Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First of all, this is a Lonely Planet spinoff series, which would imply its intended usage as a guidebook over a cookbook. If you've never read a book from this series, I can see that this might be confusing, and especially since there ARE recipes included inside. The few, well-researched recipes are more there for demonstrative purposes, to help explain a regional cooking technique, dish, or ingredient.
I actually picked this book up from my local library on accident, because it was listed under Lonely Planet and I was traveling to the region. However, the book ended up being immensely helpful on my trip. Not only was every unknown item on any menu in any restaurant explained in the book, but I was also able to identify all of the local produce and ingredients at the open markets and fruit stands....places that I wouldn't have known about had it not been for the book. I ended up reading this book cover to cover because the pictures and anecdotes drew me in. But, you could use it as a reference since it has a thorough index and is small enough to throw in your bag. The pocket-sized book isn't overly academic or encyclopedic, and yet neither is it superficially written, like an extended magazine article, or incomplete and leaving the traveler with the same questions.
If I had to ask for one thing, it would be a separate table of contents for the recipes listed with their page number, since they don't get their own. But the book is so great and filled with valuable information that I'm willing to forgive that one grievance. If you're not traveling, it still makes great inspirational reading to anyone who loves food cultures of the world. And unlike some other books in the genre, this one will make you truly able to eat like a local, should you end up there one day.
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Lonely Planet World Food Malaysia and Singapore (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)Malaysians and Singaporeans are food obsessed: broach the subject of food with locals and it may appear that eating takes priority over everything else in life.The multicultural traditions of the region offer the food lover a gastronomic experience like no other – a fusion of herbs, spices, sauces and ingredients from a host of cuisines, each continually borrowing from the other.To eat or drink in Malaysia and Singapore is far more than an act of sustenance, it is a social experience – a chance to let your tastebuds savour the cultural mélange of these two countries.
what to eat and how to order from the vast array of culinary temptations on offer
where to eat: coffeeshops, hawker centres and fine dining establishments
markets: a celebration of local produce, culinary fusion and multiculturalism
the definitive culinary dictionary, quick reference glossary and useful phrases for every food and drink occasion
tantalising photography and recipes
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