Wheel2Wheel

Morgan’s Top Ten: Expedition Cuisine

Morgan spent 125 days travelling through 10 countries between Hong Kong and Brisbane.  Now it’s time to reflect on the TOP TEN’s of the journey.

Today, Morgan rates the CUISINE ON-ROUTE.  Remember, this was a charity expedition so he wasn’t looking for Michelin-stars, instead dining on whatever the ‘road-less-travelled’ provided.

Typically, a dining experience would be rated on food, service, ambience and value as core metrics, but this adventurer will measure just the food, in terms of nutritional quality, taste and availability … because when you’re on the road and starving … value, ambience and service don’t mean much!

Here are the top ten cuisines on-route from best to worst:

1.    AUSTRALIA

Great meat pies, milkshakes and chocolate bars – everything an adventurer needs! Highlights included phenomenal meals at “Char” in Darwin and “Sails” near Uluru.

2.    HONG KONG

Preparation for the expedition was critical, so Morgan indulged in lots of home cooking in the days before departure – lamb roasts, lasagna, chicken/beef curries, and tubs of B&J ice cream.

3.    THAILAND

The famed cuisine of Thailand wasn’t as available in the remote corners as one might expect.  Plenty of PadThai and Penang curry was consumed, true favourites.

4.    MALAYSIA

Mixed bag as W2W zig-zagged across the peninsula, some tough days dining on fried chicken. Then terrific rice and curry dishes in KL.

5.    VIETNAM

Pho Bo and fresh rice paper rolls were variable depending on remoteness.  Hanoi was a pleasure, as was the extensive menu at the Tam Dao golf club!  Further afield, things weren’t so flash.

6.    TIMOR-LESTE

Rates this high because it’s full of Aussies.  OMB and Nautilus were savours after 3 months of rice.  A great supermarket full of goodies also.

7.    INDONESIA

How many Nasi Goreng can one man consume in a month?  It was good to start with, but after a week, breakfast lunch and dinner … the joke wore off.

8.    CAMBODIA

Fruit shakes deliver the goods, but there isn’t much else.  The gastro-French influence isn’t as strong as Vietnam and the local dishes are lesser facsimiles of the neighbours cuisines.

9.    LAOS

Lao Lao helps you forget your troubles, but Laotian food is rather rudimentary with unbalanced favours and clumsy construction.  A pale comparison to its neighbours east and west.

10.  CHINA

Feast and famine.  Too many dumplings one day and starvation many other days.  Economic history dictates the menu, eating every conceivable part of the beast is honorable, but not nice.

The order-of-merit above doesn’t reflect on these country’s capacity to produce brilliant, delectable cuisine at a multitude of price points, but merely Morgan’s personal account of 125 days on the road.