--- Join chef Dan Hong in his kitchen where he cooks up global street food favourites in The Streets with Dan Hong, 8pm Thursdays from 4 August on SBS Food and streaming free on SBS On Demand. For recipes and more head to the . ---
Whether you are a pro at chopsticks, eat with your hands or were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you can enjoy street food anywhere, at any time.
"Street food is all about really simple and really delicious food," says Dan Hong, chef and host of "[It speaks] of a country's culture and cuisine. Most dishes were made out of necessity, so they were the cheapest way to nourish the soul."
In Australia, we don't have hawkers or food stalls cooking food fresh on the street. "So, typically, we'll get a lot of popular street food served in restaurants," Hong says. "For example, you can find khai luuk (fertilised duck eggs) in Laotian restaurants in Fairfield."
Even though you can get street food at Australian restaurants, Hong still thinks there's nothing like the energy of a more authentic experience.
Here, he reveals top street eats that nourish his soul, whet his appetite and inspire his cooking.
THE STREETS WITH DAN HONG
The Streets with Dan Hong | Episode guide
Street grilling and frying
Whether you're in Asia, the Middle East, Africa or South America, vendors grilling meats on the street or footpath is one of the main things we associate with street food, according to Hong. "I love anything on a stick and grilled meats on a stick is the absolute best."
I love anything on a stick and grilled meats on a stick is the absolute best.
You can get grilled satay sticks in countries like Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. You can get cumin-seasoned lamb in the northern part of China. "And in Vietnam, there's this dish called bun cha, which is grilled pork eaten with fresh white vermicelli and a lot of herbs," he says.
When it comes to fried food, Hong thinks that nothing beats classic fried chicken.
"On the streets of Taiwan, they sell fried chicken cutlet with the most beautiful, fragrant seasoning. They've mastered the dish!"
Popcorn chicken is also another popular serving method. Source: SBS Food
Boiled
Taiwan may have mastered fried chicken, but Singapore has perfected its boiled counterpart.
"For me, Hainan chicken rice from Singapore is the true expression of how to eat chicken because it's simply boiled," Hong says.
HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE RECIPE
Dan's Hainanese chicken rice
"The chicken is perfect, and the rice is cooked in the stock. For me, that's true comfort food."
Meanwhile, in mainland China, nothing says comfort food more than a simple bowl of noodles.
Hainanese chicken rice poached delicately to retain moisture. Source: SBS food
"I can't go past a bowl of noodles in China, like zha jiang mian (fried bean sauce noodles).
"The simplest noodles are the best. Noodles are boiled, mixed with soy sauce, MSG, oil, pork fat and coriander. Just simple food – that's what I like eating."
Fave street eat
Hong's ultimate street eat is the banh mi of Vietnam, which he considers as one of the greatest sandwiches in the world.
"Nowadays, you can find banh mi everywhere, but for me it's one of the best sandwiches ever. It's up there with the Reuben sandwich, chicken schnitzel sandwich and BLT!"
Banh mi is a street food treat. Source: SBS Food
You can find banh mi everywhere, but for me it's one of the best sandwiches ever.
While Hong has an easy time naming his top favourite street eats, he can't quite choose the best place for street food in the world. He does, however, make special mention of Vietnam and Thailand.
"It's so hard to choose the best country to eat street food. But when it comes to the amount of food on the street and the number of vendors selling a variety of dishes, I'll have to say Thailand and Vietnam. Chinatown in Vietnam is particularly memorable – it's like, mate, the food's endless!"
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