From dim sum, Pad Thai, Sri Lanka curries, Thai tom yum soup, Vietnamese Banh Mi or Khao Soi street food…Asia is a never ending culinary delight for all. And if you think street food can’t be trusted, think again. You see it cooked in front of your eyes, after all. Food doesn’t get much fresher than that.

Take the little old lady on the banged up scooter. As you approach, you may ask yourself “How long have these bread rolls been in here for?” “What kind of meat is this?” “Will I make it home to see my parents again?”. You hand over 25,000 VND (about 1 USD) and watch she performs her magic. 30 seconds later you are presented with a Banh Mi – a local delicacy in Vietnam: crusty bread rolls smeared with pate, mayo, suspicious looking Asian ham, pickled vegetables, green onion, coriander/cilantro, a mighty whack of fresh chillies and drizzle of seasoning. You take the first bite. Your taste buds explode and you quickly realise this might be the best $1 you have ever spent. Yes, even better than the dollar it cost you to find out if your cousin could really fit 100 marshmallows in their mouth.

This story is not a rare one, and nor is it just exclusive to Vietnam, this is a tale old as time across Asia and it is there to be told and discovered.