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China's the only country where I got fooled by the rigged meter (gently caress you Harbin) and felt like getting in fist fights with taxi drivers. I do feel Thai peepun are still more civilized.
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Jul 9, 2012 22:12
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Invisible Handjob posted:Dont be like all those tourists eating the fancy fake thai food or mcdonalds. gently caress you, McDonald's is the shiznit. My three M's when I go to Bangkok are McDonald's, malls and movies.
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Jul 9, 2012 23:39
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Modus Operandi posted:China's the only country where I got fooled by the rigged meter (gently caress you Harbin) and felt like getting in fist fights with taxi drivers. I do feel Thai peepun are still more civilized. The only people even in contention are the Irish and those only because they actually read books.
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Jul 10, 2012 00:05
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eviljelly posted:gently caress you, McDonald's is the shiznit. My three M's when I go to Bangkok are McDonald's, malls and movies. You, Sir, have spent far too long on Koh Tao.
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Jul 10, 2012 00:11
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I'm sure living there is different but I'd happily go to China every vacation. I have to convince myself to go anywhere else. Good thing we got all these countries, everybody can find one to like. 
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Jul 10, 2012 00:31
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eviljelly posted:gently caress you, McDonald's is the shiznit. My three M's when I go to Bangkok are McDonald's, malls and movies. The McSamurai is a perennial favorite every time I am in the region...
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Jul 10, 2012 14:43
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When in Asia eat at MOS burger IMO. There's one in the basement of Siam Paragon in Bangkok near all the other food. Sometimes they have weird Asian stuff like a scallop "burger" with a bizzaro compressed rice bun. The McDonalds on the top floor of MBK is probably the best McDonalds out there though, for what that's worth. The burgers come out looking pretty much like the pictures and are always fresh. By fresh I of course mean just out of the reheater and soaked in preservatives, but you know. raton fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Jul 10, 2012 |
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Jul 10, 2012 15:35
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Shameful. Although I have had a good burger in Korea. A good burger. Burger B in Seoul is worth a visit if y'all decide to take a vacation in Korea* and want a burger.** *Why? **WHY??? Eifert Posting fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jul 10, 2012 |
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Jul 10, 2012 16:47
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Chokchai Steakburger in the grocery store in the basement of Siam Paragon is the best burger in town. Just tell them to hold the crazy Thai sauce (and don't bother with the wagyu nonsense). Why? Because they use a real grill to finish off the burger and they don't tart it up with loving onion dip or whatever else Euroburgers are shat up with.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:45
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Of all the threads to make me crave a burger...
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Jul 11, 2012 03:09
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The Black Cat makes the best burgers in Saigon, closely followed by the Elbow Room. 
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Jul 11, 2012 03:18
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ReindeerF posted:Chokchai Steakburger in the grocery store in the basement of Siam Paragon is the best burger in town. Just tell them to hold the crazy Thai sauce (and don't bother with the wagyu nonsense). Why? Because they use a real grill to finish off the burger and they don't tart it up with loving onion dip or whatever else Euroburgers are shat up with. Is that Chockchai from Chockchai farms? The dairy / tourist attraction thing up in Issan that Issan people love so much? Or just some other Chockchai? Find out, ok. Also I don't really like going to seafood places with Thai people here in NYC because inevitably they get around to "oh this would be so delicious with Thai sauce" by which they mean that same loving green chili lime garlic fish sauce concoction they put on every bit of fish they can. And then all the other Thai people make that "hooooohhhhhh" sound and agree. Every time.  Not every food has to taste like Thai food Jesus. Edit: I went to sukiyaki with six Thai people once and one of them brought sauce she had made at home "so it tastes like MK.." It was in her purse in a gourmet strawberry jelly jar. raton fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 03:34
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Tytan posted:Of all the threads to make me crave a burger... Sheep-Goats posted:Is that Chockchai from Chockchai farms? The dairy / tourist attraction thing up in Issan that Issan people love so much? Or just some other Chockchai? Find out, ok. Sheep-Goats posted:Also I don't really like going to seafood places with Thai people here in NYC because inevitably they get around to "oh this would be so delicious with Thai sauce" by which they mean that same loving green chili lime garlic fish sauce concoction they put on every bit of fish they can. And then all the other Thai people make that "hooooohhhhhh" sound and agree. Every time. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 04:01
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I once saw a Korean dude's luggage open at the airport, he had a bag of rice, a bag of kimchi, and a shitload of ramen for his trip to China. It was all amazing but especially the rice. Sure can't find that in China.
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Jul 11, 2012 04:57
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It should be some kind of reality show where different Asian nationalities compete on things like "Who can get the better price from the shopkeeper?" and "Who can fit the widest variety of food items into their luggage?" and "Who can smuggle the most carry-on bags onto a flight?" I would watch this.
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Jul 11, 2012 05:10
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When I got back to the US after my years in Cambodia, I think the customs officer at JFK was bored and so he started talking to me about Cambodian people and all the crazy poo poo they try to bring in their bags. They love their fish sauce, but apparently a lot of them try to bring over brahok, too- that's the delightfully mistranslated "fish cheese", which is more of a fermented fish paste that they love and that has no business being brought out of the country. Apparently some people get REALLY agitated when they can't bring their dtuk trey and brahok to New York though.
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Jul 11, 2012 05:13
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Sheep-Goats posted:
That must be something else..you go to a nice Sukiyaki in NY and the girl hand carries sauce in her purse. Haha, jesus.
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Jul 11, 2012 05:23
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ReindeerF posted:It should be some kind of reality show where different Asian nationalities compete on things like "Who can get the better price from the shopkeeper?" and "Who can fit the widest variety of food items into their luggage?" and "Who can smuggle the most carry-on bags onto a flight?" I would watch this.
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Jul 11, 2012 05:27
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ReindeerF posted:Haha, yeah. I'd ask where the best burger is here in Phnom Penh, but as you're English you'll send me to one that has cucumbers on it and a fried egg on top :P Nah, burgers are one thing you guys get right.  That said, I still have no idea where the best burger in Phnom Penh is (maybe Cadillac? Not been there in years).CronoGamer posted:When I got back to the US after my years in Cambodia, I think the customs officer at JFK was bored and so he started talking to me about Cambodian people and all the crazy poo poo they try to bring in their bags. They love their fish sauce, but apparently a lot of them try to bring over brahok, too- that's the delightfully mistranslated "fish cheese", which is more of a fermented fish paste that they love and that has no business being brought out of the country. Apparently some people get REALLY agitated when they can't bring their dtuk trey and brahok to New York though. I heard a rumour that Hun Sen takes a batch of prahok with him whenever he travels as he can't stand foreign food. Somehow, I can see this being true.
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Jul 11, 2012 05:52
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CronoGamer posted:When I got back to the US after my years in Cambodia, I think the customs officer at JFK was bored and so he started talking to me about Cambodian people and all the crazy poo poo they try to bring in their bags. They love their fish sauce, but apparently a lot of them try to bring over brahok, too- that's the delightfully mistranslated "fish cheese", which is more of a fermented fish paste that they love and that has no business being brought out of the country. Apparently some people get REALLY agitated when they can't bring their dtuk trey and brahok to New York though. Thai people do this too. It's called plaa raa in Thai. Romans also ate that poo poo, it's called garum in Latin. It has a pleasant, rich meaty flavor. It can also give you liver flukes and is almost guaranteed to give even Thai people diarrhea.
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Jul 11, 2012 06:02
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Sheep-Goats posted:Thai people do this too. It's called plaa raa in Thai. Romans also ate that poo poo, it's called garum in Latin. Symptoms of liver flukes: While normally asymptomatic most pathological manifestations result from inflammation and intermittent obstruction of the biliary ducts. The acute phase consists of abdominal pain with associated nausea and diarrhea. Long standing infections consist of fatigue, abdominal discomfort, anorexia, weight loss, diarrhea, and jaundice. The pathology of long standing infections consist of bile stasis, obstruction, bacterial infections, inflammation, periductal fibrosis, and hyperlasia. Development of cholangiocarcinoma is progressive Ugh... Modus Operandi fucked around with this message at 06:13 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 06:09
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Anyone know the origin of fish sauce? I've sometimes wondered if that came from cross-cultural contact. Fish sauce has a lot in common with Roman garum and tons of Roman trade went through SE Asia.
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Jul 11, 2012 06:12
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Preservation, drying, and fermentation of sea creatures was pretty common across all ancient cultures with that resource though. I'm guessing it was just one of those things multiple civilizations figured out on their own. Plus salt was at a premium back then so it made sense.
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Jul 11, 2012 06:16
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Yeah, I assume it evolved independently. Just interesting if there was a connection with such similar things, there easily could've been.
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Jul 11, 2012 06:24
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Man, the Romans could give this part of the world a run for its money on eating some crazy poo poo. Parrot tongue pie. Rabbit fetuses. Fieldmice. And then fish sauce to taste. PS: I love fish sauce and would probably try all but the PTP, which seems like it was designed to be as cruel as possible.
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Jul 11, 2012 07:16
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I doubt there is any connection. Your most basic plaa raa is made by placing small inedible fish or pieces of fish in a barrel, putting a weight on top of them, and waiting. Simple thrift would lead to this situation in any warm country facing the sea. The next thing to figure out is how to keep it from rotting, which is typically done with salt obtained from seawater. It's basically a way to utilize more of your catch and a source of cheap protein for the poor. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla_ra
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Jul 11, 2012 11:01
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Tytan posted:Nah, burgers are one thing you guys get right. Tytan posted:I heard a rumour that Hun Sen takes a batch of prahok with him whenever he travels as he can't stand foreign food. Somehow, I can see this being true.
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Jul 11, 2012 11:06
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Thailand's king has pardoned another farang for lese majeste offenses -- after allowing the rabidly royalist justice system to detain and poo poo on him for a while first of course. His offense was to translate portions of The King Never Smiles, a farang written biography of the king focusing on the monarchs amazingly adept efforts to sustain and/or increase the real world power of his office (when the current king was coronated independent observers would have told you the Thai monarchy was on its last feeble legs and that such a young, foreign educated king wouldn't have a chance to preserve it in Thailand's vicious and labyrinthine power structures). These translations were from the original English into Thai and were published online only. The man detained is a US citizen who was arrested in Thailand when he went there for affordable medical treatment (and probably an awesome vacation up until the point where an Asian man in a skin tight brown uniform laid his hand on his shoulder). More reading here: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/07/20127111522336719.html Context note: Al Jazeera tends to have a vicious pro-authoritarian slant, so keep that in mind when reading the article. Second context note: Those of us who enjoy going to Thailand regularly, or who live in the region, may be quite careful on how we address talking about this article / issue online. raton fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 13:21
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My wife and I are looking at going to SE Asia as a belated honeymoon, and are specifically thinking Malaysia and Borneo. Has anyone been to the malaysian half of Borneo and is able to recommend a good amount of time to plan to spend there, parks to see / avoid, and so forth? We both like the outdoors and such more than built up city areas, if that matters, but aren't against being in them for reasonably short periods of time. This will also be my wife's first trip outside of NA, so anything that might be a factor based on that would be appreciated.
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Jul 12, 2012 05:52
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Birudojin posted:My wife and I are looking at going to SE Asia as a belated honeymoon, and are specifically thinking Malaysia and Borneo. I have! I've been to both Sarawak and Sabah. I'm pretty sure Kuching is my favourite Malaysian city. It's a really cool place... laid back, delicious, friendly, and without the hustle of peninsula Malaysia. Plus Sarawak Laksa is the best kind of laksa  Both do nature really well, though Sabah is probably more well known 'cause there's Mt. Kinabalu (an easy climb if you've an OK level of fitness but good mobility). They are both well worth visiting. There's Gunung Mulu, Kelabit Highlands, Niah Caves, whatever the river is from near-ish to Kuching that heads into the jungle (but it's mostly just views of palm plantations from what I can gather), plenty of opportunity to hang out with - not just see, but actually hang out with - villagers from villages that haven't changed much in centuries (apart from the clothing and they don't lop so many heads any more), SO MUCH WILDLIFE (I saw wild orang utans ten minutes from Kuching!, and and and... yeah. Do it. Next time I'll try to spend a month in Sarawak and a month in Sabah. I can't wait to get back to Borneo. I loved it and I tell everybody who is thinking about going there to go there.
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Jul 12, 2012 12:14
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Is Borneo also doable on a backpackers budget? Lets' say between $35 and $50 a day? Because it sounds amazing (especially if there also some diving around there somewhere) and this autumn I want to visit a friend in Singapore and one in Jakarta and spend 3-4 weeks of backpacking in between. Borneo is nicely situated in the middle.
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Jul 12, 2012 12:44
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Rojkir posted:Is Borneo also doable on a backpackers budget? Lets' say between $35 and $50 a day? Because it sounds amazing (especially if there also some diving around there somewhere) and this autumn I want to visit a friend in Singapore and one in Jakarta and spend 3-4 weeks of backpacking in between. Borneo is nicely situated in the middle. It is. Malaysian prices for everything except beer - it's cheaper. I was sick when I was there - I went from home to Kuching within about five days and had an enormous head cold that I had contracted before I left home - and stayed in a killer backpacker place called Singgahsana Lodge. A twin room with shared bathroom cost me about 70 ringgit a night, though looking at their website now it's a bit more expensive. There's absolutely epic diving in Sabah, particularly in Sipadan and Mabul and so on. Not sure about Sarawak. It's well worth visiting. When is your Autumn? It's a fairly seasonal place - pick the wrong time of year to visit and it won't be great. I went in September and although it rained a bit, the weather was awesome. I wouldn't want to go in my Autumn...!
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Jul 12, 2012 13:01
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I'm thinking half october to somewhere in november (depends on a co-workers pregnancy leave, so that makes planning somewhat vague). Is that a good time? That diving you mentioned looks awesome, should make a great combination with the rainforest and mountain to spend a couple of weeks hiking, diving and drinking.
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Jul 12, 2012 13:27
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SE Asia Realtalk: How many spoonfuls of this Milo powder do I need to put into hot milk to make it taste acceptable tia
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Jul 12, 2012 15:50
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Here in SE Asia we refer to milo and other flavored drink mixes in "straws" or "packets" so I cannot answer this. What is a spoon?
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Jul 12, 2012 19:28
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Yeah, I've only had it cold, from a bag myself. In a fit of madness down the shops I ended up buying a tin of powder so was trying to work out the best measurement. I think last time I must have used water or something because I just put in three tablespoons and it was rather pleasant! kru fucked around with this message at 00:06 on Jul 13, 2012 |
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Jul 12, 2012 23:05
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Rojkir posted:Is Borneo also doable on a backpackers budget? Lets' say between $35 and $50 a day? Because it sounds amazing (especially if there also some diving around there somewhere) and this autumn I want to visit a friend in Singapore and one in Jakarta and spend 3-4 weeks of backpacking in between. Borneo is nicely situated in the middle. Headed to Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) in about four weeks. I've done a fair amount of research, and like anywhere else, a bigger budget will allow you to do cooler stuff. Due to the abundance of petroleum and palm oil in and around the island, Kalimantan is pricier than the rest of Indonesia, but it's still cheap by western standards. What's going to put a dent in your pocket is the off the beaten track type stuff- I'm setting aside about $45 a day for two weeks in Kayan Mentarang NP (read more at http://www.borneo-ecotourism.com/), not including flights to and from Tarakan (about Rp 1,500,000 with a missionary service). It gets even pricier if you're trying to do stuff like hire a boat/driver, dive at Derawan, etc. This thread on Lonely Planet's forum has been immensely helpful: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=401447 . Let me know if you're looking check out some of the ecotourism initiatives going on in East Kalimantan, and I'll pass on some contacts that have been really helpful.
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Jul 13, 2012 00:22
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kru posted:SE Asia Realtalk: How many spoonfuls of this Milo powder do I need to put into hot milk to make it taste acceptable One third milo, two thirds milk. It's the only way
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Jul 13, 2012 01:01
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Rojkir posted:I'm thinking half october to somewhere in november (depends on a co-workers pregnancy leave, so that makes planning somewhat vague). Is that a good time? That diving you mentioned looks awesome, should make a great combination with the rainforest and mountain to spend a couple of weeks hiking, diving and drinking. It'll be warm and wet, October and November are two of the wettest months according to the Wikipedia articles for Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, but I don't know if that translates to "it rains all the time" or "it rains like you've never seen before for an hour each day then stops." I was there in September, I think, and it rained like I'd never seen before in the evenings, around beer o'clock, so it wasn't too bad.
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Jul 13, 2012 01:20
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Can anybody recommend a place to sleep in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night (the 19th)? My girlfriend and I have been trying Couch Surfing for about a week without any luck. I guess Ramadan staring on day we arrive and coming on a working day isn't making things any easier. Hell, if we can crash at your place, we can leave you with some souvenirs from Taiwan and paint something for you 
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