Brandon and Amy travel Southeast Asia with the idea that this beautiful region of the world with its unique geography and culture will not be experienced with a cocktail in hand, felt through a Thai massage parlor, or watched from a pool side. Tasted by way of S. E. Asia omelets and interpreted by an American palate, they offer a fresh look at American culture and S. E. Asia travel.

A few excerpts:

The surprise omelet bonus at Simba’s is the really friendly cat. Recently, I have been trying to pet more cats and dogs while eating omelets. This is in preparation for my upcoming trip to Laos. I figure if I can be comfortable with a pet beside my omelet, then the next step of a pet inside my omelet will be easy to swallow. Today my omelet experience is going smoothly, and I feel really comfortable about going to Laos to try my first dog or cat omelet.

Until I ate in the city of Chieng Kong, I was a racial food profiler. Several times I passed up Mexican, Italian, and Indian food in Thailand because the cooks didn’t have the right skin color. At the Riverside Bamboo Restaurant, I learned the hands that make a delicious quesadilla do not have to be Mexican.

I’m eating a Cambodian-style fried egg omelet with steamed rice and vegetables on the side when I hear an oink oink.

Eventually, the pleasure found in the omelet is killed by death, amputees, whores, and the reality that lurks behind book titles such as “Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja.” I now see the omelet as nothing more than a way to survive. I just need some energy to get out of this city.