A Taste of Asia

 

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Terminal 3: "Where Symmetry Meets The Sky"

Late at night in Jakarta, I stepped out of the airport and was hit with the immense humidity. My clothes stuck to me as I walked to the car, finding it harder to breathe. Travelling from Toronto to Asia was more than a change of scenery; it was also a change of pace. I have always heard about the richness of Asian cuisine but experiencing it firsthand gave me a new appreciation for how deeply food is tied to our culture and everyday lives. From airline dishes to local cuisine, every meal had a story about its origin and the people behind it.

 

A table spread of Chinese dishes at a restaurant in Indonesia.

My first flight from Toronto to Hong Kong was quite long, about 15 hours in the air. This was the flight I dreaded the most. 15 hours just sitting in economy and with no way to recline comfortably. I flew with Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline. During the flight, I had a mixed feeling, the last time I visited was six years since ago. To while away the time, I had plans to watch my favourite movie Crazy Rich Asians, only to be disappointed that they did not have it, so I was half asleep for the entire flight. On the flight, I was provided with two meals. The first meal consisted of chicken and rice with vegetables as the starter. The airline also offered a container of sliced meat–which I assume was ham–a Babybel, bread with butter, and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The second meal was cod served with a corn sauce, accompanied by rice and broccoli. They also served us more bread with butter, fruits, and a little slice of cake for dessert. Overall, the food on the flight was quite filling and better than the ones on western airlines.

 

We arrived in Hong Kong with a two-hour layover until our next flight to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. As soon as we exited the plane, we passed through security and immigration personnels before we could go on to enter our next gate. Before we had our bags checked, we were required to go through an eGate, which only requires you to scan your passport. That was an interesting experience since I had never been through them in Canada. This flight was only six hours long, so it was more bearable, though we only got an inflight meal. They served us Hong Kong-style pork with vegetables. We were also served a bowl of fruits, some more bread with butter, and Häagen-Dazs cookies and cream ice cream for dessert.

 

Jakarta, my ancestral home, was humid, beautiful and tranquil. Shortly after arriving, we drove to a town called Bandung, to explore good quality cuisines without making a hole in our pockets. We arrived hungry, so before the drive to Bandung we visited the McDonald's in the city. It was strangely familiar but foreign at the same time. We ordered spicy fried chicken, which came with rice, and that's where I found out that many people in Indonesia love fried chicken. There are other American fast-food chains operating in Indonesia, for example A&W and KFC. The McDonald’s menu was completely different, offering items such as spaghetti (McSpaghetti), Milo shakes, Matcha ice cream and more. I was a bit sad that I was unable to try some of the foods available at the McDonald’s in Canada.

 

The next day, we ended up at a restaurant known for its Sundanese cuisine. We ate a variety of foods, from fried rice to fish to deep-fried eggplants. The restaurant setting was an open concept, so you were only covered by the roof above your head. Another thing to note was that it was a restaurant where eating with your hands was both expected and customary, though they did still offer utensils. This differs from the restaurants in Canada, as most of them expect you to use the utensils offered rather than your hands; In Indonesian culture, it is normal to eat with your hands rather than with utensils or chopsticks. Personally, I felt more at ease using my hands.

 

We also went to a Chinese restaurant the next day with some more relatives. The food there consisted of a variety of dishes, ranging from fish, tofu, bok choy, and many more. It was quite an experience getting to eat authentic Chinese food after spending most of my life eating Western food. After meeting my relatives and spending a couple of days in Indonesia, it made me realize that I need to learn Bahasa. It was difficult to communicate with them and the locals since I'd only known a handful of Bahasa, so at times I was either confused about what they were talking about or about how to say certain things.

 

After that, we headed to Pascal 23, a mall that had some restaurants on the side. We got a Korean-style dessert, some coffee-flavoured shaved ice with chocolate drizzled on top, accompanied by some mochi on the side. A special note for the place would be that the servings there were huge!

 

The day after, I purchased some coffee from Fore Coffee, a premium coffeehouse chain. I was able to try their Hot Cafe Latte, Iced Caramel Praline Macchiato and Iced Buttercream Tiramisu Latte. I personally favoured the Iced Caramel Praline Macchiato and the Iced Buttercream Tiramisu Latte, as they were both sweet and caramelized. We then visited another mall where, on the lowest level, they had a massive food court. They sold a variety of foods, such as onigiri, yaki shrimp, and takoyaki. What shocked me the most was that they had a wide selection of chicken legs available for customers to freely pick and choose from.

 

A display showing a wide variety of fried chicken legs to choose from in an Indonesian mall's food court. 

A few days after we arrived, we took a day trip to another town called Lembang, winding through rocky roads and beautiful mountain ranges. We made a stop at Dusan Bambu, a retreat surrounded by green forestry and a ton of activities, some of which were a racetrack, axe throwing, a water slide and quite a few more. From there, we got to try a lychee iced tea, which was very refreshing since it was a hot summer day. I also had deep-fried bananas with shredded cheese on top, which, to me, was a bizarre combination, but alas, it was pretty good; It goes to show that different cultures create a unique blend of food and flavour profiles.

 

While in the continent of Asia, I also decided to visit Singapore, the same country where I will do my exchange program next year. The restaurants there were mainly noted to be either Chinese or Malay, though I did have the opportunity to try out a Japanese restaurant, where I enjoyed some sushi and a chicken and egg dish. The prices for the sushi were cheap, whereas the bowl was quite pricey. I was also surprised to see a Tim Hortons in Singapore, though I can’t complain about having a breath of home; The menu was different as it is curated for the Singaporean market. They had their classic Iced Capp, which is my favourite drink from Tim Hortons, but they also had various assortments of Iced Capp flavours that I had never seen before, such as Maple Macchiato or Belgian Chocolate Chip. The prices at Tim Hortons were significantly higher than in Canada. A regular Iced Capp is $6.70 SGD, at the same price range with Starbucks.

 

The day’s trip was completed with a local meal on our return to Jakarta. The local meal box costs around $2 CAD but comes with a hard-boiled egg, yellow rice, chicken, noodles and complementary sauces. It was an excellent meal at an affordable price. That is something I miss about Indonesia. As we prepared for our return to Canada, I visited a cafe in Central Park Mall with my aunts called Paul Le Cafe. One of my aunts told me they import their croissants from Paris. I tried a Sea Salt Latte and a croissant from there. The latte was very bitter, but the croissant was delicious. It was very soft, buttery and overall rich in flavour.

 

A $2 lunch box with yellow rice, noodles, and a seasoned egg, served with beef and sambal. 

After a few weeks in Asia, it was time to return to Toronto, I was sad that my vacation was coming to an end. I felt like there was so much more to see, but I just didn’t have enough time. My first flight was from Jakarta to Hong Kong; we were served great food. The meal consisting of spicy chicken with rice and vegetables, as well as fruits, and a mint cake for dessert, overall, the catering was good. The little mint cake was also delicious, a nice, sweet treat. On our arrival in Hong Kong, we boarded the flight back to Toronto, during which they served us two dishes: the first was chicken and rice with bok choy, accompanied by even more bread with butter, fruits, and ice cream for dessert. The second meal consisted of a marinara fish dish with vegetables, bread, fruit, and some coleslaw. Overall, the meals were good, despite being airline food.

 

After my return to my regular life in Toronto, I was able to reflect on my trip, realizing that food tells us a lot about a country and its people including landmarks. I realized that no matter the scenario, whether it’s the affordable $2 Indonesian meal boxes to elegant cafes, and even airline meals, every dish reveals cultural values such as hospitality, community and creativity. Travelling across Asia changed my way of seeing food; It is not just about taste but about identity and connection to the locals and the culture. Beyond taste and identity, every dish holds memories, whether it is the old ones that linger or the new ones I make while sharing meals with family; it will always have a place in my heart. I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to experience different cuisines and learn from them.

 

Josephine Husen

GMS Student

Ted Rogers School of Management, TMU