TV Chef Ching-He Huang On Why She Loves Southeast Asia

The first thing I'm going to do when it's safe to travel again is to book a trip all around Southeast Asia.
I love this region of the East, with countries including bustling Thailand, modern Singapore, laid-back Malaysia, captivating Vietnam and vibrant Indonesia. And the food and hospitality are second to none - it's paradise for adventurous foodies!
Food writer and TV chef Ching-He Huang is itching to return to Southeast Asia
My dream holiday would start in Malaysia, where I like to stay at The Banyan Tree in the centre of the Kuala Lumpur action, with views of the Petronas Towers at night.
I love modern restaurants, but my favourites are the local hawker stalls - try the banana leaf rice with an assortment of curries and meats at Sri Paandi in Little India, and the pork bone broth noodles with eggs at Ooi Noodle House for an insight into Malaysian food - where the influences come from Indonesia, India, and China.

Delicious!
I love Penang on Malaysia's east coast, and stay at the elegant East & Oriental Hotel in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's located on Gurney Drive with Gurney Drive Hawker Centre nearby, perfect for more food adventures.
While in Penang, the Clock Tower is a must-visit; it was commissioned in 1897 by a local millionaire to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.

Then stop at the Merlin Nasi Kandar, on Union Street, for a traditional Malaysian curry, followed by a visit to the 1936 Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul, for cendol, an iced dessert.
From Malaysia, we'd fly to Singapore. I was last there years ago, when my father took us on a trip to Hong Kong, and we stopped over in Singapore for one day.

My brother and I feasted on delicious dim sum and Singapore chilli crab in a tomato chilli sauce, and an array of street food. Everyone speaks Hokkien, the Fujian dialect that we also speak in Taiwan, so it was easy to communicate, and, of course, everyone understands English.
I would love to go back and stay at the Marina Bay Sands - I love super-luxe accommodation in contrast to the cheap, yet utterly delicious, local food.

Singaporeans are food obsessed - they have great chains such as Din Tai Fung or Crystal Jade. And Singaporeans are known to queue patiently for one dish for up to an hour - they're my kind of people!
Wok On, by Ching-He Huang, tour sapa từ hà nội is published by Kyle Books, £20, octopusbooks.co.uk
From Singapore we would fly to Thailand.

I love the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, the Thai culture, the people, the weather and, of course, the food. It's a busy city, but also calm at the same time and that's to do with the people - they're always smiling - and their Buddhist culture.
Everything is within walking distance.
I love the traditional tourist spots, such as Chatuchak Market for picking up souvenirs, and the floating river is a must, tour sapa with lots of delicious boat-stalls selling traditional dishes and snacks: pad Thai noodles, fish cakes and fresh coconuts to cool you in the heat.
From Thailand, we would venture to Saigon in Vietnam.

I've been wanting to go again since a fleeting trip on a cruise almost a decade ago. Our ship docked on Christmas Eve, and I remember coming off and walking to the city centre. The streets were covered with confetti (fake snow), and everyone was out celebrating and throwing it at each other.
It was so beautiful and such a jolly atmosphere. The people know how to make you feel welcome, and the food is sublime.
The sights and smells of a floating market in Bangkok are unmissable for food lovers
Vietnam has a rich colonial past, Buddhist pagodas and crazy cities.

Its lifeline rivers lead to dreamy beaches. This incredible country is also the home of world-class food: Vietnamese food traditions are deep, delicious, and deserve a visit.
I'm desperate to visit Hanoi, too, famed for its communist and French heritage, its wild traffic and street-food culture.
We would also plan to head southwards down the coast, to the lesser-known historic city of Hoi An. This is a melting pot city of Vietnam's essence and influences. Its ancient town is crisscrossed by magical canals, and is home to Chinese-style wooden homes, a Japanese covered bridge, French colonial mansions and some of Asia's finest Buddhist temples and pagodas.
The port and trading history of Hoi An brought with it the influences that today give the city its unique blend of tastes and flavours in its food.

Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, French and Indo-Chinese all set up home here and their foodie heritage lives on.
My husband Jamie and I were in Saigon, Hanoi and Hoi An for a day each, so it really wasn't enough time to explore everything.
We did try the most amazing cao lau braised pork noodles, Hoi An chicken rice, pork banh xeo pancakes, and a mango cake with sticky rice on the outside and peanuts and sugar on the inside at a local Vietnamese restaurant. It was all washed down with delicious Saigon Beer - a sweet, light, rice-y lager.
Of course, we will have to allow for that Bali wedding, which was postponed this year.

There we will stay at my friend's luxury villa - Villa Clarisse - with its own infinity pool, 15 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the Seminyak Beach Resort. There we'll feast on dishes such as Balinese satay - grilled minced chicken and lemongrass with spices and peanut sauce - and pisang goreng, which are fried, tour sapa golden bananas with coconut and palm sugar.
Just writing this is making me want to book my flights asap!
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