No matter how many years I spend taking Christmas in hot places, I’ll probably still never get used to it. It seems that Koror, and indeed Palau are indeed in the same boat. Christmas might not be new here (it’s very Christian), but decorations (all made with old plastic bottles), and Christmas markets are a new thing.
Apparently, there is a bigger market in Korror, but there was a new (first year) one in Long Island Park which is where we would start evening two in Palau.
Arrival was pretty funny and showed us what a big deal it was to the Palauans, with parking wardens and guys in high-viz keeping the roads clear. There was a kids train going through the middle, and a whole half devoted to Street Food. I wanted to find out about Street Food Palau, and I had arrived…
Although when I say Palau Street Food, fusión cuisine would be the best way to put, a fusion of China, The Philippines, and Palau to be more specific.
Luckily I really like Filipino Street bbq or inihaw as the locals like to say. BBQ poro on a stock you can’t go wrong with, nor Chicken, ever.
China also staked its place at the Palau Christmas market, although staffed by Filipinos, with fish balls and dim sum, but also tarro on a stick. Tarro is a pacific staple, and I rinsed mine in hot sauce. Great fusion food.
Alas, the best food a tried I didn’t find the name of, but it was a boiled egg inside a kind of breading soaked in Filipino vinegar, that alongside lumpia, also soaked in vinegar was amazing. And yes I did drink the vinegar.
Sadly Santa refused to let us sit on his knee, so we headed to a Koror favourite Rock Island Café. I ordered the sashimi, there was no sashimi, so I got the spam curry. Despite the poor reputation of spam in the west, spam is a Pacific staple from Hawai to Nauru, with multiple flavours and variations. I was mocked for my choice of spam curry, but persisted. The masses were right, spam curry was indeed awful.
That being said, I’m sure this will not be my last time eating spam this week.