God Save The Points offered 19 food experiences you need to have before you die. I agree with many – though not all – of his list and would add my own.
I’ve been known to take a trip just for a meal, like when I flew to Barcelona just to have dinner at El Bulli when that was the toughest reservation in the world. It also involved a two hour train ride. Ferran Adria more than lived up to the hype!
But I’m not sure I’d fly to Singapore for the chili crab – though I’d go for the food – and not sure a hop across The Pond makes sense for an authentic British afternoon tea. Corn masa tacos aren’t my number one go-to in Mexico.
So here’s what I suggest, along with some comments on Gilbert’s excellent list.
- Central Texas Barbecue Not just barbecue “In The Southern USA” the barbecue you want for one meal is going to be in Central Texas. That means a focus on meat – beef, mostly – without sauce or sauce merely for dipping. The meat should be delicious enough on its own, and you don’t want to hide that flavor. After my first barbecue pilgrimage a decade ago I finally understood.
Any of the places on the Texas Monthly top 50 list will be good, but this year’s list has sadly gone off the rails with its rankings. Go to Franklin. Go to Leroy & Lewis. Go to Interstellar. Just go.
Franklin Barbecue - Tokyo Sushi. I’d argue that a trip to Tokyo just for sushi makes good sense – and not just Japan, the concentration of outstanding places in Tokyo itself matters because (1) the competition is intense, (2) the cluster of top places leads to a highly-developed supply chain providing access to the best fish, and (3) a customer base that understands the nuances of quality and demands it of the best chefs.
- Bangkok Street Food GSTP says Thai curry but I’d broaden it. Bangkok has some of the best street food in the world.
- Singapore Hawker Centers not just chili crab. I’ve always enjoyed East Coast Lagoon Village even though their stalls haven’t have the single best representation of any one dish. Open air, outdoor, by the water it makes for an incredible evening trying numerous Southeast Asian dishes. You can look up reviews for the best places on a site like Open Rice, or just turn up at a hawker center and go stand in the longest line. Great food, cheap, and convenient to numerous other great things to try.
- Do a Malaysia food tour, wherever you are in the country. I think Gilbert’s piece is good, but the word ‘Malaysia’ only comes up once and there only in the context of Nasi Goreng in Indonesia. Don’t get me wrong, I love good Nasi Goreng, and it becomes my go-to on my first night in Southeast Asia in the middle of the night if I’m up in my hotel and jetlagged.
But any list like this needs to do a deeper dive on Malaysia – both Kuala Lumpur and the suburbs, but Penang in particular as well.
Prawn Mee Soup - Should afternoon tea be here? Gilbert lists doing a U.K. afternoon tea. I’ve just never been that much of a fan of the food, though the proper pageantry of it all may be of interest to some. And if you want over the time, perhaps tea at the Burj al Arab in Dubai? They put gold flecks in the cappuccino.
- Coffee and breakfast in Australia Hmm. Melbourne is an incredible food city, and there’s a terrific coffee culture in parts of Australia – though that’s something you’ll find in many parts of Asia as well. Some of my favorite meals have been in Australia, but oddly not my favorite breakfasts. My first meal at Tetsuya in Sydney 19 years ago was revelatory!
Oriole Cafe & Bar at the Pan Pacific off Orchard Road - Corn Masa Tacos In Mexico I’ll take tamales over tacos myself, and hone in on the subtleties of a great mole aged for several years. Regardless, I’m thrilled to see Mexico on this list.
- Pastry in France. Truly, and baked goods generally and chocolate as well. There’s an artistry and a drive towards perfection, not merely production of a commodity product, that you can find if you seek it out. There’s really no reason ever to eat a baguette again after you’ve tried a competition-winning one in France.
- Dosa in India? I guess so, but I have actually found that some of the best restaurants in India are in hotels (one of my favorites is Souk at the Taj Palace, Mumbai) and that some of the best Chinese restaurants are in India.
I’ve certainly eaten great food in Chennai but overall I prefer Sri Lankan food and is it odd to say I’ve often preferred Indian food in Malaysia?
Roti in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia - Jamon Y Queso In Spain? Tapas generally, sure, and Barcelona in particular is an amazing food city. I wouldn’t make the trip on this basis alone personally, but if you do then spend your time as far from Las Ramblas as possible.
Maybe the most important thing is to discover local foods wherever you are, and bring a little bit of your understanding back home. I think my absolute favorite way to eat fruits and vegetables is covered in sugar and hot sauce (Sri Lanka). And my favorite dishes to cook are Thai chicken and cashew nuts and Tom Yam Goong.
And the truth is I’m equally happy with a plate of kottu and a falooda as I am at the top restaurants in the world, as long as each represents a chef at the top of their craft, combining their unique knowledge, cultural understanding, and the right ingredients prepared and served in the most thoughtful way possible.
Pho Hoa in Saigon, to me, is just as good as Amber in Hong Kong (though all things equal I’d prefer Bo Innovation). It’s all about enjoying the effort and the ritual, the precision, and the strive for perfection no mater what the meal.
Fresh pasta with truffles in Italy, crawfish boil in NOLA, Nikkei cuisine (ngiri at Maido) in Lima, L’as du Fallafel in Paris, foie gras in Perigueux, freshly caught lobster at a lobster pound in Maine, wagyu in Japan, street chicken with chili dipping sauce in Laos, cappuccino & lamb & hokey pokey in New Zealand, pizza in… Monaco, giant prawns in South Africa, poke in Hawaii, etc. etc. Now I want to book a flight somewhere.
+1 on Bo Innovation, Gary. One of my favorites.
And Pho Hoa as well. Incredible pho. Never been to Amber in HK.
I’ve had some of the food in some of the places mentioned. I really like the tortillas in central Mexico, especially if they are hand made by a grandmother. The flavor is great and the hand making of them leads to slight differences in thickness and cooking that enhances the textural variation. Throw flash cooked bistec on tortillas to have as a snack of tacos bistec before going to bed at 2am and you have found a winner.
I’ve never understood the self-declaration of coffee superiority in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne, in particular.
It’s not as though there are beans that are unique to the area that only they get…
It seems to be more about unique preparation and some unique offerings that aren’t popular in US shops? As many local coffee shops I’ve been to in Australia, I don’t see how they’re much different or even better than any large US city’s local coffee shop (I.e. the non Starbucks spot in any city) and that isn’t saying much about Australian coffee since those unique coffee spots in Australia also seem to be in comparably large cities and also collocated by many Starbucks and other chains.
Nothing against our friends down under, but I don’t understand the reputation when it seems based around the existence of local coffee shops that are just as prevalent in any major US city
Regardless of the location in the world , the food handlers usually do not wash their hands with hot water , and so you may be visited with amoebic dysentery , or worse .
Remind me how clean are the hands of Brandon’s illegal aliens , who are hired to work as cooks . In the third world the money is actually Moist from the crawling bacteria and germs , viz. India , and the same hands making your curry is handling the money . Ick .
I’ve had Afternoon Tea in The Ritz and to be honest, although the food was high quality, you’re in a big room with 100 others all allegedly enjoying the same thing, however, I had a much nicer experience in Victoria, Canada at the Pendray Inn. It’s a lovely period building and tea is served in smaller intimate rooms with perhaps three tables. The food offered was excellent and although rather expensive, an experience to be remembered.
A Turkish breakfast at the Seven Hills rooftop restaurant in Istanbul cannot be matched ..
I’d alsodisagree on curry in BKK. Locals don’t really eat curry actually. Try to find it on the street, it’s pretty rare. I’d say go for the khao kaa muu, stewed pork leg, and add an egg.
Agree completely on Tokyo, but don’t sleep on Osaka. Japanese call it Japan’s kitchen.
I’d also add xiao long bao in Shanghai.
@Mantis … don’t forget dog , insects , rat , and snakes in Viet Nam . Ick .
The best authentic Indian food in India is outside the larger hotels. Establishments inside the expensive hotels cater to the International traveler. Next time, try to venture out with any of your Indian friends or a local guide and see the difference.
No need to be hyper adventurous and try on the street potentially exposing to diarrhea or a food bug, but definitely try outside the star hotels.
I honestly think it would be a hard choice with choosing what to have before you pass on, especially if you would get a choice to have such an experience like this
We understand you live in Texas, but you’re seriously disrespecting eastern NC and SC/GA pulled pork BBQ ( vinegar-based sauce, please),with crispy pork skins, and vinegar-based Cole slaw.
And liver hash and rice, when you can find it!
If it ain’t pork, we don’t call it BBQ!
Central Texas Barbeque is not a separate category any longer. Most of the families have expanded out to the major population centres of Texas, and new startups have emerged to the point that there is now, for example, no reason for someone in North Texas to leave Dallas/Fort. Worth for good barbecue.
The category would now more accurately be described as Texas barbecue (as it usually is).
Even then, giving it world class status just shows the parochialism of the author. “Everyone” has barbecue. They are all just slow-cooked meat. They have no moat against pretenders. So barbecue is really great everywhere. It is simple to make, arguably the simplest food category to make. Consistency is the USP and technology will deliver that.
@Karl Bauknight: Same problem. You can make that in Rwanda or Rawalpindi. The places you mention are just the historical origins of a particular style that you have heard of. Other than to food historians (or local boosters) they are of no interest.
@PhatMiles: “The best authentic Indian food in India…” is in London — according to Indian chefs.
Little nervous about our trip to Japan in a couple of weeks. I was thinking of trying to talk my husband into visiting India, and was watching youtube videos about India and up came a street food video in India, it didn’t look great to me. But then YouTube started sending me Japanese street food videos and oh my, that looked a LOT better than the street food in India so we are going to Japan, based solely on YouTube Street Food videos in Japan. Sure I like Sushi but 2 weeks of sushi, I think that might be a bit much for me although probably not for my husband. This is our first trip to an Asian country so we are excited about it. About a week before we leave I will make an excel spreadsheet of restaurants, but mainly we will follow our noses I imagine.
TBH, we do not eat any of that food Gary wrote about, except for the Mexican and French food and of course lobsters and occasionally BBQ (very occasionally). It just doesn’t look appetizing to me, all that Asian food, maybe it is good, it’s just not meals we ever try. Once we tried an, I think it was Thai restaurant and it was a weak soup with some stuff in it. It just wasn’t that great and so we never tried again. I like the French, Italian, and Spanish foods. Not England, Scotland or Ireland, their food does not inspire at all. Not at all. EXCEPT I did get one bowl of excellent Irish stew made with draft Guinness beer, that was a great stew.
Try food in Old Delhi , outstanding. Much better than 5 star stuff.
As to yuck to insects in Vietnam you can get the same in thailand, Cambodia and Laos too.
Hey @Alert, nice to see Biden living in your head rent free, you ignorant douchebag, Trump allowed a lot more undocumented into the country than Biden has.
@Suhas: Insects in Texas too.
@Older Woman will find that there is much, much more to Japanese food than sushi.
I vote for Singapore not only for the great hawker stalls but also incredible Indian and Malaysian foods since a sizable percentage of their population comes from those countries. Was there in February and stayed in little India. I love Indian food and what I had in Singapore was amazing.
Also a vote for Hong Kong night market street food.
We love travel into Singapore. As a person who loves food of all kinds, Singapore sets you up for success. With four official languages (Chinese, English, Maylay and Tamil, the diversity of the cuisines is mind blowing.
@ Intelligent Human Being. Judging by your inability to control yourself, you are anything but. 18 comments before your TDS vitriol.
My criteria for judging barbecue is the degree of heartburn resulting from the meal. I find the better Central Texas barbecue does NOT require Tums for desert . . . although I do carry them in my truck.
I would add West Tennessee whole hog barbecue to the list. Like Texas beef barbecue, it is very meat-centric (although you should definitely get the vinegar slaw). If you like barbecue, it’s definitely worth driving to Lexington TN to eat at Scott’s Barbecue. (Decades ago, when I was a teenaged construction worker, I’d eat there when I got paid.)
Bo Innovation, sorry, was the worst so called fine dining experience ever. Way way overhyped. Such a waste of money.
Hawker stalls in Singapore are amazing. Chili crabs, while iconic and a good experience, are just OK as a food and certainly not worth a special trip. My wife was even less impressed than I was. She calls them “crabs with ketchup”.
I’m sorry to say but I didn’t see a thing I would dare eat !
Uh, hello! Peruvian food?
Also, when you guys mentioned tapas y’all misspelled San Sebastián.