These are not “gourmet” items. They are the original fast food: cheap, fast, high-calorie, high-flavor, and eaten standing up, juice running down your chin, surrounded by the noise of scooters and karaoke.

Once I know the , I can flesh out the full story for you.

You walk past a night market. The smell of burning charcoal and caramelized fat hits you. Your mouth waters. But your partner (or your ego) says: “We have a reservation at Gaggan’s new place in an hour. Do you really want to spoil your appetite with gutter oil?”

But here’s the painful twist, in a nutshell: