FOOD EDITION
ASIAN EATS Ask Elisha: Craving something different? Elisha Young (aka @elisha.eats on Instagram) rounds up her favourite spots for mouth-watering Asian food in Cambridge
Q: I’m looking to find some less ‘mainstream’ Asian food to try out instead of the usual dishes. Do you have any recommendations? A: More and more, Cambridge is becoming home to an exciting variety of cuisines. You only need to walk down Mill Road to appreciate the impressive variety – whether you’re looking for Korean, North African or Greek food. Here’s a small selection of places to try when you’re in the mood to expand your Asian culinary horizons. Kanto is a new Filipino cafe and bakery located just a short walk from Cambridge train station. There’s a small but perfectly formed sandwich menu at lunchtime (my favourite is the egg sando with roasted sesame egg mayo and kimchi butter). The drinks menu features some of the best matcha I’ve experienced outside of Japan – I have a sweet tooth, so I adore the strawberry matcha latte. That’s not even mentioning the baked goods. Expect pillowy-soft, light-as-air bread, alongside some incredible fillings you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. Explore the ube pandesals, calamansi cinnamon buns and (my beloved) kimchi and cheese twists. The menu is constantly changing and expanding, and often includes fun daily specials. Try one of everything and thank me later. If you want to grab a quick bite, head to Jianbing House on Cambridge Market Square. The menu changes, but frequently
UBE-R DELICIOUS The yam-like vegetable that goes into the Filipino ube pandesal gives it a gorgeous purple colour
© ELISHA YOUNG
something new and intriguing to delight your palate. Or if you only want to dip your toe in the water, the huge steamed pork buns are your best bet: warm fluffy bread encasing a steaming filling of perfectly seasoned pork. I may have been known to purchase one of these as a combined snack and hand warmer when walking through Cambridge on cold nights. Compared to the extremely popular Thai cuisine, Vietnamese food is less well known, but no less delicious. In Cambridge, we have Thanh Binh on Magdalene Street, which has a wide-ranging menu – including starters, curries, rice and noodle dishes, desserts and drinks, plus vegetarian options. Try the cà phê s a đá, which is strong Vietnamese coffee served with a generous helping of condensed milk and guaranteed to give you a buzz. If you’re unsure of what to choose to eat, the prawn summer rolls with peanut sauce and the caramelised pork with steamed rice are both safe bets. But really: I encourage you to take a risk and be adventurous. Try new things, explore new cultures and discover new favourites.
features Wuhanese dishes like doupi and hot dry noodles, as well as the eponymous jianbing, which are often dubbed ‘Chinese crepes’. I’m more inclined to describe them as being like burritos. Choose your filling (which includes spicy and vegetarian options), decide whether you want an egg or not, then watch as everything is cooked on a hot griddle in front of you, wrapped in a thin dough and served hot. It’s hard to explain in writing, so you’d better get down there to see what I’m making a fuss about. For a more sit-down affair, turn to Your Dumplings on King Street. ‘But wait’, I hear you protest, ‘you write about dumplings all the time’! While I can’t deny these accusations, the name of the restaurant is a little misleading. Alongside dumplings (I particularly like the pork soup dumplings), you can find more niche options like fresh black sesame soy milk, grilled eel soup noodles, deep-fried youtiao (dough sticks) and spring onion pancakes. The food found here is Shanghai- style, which is decidedly less appreciated than Cantonese and Sichuanese food. Dig around the menu and you are sure to find
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