The world's best gourmet experiences to try before you die
Gary Leff August 11, 2024
God Save The Points presents a list of 19 culinary experiences you must have before you die, and I agree with many (though not all) of his list and would like to add my own opinions.
I travel just to eat, and when I flew to Barcelona just to have dinner at El Bulli, the hardest place in the world to book, plus a 2 hour train journey, Ferran Adrià exceeded my expectations!
But I'm not sure if I'd fly all the way to Singapore just to eat chilli crab (though I'd love the food), nor am I sure it makes sense to cross the Atlantic for an authentic British afternoon tea, and corn masa tacos aren't my least favourite food in Mexico.
So here are my suggestions, along with some comments on Gilbert's excellent list:
Central Texas BBQ It's not just barbecue. In the “Southern US,” the barbecue you want to eat in one sitting is Central Texas. That means no sauces or dipping sauces, and the emphasis is on the meat (mostly beef). The meat should be good enough on its own, so you shouldn't feel the need to hide its flavor. After my first barbecue pilgrimage 10 years ago, I finally got it.
Any place on Texas Monthly's Top 50 list is good, but unfortunately they didn't make the list this year. Go to Franklin. Go to Leroy & Lewis. Go to Interstellar. Just go.
Franklin BBQ
Tokyo sushi. I would argue that it makes sense to go to Tokyo just to eat sushi. The concentration of great sushi in Tokyo, not just in Japan, is important in itself because (1) there's a lot of competition, (2) there's a highly developed supply chain with access to the best fish because of the concentration of top-notch restaurants, and (3) the customer base understands the nuances of quality and demands it from the best chefs.
Bangkok Street Food GSTP calls it Thai curry, but I take it to mean something much broader: Bangkok has some of the best street food in the world.
There's more to Singapore hawker centres than just chilli crab. The stalls at East Coast Lagoon Village don't have the best selection of any food, but I always enjoy them. It makes for a great evening trying a variety of Southeast Asian cuisines, outdoors, on the water. Check out reviews of the best places on sites like Open Rice, or just go to a hawker centre and stand in the longest queue. It's convenient for trying tasty food, cheap and lots of other great things.
Wherever you are in Malaysia, take a Malaysian food tour. I think Gilbert's article is good, but the word “Malaysian” only comes up once in the context of Indonesian nasi goreng. Don't get me wrong, I love a good nasi goreng, and when I'm suffering from jet lag in the hotel on my first night in Southeast Asia, I go for nasi goreng at midnight.
But such a list requires a deeper look into Malaysia, particularly Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and Penang.
Shrimp Mee Soup
Should afternoon tea be included here? Gilbert lists afternoon tea in the UK. I'm not a huge fan of food, but the formality and pageantry of it might interest some. If you want to take your time, why not have tea at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai? They'll put gold flecks in your cappuccino.
Coffee and Breakfast in Australia Hmm. Melbourne is a great food city and parts of Australia have a great coffee culture – this is also present in many parts of Asia. Some of my favourite meals have been ones I've had in Australia but strangely I don't like breakfast. My first meal at Tetsuya in Sydney 19 years ago was mind blowing!
Oriole Cafe & Bar at Pan Pacific on Orchard Road
Corn Masa Tacos In Mexico, I choose tamales over tacos and hone in on the delicacy of a great mole aged several years. Either way, I'm thrilled to see Mexico on this list.
French pastries. In fact, baked goods in general, and chocolate in general. Look for them and you'll find more than just the production of everyday items, you'll find artistry and a drive for perfection. Once you've tried a French contest-winning baguette, there's absolutely no reason to ever eat a baguette again.
Dosa in India? I think so. But I've actually found that some of the best restaurants in India are located in hotels (one of my favorites is the souk at the Taj Palace in Mumbai) and some of the best Chinese restaurants are in India.
Sure, I had good food in Chennai, but would it be weird to say that overall I preferred Sri Lankan food, and in Malaysia I preferred Indian food?
Roti in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Eating jamon y queso in Spain? Of course tapas in general, and Barcelona in particular, are fantastic food cities, and I personally wouldn't make a trip just for that, but if you did, I'd recommend spending as much time away from La Rambla as possible.
Perhaps most importantly, wherever I am, I try to discover the local food and bring back a little bit of that knowledge. When I eat fruits and vegetables, my favorite thing to do is put sugar and hot sauce on them (Sri Lanka). And my favorite dishes to make are Thai chicken with cashews and Tom Yum Goong.
And the truth is, I am just as satisfied with a plate of kottu and falooda as I would be eating at one of the world's best restaurants, so long as each dish comes from a chef at the very top of his craft, combining his unique knowledge, cultural understanding and the right ingredients to prepare and present it in the most thoughtful way possible.
To me, Pho Hoa in Saigon is just as good as Amber in Hong Kong (though, all else being equal, I prefer Bo Innovations). Whatever the cuisine, it's all about enjoying the effort and ritual, the precision and striving for perfection.
Further views from the wing
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