It’s been long known that Food is one of the defining elements of a nation and a few countries in South-East Asia have started leveraging that for the sake of tourism. To name a few, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, China and Vietnam -all connected by the Mekong river- recently organised the inaugural Food Summit as part of the Mekong Tourism Forum this year. It’s a clever way to brand themselves as a unified port of call for tasty cuisines in a push to bring more visitors to the region. The 2016 Mekong Tourism Forum was hosted by the Cambodia Ministry of Tourism (MoT) at the Sokha Beach Resort Sihanoukville and was attended by tourism professionals, acclaimed chefs and other culinary experts. Amongst others, Cambodia’s only Master Chef Luu Meng gave an insight how his experience has given him opportunities to bring Khmer culture to the world to inspire travellers via authentic food experiences.
Chef Luu Meng With this occasion, we’re serving you a series of our favourite South-East Asia dishes to whet your appetite and inspire you for your next culinary adventure. Cambodia - Royal Mak Mee: Crispy fried noodles topped with pan-fried sliced pork, marinated in Kroeung and fragrant lemongrass, and slowly cooked in coconut milk / Image: Malis restaurant
Cambodia – Royal Mak Mee: Crispy fried noodles topped with pan-fried sliced pork, marinated in Kroeung and fragrant lemongrass, and slowly cooked in coconut milk / Image: Malis restaurant Thailand – Pad Kra Pao Gai: Thai chicken, served on a bed of holy basil and blue rice
Thailand – Pad Kra Pao Gai: Thai chicken, served on a bed of holy basil and blue rice Laos – Klao niaw: sticky rice, plain and simple. Accompanying most dishes in Lao cuisine
Laos – Klao niaw: sticky rice, plain and simple. Accompanying most dishes in Lao cuisine Myanmar – Shan style noodles: classic comfort food from the eastern part of Burma; boiled noodles with chicken curry, served with a dash of peanuts and spring onion
Myanmar – Shan style noodles: classic comfort food from the eastern part of Burma; boiled noodles with chicken curry, served with a dash of peanuts and spring onion Vietnam - Banh Cuon: Rice-based baked flour sheets filled with minced mushrooms and pork, finished with deep-fried shallot bits. Nucor cham sauce to go with it
Vietnam – Banh Cuon: Rice-based baked flour sheets filled with minced mushrooms and pork, finished with deep-fried shallot bits. Nucor cham sauce to go with it
