Southeast Asia is world-famous for its mouthwatering cuisine, and for good reason. Come and explore these extraordinary flavors by eating your way through our list of the 30 best dishes that this region has to offer.
1. Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), Thailand
Tom yum goong, an iconic, must-try Thai soup, is as popular as Thailand itself is among travelers. This clear soup, with shrimp as the main ingredient, combines quintessential Thai ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, fresh chilies (or chili paste), shallots, lime juice, and juicy shrimp.
If you can't handle spicy food, ask for a "mild" version.
2. Pad Thai (Thai-Style Fried Noodles), Thailand
Pad Thai is one of Thailand's national dishes. It can be found on almost every street corner; it is available in noisy street stalls and Michelin-starred restaurants alike. It is a fried noodle dish which is usually made with shrimp or chicken, crunchy bean sprouts, eggs, onion, and finely grated peanuts. Travelers around the world relish its sweet and sour flavor.
3. Guay Tiew Reua (Noodle Soup), Thailand
Noodle soup is arguably one of Thailand's most popular dishes. Guay tiew reua includes any type of noodle soup, of which there are many varieties. It can be made with chicken, pork, beef, seafood, or vegetables. The dish is topped with sugar, dried chili peppers, lime juice, and fish sauce.
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I have never hear of this company…
I have never hear of this company before , and after reading all these reviews ,I decided to give it a try . The professionalism and communicative skill received by one of the agent , Sharon of Asia Highlights , convince me that She was the right travel agent for my trip in Asia . Very quickly she communicated with me and got all the detail of my desire vacation . Sharon made me a great itinerary with great experiences that I am dreaming to experience and I am looking forward to it . Thanks Sharon for been so great and crafting me a dream vacation with great suggestions.
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orge alvarez,
May 2023
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Coco Yang worked tirelessly to…
From the moment I landed in Bangkok, Ms Noi Ying was there to welcome me and get me settled into my hotel. We enjoyed several days together touring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. In Chiang Mai, Mr Ekachai took my son snd I on an amazing trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and to visit a community Lanna home, gardens and a hands-on cooking class preparing an authentic Thai meal. Lisa arranged a last-minute speedboat tour of 5 breathtaking islands in Phuket. From start to finish, the guides exceeded my expectations!! Thank you, Asia Highlight!! Debbie Woods
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Debbie Woods,
May 2023
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Sharon from Asia highlights has been…
Sharon from Asia highlights has been amazing. She offered her amazing ideas to other tours I wanted. We have planned the perfect 9 day itinerary to Thailand. She worked in my budget and was very flexible when I had to change my flights. Thank you sharon. Can’t wait for the trip.
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Heather Stern Wilensky,
Apr 2023
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Ms. Ning first review 4-2023
Ms. Albee Ning has been doing a great job accommodating my requests and itinerary changes. Remember the first itinerary is a rough draft and you may modify it to suit your tastes. Remember you can not do it all and see everything in 3 weeks. If the flight wasn't so long I would visit Southeast Asia more often. I will update my review in a few months. We don't leave for 9 more months. Asia Highlights is working well for me so far!
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Chiefray,
Apr 2023
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Perfect Trip To Thailand…
We had so much fun in Bangkok with Tanni and Tom as they kept laughing at all of our silly jokes. Paul, our guide and Chiang Mai was really thoughtful, fun and full of great information about the temples and sights. Thanks so much! Brian and Michelle
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Scott Orchard,
Mar 2023
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I highly recommend Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I worked with Alisa and she is fantastic! I was planning my honeymoon trip, and I changed the destination multiple times. Each time, Alisa provided me an updated itinerary with activities that matched my interests. Whether I had a small change to an activity, a question about one of the arrangements, or a change or destination, Alisa was helpful, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, providing me with updated options in an extremely timely manner. In the end, despite the fact that I changed my mind on location multiple times, I ended up booking a 17 day trip to Thailand for this upcoming November. I am extremely excited to experience everything that Alisa planned for us. I recommend Asia Highlights to everyone and look forward to using them again on any other trips to Asia in the future. Thank you Alisa and Asia Highlights!
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Britt Rosen,
Mar 2023
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Three weeks encompassing Vietnam
A special shoutout to our last guide in Bangkok - Ms. Ka-Noon who spoiled us with her kindness and then got us through check in and security for our flight home in record time at that huge Bangkok airport.
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Deby,
Feb 2023
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Over the last 5 years we've used Asia…
Over the last 5 years we've used Asia highlights twice. And both times we've had fantastic vacations. Would not want to do it any different when we travel to Asia from now on. Sharon was fantastic. She was a wonderful agent who helped us nail down our trip and make everything go as smooth as possible.
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Todd Atwell,
Feb 2023
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Family Trip to Thailand
Our trip to Thailand comprised three generations of the family , ten people and an age range of 4 to 70 so a potentially difficult brief.Our itinerary over two weeks involved four locations, and a number of different trips and tours.From out arrival at an extremely busy Bangkok airport Asia Highlights were terrific.In each location we were met by a smiling , knowledgeable and professional guide who simply made everything easy and stress free for everyone.Our transportation was clean and comfortable . Transport was always ready for us at the agreed time and the drivers were excellent.There were so many highlights enjoyed by all the age groups. The floating houses , railway market and elephant sanctuary were particular favourites.We had one minor glitch with the accommodation in Phuket which was immediately dealt with by Tip. I think we would have struggled to resolve the problem by ourselves.
So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back.
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Roger Pyle,
Feb 2023
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Trip of a lifetime from Asia Highlights!
I recommend highly Asia Highlights as a travel company. Our travel consultant Albee took the time to connect with us during the planning process to make sure we were comfortable with our itinerary. When we arrived, we were met by our guide and all the details were attended to. They picked great hotels and tours. I often describe our trip as the trip of a lifetime! Would definitely use them again when we come back to Asia
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Nancy Parker,
Feb 2023
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Asia Highlights and Albee - highly recommended
Asia Highlights is very reliable agency and Albee is an amazing representative of the company. From the moment when we contacted her until our departure, the whole support we received was 6* level. She prepared our trip offer within few hours and afterwards she was extremely flexible to adjust as per our needs. In the period between the offer and the trip, Albee was always available for all our questions and supported us on the best possible way. During the trip she was again flexible to add new activities/transfers and this went on the smoothest possible way. Thank you, Albee and Asia Highlights. Definitely we will approach you again for our next Asian trip
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AZ,
Feb 2023
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5 STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY MONICA
Monica is a very sweet young lady who speaks excellent English via email/WhatsApp, and knows the importance of excellent customer service.
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Trent,
Jan 2023
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We had an awesome experience with Asia Highlights
We started our trip in Bangkok, where Mr. Prassert our tour guide, met us. He was on time and the van was clean and well-maintained. Mr. Prassert was our guide for the 4 days we spent in Bangkok. He was helpful, kind, and willing to accommodate our pee and coffee breaks. The driver was safe and punctual.
Next, we went to Chiang Mai.Gemma exceeded every expectation we had for our tour of Chiang Mai! She had a great attitude that made exploring the city fun and exciting, as well as an abundance of knowledge and experience. She was always spot on with figuring out logistics and coming up with unique ideas that suited our interests and schedules. Gemma was incredibly generous with her time and even walked us to security at the airport to make sure we could carry all of our luggage. That’s just one example of how far out of her way she went to make our trip easier and more enjoyable. Gemma was sincerely interested in making every minute of our trip count. We’re very grateful to have met her and feel like we have found a friend in Gemma! Our driver in Chiang Mai was also great and very accommodating to our changes in schedules.
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Lois Paskow,
Dec 2022
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Thailand & Cambodia 2022
Albee went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. She rearranged flights due to a mistake of mine. She made sure we were still picked up and escorted to the airport. I felt comfortable and safe with all our reps. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend her booking your next trip. Thank you, Albee.
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Karen Brooks,
Dec 2022
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Perfect vacation thanks to Albee we…
I can’t say enough about how much we appreciate all the efforts, attention to details and immediate responses to all questions that Albee and her team provided. The Asia Highlights team deserves more stars than the maximum allowed because of continually going above and beyond all expectations. Thanks Albee for making our vacation through south east Asia absolutely perfect!!!
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Michael Sharp,
Dec 2022
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2023 Chiang Mai CAD Yipeng Festival
We got early bird ticket and Bella was assisting us through whatsapp. Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. Thanks Bella, for being patient explaining everything to me. Highly recommended.
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lily hartati,
Dec 2022
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Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep
Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep. She was responsive and knowledgeable. Buying tickets from their website was super easy and the whole process was straightforward. Highly recommended.
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Khai,
Nov 2022
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I was ever so grateful to have a point…
I was ever so grateful to have a point of contact while in a foreign country for the first time, alone, that helped me through the Ins and outs of getting to and from my destination. Albee was readily available which brought me much comfort and feeling of safety. If in this part of the world again, I will not hesitate to use your services..
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Omega,
Nov 2022
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Memorable Experience!!!
I booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!!
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Bowen,
Nov 2022
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Personalized
It is the attention to detail and what we specifically wanted to see that made the reservation experience so exciting.
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Peter Bongiovanni,
Nov 2022
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4. Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup), Thailand
If you love coconut milk, make sure you don't miss out on tom kha gai in Thailand. It is an authentic Thai soup known for its intense galangal, coconut, and aromatic flavors. As the name implies, the base of any tom kha gai is coconut milk. It is usually seasoned with Thai ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime, ginger, and galangal root.
5. Kao Pad (Thai Fried Rice), Thailand
Kao pad, also known as Thai fried rice, is a famous rice dish from Thailand, which is commonly made by street vendors and fine-dining restaurants alike. It is typically served with shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef, and seasoned with Thai chilies, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice.
6. Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice), Thailand
Khao pad sapparod is a Thai fried rice dish made with pineapple. It is a quick, healthy, easy, and delicious meal. It is made with shrimp, pineapple, carrots, onions, and curry. Chicken can replace the shrimp, or both can be omitted to make the meal vegetarian.
7. Pho (Noodle Soup), Vietnam
Your trip to Vietnam is not complete without tasting pho, which is a traditional Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, noodles, chicken or beef, and fresh herbs. To complete the dish, you can add chili, lime, and hoisin sauce. Pho is traditionally eaten for breakfast and favored by almost all locals and travelers.
8. Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatballs), Vietnam
If you visit Hanoi, don't miss out on bun cha. It is a specialty of Hanoi but can be found in other northern cities as well. Bun cha is made of pork meatballs, vermicelli noodles, and plenty of refreshing herbs. It is served with a traditional lime and fish dipping sauce.
9. Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich), Vietnam
If you're in need of a quick meal, try the banh mi, which is a Vietnamese sandwich. Banh mi looks like a French-style baguette. It is typically stuffed with pork belly, fish cakes, meatballs, and the quintessential pickled carrots, daikon, and chilies. This Vietnamese sandwich has been consistently ranked among the world's best sandwiches.
10. Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Rolls), Vietnam
Goi cuon (Vietnamese spring roll) literally means "salad rolls." Unlike fried Vietnamese spring rolls, these fresh rolls are not fried and are served cold. This is a fresh and healthy dish, consisting of thin rice vermicelli noodles, shrimp, pork, and an assortment of vegetables rolled in rice paper.
11. Banh Xeo (Crispy Pancake), Vietnam
Banh xeo is a Vietnamese savory fried pancake. It is made of rice flour, turmeric, and coconut cream, along with other ingredients. The filling includes pork, shrimp, diced green onions, mung beans, and bean sprouts.
This dish is available at most roadside stalls, local markets, and restaurants. To dine like a local, cut it into small pieces, roll it in rice paper or lettuce leaves, and dip it in a special sauce.
12. Nasi Kerabu (Blue Herb Rice), Malaysia
Nasi kerabu is a blue-colored rice. Don't let the bright color put you off: it comes from the petals of a local flower. This dish is traditionally served with fried chicken, salted egg, fresh herbs, fish crackers, spiced sauce, and fried keropok (‘crackers').
13. Asam Laksa (Spicy and Sour Fish Noodle Soup), Malaysia
Asam laksa is a flavorful, tangy, and spicy Malaysian rice noodle soup. It is made with fish, tamarind, and torch ginger flower, and seasoned with fresh pineapple, cucumber, red onion, and shrimp molasses. It is found almost everywhere in the Penang state of Malaysia.
14. Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea Soup), Malaysia and Singapore
Bak kut teh is an amazing broth-based dish made with pork and multiple Chinese herbs. There are additional ingredients such as offal, varieties of mushroom, choy sum (vegetables), and tofu puffs. It is believed to have been brought from China into Malaysia in the 19th century. It can be found in Malaysia and Singapore.
15. Fish Amok (Fish Curry), Cambodia
Amok is a classic Cambodian (Khmer) dish, which is usually made with fish, although chicken and beef amok are also popular. Fish amok is made from some of the most mouthwatering ingredients, including lemongrass, chili, shallots, and coconut milk. Traditionally, it is steamed and served in a banana leaf.
16. Bai Sach Chrouk (Pork with Rice), Cambodia
Bai sach chrouk is one of Cambodia's simplest and most popular dishes. Street vendors often serve it early in the morning. Packed with the savory flavors from the marinade and the zesty flavor of pickles, this dish is extremely appealing.
The dish is made with pork, which is finely sliced and grilled. It is always served with white rice, freshly pickled cucumbers, daikon, and a bowl of chicken broth. You must definitely try this classic breakfast in Cambodia.
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17. Khmer Chicken Red Curry, Cambodia
Khmer chicken red curry is a rich, flavorful curry made from chicken, coconut milk, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemongrass, and kroeung(spice paste). Beef and fish can also replace the chicken. This curry is always served with bread.
18. Khao Niaw (Sticky Rice), Laos
Khao niaw is a staple food in Laos. It is traditionally steamed and served in small bamboo baskets called lao aep khao. To eat like a local, take a handful of sticky rice in one hand and roll it into a ball. Then, break the sticky rice ball into smaller portions, dip them in the sauce, and enjoy.
19. Laap (Minced Meat Salad), Laos
Laap, also lahp or larb, is considered the national dish of Laos. It is a type of minced meat salad, made with chicken, beef, duck, fish, or pork. It is usually seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice, fermented fish juice, rice noodles, and fresh herbs.
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20. Papaya Salad, Laos and Thailand
Green papaya salad is typically made with shreds of unripe papaya. It is rich in flavor: crunchy, sour, sweet, spicy, and salty. You can find this dish all over Laos and Thailand, but it is made differently in each country.
The main ingredients in the papaya salad include unripe shredded papaya, chilies, lime, garlic, tomatoes, palm sugar, and fish sauce. All these ingredients are pounded together in a traditional mortar and pestle.
21. Adobo (Meat in Vinegar), Philippines
Adobo is a popular Filipino dish which can be found everywhere in the Philippines. It is made with pork, chicken, seafood, or vegetables, which are cooked slowly in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns, and then browned to a crisp in oil. Adobo is often served with rice.
22. Kinilaw (Raw Seafood Dish), Philippines
The Philippines is surrounded by the sea. It is very common to eat fish and other seafood, and no list of Filipino food would be complete without Kinilaw.
Kinilaw literally means ‘eaten raw'. It is a raw seafood dish served all over the Philippines. The main ingredient is slices of raw fish marinated in vinegar. Additional ingredients include calamansi juice, salt, pepper, and chili peppers.
23. Kare-Kare (Oxtail and Tripe Stew in Peanut Sauce), Philippines
Kare-kare is a classic Filipino dish with a subtle taste. It is made with oxtail, tripe, vegetables, and a peanut-based sauce. It is usually served with steamed rice and shrimp paste. Pampanga may be known for the best kare-kare, but you can find this dish all over the Philippines.
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24. Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodles), Singapore and Malaysia
Char kway teow is a popular noodle dish in Southeast Asia. It is a national favorite in both, Singapore and Malaysia. The main ingredients include flat rice noodles, meat, sliced fish cakes, egg, slices of Chinese sausage, and bean sprouts. All ingredients are stir-fried over high heat with light and dark soy sauce, chili, and other spices.
It is believed that the most authentic char kway teow comes from Penang in Malaysia, where this dish is commonly served on a banana leaf. But you'll find many delicious versions in Singapore as well.
25. Chili Crab (Whole Crab in Chili Tomato Sauce), Singapore
If you want a taste of authentic Singaporean cuisine, you should not miss out on chili crab. This seafood dish is one of Singapore's national dishes. It ranks at 35 on "The World's 50 Most Delicious Foods" list, compiled by CNN Go in 2011. The stir-fried crab is coated with a sweet, savory, and spicy tomato-based sauce. It is often served with steamed or deep-fried buns.
26. Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice), Indonesia
Nasi goreng is a classic Indonesian fried rice. It is a simple dish, which locals and travelers enjoy. It differs from other kinds of fried rice because of the sauce which stains the rice dark brown. The rice is often topped with a fried egg and served with fresh cucumber and tomato.
27. Gado-Gado (Salad with Peanut Sauce), Indonesia
Gado-gado literally means "mix mix." This popular salad, consisting of lightly boiled and blanched vegetables, boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, fried tofu and / or tempeh (deep-fried fermented soybean) cubes, and lontong (steamed rice cakes), is tossed in a peanut sauce dressing.
28. Babi Guling (Slow-Roasted Pork), Indonesia
If you are planning to visit Bali, Indonesia, don't forget to sample babi guling. Bali guling, which directly translates to "turning pig," is a spit-roasted suckling pig. The pork is tender, juicy, and imbued with garlic, ginger, and turmeric flavors that linger on the palate.
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29. Mohinga (Rice Noodles in Fish Soup), Myanmar
Mohinga is considered the national dish of Myanmar. It consists of rice noodles served in a hearty, herbal, fish- and shallot-based broth, and seasoned with garlic, onion, lemongrass, and ginger. It is a must-have for breakfast in Burma.
30. Laphet Thoke (Tea Leaf Salad), Myanmar
Laphet thoke is a combination of soft, pickled tea leaves; crisp, roasted peanuts; other crunchy beans; toasted sesame seeds; and fried garlic. If you want, you can add dried shrimp and chopped tomatoes.
This salad is traditionally served in Myanmar on important occasions, such as parties, weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies. Nowadays, it is often served as the final course, at the end of a meal.
Visit Southeast Asia with Asia Highlights
Can't wait any longer to try these delicious dishes? Start planning your trip to Southeast Asia now! Let us help you plan your trip; our knowledgeable staff will craft a hassle-free vacation for you and your loved ones. With our help, your trip will be comfortable, smooth, and unforgettable.