One of my favorite parts of adventuring to other countries is seeking out the novelty foods. In Hong Kong, for example, none of us could resist a trip to McDonald’s to see if the Big Mac was still called the Big Mac (it was) and if there were any cool regional specials to be had (there were). Most of the items were the same as the ones that can be found on your local menu, but there were two that stuck out: the red bean pie and the Ebi burger. The red bean pie looks just like a McDonald’s apple pie, but is instead filled with a sweet red bean paste. With hints of floral notes, the pie was good, but not exactly my cup of tea.

While I could do without the red bean pie, the Ebi burger was really good. If it were on the menu here, I would eat at McDonald’s a whole lot more. It’s a fried shrimp patty topped with crisp lettuce, a bit of mustard and the same sauce that comes on the Big Mac, all sandwiched between a soft, perfectly steamed bun. It sounds so weird, but it’s so good!

For breakfast in Hong Kong, I made it a point to eat as many pineapple custard buns as possible. There were bakeries everywhere, just churning out this goodness like it was their job or something.

Eye-catching displays of bright candy in Hong Kong were counterbalanced by…

…eye-catching displays of tripe and tendon snack-packs. (I was too scared to try).

I know one of my resolutions was to cut back on my chip eating, but with all the crazy flavors available in Asia, I couldn’t resist! My favorite flavor was the seaweed-flavored potato chips…

…followed by the ketchup-flavored seaweed…

…followed by the unagi-flavored potato chips which were good at the time, until I got sick from them.

And although taking condensed milk in your morning coffee isn’t that novel, it’s something I don’t ever do at home but did nearly every day in Cambodia. Once your shot of coffee is all stirred up, it’s sweet and creamy and a good way to start the day.