Sometimes called hawker food, noodle carts, street carts, or hawker stalls, street food is served from simple carts that usually specialize in one dish or only a small handful of offerings. Because the cook solely prepares the same dish night after night, they master it well.
Don't expect a restaurant experience! Eating street food in Asia is about one thing: the food. With the exception of food courts where many hawker carts set up under one roof, you may find yourself perched on a simple plastic stool or even sitting on the dirty curb. Without the need to pay for real estate or hire staff, street food vendors have low overhead.
Time and energy are rarely wasted on ambiance; instead, the cook focuses on serving great food for the lowest price possible. While you may or may not have a comfortable place to sit, hawker food is always cheaper than similar offerings in restaurants. Rather than commit to a single dish, you can often nibble, sample, and try several local specialties without breaking your budget.
See these 10 budget travel tips.
Is Street Food in Asia Safe?
If you haven't encountered street food before, don't be afraid! Seeing raw meat hanging by the side of the road can appear a little daunting to the uninitiated, but hawkers often feed their friends, family, and themselves from the same cart; they don't want to make anyone sick.
Unlike the food cooked behind curtains in dirty restaurant kitchens, your cook prepares the meal directly in front of you within plain view. In places such as Penang, Malaysia, hawker food carts serving bad or dangerous food would never last long!
The best way to ensure a safe street food experience in Asia is to patronize carts that have a high turnover. The more customers served, the better your chance that ingredients are fresh because they must be purchased daily.
Learn more about the delicious food in Southeast Asia.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento