Bites On A Budget: The Best Street Eat Staples From Southeast Asia

There are few things we love as much as Pad Thai. Very few things. In our opinion, it's not only one of the most delicious street cart dishes in all of South East Asia, but the best bang for your buck (well, bhat). You'll never have to search far for a street vendor selling Pad Thai for less than $1. Pad Thai originated because the Prime Minster in 1939, Phibun, aimed to separate the Thai culture from China. He eliminated the use of the wheat noodle (a Chinese influence) and introduced the rice noodle, most suitable to be stir-fried in a pan, thus creating the Pad Thai noodle we eat today. Order chicken, prawn or vegetable from any street vendor and within minutes you'll have a plate of steaming stir-fried rice noodles in front of you, each dish containing a variety of ingredients such as chopped tofu, fish sauce, shallots, chili pepper, and fried egg. Add a squeeze of lime, mix in the pile of chopped peanuts on the side of your plate, and garnish the top with bean sprouts, garlic chives and coriander leaves for a finishing touch. Pro tip - to keep yourself from devouring it within seconds, chopsticks help with pacing and making time to enjoy.