukkale

(The weather was extremely foggy and I could hardly see a thing which was hugely disappointing as the pools here are meant to be stunning)

House of the Virgin Mary

Ephesus

Asklepion

Troy

Hagia Sophia Museum

Obelisk of Theodosius

Spice Bazaar

(Where I sampled and purchased many varieties of Turkish delight!)

Bosphorus Bridge

Simit (Turkish bread ring)

Dolmabahçe Palace

(The largest palace in Turkey and a must visit if you are travelling through Istanbul. The interior is BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL however photos are not permitted once you are inside)

The Republic Monument (located in Taksim Square)

Chicken doner kebab sandwich

Topkapi Palace

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque)

Künefe

(A sweet cheese pastry that is baked until golden and crispy, steeped in a sweet syrup, and topped with ground pistachios)

When I was in Hong Kong and Macau…

Here are some of the things I sampled in Hong Kong and Macau:

Bak kwa (sweet-salty sheets of dried barbecue meat, similar to jerky)

Portugese egg tarts

Siu mai dumplings and cha siu bao (barbecue pork buns)

Har gow dumplings

Cheung fun (steam rice noodle rolls) filled with pork

Steamed eggs with soy sauce

Tofu soup

Rice noodles with fish cakes in soup

Black glutinous rice and taro paste

Durian cheesecake

Gai daan ja (eggette)

When I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand…

Influenced by neighbouring countries (particularly Myanmar/Burma), the food in Chiang Mai is truly distinct. Here is some of the food I sampled, including a few of Chiang Mai’s most popular dishes (eg. khao soi, sai ua, kalamae, kaeb moo, nam prik noom):

Khao soi (curry egg noodles)

Khanom jeen nam ngiaw (fermented rice vermicelli noodle soup)

Sai ua (grilled herb sausages), Kaeb moo (crispy pork rinds) and Nam prik noom (roasted green chilli dip)

Kalamae (sweet sticky candy made from palm sugar, rice flour and coconut milk , wrapped in palm leaves)

Massaman chicken curry

Prawn and mushroom Tom Yum soup

Roasted sesame seed cakes

Roti with condensed milk

When I was in Bangkok, Thailand…

Thailand is without a doubt my favourite holiday destination. Part of the reason is of course the food! There is an enormous variety of both Thai as well as non Thai food that is fresh, delicious and unbelievably CHEAP! Here is just some of what I ate: