I used to go back every year but you know, Covid. I haven't been back for around 4 years now but the last time I was there I overindulged in mostly fast food, which is an odd thing to miss but I was at Taco Bell basically every day.

One thing that surprised me is that a wealthy friend of mine took me to an exclusive Manhattan steakhouse because he knows the chef and I was rather nonplussed. It was one of those places where they present the steaks to you and you choose which specific one you want.

A week later I was visiting a country boy friend in Virginia who just bought some steaks from Kroger and grilled them in his yard and they were far superior to the $100 steaks in NYC.

I think that the pork in SE Asia is great but good beef is just really hard to come by and this in my mind even applies to the rather costly imported New Zealand and Australian steaks that are likely frozen to get them over here.

down-home cooking in the USA? Would say it compares?

not even close. I love Asian food but just like when I eat Thai food in USA, they are simply missing a lot of the ingredients and there is no comparison. You gotta go to the source!