- Wandering Soup
10 (Sorta Weird) Things About SE Asia | Wandering Soup
I thought I would give you a glimpse at some of the things that surprised us in SE Asia along our travels, some of them are just odd observations and others are things that may help you.
When seated at a sit down style restaurant they will give you a menu and then stand there. Rarely will they walk away til you have decided but they will offer suggestions. So pick quickly and always get rice. There's also a chance they will stand near and watch you eat. It's all service oriented. Maybe.
The portion sizes are smedium at best but are honestly the perfect portion. Adapt quickly and you will appreciate the smaller meals as you walk and shop the many miles in the heat.
There are no clothes dryers, so don't expect it. Wash and hang to dry, winter or summer.
Every public chair has had feet in it. Every last one of them. I've never seen as many feet in every position imaginable in a seat til we moved here. And this isn't a dig just observation.
The malls are freaking amazing. If you are a shopper of any magnitude then SE Asia, specifically Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and yes even Vietnam should be on your destination list. We have spent hours of our life soaking up the free A.C. and indulging in relatively decent fast food. Although in Malaysia you will also find upscale restaurants right next to a McDonalds. Most of the malls contain everything from grocery stores to pharmacies, currency exchanges, optic wear, hardware stores to high end clothing. It's the definition of one stop shopping.
Western style breakfast really means an English breakfast, which to me are just odd and a lot, even from an American point of view. So if you like baked beans, fried eggs, sausages, back bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread black pudding and toast on one plate, well you will be happy I guess. We've adapted to coffee/tea and a croissant as our standard brekkie.
Everyone drives like a bat out of hell. I don't care what country, well maybe Singapore may be a step or two better but the rest of them, nope. Your life will flash in front of you several times a day as you are driven from one hell portal to the next, at least it's relatively inexpensive. If you are on a Tuk-Tuk just close your eyes and pray for the next generation as your driver returns calls, types a text or takes a selfie.
American Chinese restaurant chains, you know the one that has the same menu for every restaurant in America? Yea that one, well the fried rice on that menu will not be found here. I will say the fried rice here is in fact much better once you let go of the cup of soy sauce that is found in every serving of American/Chinese friend rice.
Coffee shops and cafes are a serious thing and they are on every other corner if not next door to each other. We love them as a place to relax, socialize and work. Most of them also offer food beyond bakery items.
GRAB is the go to app in SE Asia for food delivery AND transportation. It's considerably less expensive than Ubereats or similar apps in the U.S. along with being safe. In other words, download and use! Kat