You might be thinking that this article is about food from the ocean, until you see the chicken and the roast pork. Well, that’s because “SEA” here refers to “South East Asia/South East Asian”.
Filipino Cuisine
The featured photo is of Boodle Fight, a Filipino dish, which has both seafood and meat, mainly roast pork. The meal is served on banana leaves and eaten by hand. It’s a great way to celebrate in an informal way with family and friends, although this dish is mainly associated with military cadets enjoying a meal together.
I love the slightly raw mangoes in the dish, which add a sour flavour, and salted eggs which add a salty taste. The boiled vegetables, the grilled vegetable and green chillis fried in spring roll wrappers are an interesting combination.The vegetables have different textures, which make them more palatable. The green chilli in the spring roll wrapper is called dynamite! I can see why this is a favourite dish among Filipinos. It’s a fun dish.
Malaysian Cuisine
There are similarities among South East Asian dishes. The Malaysia Ayam Goreng Berempah (spiced fried chicken), ulam (salad), sambal (chilli shrimp paste) and nasi kerabu (blue-coloured rice) dish has some ingredients in common with Boodle Fight, but it is a spicy dish. The spicy taste is distinctive of Malay cuisine.
Thai Cuisine
My friend P’Pew had a prawn mousse and caviar wrap for breakfast. She is in Thailand. I don’t recognise as a being a typical Thai breakfast, but it does look interesting and it must be healthy because P’Pew is a dietitian.
I can’t think of a typical Thai breakfast right now, but I remember by uncle having omelette (kai jeow) with rice for breakfast. Rice soup (khao tom) and porridge (jok) are also served for breakfast. These dishes are not spicy, so they are not usually associated with Thai cuisine.
I am trying to plan a Thai buffet for an international group of friends. It’s not easy because the best known Thai dishes are all spicy. An opera singer friend told me that she avoids spicy food because it makes her lose her voice!
Have a good weekend and a good week ahead.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 6 July 2025
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