- Wow!
Cool!
- [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen.
Two people come in.
Two meals are swapped.
But only one can win.
Who will win in this week's episode of Meal Swap?
Thailand versus Philippines.
Representing Thailand we have Aria.
From the Philippines welcome Janna.
- Today we're gonna be swapping
comfort foods! - Comfort foods.
- I'm gonna be swapping with you
my all-time favorite comfort food lumpia shanghai.
So, lumpia shanghai is a type of spring roll.
My mom makes it with pork,
and there's like a bunch of vegetables mixed into the pork.
And there's celery.
There's water chestnuts.
And it really gives it that crunch.
I can eat so many, so that's why
I think it's, like, a comfort food,
because I eat so much.
- It looks great.
I love anything fried, so I'm very excited.
- Yes, it is all fried.
- What is in the sauce?
- This is sweet and sour sauce.
So, this is actually the sauce that I commonly eat it with.
- I'm very excited for that.
If there's a difference from an egg roll,
what makes it unique, I guess?
- Commonly, I've seen a lot of egg rolls, like,
a little bit bigger and chunkier,
but this one is very bite-sized and smaller.
And I think that's what makes it stand out.
You can really eat so many and not feel that guilty,
unless you eat me and eat like thousands!
- My comfort food is from my time in Thailand,
mango and sticky rice.
It's quite a popular dish.
You see it a lot in Thai restaurants here.
But, of course, back in Thailand
it's obviously also a staple there,
because, you know, it combines elements
such as mango, which we have growing,
you know, in the jungles there.
Do mangoes come from the jungle?
I'm not sure.
Has mango, which we love in Southeast Asia.
It's got sticky rice.
Sticky rice is a staple in Thai and Lao cuisine.
But it also, can be used as a dessert compliment
because here it's soaked in condensed coconut milk.
Since there's a fresh bit of fruit there,
you feel like it's healthy.
This is not healthy at all. (Janna laughs)
But you know what?
Sometimes you have to savor what life has to give you.
And I'm excited for you to try it.
It's gonna be quite interesting,
because yours is savory, mine is sweet.
- Yeah
- So, if anything this could actually
make a good combination for the both of us.
- Yeah, you know what?
We could actually eat both of them together.
- That is the joy of food, brings people together.
- Yeah - Really does.
But it is a competition - Right, It's a competition.
- Yeah, yeah
- So, I'm gonna have to defend my lumpia.
I think it's gonna win.
- Let me tell you something, all right, Janna?
This is a dish that is in Thai restaurants
all around the world because people want this.
They crave this.
They need this.
Thai restaurants will not serve this
if the mango isn't perfectly sweet.
So, that statement is all I have to say.
(Janna laughs)
- I think mine is gonna win because,
look at it, it's like,
you have everything in this bite-sized lumpia shanghai.
You have the meat, and you have veggies.
You have the wrapper.
And it's great for any meal, even breakfast.
I've sometimes had this for breakfast.
You find it everywhere in filipino parties.
So, it's a very common staple.
(bell rings)
- Wow - Wow
- Oh, it smells delightful.
- Ooh, I really smell the mango.
- Ooh, it looks fantastic.
It looks perfectly fried.
What's the wrap made out of?
- It's made out of my mom's love.
- Ah
- She makes it the best.
Like all Filipinos say this, but my mom make the best lumpia
(pounds on table)
(laughs)
- I really like these.
These are dangerous.
(Janna hums)
I feel like I could eat a lot of these right now.
I feel like I could eat all of these right now.
- You'll probably want more.
- Yes.
- Probably like ten dozen plates.
- So good.
Well, the flavor of the lumpia itself.
I can taste the pork.
I can see how the water chestnut kinda (mumbles)
- Yeah
- It gives it like a,
I don't think, if you didn't mention water chestnut,
I wouldn't have placed where that flavor is coming from.
But I guess that's where it's coming from.
- [Janna] Yeah.
- And though I know you said
it was meant to be usually crispy,
but I kinda like the texture right now.
And then, of course, the, this,
you said it's a sweet and sour sauce?
- Yeah
- This compliments it perfectly.
I love this.
- Yeah, just right off the bat,
there is this, like, almost creamy consistency,
I think from the coconut milk,
and then when you bite into it,
it's just like a burst of like,
mango, condensed milk flavor.
- I actually would order this.
- Yeah, I would order this again.
I like my meats, so, usually I'd like to have meat and rice.
But the mango, I mean, it's a mango.
I love the texture of mango.
I personally love mangoes.
But, yeah, I do like my meat,
which is why I do like my lumpia (laughs).
- This truly is very dangerous.
- Yeah.
- Like, I'm on my third already.
- I'll have one more bite.
But yes, I do want my--
- I'm happy to keep this, honestly.
(Janna laughs)
- How you say "hello"?
(Speaks foreign language)
- It's a little bit like Spanish 'cause of colonization.
- Right.
- But, yes, that's how you would greet someone
in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines.
How do you say "hello" in-- - Thai?
- Thai, yeah.
(speaks foreign language)
I don't wanna butcher it!
(speaking foreign language)
(laughing)
- I was just (speaking foreign language) okay.
- (speaks foreign language) which means like,
how are you, now.
- I don't wanna butcher that. (Janna laughs)
I'm just enjoying the lumpia.
- I love this, but, you know,
my true love is lumpia (laughs).
Getting that bite in.
- Yeah, I had savory.
- Yeah, now you get the sweet.
- Now I have to decide which one's better
because I'm kinda right now being seduced by the lumpia,
but maybe the taste of the mango sticky rice
will take me back to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
(humming)
It's like a tempting mistress.
But then the wife takes you back home.
- The wife (laughs)
- You know, but I don't know,
do I wanna hop ship?
Are things going well with my wife,
or am I ready for something new?
Am I at my mid-life crisis?
- I wish I was eating this, like, a little bit crispier,
because my mom's lumpia is best
when it's fresh out of, like, frying.
But I think in terms of flavor it's still pretty similar.
I like that it still has the pork and the water chestnuts.
My mom will pack it with celery,
and carrots, and water chestnuts.
And just like combine it all together.
So you still get a little bit of nutrition,
but you still fry it anyway, so.
I think the flavor is still, like, similar.
- This is a good dish.
The mango is a little more sour that I would have liked.
I think it's better when it's--
- Sweeter. - Sweeter.
And then, they were very generous
with the amount of coconut milk.
Because of that, I think it's
a little wetter that I would prefer.
- Yeah, I was gonna say, it's like very, very wet.
And also, like, very sticky. - Yeah
Yeah, normally it's not quite so wet.
But that said, it still has the same flavor.
So, I'm enjoying it.
But I will say, the mistress,
she's a dangerous one. - The mistress is still
tempting you? - Yeah
This is actually a very, very tough decision for me.
I'm going to take a couple more bites of this,
and then I think I'll have my decision made.
(suspenseful music)
When I first saw the lumpia, I thought it looked great.
But I wasn't sure if the taste was gonna
hold up to the appearance.
But it was fantastic.
I certainly will be looking for more lumpia in my future.
- So, I did enjoy the mango sticky rice.
It's very sweet.
And I do love my sweets,
but I'm definitely more of a savory person,
which is why, I think lumpia still is the winner for me.
But, yeah, I definitely will still look out
for the mango sticky rice if I'm out at a Thai restaurant.
But, you know, lumpia still has my heart.
- You know, up until this very moment now,
I'm still battling.
So, it's just gonna be a gut decision in the moment.
Lumpia! - Lumpia!
- Lumpia was fantastic, I gotta say.
It won.
I would have that every day.
Now the sticky rice feels like something
I could only maybe have once a week.
If that, you know, it's very rich.
But, the lumpia, I can see how that's just a staple
in gatherings, like you said.
Well earned.
Well deserved.
(woos) (applauds)
How do you say "congratulations" in Tagalog?
- Oh, shoo, how do you say it in Tagalog?
(laughing)
For some reason, I can only think of "Thank you",
which is (speaks foreign language).
(speaks foreign language)
(orchestral music)