Back from a week in the Orient, where the food was (almost without exception*) outstanding. Chilli Crab at Dempsey Hill in Singapore, xie huang tang bao in Shanghai. But, despite a week of someone else cooking and eating out every single meal, I still found myself missing the following;
Breakfast. Dim sum is all well and good, but this morning’s bacon, eggs, sausage and fried bread was a most welcome return!
Curry. Proper curry house curry. Lined up for early in the week.
Spag Bol – In the pan simmering as I speak
Cheese – Real, properly strong cheddar

Strange that amongst all the exotic loveliness, I found myself longing for such simple food. So, what do you miss when you’re away?

* The exception – Durian. WTF? I mean, really guys, WTF? It’s not even funny.

Spent a week or two in a hotel in Madrid, whilst working in the office there. Not the easiest place to be veggie – even ended up eating in a Thai place one night as they were bound to have something…

Rachel (mostly veggie, with occasional lapses…)

Is this one of your pretend trips CFH?

Of course, Aleigh, of course. 😕

Rachel, France is very similar…Especially once you get outside of Paris! (Apparently ham is vegetarian, as it’s not real meat!)

try going abroad …actually anywhere to eat – as a vegan.
I miss radio 4 most but i bet flashy has an app for that 😆

Was down in London for a few days earlier this week. I really really missed being able to drink water straight from the tap 🙁

Was down in London for a few days earlier this week. I really really missed being able to drink water straight from the tap

😆

flashy, for a man of the world you seem awfully excited about this wee trip of yours- are you sure you haven’t been stringing us along all this time, and you’ve really just got your first passport? 🙂

Was down in London for a few days earlier this week. I really really missed being able to drink water straight from the tap

whats the matter with it- not enough flavouring for you?

My bed. You can’t beat your own bed.

Bitter.

Im happy anywhere, but pine for a pint of proper hoppy bitter.

it’s got far too much flavouring! a horrible flat gloopy taste that rolls around in your mouth even though you desperately try to keep it from touching your tongue 👿

11 years away and can say that I don’t miss anything.

You were only in the Orient for a week? Lightweight.

Lived there for 10 years myself, don’t know WTF you’re on about unless you’re just telling the STW you’ve been away.

Yes you can buy Marmite in Cold Storage (Supermarket) and pretty much most things. Walkers crisps (smuggled in) did have an appeal as did Fray Bentos pies – although I saw those in my local supermarket in KL.

Go back.

A proper cup of tea.

Love the idea of Fray Bentos in KL! I remember when I lived in France there was Heinz ketchup in the “Exotic” foods aisle of the supermarket.

Am planning to be back soon(ish) Twentyniner, not sure when yet. Sadly, I don’t think KL will be on my list of locations. Would love to see it.

Agree with others. This is just flashy trying to willy wave about his business trip.

Only thing I really miss are my kids. Time away from them cannot be bought at any price.

Yes CFh I thought was all a bit odd- you know slightly hungover doing the Sunday shop with the Mrs but pretending you’re OK, and see Fray Bentos on the shelf….

Carbon footprint of that pie must be immense?

Umm.. depends where I am.

In Finland it was tea, malt vinegar and salt and vinegar crisps. In Germany it’s Lloyd Grossman pasta sauces and Pataks curry paste.

i post out curry stuff to a relative in Germany none available is there

Proper kebab in Ireland, please smuggle one from Hounslow for me.

When in America: fruit.

Spent a week or two in a hotel in Madrid, whilst working in the office there. Not the easiest place to be veggie – even ended up eating in a Thai place one night as they were bound to have something…

It’s a lot better now than it was, you should have tried 14 years ago!

As an ex-pat I do miss having a local curry house, and a proper local pub.

My 3 cats (assuming my family are with me).

What’s wrong with American fruit?

The UK as a whole…

When living in THailand the expat community (for the little time I spent with them) had most of what I needed when a homeland food fix was required.

In Korea it was harder, too much American based stuff for my liking, which was ok, I liked the local food a lot as well.

Back in the UK I miss Korean BBQ’s various rice dishes, most Thai food (but wifey sorts me out with that)
I don’t miss live octopus, dog, ferment anything. I particularly don’t miss my Korean colleagues smacking and chomping their food, and noodle day at work, I had to leave the building it was so repulsive.

When I’m in Australia, if I’m honest, absolutely nothing.

If pushed, I’d say good cheddar, stilton or perhaps the entire counter at Neal’s Yard Dairy. Cheese isn’t really an Aussie strongpoint; everything else is hunky dory.

Was down in London for a few days earlier this week. I really really missed being able to drink water straight from the tap

See I prefer our lovely Calcium and Fluoride enriched water, over the stuff you get elsewhere. Not that I drink a great deal of water, it has to be said. I prefer it mixed with stuff like hops, yeast and barley….

I’m not too bothered about any branded products when I go abroad, like Heinz or whatever, and I can invariably find whatever I need wherever I am to cook a tasty meal, so it don’t bother me too much. Just embrace the local cuisine and enjoy the different flavours.

I do like a cup of PG Tips though. Fortunately that is available most places, and a box is very light and easy to carry. Or parcel up and send on ahead.

And beer. That is an important issue. We do do good beer here it must be said. There’s only so long you can survive on the local brews. I would be perfectly happy in Germany though probbly.

molgrips – Member
What’s wrong with American fruit?

I’m not sure i’ve seen any. It never seems to be available in the hotels/restaurants i go to.

Elf going outside the M25 does not count as going abroad… How many times do I have to tell you.

I went through a phase of buying Branston Pickle a couple of years ago, not something I missed just something different.

Yes it bloody does! Everyone talks funny and they’re all very closely related to one another… 😯

And I have to ensure my inoculations are up to date. Have you any idea of the diseases you could contract in Southampton????

In America – bacon, chocolate, the BBC, the NHS, mushy peas, cars that go round corners, roundabouts.

In Europe, the same apart from the chocolate, cars and roundabouts.

wallop +1

and English beer

English shlaaaags

Sometimes it is the basics you really miss

fresh milk
granary bread
marmite

And then of course there are other things, like simply being able to drink water straight from a tap etc.

And then there are the things that are not about products, such as fresh air, moisture in the ground, green countyside, security, etc. It’s amazing how you do not value things until you are away, then you can really appreciate what you have.

I’m not sure i’ve seen any. It never seems to be available in the hotels/restaurants i go to.

Oh right, in hotels.. well that might be down to where you actually go, not sure.

In supermarkets there is plenty of it, and it’s usually pretty good quality having been shipped by road from Florida where it’s grown, rather than left to ripen in a container ship for 2 months.

However their varieties are weird, and everything’s about 3 times the size it should be. You can really see the obsession with size in the fruit and veg counter in a supermarket!

such as fresh air, moisture in the ground, green countyside

Yes!

Also miss an early spring. You know, flowers in February. In Finland it was well into April before anything started to happen and then it took absolutely frigging ages.

English shlaaaags

Got them in San Antonio, Benidorm, Fuengirola, Torremolinos etc…

My children.

The rain, strangely enough.