I have always considered myself a true foodie, someone who will try just about anything once. There is something exciting about sitting down with a dish you have never seen before, smelling ingredients you cannot identify, and taking that first bite without knowing what you are getting into. It is part curiosity, part respect for the culture behind the food, and part desire to break the habits I fall into at home. Because if I am being honest, I can be guilty of going to the same places and ordering the same things over and over. Routine has a way of sneaking up on you unless you push back.
That said, I definitely have a few comfort foods that always get me. Katsudon is my weakness. If I see it on a menu, or if I cannot decide what I want, there is a good chance that is what I will end up ordering. The combination of crispy pork, soft egg, and savory broth hits the spot every time. Even though I love katsudon, I am trying to be more intentional about choosing new dishes and expanding my food experiences beyond what I already know I love.
One thing that helps is a personal rule I follow when eating out: I try not to make substitutions or additions to menu items unless it is absolutely necessary. I want to taste the food exactly as the chef intended. Every dish has a story behind it, shaped by tradition, technique, and the chef’s own creativity. Changing it before even tasting it feels like skipping the best part of the experience. Sometimes this approach introduces me to flavors I never expected to enjoy, and it always reminds me why staying open minded matters.
Some of my favorite travel memories have come from food tours. Whenever I have the time, I try to book one on a trip because it is one of the best ways to get to know a city. My food tour in Kuala Lumpur showed how diverse and layered Malaysian cuisine is, blending Malay, Indian, and Chinese influences in ways that were completely new to me. The tour in Ho Chi Minh City was just as incredible. Riding through the city on a motorbike, stopping at small family run spots, and tasting dishes I had never heard of made the experience unforgettable. These moments remind me why I keep exploring. Food reveals a place in ways that guidebooks cannot touch.
