A post-party food guide by dedicated clubbers in Asia

Hearty food does wonders for the soul, but it hits another note of satisfaction when you’re starving after a dancefloor workout. Most people will say that food just tastes better after a night out on the town, but it’s really a matter of both food science and indulgence that we crave solids, especially after all the cocktails consumed prior.

In Asia, we’re spoiled for choice. Options come in the form of legitimate restaurants, hole-in-the-walls, trucks and even just makeshift street stalls with tiny plastic chairs that allow for an informal congregation with friends (and most likely new ones) of the night. It’s not just the variety of nourishment that can be found at night that creates a whole new world of gastro-culture in Asia, but rather the incandescent energy of mom-and-dad businesses, hidden tuck shops or designated hawker markets that keep neighbourhoods buzzing after dark.

Whether it’s charred meat on a stick dripping in a mouthwatering homemade sauce, full-bodied bowls of soup noodles (not noodle soup) braised with love for hours or days, that ultimate fried rice drenched in chilli oil, or crunchy deep-fried greasy goodness, there’s plenty to choose from. Our best suggestion for embracing late-night eating in Asia is to have as open a palette for your taste buds as you do for music — they really go hand-in-hand.

The variety in Asia is truly unbeatable and there’s no other way to explain it than to taste it for yourself. Along with that comes the sights, sounds and community brought by the culture of each city that pays homage to a recipe that’s possibly been passed down from previous generations with traditional flavours that make many of us feel at home.

We turned to our readers to be your guides for post-clubbing food joints in their backyards and got picks from nine cities across the region. As we like to say; always trust your local!

Name: Madame Rouge
Age: 37
Occupation: Founder of Madame Rouge Burlesque Theatre
Favourite DJ in Asia: DJ Chozie
Music genre you listen to most: I honestly don't even know what it's called, but I have a playlist on Spotify that sums it up. Dark pop? Dark indie? It's all very much dark and sexy powerful songs with female vocals. Maybe because those are usually the type of songs I like to use for most of our fetish Burlesque shows. If you can tell me what this genre is called, I would love to know.


Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Bangkok: I live in the Sukhumvit area so I usually go out around this area as well. If I'm coming from Sing Sing Theater, I would usually walk over to 55 Pochana for Thai food. It's open quite late and it's usually filled with groups of hungry party people after 2 am. If I was in the Thonglor area, then I'd either go to Quickie Burger or Shakariki since they're both open 24 hours. After a night out on Soi 11, a Cubano from Havana Social (they have a stand right outside the entrance) always hits the spot.

Name: Amanda Chin
Age: 31
Occupation: Freelance writer and creative brand invigorator
Favourite DJ in Asia: JonnyVicious
Music genre you listen to most: My music taste varies from mood to mood but during the week I like to listen to Afro beats. During the weekends when I tend to go out clubbing, I love underground house and techno…with disco beats to finish. ✨

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Kuala Lumpur: My favourite spot to go after clubbing in Kuala Lumpur would be Mongolia BBQ in Changkat Bukit Bintang because their chicken wings are the best — there’s no dispute over this. Their wings are made with unreal seasoning and then grilled right in front of you. It also comes with a fiery and spicy sauce that will leave your butthole nerves tingling. I haven’t really tried the rest of the food there since the chicken wings are my go-to but it’s a great after-clubbing spot to get your fill of local food!

Name: Dini Lestari
Age: 29
Occupation: Senior Creative for Virtue & VICE Media
Favourite DJ in Asia: Mr Ho, Jonathan Kusuma, and my G Kevin T!
Music genre you listen to most: I like techno, breaks, Balearic, house, soul and funk.

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Bali: Disclaimer; I live in the Kerobokan-Umalas area (between Canggu and Seminyak) so my answers kinda revolve around there.

It all depends on what I'm craving that night. If I'm craving good, late-night Balinese food, Nasi Jinggo Bu Manik "Sret-Sret" at Kerobokan is the place to be for that good, good Babi Kecap and various chicken feet or pig skin cracklings as add-ons.

If I'm thinking about getting something more hearty and warm, I go to Bubur Laota at Sunset Road for their famous Hong Kong-style porridge that surely will make you feel like you're inside of a warm blanket and will put you right to sleep.

Or, if I'm already too tired to go anywhere else after the party, I usually go straight home and order from BEMS Kerobokan through the food delivery service app on my phone. It's open 24 hours and serves delicious Indonesian food from various chicken dishes — my favourite is the ayam geprek cabe ijo dish and the coriander chicken, soupy dishes, different kinds of meat and veggies...and they've got a wide selection of good super spicy sambal, too!

Name: Shuntaro Arakawa
Age: 36
Occupation: Call centre on the weekdays and sometimes I organize parties during the weekends.
Favourite DJ in Asia: It's hard to say because there are so many good DJs in Asia. But in Vietnam, my current favourites are Manikk and Viet Anh.
Music genre you listen to most: This is actually a difficult question! I love all genres except K-pop, EDM and mainstream music. I like electro music mostly! Oh, I also like ambient music and house music, or world music — depends on my mood. When I go out to a festival, I love techno! I'm more into psychedelic and acid techno beats.

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Hanoi: Cháo 37 Trần Nhân Tông. this Vietnamese porridge place is one of my favourite spots to eat after a party. I love this place because porridge is good for your stomach, especially after a long night of clubbing — something warm and tasty! Also, it's easy to eat!

Mangetsu Hanoi is another one of my favourite spots. This Japanese Izakaya has a bunch of small dishes like gyozas, dashi maki tamago, Japanese potato salad, yakitori and more. Not only are the dishes tasty, but they're affordable! Its atmosphere is super chill and it is the perfect way to end a night out.

Name: Bobby (Angel Trimmings)
Age: 29
Occupation: Liaison/Logistics
Favourite DJ in Asia: Of course a bit biased, but would have to say my friends from Sado Maso & Elephant, haha! But in Asia right now, my favourite is Di Linh from Vietnam.
Music genre you listen to most: Mostly it's dance music, house and techno...but when in the mood to just tone down and for plain chilling, it's jazz.

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Manila: Mostly I crave hot soups or shawarma after a long night. Mostly it’s Behrouz or Uncle Moe's Shawarma! And if I'm in the mood it’s going down with Uncle John's chicken aka Ministop.

Name: Earn Chen
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Age: -
Favourite DJ in Asia: I have too many favourites in Asia, I can't pick...so many talented musicians!
Music genre you listen to most: Disco

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Singapore: Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant. It’s the perfect breakfast or snack post-clubbing. They offer small-sized bites from xiao long bao, noodles to porridge. It’s located in the city so it’s convenient. My friends from the UK call it Sweet Tune!

Name: Adrianna Lee
Age: 25
Occupation: Menswear Apparel Developer at Nike / Organiser at RICE
Favourite DJ in Asia: Soichi Terada
Music genre you listen to most: Lo-fi house, shoegaze, post-punk and psychedelic.

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Hong Kong: Cocky Cook in Sham Shui Po. They open til four in the morning, selling skewers on the street ghetto style and their seasonings are banging! It's a great spot in Kowloon after those post-warehouse parties if you are sober enough to eat.

Name: Harris Syn
Age: 35
Occupation: Film Director/Photographer. And everything in between
Favourite DJ in Asia: Kuniyuki Takahashi, especially his 'Early Tape Works 1986 - 1993 Vol. 1 & 2'. Also Susumu Yokota's 2015 album 'Symbol'.
Music genre you listen to most: I’ve made a playlist of the kind of songs I usually listen to. I've been really into ambient, experimental and electronic music lately and I can't get enough! These genres create such unique and captivating soundscapes that really enhance my creativity and help me focus while I work on my short film about how memories make us who we are.

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Jakarta: I have a soft spot for street food and there's this one joint in Gandaria that my friends and I can't get enough of. It's Mbah Marto's Nasi Gule, or as we affectionately call it, Gultik. In my opinion, Mbak Marto's Gultik reigns supreme in terms of flavor, portion size (with more meat, of course), and value for money — even beating out the famous Gultik in the Blok M Area.

Whenever we swing by, I make sure to chow down on two servings, no less. We're such frequent patrons that we've even gotten to know the owner, who goes by the nickname Pakdeh, meaning "uncle". He's always so friendly and patient, even with us rowdy customers who stumble in after a night out on the town. Oh, it's also known as Gultik Gerobak Stiker because the cart is absolutely covered in stickers — just one of those little details that make this spot feel like home.

Name: Betty Apple
Age: 7777777
Occupation: Artist
Favourite DJ in Asia: Jesse
Music genre you listen to most: industrial techno

Your go-to post-clubbing bites in Taipei: One of my favourite spots is at 小品雅廚 in the Zhongshan and Daan Area. I would usually go for their congee, side dishes and their Yunghe Soy Milk. The vegetables there is a must! After a night out dancing, these dishes would fill me back up with energy and brings comfort to my stomach. Of course, it's super yummy as well!

Miki Kitasako is Mixmag Asia’s Social Media and Content Producer, follow her on LinkedIn.