The thing that a lot of people neglect to mention about dating in Asia, and dating in general, is that it can be a pretty calorie-intensive activity, which means that a guy who’s doing it is going to find himself getting hungry. Well, when it comes to hunger, there are few solutions quite like Asian street food.
Asia is a big place - in fact, it’s the world’s largest continent. The sheer amount of space means that Asia is an extremely diverse place with diverse cultures, and those diverse cultures have their own unique culinary traditions which will bleed into their street food offerings.
That diversity means that there is so much to try and it’s entirely possible that you won’t have enough time to try them all within a lifetime, let alone across a few trips to meet potential partners. The best free dating sites can give you the chance to try a lot, but reality often gets in the way of trying everything.
But while trying all kinds of street food may be impossible, there are still a few options for a man who wants to eat food that begins its life with a person stir frying it in a cart.
If you ever find yourself in China, then there are few foods quite like Xiaolongbao. They’re steamed pork dumplings that are wrapped in flour and filled with broth or soup. The dumplings are also an egalitarian food, with people of white and blue collar enjoying them in more or less equal measure, so whether the women you meet on several dating sites are working professionals or not, they probably won’t turn their noses up at grabbing some soup dumplings from a cart.
Moving on to Vietnam, there are few Vietnamese foods as internationally well-known as Pho, a noodle dish that has become pretty popular all around the world. It is mixed with meat, usually chicken or beef, and garnishes like green onion, basil, lime, and chili.
But pho is made unique by its broth. The broth is made with bones and tendons mixed with seasoning like onion and ginger. The broth is then simmered for hours to really get the flavor profile perfect, kind of like when you look for a suitable match through online dating.
Asian street food is supposed to be quick and simple, nothing too fancy, and for the most part, that mission is accomplished. Some street foods are a little bit on the complicated side, at least relatively speaking. But there are street foods that take simplicity to a whole new level, like your flirt game on an online dating app.
Macau is a city of glitz and glamour, having surpassed Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world. It’s a city of integrated resorts filled with expansive shopping malls and casinos. It’s also got something with which to throw its hat into the street food ring.
The pork chop bun is exactly what it sounds like. It is a cooked pork chop in a bun. It’s like a sandwich, but there’s only one filling, and that filling is a single pork chop - no mayo, no cheese, no lettuce, no nothing.
In terms of simplicity, it’s kind of hard to beat a piece of meat in some bread because that’s only two ingredients, and neither ingredient is particularly rare in a city like Macau. It’s simple in concept, in preparation, and in consumption.
So if you are ever in Macau and want to take a break from shopping and gambling and the myriad of entertainment options like browsing through dating apps and online dating sites, then you can go ahead and find a cart and enjoy a meal that is tasty, quick, and simple in more ways than one.
The Philippines has a pretty strong heritage of Chinese-Filipino citizens, people whose ancestors came from China, usually southern China. In fact, the oldest known Chinatown in the world is in the Philippines.
But more than enclaves, the Chinese influence on Filipino culture can be seen in its food, with dim sum being particularly popular. In fact, it’s so popular that it’s trickled down all the way to street food.
The dumplings served on Filipino streets are not going to be the same as those served in China or even in local dim sum restaurants. They will be a little saltier and generally served with soy sauce.
Sticking with the Philippines for the moment, their street food is not just Chinese influenced. Some of it is as homegrown as it can get in a country that spent the better part of four centuries as a colony, a commonwealth, and an occupied territory before becoming independent.
Filipino barbecue is a great street food. Cuts of pork or chicken skewered on sticks and then grilled over an open flame and served with rice that, instead of being cooked in a rice cooker, is cooked in boiled coconut leaves.
The thing about Taiwan is that it’s a pretty unique place and the food is not exactly something that could be considered typical. A popular street food in Taiwan are roast beef cubes.
Instead of being grilled, the cubes are cooked with a blowtorch. They are eaten with skewers and seasoned with a variety of flavors, including garlic and barbecue.
Now, street food is not always something that is hidden away or recognized, but not lauded. Singapore is a little different, their most well-known street food dish is not just something they openly celebrate, it’s something that they’ve put on such a high pedestal that it’s now their national dish.
Hainanese chicken rice is from Hainan, China, where a significant portion of Singapore's population may claim ancestry.
The great thing about Asian street food is that they’re quick, they’re easy, and they’re readily available. Walk down the street for a few minutes and there will more than likely be a cart manned by someone ready to serve you.
Ronna Lou Live
