Street Food

[Stavros]

Recent threads on food make this one logical, as we are told in Europe that street food is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.

What is your favourite, what have you loathed, and where?

It sounds old fashioned but I still remember the first time I ate a real American hot dog from one of those wagons in New York. If memory serves I ate it nearby in Union Square park where some guy was selling 'loose joints' and people came and went. Other than that, falafel and shwarma in the Middle East, souvlaki in Greece. I realise now I haven't eaten much street food.

I avoided street food in China out of health fears. Probably missed out on something there.

[GroobySteven]

I avoided street food in China out of health fears. Probably missed out on something there.

Tut tut.
You are a hotdog in NYC but avoided awesome food in China for health fears? I'd be more afraid of the hotdog.

[GroobySteven]

THAILAND:
The best street food in the world. The people wheel their carts on the street at daybreak and close when they run out of food. New ones comes out at night. Bangkok used to have chicken/pork satay stores and carts everywhere but they seem to be out of favour, if you find these they are a treat!

Pork-Rice-Egg : It's a chinese dish more than Thai. Look for a huge pork shoulder on a wooden slab. You get a scoop of rice, shredded slow cooked pork, hardboiled egg cooked in same stock, some greens and chilli. Heaven.

Pad Thai : forget the goopy sweet shit you've had. This is the real deal, cooked on a giant flat pan while you wait. Forget chicken or prawns - the real one has only an egg and a few dried shrimp for protein. Textures and taste.

Som Tom : Papaya salad. Even professionals have a hard time eating a very hot one of these so you better ask for a mild one. Green papaya tossed with dried shrimp, chilli, vingegar and fish sauce. Eaten alongside other dishes. Taste sensations.

Soup Noodle : perfect to rehydrate and filling - add your own condiments.

[flabbybody]

wouldn't want to speculate about the contents of a hot dog but the regulations for food safety sold by street vendors in New York City are quite robust. And there are scores of enforcement personnel checking up on these guys, issuing thousands of violation fines every day.
I feel pretty safe eating food from trucks here in the Big Apple but I wouldn't make it a steady diet.

[dderek123]

THAILAND:
The best street food in the world. The people wheel their carts on the street at daybreak and close when they run out of food. New ones comes out at night. Bangkok used to have chicken/pork satay stores and carts everywhere but they seem to be out of favour, if you find these they are a treat!

Pork-Rice-Egg : It's a chinese dish more than Thai. Look for a huge pork shoulder on a wooden slab. You get a scoop of rice, shredded slow cooked pork, hardboiled egg cooked in same stock, some greens and chilli. Heaven.

Pad Thai : forget the goopy sweet shit you've had. This is the real deal, cooked on a giant flat pan while you wait. Forget chicken or prawns - the real one has only an egg and a few dried shrimp for protein. Textures and taste.

Som Tom : Papaya salad. Even professionals have a hard time eating a very hot one of these so you better ask for a mild one. Green papaya tossed with dried shrimp, chilli, vingegar and fish sauce. Eaten alongside other dishes. Taste sensations.

Soup Noodle : perfect to rehydrate and filling - add your own condiments.
Totally agree.

[Prospero]

I had great street food in China - though i didn't eat the maggoty insecty ones or the real dogs (not hot dogs).

[GroobyKrissy]

The best street food that I ever had was spending a summer in China. Amazing soups, grilled skewers, and cheap!

Also of mention... REAL falafel on the streets of Israel. I could eat that every day.

The worst street food that I ever had was also in China. It was freezing and we saw this person selling what we thought were hot potatoes in foil. Turns out NOT. I still don't know what it was but I think it was a pure hunk of fat or something. We all threw up after taking bites.

[Prospero]

You're right falafel in Israel was also terrific... as was Hummous in the arab section of Jerusalem.

[GroobyKrissy]

You're right falafel in Israel was also terrific... as was Hummous in the arab section of Jerusalem.

Oh geez... don't even get me started on the freshly baked bread and pita-like stuff there. It was just good I was working so hard everyday because I probably ate my weight in carbs every day :)

[Jericho]

I avoided street food in China out of health fears. Probably missed out on something there.

Dysentery maybe! :shrug

Had the Bangkok shuffle from some fried squid ring type things (at least, I'm hoping it was squid, could of been spider arseholes for all i know)! :hide-1:

[Jericho]

And there are scores of enforcement personnel checking up on these guys, issuing thousands of violation fines every day.


That really doesn't fill me with confidence! :hide-1:

[Dino Velvet]

I'm a little slow on the bandwagon and gotta get hip to the food trucks out here. Not your daddy's Roach Coach anymore.

[starkem]

Those NYC hot dogs used to taste real good because of the mixture of food handling, money handling and personal grooming simultaneously. Now with all these FDA regulations they don't taste as good. :sad:

They now have the chicken and or lamb rice combo or gyro trucks usurping all other trucks in Gotham. I don't know what the hell they are putting in those meals but damn it's good. Perhaps more of the same of the old school methods above mentioned. Lol.

I try to eat healthier now and stay away from the truck, fast food and other type restaurants and cook my own versions of these delectables from recipes from YouTube - with some success!

There is in some remote places (like the wall street area where I used to work) that you may still be able to find the Trinidad roti truck. Awesome food!

Always buy the franks that are grilled to stave off most bacteria of an outdoor kitchen, but know none are safe. Avoid the boiled hot dog stands! I never seen one vendor use a restroom in hot dog stands during my stint in working in manhattan....hence, my conclusion that the reason of NYC hot dog goodness was a dirty little secret that the vendors used some type of tubing to pee in the hot dog water rather than lose a sale. Totally unfounded conclusion of course, but they were puttin something in that damn water that was addictive!

I like Andre Zimmermans treks to street food vendors from around the world, and hope to make a hajj of my own upon some of his recommendations and those of renowned traveler Anthony Bourdain. Their respective food shows: Bizzare Foods (Zimmerman) and No Reservations (Bourdain).

Food vending is an culinary entrepeneuer's road to wealth! Bon appetit!

[flabbybody]

That really doesn't fill me with confidence! :hide-1:
the violations are mostly non food related. things like expired permit fees and parking fines

[Amy Gray]

Up in northern Maryland we have Amish street food. They make the best god damn pretzels I've ever had!

[fred41]

They now have the chicken and or lamb rice combo or gyro trucks usurping all other trucks in Gotham. I don't know what the hell they are putting in those meals but damn it's good. Perhaps more of the same of the old school methods above mentioned. Lol.


Yeah...I love some of those...there'sone on Queens Blvd.I go to quite often.

I also like the Mexican Taco trucks on Roosevelt ave...but the leering drunks that insist on eating their food right there are quite annoying (also...some of the cooks are really Equadorian...not Mexican....so I've been told. Whatever).

[starkem]

I must get down there for some molting ...when those crabs shed their shells = soft shell crab. I can eat them until I am sick. So much for my vegetarianism... :sad:

[starkem]

:banana::dead-1:
Yeah...I love some of those...there'sone on Queens Blvd.I go to quite often.

I also like the Mexican Taco trucks on Roosevelt ave...but the leering drunks that insist on eating their food right there are quite annoying (also...some of the cooks are really Equadorian...not Mexican....so I've been told. Whatever).

:iagree::banana::dead-1:
You can't tell if that's white sauce on their mouth or foam! LOL They have one of these trucks in Brooklyn too, but I am circumspect of food trucks in the outer boroughs...not enough food inspectors to go around. I do love the food street fairs in manhattan in the summer where vendors from all around come to show off their talent. The Italian vendors have some of the best presentations, but I am averse to the pork. Shame! It looks and smells awesome! :sad:

[robertlouis]

Street food from Seoul in South Korea.

Deep fried silkworms.

Unforgettable.

But not in a good way.

[fred41]

Street food from Seoul in South Korea.

Deep fried silkworms.

Unforgettable.

But not in a good way.

Dammit!..no,no,no ,no,no,no,no,no,nooooooooooooooooooo !!!!


...on the other hand, I can probably get my brother to eat those. He's one of those guys.....lol

[Dino Velvet]

Street food from Seoul in South Korea.

Deep fried silkworms.

Unforgettable.

But not in a good way.

http://www.hungangels.com/vboard/attachment.php?attachmentid=588206&stc=1&d=1370652504

What's in the white cup?

[sukumvit boy]

THAILAND:
The best street food in the world. The people wheel their carts on the street at daybreak and close when they run out of food. New ones comes out at night. Bangkok used to have chicken/pork satay stores and carts everywhere but they seem to be out of favour, if you find these they are a treat!

Pork-Rice-Egg : It's a chinese dish more than Thai. Look for a huge pork shoulder on a wooden slab. You get a scoop of rice, shredded slow cooked pork, hardboiled egg cooked in same stock, some greens and chilli. Heaven.

Pad Thai : forget the goopy sweet shit you've had. This is the real deal, cooked on a giant flat pan while you wait. Forget chicken or prawns - the real one has only an egg and a few dried shrimp for protein. Textures and taste.

Som Tom : Papaya salad. Even professionals have a hard time eating a very hot one of these so you better ask for a mild one. Green papaya tossed with dried shrimp, chilli, vingegar and fish sauce. Eaten alongside other dishes. Taste sensations.

Soup Noodle : perfect to rehydrate and filling - add your own condiments.
Thailand ,BEST STREET FOOD IN THE WORLD.

[robertlouis]

What's in the white cup?

Dandruff

[Dino Velvet]

Dandruff

Oh yeah. Course grind. Freshly raked out of the chef's mustache.

[robertlouis]

Oh yeah. Course grind. Freshly raked out of the chef's mustache.

Don't believe them when they're offering you parmesan in your local trattoria, Dino.

It's fermented dandruff collected from the scalps of scrofulous 82 year old nuns in Naples.

[sukumvit boy]

In Bangkok they bring the restaurant to the street.

[robertlouis]

I'd agree on the general opinion of street food in Bangkok, but I'd suggest that Singapore is just as good - mix of Malaysian and Chinese and always very fresh. Best salads outside Vietnam too.

[joeninety]

In Bangkok they bring the restaurant to the street.

I am hungry after looking at some of those dishes:cheers:

[starkem]

If it taste like craw fish I'm not with it! Being from the south, I have had a bug or two fly in my mouth. When I finally tasted craw fish, I saw no difference. I am not saying it is not for everyone... It just bought back painful memories....



:hide-1:

[robertlouis]

If it taste like craw fish I'm not with it! Being from the south, I have had a bug or two fly in my mouth. When I finally tasted craw fish, I saw no difference. I am not saying it is not for everyone... It just bought back painful memories....



:hide-1:

If craw fish is the same as freshwater crayfish, they call them yabbies in Australia and there are few things that taste better straight off the barbie.

[Amy Gray]

In Bangkok they bring the restaurant to the street.

In my family's hometown of Nice, France we have some AMAZING street food. There's this one guy who comes in from his farm and roasts ducks right in front of you. Oh, and the seafood is to die for because it's literally taken off the fishing boats and carted directly to the stands where they prepare it in front of you. One of the big reasons I'm in love with France.

[fred41]

As a child,I used to love the currywurst stands in West Berlin.

[starkem]

In my family's hometown of Nice, France we have some AMAZING street food. There's this one guy who comes in from his farm and roasts ducks right in front of you. Oh, and the seafood is to die for because it's literally taken off the fishing boats and carted directly to the stands where they prepare it in front of you. One of the big reasons I'm in love with France.

The best duck I have ever tasted was Peking duck. (for the crispy skin). Then there is the smoked duck. OMG! So I got a myriad of both recipes and made my own. It is hard to achieve the crispness, but I made it better than the each of the above mentioned cuisines! I am working on crispness by adapting the preparation of rendering the fat (French) with the Asian technology of pre-preparation for a crispy duck.

These recipes are also recommended for any poultry that you wish to be crispy on the outside and savory and moist on the inside.

[robertlouis]

In my family's hometown of Nice, France we have some AMAZING street food. There's this one guy who comes in from his farm and roasts ducks right in front of you. Oh, and the seafood is to die for because it's literally taken off the fishing boats and carted directly to the stands where they prepare it in front of you. One of the big reasons I'm in love with France.


D'accord, cherie. Moi aussi. ;)

[sukumvit boy]

Had this roast pig in Bali .
Complete with blood sausage and amazing crispy skin.

[fred41]

Had this roast pig in Bali .
Complete with blood sausage and amazing crispy skin.

That crisp skin looks absolutely delicious.

[Stavros]

Had this roast pig in Bali .
Complete with blood sausage and amazing crispy skin.

Is that like Lechon in the Philippines?

[Amy Gray]

Had this roast pig in Bali .
Complete with blood sausage and amazing crispy skin.

I don't know about you all but this is what I fap to.

[GroobySteven]

Street food from Seoul in South Korea.

Deep fried silkworms.

Unforgettable.

But not in a good way.


I eat them in Thailand and they're pretty good. Like popcorn.

[Prospero]

Amy - las time I was in Nice i had terrific seafood. But I saw one that nearly got away. A crab had fallen from a tray outside a restaurant and was scuttling away down the pavement - with a waiter in pursuit. I think the poor crab had no chance.

[mosnv4567]

falafel!!!!

[Quiet Reflections]

Up in northern Maryland we have Amish street food. They make the best god damn pretzels I've ever had!
They make great pepperoni bread too.

[robertlouis]

I eat them in Thailand and they're pretty good. Like popcorn.

They must cook them differently there Seanchai. In Seoul they cook them crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Imagine a zit bursting in your mouth..... :puke

[kmersh]

While Zurich is not exactly a street food mecca, the Vorderer Sternen Grill is possibly the best and cleanest street food vendor on earth.

There is nothing like enjoying a freshly grilled sausage, crusty bread and hot mustard along with a beer on a nice spring day in Zurich.

k

[buttslinger]

Is this pork nipple gross or yummy???

[sukumvit boy]

I'm reviving and updating this great old thread with Terminal 21 Food Court . That's at Sukhumvit Soi 21 / Asoke Station which is Adjacent to Soi 23 Soi Cowboy and just up Sukhumvit Road from Nana Plaza ( Soi 4 ).
The best and the cheapest 'street food' in Bangkok ,without the street.
http://www.bangkokbits.com/food/the-complete-guide-to-pier-21-terminal-21/
981516981517981518981519

[nobbynorm]

Well revived and a great recommendation sukumvit boy. Many a time I've dragged myself away from Nana and endured the heat of the walk down to Terminal 21. Paused for thought at the lb massage parlours of Mantra and Nuch and reluctantly rejected the scores of propositions from lb's at the pop-up bars on the street. When your hungry you just gotta eat.

[Stavros]

The Frankfurt/German market in Birmingham (Frankfurter Weinachtsmarkt) gets bigger every year and this year will continue to December 29th. I try to go at least once, usually for lunch as they do some tasty if expensive Frankfurters though this year I might go for one of the more traditional bangers. Curious fact is that I have yet to be served by a German...

981544

[chupapau]

I ate streetfood for years, Thailand, all of Indochina (everyone is raving about Thailand, but Vietnam north to south has incredible variety, around Hue try the river snails in chili and cilantro soup, didn't try the spiders in Cambodia because they didn't fry them in front of me), don't forget Mexico people , and never got sick of it. Just observe they cook it hot, then eat it fresh!

After years of that, decided to give myself a treat and eat more "upscale" in Guatemala... ended up with a amoeba infection. Shat liquid for days.