Best street grub you've ever had

[MichaelB]

Mexico seems to have a street grub culinary advantage. For me it was the tacos in Guadalajara – tongue, liver and other less identifiable meats, prepared on a greasy dirty cart with bowls of onion and lettuce (and flies). I have no idea how I didn’t get sick, but they were glorious. Back then the exchange rate was $US1 = 12 Pesos and each taco cost 3P. Dinner was ½ dozen tacos and a couple of beers.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Mexico seems to have a street grub culinary advantage. For me it was the tacos in Guadalajara – tongue, liver and other less identifiable meats, prepared on a greasy dirty cart with bowls of onion and lettuce (and flies). I have no idea how I didn’t get sick, but they were glorious. Back then the exchange rate was $US1 = 12 Pesos and each taco cost 3P. Dinner was ½ dozen tacos and a couple of beers.

I had some of those unidentifiable meat tacos. Too chewy and grisly for my tastes. I didn't know what they were at the time I ate them (it was late and the cerveza had destroyed my spanish comprehension). Lengua and mejilla and sesos, yum!

I'm not sure if it counts, but the little stands in the mexican markets are really good too. We had really good food at too many places to name. We even had grasshoppers in a taco.

Yes, I had a little* montezuma's revenge by the end of the trip, but it was worth it!



*3 weeks - ouch

[DangerMouse]

For me the best street food I have ever had was in Islamabad in Pakistan. For lunch we would sometimes go to the street vendor parked on the side of the road by the University. He had his open air deep fat fryer and I think it would be a safe bet that he never had a hygiene inspection in his life. I always figured the heat of the oil would kill anything. Anyway I used to get the best vegetable samosas I have ever had in my life. Used to get a bag of six and they were so greasy the bag would be soaked.

It's funny how living in a 3rd world country makes you have a different perspective on what is clean and what is not, otherwise sometimes you would be a very hungry person.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DangerMouse It's funny how living in a 3rd world country makes you have a different perspective on what is clean and what is not, otherwise sometimes you would be a very hungry person.

I always look for places that are busy and have high turnover. I figure the germs and dirt don't touch the food long enough to stick!

It's like a local mongolian bbq we go to at least 2x a month. The health inspectors marked them down 5 points for having cases of meat sitting on the counter unrefrigerated. I'm not worried because I see them use up a whole case of meat every 5-10 minutes. The stuff didn't even have time to defrost!

[Urchina]

I'm a health inspector (OK, was) and still eat street food.

Oh, to add to my list:

Belgian frites with mayo on top

Cheese croquettes (in Belgium they take a chunk of gouda the size of a deck of playing cards, bread it and deep-fry it so it's crispy and hot and just gooey enough). Unbelievably good.

Haven't been to Mexico yet, and passed on the guinea pig-on-a-stick that's common in Ecuador.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urchina Cheese croquettes (in Belgium they take a chunk of gouda the size of a deck of playing cards, bread it and deep-fry it so it's crispy and hot and just gooey enough). Unbelievably good.

Unbelievably gouda, huh?

[BunsGettingFirm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeyd Deviled Crab from street vendors in Ybor City (Tampa). The last time I had a dozen or so of these beauties it was around 1966 and they cost 10 cents each~no extra charge for a splash of hot sauce!

I was there in the summer of '08. I didn't see any street vendors selling crab. Maybe they have moved on to somewhere else?

As for the best street grub, I'd have say the night markets of Taipei. Though knowing what I know now, I'd recommend that you get your Hep A-B shots first.

[harley]

Space cakes in the parking lot at a Dead show sometime in the '80s. They put M&Ms in them, and they were STRONG! I never even made it into the show that night. Stayed in the parking lot and hung out with my best friends I had never met before. Yow!

Other than times when my judgement has been impaired, I try to avoid street food. I worked in restaurants as a kid, and some of them were pretty disgusting back then. I can't imagine the nasty stuff that goes on in the little carts. Plus, these are not the happiest people in the world running these things. I don't want to be part of their revenge on the world.

[tuixiu]

Pad See Yew (sp?) in Bangkok. What a great dish I went back to that guy at least five times, cost equiv of about 40 cents.

[ERD50]

Silkworms count as grubs, right? I saw street vendors selling them in Seoul. No, I didn't try them. Had some great little red-bean cake things though.

-ERD50

[Donzo]

Carne asada burritos from a roach coach that came to a gas station I worked at as a kid. They were so good - but you would burp alot after(small price to pay) - sometimes still burping right up till you got another one the next day........no wonder I have an iron stomach.