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In the realm of street food it doesn’t get much better than sai oua. For those of you who don’t speak the lingo, that is simply Laos sausage. It’s one of the most popular dishes in the north of the country, and its spicy pork goodness can be found everywhere, including in the food markets popular in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane.
If you’re keen to try it in a sit-down establishment, head to Nangkhambang restaurant on Khoun Boulom Boulevard in Vientiane. This is a popular spot for well-heeled locals (it’s more expensive than the places they’d normally dine), but the staff members are quite used to catering to out-of-towners, too. They do a great Laos snag, but you’ll also find other unique local dishes like frog stuffed with pork and lemongrass, as well as staples including grilled river fish, papaya salad and sticky rice.
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Get your fill of the world’s best cuisine
Filipino Feast at Bale Dutung
If you’re a fan of Anthony Bourdain you may have already heard about Bale Dutung (the name means ‘house of wood’), a family-run restaurant in Angeles City where chef Claude Tayag puts a contemporary spin on traditional Filipino dishes.
There’s a choice of set menus, including one inspired by Bourdain’s visit, serving up dishes like fiddlehead fern salad, lechon (roasted suckling pig) tortilla and sushi of crab fat and catfish. Don’t eat a thing before you get there – you’ll be enjoying about 10 courses – and ensure you book ahead.
Grill and grind at Andrés Carne de Res
A quiet night out is just about the only thing not on the menu at this legendary steak and seafood grill. A Colombian institution, Andrés Carne de Res is a hedonistic powerhouse of eating, drinking, dancing and pure fun located in Chía, about 40 minutes’ drive from the centre of Bogotá (trust us, it’s worth the trip).
Come here if you’re after a festive, high-energy atmosphere to accompany your ceviche and Argentine steaks, and stick around to groove along with a live band or seasoned DJ until the wee hours. Just don’t forget to book – this popular eatery can pack out with more than 1000 people at any one time, almost every night.
Feast on curanto
Tear a chunk of pork from the bone, crack open a clam, chow down on a dumpling and follow up with a mouthful of sausage. Next in line are mussels, chicken, barnacles and spuds.
Hailing from the Chiloé Archipelago, Chile’s curanto is a meat-lover’s feast. Traditionally the bounty is bundled over hot rocks, wrapped in nalca (wild rhubarb) leaves and left for a couple of hours to bake.
The resulting repast, curanto en hoyo, is served on special occasions, when dozens of hungry mouths plunder the mountain of meats.
Head to Chiloé Island to sample the purist’s dish, or for a taste that’s widely available on the mainland, order curanto en olla. Cooked in a pot, the dish combines juicy seafood with a fragrant broth.
Dig in and wash it all down with a glass of local chardonnay.
Tea under the sea
Take dining to a whole new level at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the world’s first all-glass underwater restaurant. One of 12 restaurants at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, it’s located five metres below the surface and has panoramic views of the surrounding coral gardens.
Wrap up (the aquatic tunnel can get chilly) and munch through the tasting menu while schools of clownfish dart just beyond the glass. Dine at night on the six-course prix fixe menu featuring contemporary European cuisine and watch as bigger fish and predators arrive. Just try to ignore that Patagonian toothfish eyeing you off – you’re probably eating his cousin.
Get Nerdy about Noodles in Japan
Get ready to redefine the phrase ‘experience your food’ at Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, a noodle-based theme park. Honouring one of Japan’s national dishes – it was, in fact, appropriated from a Chinese meal – this museum boasts rides, shops, tastings and historical information completely devoted to the soupy goodness that is ramen.
Take a stroll through the refashioned dagashi-ya (old-fashioned sweet shops) or challenge a friend on the 30-metre slot-car racetrack. While you’re there, be sure to get slurping, since a whole swathe of varieties is being dished up.
Catch your own trout a South Korean festival
To celebrate the beauty of winter and Gangwon-do Province’s abundance of mountain trout, tonnes of the plump silver swimmers are released into the river during January to be captured and cooked at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. Dubbed one of the “seven wonders of winter” by Lonely Planet, this South Korean festival lures hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with sledding, snow slides, ice hockey and fish, glorious fish.
If wielding a rod isn’t thrilling enough, wade into a frigid pond wearing a T-shirt and shorts and test your skills on a barehanded hunt. Once you’ve snagged the Queen of the Valley, swap your catch with a vendor serving sashimi or trout that’s been cleaned and cooked. Devour with plenty of warming soju (rice liquor).
Kawaii Japanese ice-fishing
Hunting for lunch on a frozen river sounds like a macho way to fill your belly. Not in Japan, where ice-fishing oozes cuteness and culminates in bowls full of crunchy wakasagi (tempura smelt fish). Colourful tents rise from Sapporo’s solid Barato River, some with portable heaters offering respite from the cold (find one and make friends with the owners).
Grab a teeny-tiny rod, settle on a low-rise stool and dangle your line in a hole carved in the very thick crust. Once you’ve reeled in a feast, dip your snacks in batter, plunge them into a bubbling pot of oil and give them their marching orders straight to your gob.
Feast on Crispy Skin Pigeon
Hate pigeons? You’re not alone. Shooing them away from public squares may give you a sense of satisfaction, but the Chinese enjoy an even more permanent way of banishing these pesky creatures – they eat them. Visit markets around Guangzhou and you’ll see birds plucked and preened for sale, but for some of the city’s best pigeon head to Shen Ji restaurant, which sells up to 500 birds a day.
Pass the painted flock at the entrance and settle into the back room with mountains etched on the walls and framed photos of cooked birds gazing at diners with glazed eyes. Choose from an array of flavoured pigeons, including tea and ginger, and squab persevered in bean curd. However, it’s the roasted variety – dished up hot with crispy skin and tender meat – that’s the clear winner. Each bird arrives with its head cocked between a body cleaved in two, ready to be set upon by chopsticks or fingers. Order yourself side of crunchy cucumber cooked with fragrant sesame oil, garlic and chilli and wash it all down with a beer. Revenge has never tasted so surprisingly sweet.
Try Vietnamese Pizza
Known by the locals as the go-to hang out after university classes, this little hole-in-the wall specialises in Bánh Tráng – also known as Vietnamese pizza. A light meal ideal for sharing, Bánh Tráng consists of crispy rice paper covered in a variety of toppings, like meat, egg, garlic and herbs – depending on what you choose – or unintentionally order.
Each pizza is fried in a hefty dollop of oil, so while not the healthiest meal, eating is a delight to the senses and Bánh Tráng is the perfect snack to end your day on. The restaurant inside is basic, with cracks lining the pastel coloured walls, and the seating is rudimentary – but within this small restaurant lies the heart and soul of Vietnam; good food and good company.
