13 Mouthwatering Dishes From Around Asia

By Ali O'Neill

• Donburi, Japan

  By Ali O'Neill

  "Donburi" literally means "bowl," and this popular Japanese meal consists of a bowl of rice with various toppings, including unadon (grilled eel) and katsudon (deep-fried pork cutlets).

• Adobo, the Philippines

  By Ali O'Neill

  "Adobo" refers to the process of marinating meat, fish, or vegetables in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.

• Larb, Laos

  By Ali O'Neill

  This minced meat salad–also known as laap–can be made from chicken, pork, beef, duck, or fish, and is flavoured with fish sauce, lime juice, padaek, and herbs.

• Peking Duck, China

  By Ali O'Neill

  This dish from Beijing has been a Chinese specialty for centuries, and consists of roast duck with a thin, crispy skin, often accompanied by pancakes, scallion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce. 

• Buuz, Mongolia

  By Ali O'Neill

  Steamed dumplings filled with minced meat–often mutton or beef–flavoured with onion and garlic, buuz are especially popular during New Year celebrations.

• Tandoori Chicken, India

  By Ali O'Neill

  Chicken marinated in yoghurt and seasoned with spices, this popular dish from North India gets its name from the clay oven–known as a tandoor–in which it's traditionally prepared. 

• Nasi Lemak, Malaysia

  By Ali O'Neill

  Made of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, nasi lemak is typically eaten at breakfast, and served with accompaniments such as anchovies, cucumber slices, and hard-boiled eggs.

• Pad Thai, Thailand

  By Ali O'Neill

  A street food staple, pad Thai consists of rice noodles stir-fried with eggs, tofu, fish sauce, and shrimp, often topped with lime wedges and chopped peanuts.

• Ema Datshi, Bhutan

  By Ali O'Neill

  This super spicy stew is made from chilli peppers (either red or green) and cheese, and is traditionally served with cracked red rice. 

• Kimchi, Korea

  By Ali O'Neill

  This popular Korean side dish, described as "spicy and sour" is made from fermented vegetables–including cabbage, scallion, radish, or cucumber–flavoured with red chilli pepper flakes.

• Nasi Goreng, Indonesia

  By Ali O'Neill

  Literally meaning "fried rice," nasi goreng consists of rice, meat, vegetables, spices, and lots of sweet soy sauce. 

• Pho, Vietnam

  By Ali O'Neill

  A popular street food in Vietnam, pho consists of rice noodles (known as banh pho), herbs, and either beef or chicken in a broth.

• Mohinga, Myanmar

  By Ali O'Neill

  Usually eaten at breakfast, mohinga consists of rice vermicelli, catfish, fish sauce, chickpea flour, garlic, onions, lemongrass, ginger, and banana tree stem.