What is Your Favorite International Dish?

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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,009
32,483
71
Sydney, Australia
Nowadays, at least on the US west coast, it's hard to find a "traditional" American-Chinese restaurant, i.e., one that serves chop suey, egg foo young, sweet sour pork, egg rolls, crab rangoon (deep fried wonton skin stuffed with cream cheese!), and lots of other deep fried stuff (no steamed offerings whatsoever). Such a restaurant would always also offer hamburger and fries for the uninitiated. I'd wager that they do not serve the same dishes in Australian-Chinese restaurants.

The restaurants in the US used to be run by Cantonese speakers. Now, the newer Chinese restaurants here are run by Mandarin speakers who offer more Taiwanese and northern Chinese inspired dishes, like dumplings with thick chewy skin and thick chewy noodles (there seems to be a pattern). They are often not spicy or pungent enough to my Malaysian/Singaporean palate which finds greater affinity with Thai and Vietnamese food.
Much the same situation in Australia (at least in Sydney)
One can find those "traditional" Australian-Chinese restaurants in any country town or suburb that has not been "Asianised"

Being on our doorstep, Asia and especially South-East Asia is a favoured destination for Aussies venturing abroad. And they return with a love of Asian/SEAsian cuisine.
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,009
32,483
71
Sydney, Australia
That is true. I know the food is better in China, but it is hard to find an authentic down home cooking Chinese restaurant here.
I have often been told that the Peking Duck in Sydney is often than ones you find in Beijing/China 🙄
Maybe they didn't go to the right restaurant

Thankfully Chinese cuisine in Sydney is often excellent now.
It certainly wasn't the case when I arrived in 1967
 
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runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,209
2,686
Washington State
Unsure how I forgot these. Just finished making and will easily polish them off - Vietnamese shrimp and basil spring rolls. Mine are not very pretty, but they eat.

DSNhFEW.jpeg
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,284
9,266
Metro-Detroit
My favorite international food is either Thai or Mediterranean. Indian is joining as well.

I also like how every cuisine has a stuffed dough dish, from Goyza to ravioli, pierogies, calzones, spinach pie, and various pot/meat pies.

Doubtful I could pick just one international dish (except maybe street tacos), so sign me up for a sampler platter (no matter the cuisine).
 
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runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,209
2,686
Washington State
A well made, home-made, borscht is great on a cold Far East Russian winter's day. Pelmini is another particularly Russian stuffed pasta which is usually tasty and filling. You can find them in the Russian Far East stuffed with myriad of fillings.
Not sure how or why this happened, but years ago I started making a modified Borscht that had beef added to it. I think it was something I ate in an Eastern European restaurant and later tried to duplicate. But we also make a more traditional borscht. Nothing like Eastern European comfort foods.
 
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warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,857
16,730
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
I found wide variance in Borscht ingredients in my travels. Some were even clear, others included beets (What most Westerners visualize I think.), even meat and so forth. I think it's a vary regional dish and the Far East being peopled with former Gulag residents from around the SSR reflects that makeup with so many different soups. And, they are all tasty. Some served hot and others cold.
 

runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,209
2,686
Washington State
I found wide variance in Borscht ingredients in my travels. Some were even clear, others included beets (What most Westerners visualize I think.), even meat and so forth. I think it's a vary regional dish and the Far East being peopled with former Gulag residents from around the SSR reflects that makeup with so many different soups. And, they are all tasty. Some served hot and others cold.
Here is a screen-grab of my modified borscht recipe, from my cookbook:

AmQEYBF.png
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
9,071
38,259
RTP, NC. USA
Not too long ago, I used to think very little of Mexican food. Now my taste buds have been better educated, and finding less known Mexican foods. Current favorites are taco, taco and taco.

By taco, I mean what every other Americans will call a toco. Hard shell, ground beef and some wilted lettuce. But that's just a tip of what taco can be.

My first experience with a taco was back in NYC. A public pool front of our apartment building had a toca stand. Ground beef was heavily seasoned with hot mixture. I loved it. My next exposure to toco was down here in top edge of the Dixie. Taco Hell, otherwise known as Taco Bell. It was a quick bite when I didn't have enough for the Mickey D.

But since then, I found my favorite Mexican restaurant. Love that place. Tried number of different places, but always end up at this joint when I want Mexican food. At first, like any red blooded American, I tried their Pollo Loco and other safe alternatives.

Then, I tried things I haven't heard before. Boy, did that open up my eyes.

Now I'm back to eating tacos. Current favorites are tripas, and lenguas. Beef small intestines and tongue. Love 'em.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,970
46,074
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
A few years back, I listened to a radio interview here in the States of a couple of American guys who had opened an American style Chinese restaurant in Beijing because they couldn't otherwise get American-Chinese food there!

Nowadays, at least on the US west coast, it's hard to find a "traditional" American-Chinese restaurant, i.e., one that serves chop suey, egg foo young, sweet sour pork, egg rolls, crab rangoon (deep fried wonton skin stuffed with cream cheese!), and lots of other deep fried stuff (no steamed offerings whatsoever). Such a restaurant would always also offer hamburger and fries for the uninitiated. I'd wager that they do not serve the same dishes in Australian-Chinese restaurants.

The restaurants in the US used to be run by Cantonese speakers. Now, the newer Chinese restaurants here are run by Mandarin speakers who offer more Taiwanese and northern Chinese inspired dishes, like dumplings with thick chewy skin and thick chewy noodles (there seems to be a pattern). They are often not spicy or pungent enough to my Malaysian/Singaporean palate which finds greater affinity with Thai and Vietnamese food.
They are still around, though no longer dominant.
 
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David D. Davidson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 19, 2023
196
756
Canada
Hard to pin down a favorite, but it’s a rare day that I’m not craving gamja-tang, a Korean pork backbone stew. Fatty, spicy, tangy, and immensely restorative.

I could also dig through a bucket of spicy Korean fried chicken with a gochujang glaze until I hurt any day of the week. I didn’t realize how highly I rank some Korean fare until now, it’s very craveable stuff
 
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Fuelman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 20, 2024
113
183
Indiana
It is amazing how people all over the world can take the same ingredients that we have in the states and make a totally different dish. It is also amazing to taste different ingredients that we don’t have here either. I have friends from Korea that make pot roast totally different. Hmm hmm good.
 

runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,209
2,686
Washington State
Hard to pin down a favorite, but it’s a rare day that I’m not craving gamja-tang, a Korean pork backbone stew. Fatty, spicy, tangy, and immensely restorative.

I could also dig through a bucket of spicy Korean fried chicken with a gochujang glaze until I hurt any day of the week. I didn’t realize how highly I rank some Korean fare until now, it’s very craveable stuff
I'll have to try that. I almost always order Yukgaejang, mainly because I get an urge for it when I need to have my head cleaned out :)