Would you rather? The Asian street food edition

Your favourites go head-to-head: which of these Asian classics will come out on top?

Battle of the green tea rice! Source: SBS Food

Beef noodle soup

Pho bo vs Taiwanese beef noodle soup

It's winter, it's cold and only a steaming bowl of noodle soup will do. But what's better, the classic Vietnamese pho with thin slices of rare beef and clear brown stock, or the thick almost gravy-like quality of the Taiwanese beef noodle soup, complete with slices of tender stewed beef brisket or beef cheeks?

Battle of the beef noodle soups Source: SBS Food

Green tea on rice

Ochazuke vs Thunder tea rice
It's the battle of the green tea rice as we pit the subtle Japanese ochazuke with the in-your-face Singaporean thunder tea rice. Will ochazuke and its variety of savoury pickles come out on top, or will the Singaporean version, with salty anchovies and tender-crisp greens satisfy your 'hot wet rice' craving?

Battle of the green tea rice! Source: SBS Food

Coffee

Kopi vs Cà phê đá 

Guys, this round is life or death. Lesser beings have been sacrificed to the coffee gods if people don't get their cuppa in the morning. The question is: will it be the Malaysian and Singaporean kopi with their billion-and-one combinations of sugar/no-sugar/evaporated milk/condensed milk? Or do you prefer the darker Vietnamese brew, with dark caramel-ly notes that provides a silky hit on a humid day?

Coffee vs coffee: who will emerge on top? Source: SBS Food

Bonus round: the brewing method. Are you a fan of the metal Vietnamese coffee filter (phin) or the classic Malaysian sock?

Curry

Japanese curry udon vs Thai green curry

The term 'curry' may have started out as a way to describe a mixture of spices and herbs, but now we know it as a thick, flavourful stew of vegetables and meat. Question is: are you in camp Japan with their sweet, mild gravy thickened with a flour-butter roux (butter makes everything better!), or do you prefer Thailand's coconut enriched broth aromatic with turmeric and galangal?

Curry vs curry Source: SBS Food

Shaved ice

Halo-halo vs Ais kacang

When you come from a hot, humid country close to the equator, you find ways to make even frozen water delicious. Yes, I'm talking about shaved ice. Both contenders in this category have jellies, evaporated milk, palm seeds and ice cream, but would you rather the vibrant purple of ube, the ubiquitous purple root of the Philippines, or the recognisable red of rose syrup which gives Ais Kacang its classic pink hue?

Halo halo vs Ais Kacang! Source: SBS Food

Food on a stick

Tsukune vs nem lui hue

Nothing says 'Asian street food' like food on a stick. After all, it's the perfect walking food: it can be eaten with one hand, and the commitment level is so low that you can get a large variety and TRY THEM ALL! But here comes the hard part: would you rather Japanese tsukune, made with flavoured chicken mince and brushed with the sweet-salty tare glaze, or the Vietnamese nem lui hue, made out of beef mince and pork fat (!!), and threaded onto lemongrass for extra goodness?

Sticking it to the man: which food on a stick is better? Source: SBS Food

Rolled noodles

Malaysian chee cheong fun vs Banh cuon 

The most glaring difference between the two can be summed up in one word: filling. Yes, there are versions of the two which are both plain and filled, but more often than not, an order of chee cheong fun will get you a plate of plain rolled rice noodles with a sweet hoisin sauce (ask for extra sesame seeds - you can thank us later), and a plate of banh cuon brings mushroom and mince filled noodles with a light amber fish sauce dressing. Question is, which would you rather?

Roll over! Which noodle roll is your favourite? Source: SBS food

Luke Nguyen's Food Trail airs 8pm, Thursdays on SBS and then you can catch-up on SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.