Selective Bites | Selective Asia

E N J OY !

DISCOVER BRIGHTON’S BEST I N D E P E N D E N T A S I A N R E S TA U R A N T S Proud supporters of

( & S O M E S T O R I E S A LO N G T H E WAY )

“Every city has its food heroes and our home city of Brighton is no exception. It should come as no surprise that all ours hail from the east, or at least the food that they create does…”

Nick, Selective Asia’s founder

22-25 Lucky Khao, St James's St

26-29 Moonstone, Church Rd 18-21 Baby Bao, The Pond, Gloucester Rd

32-35 Big Bowl, Preston St

12-15 The Chilli Pickle, Jubilee St

36-39 Tuntun’s, Lewes Rd

6-7 Introduction 8-11 O’shio Japan / Korea

Enjoy Brighton’s finest

12-15 The Chilli Pickle India 16 -17 Competition 18-21 Baby Bao Taiwan 22-25 Lucky Khao Thailand

32-35 Big Bowl Vietnam 36-39 Tuntun’s Bangladesh 40-42 On location

8-11 O’shio, Trafalgar St

26-29 Moonstone Sri Lanka

Whether sharing a joke with a Bangkok street vendor as we tuck into a batch of hot khanom krok, or chatting over an open kitchen with the chefs preparing show-stopping New Delhi thalis, we meet some amazing people on our travels and love learning their stories through the food they create. Away from home, we’re all less inhibited, we ask more questions, and our journeys are richer as a result.

Fueled by endless wanderlust, we’ve been travelling to Asia for decades, and sharing our passion by taking clients there for 13 years. Our desire to discover more isn’t going away any time soon, and we’re always looking for our next adventure. Having a home town as remarkable as Brighton to come back to makes returning from these incredible journeys just a little bit easier!

Our office is right in the heart of the North Laine, and Brighton is a big part of our DNA. We’re delighted to be sponsoring Brighton Festival this year, and have created this guide as a tribute to our giddy, greedy adoration of the city’s Asian food scene.

Each of us has dishes which are particularly close to our hearts, from steaming bowls of pho that bring back memories of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, to fragrant curries that contain all the spice and heat of an evening on the backwaters of Kerala. Discovering these evocative flavours in our home town is very special, whether in faithful recreations of traditional dishes, or when those flavours have inspired something totally new and wonderful. We wanted to tap into our natural traveller’s curiosity, and throw a spotlight on the unwritten stories of the chefs raising the bar of Asian-inspired dining in Brighton.

We’ve chosen 7 of our stand-out favourites for this Selective Bites guide. We know their food intimately, and the restaurateurs by their welcoming smiles, but could never have imagined the fascinating variation of stories we’d hear during these past weeks. Spending time with the culinary geniuses who create our favourite meals has been a huge privilege and just as much fun.

We’re honoured and proud to champion each of them, and hope you enjoy their food as much as we do. Trust us, you’re in for a treat.

Japan / Korea – 8

Japan / Korea – 9

Selective Bites

O’shio 87-88 Trafalgar Street, Brighton BN1 4ER 01273 694 814 | oshio.co.uk The first things that strike you as you enter O’shio, besides the delicious aromas, are the glistening fillets of fish in the glass-fronted cooler, and the array of no-nonsense knives, lovingly oiled and ready for the day ahead. There are no surplus frills, and no room for error. Everything is clean, simple and, frankly, perfect.

Originally from Seoul in South Korea, O’shio’s proprietor and head chef, Min, discovered his love for making great food while at university, working with his brother in a busy family-run restaurant, and then working flat-out in the kitchens at post-grad military school. Taking his passion for cooking further, Min travelled to Tokyo to hone his talent for creating traditional Japanese and Korean cuisine, and has cheffed in some top kitchens here in the UK too, including Kiku in Mayfair.

As you watch Min prepare the fish, it becomes instantly clear that you’re in the company of a master. He has pinpoint focus, swiftly cutting the achingly-fresh salmon, tuna and other premium fillets to the perfect size, with expert precision. To the untrained eye, the apparent simplicity of Japanese cuisine can be misleading, but presenting such delicate flavours correctly and making them sing is anything but easy. It takes extraordinary skill. Everything has to be just so, and training to be a fully-fledged sushi chef, or itamae, takes many years. Traditionally, for the first 5 years you don’t get anywhere near the rice, let alone the razor-sharp knives which are the essential tools of the trade! Min is known in many quarters as one of the very best itamae in the UK, and he’s taken Brighton’s sushi to a whole new level.

Japan / Korea – 10

Alongside his awe-inspiring expertise, Min’s love for the art of creating incredible food is palpable.

Those hard-trained-for, no-nonsense knives are the very highest quality you can get, and the blade of his most treasured one is engraved with his son’s name.

Min puts his heart and soul into every dish he serves, and we’re incredibly lucky he fell for Brighton’s charms.

His beautiful Chirashi Sushi (or ‘heaven in a bowl’ as we like to call it) is arranged with artistry; each piece of fish is surrounded with bubbles of orange roe and curls of dark seaweed. It looks almost too good to eat and we hesitated to disturb it with our chopsticks. We could only resist digging in for a moment though - as long-standing devotees of Min’s food (a number of the SA team go regularly and are totally besotted with the sushi), the thought of not eating it when it’s right in front of us is almost painful!

O’shio’s menu is impressively comprehensive, and the Japanese and Korean dishes make perfect partners.

Beautifully plated sashimi carpaccio is the ideal opener to deeply flavoured Kimchi Jjigae; over 70 varieties of sushi and sashimi sit beside comforting bibimbap bowls; and niche dishes, such as sticky, fermented natto beans and samgyupsal pork belly and lettuce wraps, are brought forward. There is, naturally, plenty of kimchi too. Min’s young daughter prefers the just-made kimchi, when it’s crunchy and fresh, but for Min himself it’s all about the fermentation, when it has a “sour deep taste, matured for a long time”.

The best stuff, he says, is aged for a year!

“Osaka and Tokyo have totally different characters, different cultures, different food.” Min

Japan / Korea – 11

Selective Bites

Two’s better than one!

When travelling in Japan, my absolute favourite aspect of dining out is being able to observe the chefs at work. Take a seat at the counter in any sushi restaurant, and I guarantee that watching the chef create the dishes will be almost as enjoyable as the food itself.

One of the highlights of meeting Min was asking the master himself which destinations he’d recommend for a foodie-focused holiday, and he assertively answered Tokyo...and Kyoto...and Osaka!

We discussed the vast differences in cuisine between each region. In Tokyo, you can stumble down side alleys for wonderfully tender grilled chicken yakitori. In Kyoto, the birthplace of traditional kaiseki dining, Min recalled with delight the remarkable yellowfin tuna he’d enjoyed at Tankuma Kitamise. When walking through Osaka’s Dotonburi district, I challenge anyone not to dive into the crisp-yet-doughy balls of octopus takoyaki. Min’s eyes lit up when we spoke of Hokkaido’s premium-quality seafood too, and happily Hokkaido has recently become accessible on a JR Railpass.

Seoul

Fancy a pickle? Combining Japan with South Korea couldn’t be easier thanks to a great range of flight options. Alternatively, the more intrepid can take a ferry from Fukuoka to Busan for unmissable fried chicken specialities, and a fish market that rivals Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Market. Once in Seoul, enjoy Gwangjang Market’s incredible streetfood - if you like a pickled vegetable, the chances are you’ll find it there!

Kyoto

Tokyo

Busan Osaka Fukuoka

2 Annie is a Japan & Korea Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 2003

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ oshio

India – 12

India – 13

Selective Bites

The Chilli Pickle 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE 01273 900 383 | thechillipickle.com Selective Asia’s founder, Nick, was first wowed by the exhilarating flavours of the The Chilli Pickle over 10 years ago, at their original site in Meeting House Lane. He admits that, in those early days, he may have been just as intoxicated by the champagne-size bottles of Meantime IPA they served as he was by the sensational food, but his eyes undeniably light up at the mention of Oxtail Madras, one of their original signature dishes.

This legendary Brighton restaurant, now in its expansive Jubilee Street premises, has long been one of our favourite places to eat.

It was a real privilege to sit down with the inspirational dream-team behind it all, Alun and Dawn Sperring, and learn their story. We’ve watched in awe as they’ve become proper Brighton culinary aristocracy - dare we say royalty? - over the years, so meeting them in person left us pretty starstruck.

Head Chef Alun travelled the world for years before they launched The Chilli Pickle, setting out on a journey that ultimately changed the culinary landscape of Brighton forever. Working in professional kitchens around Asia, he learned the traditional methods that inspire his dishes. His encyclopedic knowledge of regional flavours and ingredients from across the Indian subcontinent is mind-blowing, and earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’ during his time in Dubai’s top restaurants.

The couple have travelled to India many times, and particularly love Delhi’s wealth of cuisines, from the immediacy of streetfood to sophisticated top-end dining... but spoke just as excitedly about the phenomenal home-cooked meals they’ve enjoyed with friends while travelling throughout the south Asian continent.

India – 14 Alun ensures he gets hold of the best Indian spices, from curry leaf and jumbo cloves, to highly-prized green Keralan cardamom and Tellicherry peppercorns, and was equally enthusiastic about sourcing fresh ingredients locally in Brighton: “Why ship frozen flatfish over from India when we’ve got such beautiful fish on our doorstep?”

“Cooking is a creative medium; it’s always evolving.” emphasises Dawn, “We’re not afraid to break the rules.” This passion jumps out in The Chilli Pickle’s award-winning menu of seasonal curries, ranging from fragrantly spiced Cod Moilee to fiery Rajasthani Mutton Laal Mas, each paired with delicious sides.

Small plates such as pani puri are perfect with a post-work beer, and in the evening the famous lunchtime King Thalis make way for searing dishes from the grill, including Charred Sambhal King Prawns, and biryanis made with matured basmati rice.

“Refined yet rustic, with a big impact.” is how Alun describes their distinctive style.

The Chilli Pickle still has the genuine family vibe it’s always had - Dawn’s dad even built some of the original furniture. There’s a real sense of welcome and simply wanting to share their love of bold, innovative Indian food with their customers.

With their sights on the future, they’re proud of the continued success of the Canteen takeaway, and their

“To create a noise in a busy world you’ve got to do something different.” Dawn

newly-opened site in Guildford is all about bringing their dynamic dishes to a fresh audience.

“We’re creating a bigger and better Chilli Pickle,” enthuses Alun, “getting excited about the things that started it and being able to constantly move forward.”

We humbly bow to everyone in the court of The Chilli Pickle - long may they reign!

India – 15

Selective Bites

“In Delhi, you’ve got the opportunity to taste the whole of India.” Alun

Tuck into lesser known Lucknow As Selective Asia’s (admittedly self-proclaimed!) India ‘guru’, I’ve eaten at all levels during my many travels in India. In my backpacker days, the options were mostly budget-restricted to the delicious streetfood (tough life!). However, in recent years I’ve been fortunate enough to eat in some of the country’s best restaurants, and it was gratifying to hear Alun name several of these among his favourites. I share their love of Delhi: it’s the perfect place to start your India holiday, and building in a few extra days there lets you explore and eat your way around the city in bitesize chunks.

Dawn & Alun recommend wandering through Delhi’s busy Chandni Chowk market and Khari Baoli, the biggest spice market in Asia. Away from the capital, we spoke about their love of Gomti Nagar in Lucknow and the many varieties of kebab, Laal Mas and Tandoors in Jaipur. Combining these makes a really nice circuit, and I would suggest weaving in Agra’s Taj Mahal before continuing from Jaipur via Udaipur to Mumbai where Trishna’s seafood restaurant would make an unbeatable final meal. A 14 day journey of adventure and food exploration like no other.

2 Karl is an India Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 1999

Delhi

Lucknow Jaipur

Agra

Udaipur

Mumbai

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ chilli-pickle

Competition – 16

Winner Takes All In our very best game show host voice… one city, seven restaurants, seven meals and one very lucky winner!

Discover Brighton’s very best Asian cuisine with help from the team at Selective Asia. All you need to do is visit www.selectiveasia.com/selective-bites to be in with a chance of winning a meal for two at all the restaurants featured in this guide - then keep your fingers crossed and start deciding who you’ll take with you to each if you’re the lucky winner!

Dine out on us at:

The Chilli Pickle, O’shio, Big Bowl, Moonstone, Lucky Khao and Baby Bao @ The Pond, and enjoy creating the dishes yourself at a very special cooking workshop with Shamima from Tuntun’s.

Competition – 17

Selective Bites

Photo by Lucas Kao

Brighton Festival ticket giveaway

As sponsors of this year’s Brighton Festival, we’re also delighted to offer a special giveaway of tickets to see ‘Varhung: Heart to Heart’ to early bird competition entries.

We have a pair of tickets to share for each performance.

For a chance to win these tickets, enter the competition by 14th May. The winners of the theatre tickets will be contacted by email and then remain in the draw for the restaurant meals prize too, which will be announced shortly after 15th June.

Varhung: Heart to Heart

Ancient Taiwanese cultural traditions are brought up to date by one of the Pacific island's premier indigenous dance-theatre companies. Tjimur presents a richly patterned, open-hearted performance that shows how the Paiwan people, not used to discussing private feelings, use artforms to bring them to the surface.

Performances: Fri 24 & Sat 25 May at 8pm, and Sat 25 May at 2pm.

Taiwan – 18

Baby Bao The Pond, 49 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AQ 01273 660 277 | thepondbrighton.com With every restaurateur we’ve talked to for this guide, certain things have been universal, regardless of their style of cuisine or how they came to cook it: sourcing the best ingredients, providing a fulfilling dining experience and, above all, letting nothing get in the way of serving supremely delicious dishes.

While true authenticity isn’t something you can chase, good food certainly is. Step up Baby Bao – the out-of-left-field sleeper shaking up Brighton’s expectations of Asian-inspired dining from their residency at the Pond pub.

Adrian Geddes, the quietly spoken mastermind at Baby Bao’s epicenter, is a hard man to pin down. Like many driven entrepreneurs, he never seems to stop! Having literally watched Baby Bao’s journey from our office window in Tower Point (which overlooks the Friday Street Diner market in Brighthelm Gardens where they began), getting the low down on this zeitgeist-capturing venture was a top priority for us. We persisted and are very glad we did.

Taiwan – 19

Selective Bites

Taiwan – 20 Given the evocative flavours we love in Baby Bao’s food, we were surprised to discover that Adrian hasn’t been to Taiwan, which is the birthplace of bao buns.

Given the remit of this guide, we’ll admit that did stop us in our tracks for a moment! Once we’d regathered our composure, we discovered that Adrian’s approach is all about taking the seeds of inspiration, wherever they fall, and fully making each dish his own without being afraid to do things differently. Having cut his teeth in a handful of Australian kitchens, and more recently closer to home at Plateau, he brings a wide perspective on dining trends straight to his cooking.

Their choice of bun fillings is eyes - bigger - than stomachs broad, and we have been known to eat several in one sitting! The Classic Pork bao is stuffed with unctuous, salty-sweet, hoisin-smothered meat, crunchy peanuts and fresh spring onion and cucumber, and the version with a hearty slice of fried

“The bao is the Taiwanese element, then it’s mixed.” Adrian

tofu in place of the pork is absolutely ‘the business’ for vegans. When you bring in sides such as spicy salmon tartar, confit duck fries, tempura cauliflower and kimchi slaw, suddenly A LOT of boxes are being ticked.

The queues and packed tables, especially during those Friday lunch-hour and weekend peaks, show just how in demand Baby Bao is. It’s easy to understand why. This is the kind of food you reward yourself with after a tough week, when time is of the essence and you need ultimate comfort eating, big flavours and good value. Add a pint of the Pond’s varied selection of draught craft beers, and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

Baby Bao, we salute you!

Taiwan – 21

Selective Bites

Get there before the rest Over the last few years, Taiwan has truly entered the foodie spotlight, and eating will always be at the core of any trip to the country. In my experience, there’s no other place on earth where food and culture intertwine so seamlessly.

We’re all familiar with bao, but there is so much more to Taiwanese cuisine, and the best places to start discovering it are the Shilin, or the more understated Ningxia, night markets. My plate was full of beef noodles, oyster omelette, stinky tofu and braised pork before I’d even had a proper chance to look at a menu, and one visit was never going to be enough!

Once you’ve had your fill of Taipei’s urban pace, head for a little respite in Taroko National Park, driving along the dramatic coastal road and passing a backdrop of rolling hills and freshwater gorges (where the water is pure enough to produce the world's greatest whisky, no less!). For further soul soothing, continue south through the central mountain range (250 peaks above 3000m, anyone?) en route to Alishan, with its hilly trails between sleepy villages, where you can revive your spirits with fresh green tea.

“The water is pure enough to produce the world's greatest whisky, no less!” Karl

2 Karl is a Taiwan Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 1999

Taipei

Taroko National Park

Forest Railway / Alishan Station

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ baby-bao

Thailand – 22

Thailand – 23

Selective Bites

Lucky Khao 1d St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1RE 01273 686 668 | luckykhao.com From the moment you step through the door of Lucky Khao, it’s clear that they’re not catering to the average farang. This is the big impact real deal, and if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the khraw!

Lucky Khao has the electric energy of a hectic Bangkok night; neon lighting blazes through the space, and the whole place buzzes with an atmosphere that sends tingles down your spine.

They serve up exhilarating northern-style dishes rarely seen outside of Thailand, and it’s probably glaringly obvious by now that we’ve absolutely loved what they do since before day one.

Anticipation about Lucky Khao’s launch, in January this year, reached such a fever pitch in the SA office that we would have camped outside the door if we could, just to be the first to try their food!

The latest brainchild of enterprising Kemptown Project proprietors Mike and Diana Palmer, Lucky Khao burst onto Brighton’s food scene at the start of 2019 and hit the ground running. At the busy Steine end of St James’s Street, the site is local coffee legend Red Roaster during the day, and transforms every evening into the oasis of joyful, fresh, punchy Thai food that is Lucky Khao. Everything about the venture sings with a sort of culinary static.

The bold Thai flavours mean business, bringing the essence of a northern streetfood stall into the heart of Brighton. Natasha, one of our Thailand specialists, says it’s 100% the best Thai food she’s had anywhere outside of Thailand. The caliber of the meal may be fine dining, but the atmosphere is fun and risky; raising the bar of innovative, contemporary Thai-inspired cuisine in the UK.

Thailand – 24 There’s a whole sea bass with delicate, crisp skin and softly flaked flesh; fresh betel leaves to wrap around scoops of raw beef larb or marinated chicken; and a som tam salad to send your head into a Scoville scale spin. This food is designed to be shared and torn into, full of a subversive passion that doesn’t explain itself, and doesn’t need to. Your attention is totally focused onto their faithful recreation of varied and unusual Thai flavours. A giant neon scrawl over the kitchen reads ‘larb is what you want’: the message isn’t subliminal!

What makes all the elements work so brilliantly is the strong team unity, which is down to Diana and Mike’s extraordinary investment in their staff. The whole team spent 6 weeks in Thailand together prior to opening, to look deeper at the origins of each ingredient and flavour, and their brilliant young chef, Luke Larsson, recently spent over 18 months training in Bangkok’s Michelin-listed kitchens. Everyone is pushing in the same direction - striving to do justice to the food of northern Thailand that stole their hearts - and it shows.

Having learnt at source, Luke’s fearless passion for creating dishes that don’t shy away from challenging the UK’s palates is front and centre. Flames flair and knives flash in the open kitchen, culminating in a raw culinary performance where the outcome is breathtakingly brilliant food.

“We’ve tried to be a bit different to every other Thai restaurant in Brighton.” Luke

Lucky Khao dares its diners to try dishes well outside the pad thai comfort zone, and is rightly confident that the taste will shout for itself.

Thailand – 25

Selective Bites

After another relaxing day on the beach, the streetfood stalls come to life.

Look to the north

Chiang Rai

Fang

Chiang Mai

Bangkok

Some say Bangkok is like marmite, but for me there’s no question: it’s a vibrant, exciting, grimy, chaotic, infuriating and utterly, utterly amazing city. Allow more than a day or two, as you need time to settle in, find the rhythm and enjoy the ride. Luke trained in two of the city’s big hitters - 100 Mahaseth and the Michelin starred Bo.lan - so allow time to dine in at least one of them before you head north to find the inspiration of Lucky Khao’s unique, boundarypushing menu.

Regional food variations are the stuff of constant debate in Thailand, and in my experience what makes eating your way around the country so exciting are its constantly changing flavours. Northern and Issan cuisine is meaty, fiery and less ornate in presentation than its central and southern counterparts. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are both worth a good day or two of your time, but I especially love the lesser-known towns and villages, such as Fang, where you can spend time in the tea plantations around Doi Pu Muen and eat a home cooked meal of locally-grown vegetables and herbs, chicken, and rice parcels in bamboo by the fire with a farming family. While we recognise that authentic is a vastly misused word these days, this truly is the real deal.

2 Natasha is a Thailand Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 2006

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ lucky-khao

Sri Lanka – 26

Sri Lanka – 27

Selective Bites

Moonstone 208 Church Road, Hove BN3 2DJ 01273 202 151 | moonstonesrilankanrestaurant.co.uk Bringing the warm, amber glow of the late afternoon Galle sunshine to Brighton’s urban sprawl might seem like a big ask, but Moonstone, just over the border in Hove (actually) and a five-minute walk from the sea, does just that.

Dimuthu Mendis - Moonstone’s Sri Lankan-born owner, known to everyone as Dimu - grew up in Kosgoda, a village north west of Galle. He developed a love for cooking as a boy, getting under the feet of his aunts and grandmother in their kitchens, then spent his early working life refining his expertise for creating traditional Sri Lankan dishes. When pressed on what he misses most about Sri Lanka, Dimu didn’t miss a beat: “My aunties’ cooking!”, was his emphatic reply. Inspired by the tastes of his childhood, Dimu opened Moonstone 10 years ago, and many of the restaurant’s dishes are still family recipes passed down through the generations.

Dimu met his English wife while she was holidaying in Sri Lanka; a lucky encounter that led to a love story and, lucky for us, a move to Brighton. They often travel back to his hometown, taking the opportunity to be fed by those many aunts, and to gather the sun-dried spices that are skillfully blended by his sister-in-law.

“We’re trying to create that small boutique taste of the villages,” explains Dimu, and the results are utterly sublime. Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan cricket great, once described Moonstone’s cuisine as “the best Sri Lankan food in England”, and we couldn’t agree more.

Sri Lanka – 28 Thanks to the island’s unique location, Sri Lanka is a country of fishermen, and the cuisine reflects its abundance of fresh produce and extraordinary seafood. Refreshing mango salad is followed by sweetly-spiced chickpea dumplings, and crispy capsicum peppers stuffed with shrimp. Sizzling deviled prawns sit beside earthy dal, fluffy rice and punchy coconut sambal with kale, softened with a trio of roti, paratha and rice hoppers. Creamy coconut sauces full of roasted cashews and caramelised onions cover fillets of freshly-caught fish.

The symbiotic relationship between each dish is undeniable, and each spice is perfectly planned to perform at the right time. A spoonful of galangal, a squeeze of lime, and flecks of fresh coriander; sweet cinnamon, cardamom and clove, and aromatic curry leaf… just the thought of Moonstone’s flavours sends us into a bit of a reverie.

Dimu’s effusive welcome is a large part of why Moonstone feels so homely and familiar, but perhaps there’s something else too. Despite the literal oceans that separate Galle and Brighton, the two places have more in common than you might expect: both are seaside towns where a fading regal grandeur forms the backdrop for the daily bohemian bustle, and there’s no time for stuffy formality. Amid it all, in both places, is a pristine cricket green … given that cricket is a Sri Lankan national obsession, perhaps it wasn’t just the seaside that brought Dimu to Hove after all!

Through sharing his passion for Sri Lanka food, Dimu has created a real community, which you experience first-hand in the restaurant. Many hugs and hellos are exchanged, and there’s a genuine camaraderie that we’re honoured to feel part of whenever we eat there.

Dimu makes everyone who walks into Moonstone feel like family, and enjoying his phenomenal cooking really feels like coming home.

“We’re trying to create that small boutique taste of the villages.” Dimu

Keeping it in the family

Sri Lanka – 29

Selective Bites

As a year-round destination, there’s always a sun-drenched beach with your name on it in Sri Lanka.

Spending time with Dimu was a genuine pleasure, his love of Sri Lankan cuisine was evident from the first.

He shared fond foodie memories of the fantastically abundant seafood and communal eating that are integral to Sri Lankan culture.

Sri Lanka is such a varied country to travel in - with over 20 national parks, 830 miles of coast and 8 UNESCO heritage sites, how could it not be? Sri Lankan cuisine is just as varied.

Raised near the beaches of Kosgoda by his mother Kanthi, Dimu was also very close to his grandmother Dulsy, whose dishes he so carefully recreates at Moonstone today. He still loves visiting his aunts in Negombo, Kahathuduwa, Kalutara and Galle - after all, there’s nothing better than a trip home and some hearty home cooked food. I for one would like to say a big thank you to Kanthi, Dulsy, Kamani, Priyani, Anoma & Airangani for passing down such fantastic recipes!

Whilst the south west coast is undoubtedly beautiful, and Galle is by far my favourite place in Sri Lanka (curry crab anyone?!), no holiday on the island would be complete without enjoying a few more of its riches. I’d suggest a stop to see the elephants at nearby Udawalawe NP, before enjoying the cooler climes of Tea Country. Finish off the journey perfectly with a few days exploring the history and culture in the Cultural Triangle.

Sigiriya

2 Aaron is a Sri Lanka Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 2006 Negombo

Ella

Kahathuduwa Kalutara Udawalawe NP Galle

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ moonstone

Ao Nang, Thailand

“Asia is so much more than extraordinary food.”

Vietnam – 32

Big Bowl 54 Preston Street, Brighton BN1 2HE 01273 206 422 | bigbowlbrighton.co.uk The route to our hearts is 100% through our stomachs, and the fast-lane there is via a rich, warm bowl of proper Vietnamese pho. There’s just nothing like it. Gorgeous, deep-flavoured bone broth, simmered for hours, then poured over soft noodles and topped with thinly sliced meat, seafood (or even tofu), and your own measure of aromatic herbs. When the taste is just right, it takes us back to greedily-slurped breakfasts eaten while perched on tiny plastic chairs on the streets of Hanoi…

When we need a full-on pho hit closer to home, we make a beeline for Big Bowl - nestling with quiet confidence on the famously foodie Preston Street - which serves real Vietnamese cuisine, as we’ve experienced it on our travels, right on our Brighton doorstep. The minute you walk through the door, you get an intoxicating hit of the heady aromas filling the dining space; the sweet, crisp-yet-delicate smell that makes your mouth water as each bowl of pho is poured is a thing of beauty. Their expertise in traditional Vietnamese food doesn’t stop there. As Big Bowl’s manager, Brandon Vu, says, “every restaurant has its own curry”, but we think the creamy depth of their gorgeous chicken curry is next level delicious, and Stephen adores the barbequed pork bun cha.

Vietnam – 33

Selective Bites

Vietnam – 34 Though we’ve spent more hours in Big Bowl over the 4 years since it opened than seems decent, we’d never met Brandon before, and had no idea what to expect as we sat down for our chat. It quickly transpired that the Vu family’s journey was anything but ordinary.

The family hail from Hai Phong in north eastern Vietnam, though Brandon’s dad, Oskar, moved to Poland in the seventies to study mechanics before returning to Vietnam.

He and his wife Elva stayed there until 1989 when the family escaped the regime on a gruelling ten-day boat journey to Hong Kong. They were in a refugee camp while awaiting permission to move on, then lived at various times in Canada (where Brandon was born) and Iceland, before eventually moving to the UK. Through both choice and necessity, they’ve experienced life in a lot of places.

When they settled in Brighton, the family immediately saw a gap in the market for a Vietnamese restaurant - the small selection of Vietnamese eateries in the UK were serving food that was, in Brandon’s words “good, but it wasn’t mum’s.” The family decided that Elva’s north Vietnamese family recipes were too good not to share, leading to the opening of Big Bowl, and we’re so thankful that they did.

Family is at the heart of this place. Oskar and Elva ran Big Bowl until last year when they took a well-earned back seat and 26-year-old Brandon took the wheel.

Brandon’s youthful, entrepreneurial spirit is now taking Big Bowl from strength to strength. He enthuses about extending the dining area, and his eyes took on a sparkle as he told us of future plans to open a bahn mi and coffee shop, serving Saigon-style baguettes filled with their excellent lemongrass chicken and BBQ honey pork.

We’ll be eagerly watching to see which inspiring idea Big Bowl serves up next, and whichever it is we’ll be ready to take a big bite… just as long as we can still get the pho too!

“We focus on healthy ingredients...to make it light.” Brandon

Returning home “His travel plans are undoubtedly being led by his stomach.”

Stephen

Vietnam – 35

Selective Bites

Landing in Vietnam for the first time is an arrival like no other - you’re immediately intoxicated by wonderful scents coming from the streetfood stalls, small open restaurants and bustling markets.

My travels there have spanned from north to south, and the exciting variety of dishes you encounter across the country are as much a part of the journey as the destinations.

My afternoon with Brandon and his family was a genuine pleasure. He spent his childhood in a variety of places, but I was surprised to learn that he’s only been to Vietnam once although he’s clearly eager to return. His travel plans are undoubtedly being led by his stomach, and stories of his parents’ experiences there.

Along with visiting relatives in Hai Phong, where he’s keen to try his mother’s Banh Cuon at source, and can’t wait to taste pho in Hanoi - its true home - although you’re never more than a few minutes away from a steaming bowl in any town.

Hue came up a few times, as Brandon is particularly excited about sampling the imperial-style dishes that that the city is so famous for. We’d certainly include Danang or Phan Thiet for their legendary seafood, before finishing with some fiery, wok-heavy dishes in Saigon.

Hai Phong Hanoi

Hue

Phan Thiet Saigon

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ big-bowl

2 Stephen is a Vietnam Specialist and has been travelling in Asia since 2002

Bangladesh – 36

Bangladesh – 37

Selective Bites

Tuntun’s 150 Lewes Road, Brighton BN2 3LG 01273 675 886 Amid the hectic jumble of Lewes Road’s student digs, busy traffic, and old-school Brighton life is Tuntun’s Cafe. You could have walked past this local treasure a hundred times and never thought to go inside, but once you do you’ll kick yourself for those missed opportunities. Behind the unassuming exterior, Tuntun’s is an authentic cafe creating traditional Bangladeshi dishes packed with flavour, and serving them up with kindness and compassion.

Sayeed and Shamima Rahman, the husband and wife team behind Tuntun’s, came to Brighton from Bangladesh in 2006 so that Sayeed could work on his research doctorate at Sussex University (which he completed this year.) In 2011 they pooled their culinary skills, business experience and community spirit, and opened Tuntun’s Cafe. “We were missing the real taste of traditional home-made cooking,” explains Sayeed, “what our parents and grandparents have in their homes.”

This place is the real McCoy; a beacon to head for when you crave food that feeds the soul, from generous servings of fresh and wholesome dal, to perfectly crisp panipuri and samosas bursting with spice. Our photographer, Richard, can often be found tucking into a huge bowl of home-cooked Shahi Haleem, sometimes several times a week, and there’s nothing like a sharing platter of their pakora to chase the blues away. “It took courage to introduce real Bangladeshi food,” Sayeed tells us, “but now we have a very good customer base.”

Bangladesh – 38 For Sayeed and Shamima, supporting the community is a top priority. From teaching vegan cookery classes to offering term-time student meal packages, the couple genuinely care for the needs of those around them and believe in the power of helping others. Their most inspirational project began on their last visit to Bangladesh in 2016, when they heard about the plight of a local school for children with cognitive and physical disabilities - the Buddhi Protibondha School in Meherpur.

Despite being the only school of its kind in the area, there was no funding and the staff were all working without pay.

There was no playground, very few supplies, and many of the pupils were spending the whole day without anything to eat. The Rahmans didn’t hesitate, and immediately committed to providing the funding for daily school meals.

Their promise to help the school didn’t stop there. When they returned to the UK they started putting on weekly thali buffets, where customers pay to eat their fill of dals, samosas, puris and pakora, and the proceeds go straight to the school. Thanks to the Rahmans’ incredible efforts, the children now have regular meals, the teaching staff can be paid, and the school has new permanent premises, which is an awe-inspiring achievement.

The Tuntun’s ethos is clear: community really matters, kindness goes a long way, and eating communally brings people together in more ways than one. Though there’s undoubtedly a little less glitz than some restaurants in this guide, Tuntun’s delivers double on the heart, and the food is exceptional; people have been known to make special trips down from London to enjoy it, which isn’t bad for a modest ‘cafe’! When you spend time with Sayeed and Shamima and eat their incredible food, you too become part of the Tuntun’s story.

“We cook fresh, we serve fresh, and we close when the food is finished!” Sayeed

Bangladesh – 39

Selective Bites

Make space on your bucket list Since spending time with Sayeed and Shamima, Bangladesh has gone straight onto my bucket list. However, I know relatively little about this country, and there is no doubt that Sayeed is a far better source of information on this one than us so-called travel ‘experts’!

Dhaka

To discover the real Bangladesh, Sayeed recommends heading for Dhaka City where “there is real hospitality” and you can “enjoy lots of streetfood from all around Bangladesh, especially panipuri and exceptional biryanis.”

Rangamati

Cox’s Bazar, on Bangladesh’s southern tip, is the second longest unbroken beach in the world, and a beautiful place to enjoy Bangladesh’s stunning coast. Sayeed also spoke to me about Rangamati, in the south east of the country, which is known for its contrasting landscape of forest-covered hills and deep lakes; a world away from the bustle of the city.

2 Nick founded Selective Asia in 2006 and has been travelling in Asia since 1994

Bite into more → www.selectiveasia.com/ tuntuns

Cox’s Bazar

On location – 40

On location As good as each of the restaurants in this guide are (and trust us, they really are), nothing quite beats experiencing great Asian food (and drink) at source.

On the tracks ↑

Taking snacking to a whole new level ↖ We love Sri Lanka for inventing its own, unique category of food known as ‘Short Eats’. Somewhere between a main meal and a snack, ‘Short Eats’ are delicious assortments of sweet and savoury light bites, often meat or vegetable filled, that help you traverse the hungry hours between meals!

Sri Lanka is a genuine year-round destination, with sunshine expected on at least one of its coasts in any given month. It’s important to know which when planning your travels, so talk through your proposed dates with our specialists for their recommendations on where to place your towel!

Railway eating in India is every bit as wonderful and immersive as you will no doubt have heard, and is the main the source of inspiration behind the The Chilli Pickle’s railway thali and take-away Canteen branding. When on the train, you can order your food as last-minute as the stop before, and collect it at the next station - the precision of delivery never ceases to amaze. With a hot box of delicious food in front of you, just settle back into your seat and tuck in as India passes by.

Where to start with a country this size! India undoubtedly has a diverse climate and varied weather conditions, however the best time to visit is December through to March during the cool, dry season. The shoulder season months of October, November and April are a good second bet for large parts of the country.

On location – 41

Selective Bites

Keeping nourished on the Kumano Kodo trail ↑ It’s not the first time that a Japanese quirk has stopped Annie in her tracks, and while it certainly won’t be the last, this one is rather charming. While walking the Kumano Kodo trail recently, Annie stumbled upon a small group huddled around a hot natural onsen pool in the village of Yunomine. Peering closer, she discovered that they were cooking eggs and sansai mountain vegetables, which they invited her to share. It doesn’t get any more soul enriching that that.

Japan is a year-round destination, with four distinct seasons that offer something for everyone whether you’re seeking powder snow, remote beaches, ‘sakura’ (cherry blossom season) or ‘koyo’ (autumn leaf viewing). With each change of season comes a change of menu.

World beating whiskies ← Whisky connoisseurs had their attentions firmly on Taiwan in 2015 when Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique was named the Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards, becoming only the 2nd nation to wrestle the award from Scotland’s firm grasp. The Hualien-distilled Kavalan has since gone from strength to strength.

The best time of year to visit Taiwan is from October to April, when you can expect typically dry and warm conditions across most of the country.

The beginning of March marks the start of cherry blossom season, with the mountain town of Alishan being one of the best places to enjoy this.

On location – 42

It really is all about the streetfood → There are few countries, if any, which have the depth and variety of streetfood found in Thailand. For those brave enough to look beyond the well-known ‘tourist friendly’ streetfood sites like Asiatique on the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, we recommend getting off the trail for a more adventurous experience. “You’ll always discover something ‘new and innovative’” says Natasha, with a wry smile on her face!

The very best time to visit Thailand is between November and February, when most of the country is warm and dry, however various parts of the country are at their best between March and June.

Night time delights ↑

Explore by vespa ↑ We love to weave through Hanoi and Saigon’s bustling food scenes on the back of a classic vespa – perfectly designed for zipping down those narrow, ancient streets to find backstreet canteens and after dark food stalls. As you won’t be driving, a 333 to wash it down is permitted!

Whilst you have to consider three different weather systems, the best time to visit Vietnam is between November and March. However, various parts of the country are also at their best from April to September.

Dhaka truly comes alive at night, as the unforgiving heat of the afternoon subsides.

The locals meet in the streets before going to eat together at restaurants, tea stalls and markets, enjoying the city's mouth-watering array of curries and biryanis.

Due to its monsoon climate, Bangladesh is characterized by wide seasonal variations in rainfall, high temperatures and humidity. October to March is best, but for those comfortable with heat, any time before June is fine.

#spicybrighton

Photography: Hanson Images Design: Today Creative

Share your Asian food adventures with us

Printed on FSC certified, 100% recycled paper

Bon appetit, or should we say,

Thoughtfully crafted holidays & adventures (with plenty of flavour...)

01273 670 001 selectiveasia.com