I’m A Food Writer & Here’s Where I Want To Travel This Year

I have heard wonderful things about the unassuming but memorable Bell’s Bar, where the torreznos (deep-fried bacon) and tortilla are legendary – also, I’m very excited to try the piparras here, sour pickles that are served with your tapas. A restaurant that’s high up on my list is Astelena, which serves traditional Basque dishes. I’m intrigued by the tasting menu that includes crawfish and crab salad, squid rice and grilled kokotxa and a very interesting-sounding cod on pea cream.

A restaurant that’s high up on my list is Astelena, which serves traditional Basque dishes.

The city’s unique position between mountain and sea provides an abundance of fresh ingredients. So you can get wild mushrooms from the Basque hills, anchovies from the Bay of Biscay, and idiazábal cheese that originates from ancient shepherding traditions from the plains. All this abundance of produce makes this small corner of Spain a pilgrimage site for foodies around the world.

For a theatrical, experimental dining experience, I’ve got my eyes on Mugaritz – eating here is a two-and-a-half-hour experience, and according to the website, Anthony Bourdain once said, “Eating at Mugaritz is like an assault on the senses. It’s an experience that challenges everything you thought you knew about food.” Safe to say, I don’t need any more convincing.

Anthony Bourdain once said, ‘Eating at Mugaritz is like an assault on the senses’.

Another spot on my list that serves up no-fuss, authentic, Basque dishes is Portuetxe. Located on the outskirts of San Sebastian, it’s a grillhouse that serves a seasonal menu. I’ve got my eyes on the charred steaks here, and the seafood looks great, with everything from fresh grilled Palamós prawns to oysters on the menu.

And now – a moment for the kebabs. I think it’s hard to find a kebab shop in Istanbul that doesn’t do a fabulous job with ot, but one of my favourite spots is Dürümzade, a simple but great restaurant that serves up grilled kebab wraps in the Antalya style.

I visited Istanbul for the first time on a quick trip last summer, and instantly fell in love with the food.

Also on my radar is a visit to Nicole, a Michelin-starred restaurant serving authentic Turkish cuisine that you can enjoy with a view of the Old Town and Princes’ Islands. And of course you can’t go to Istanbul without trying out a Turkish breakfast – I’m eager to visit Çakmak Kahvaltı Salonu in Beşiktaş, a Turkish breakfast cafe where you can get everything from kavurmalı yumurta (a traditional fried egg dish) to menemen (spiced scrambled eggs with meat), and bal-kaymak (a sweet, clotted cream dessert-like dish had with simit – Turkish bread).

Another on the 50 Best list is Kjolle which is all about celebrating Peru’s local ingredients and preserving natural flavours here, so there is plenty of research and testing involved in creating the menus. The aim is always to work towards the least amount of waste, while maximising flavour and adding a few surprises to the plate. One of the signature dishes here is called Many Tubes – it consists of toasted yellow and red slices of olluco, an Andean root vegetable with a creamy oca paste that’s all served on a tart.

Another on the 50 Best list is Kjolle that’s all about celebrating Peru’s local ingredients.

I’m also excited to try Anticuchos Betty, where you can find char-grilled skewers marinated in ají panca, served with smoked potato puree. And of course, this is a great spot to try classic ceviches and tiraditos. A stroll in the bustling Surquillo Market is also guaranteed to get me some more of those grilled skewers, tiradito and ceviche. I love walking through fresh fruit and veggie markets and discovering local fruits I’ve never seen before. Also on my list is to pick up some spicy locally harvested peppers. And of course, one cannot visit Lima without trying out some sizzling churros – and at Picarones Mary, nestled in Parque Kennedy, you can get beautiful churros soaked in sweet syrup. Perfect for an after-lunch sweet treat.

On the other hand, I’m equally eager to try Cape Town’s excellent street food. To start with, I might try the legendary Gatsby sandwich (a long sub, packed with meat of your choice (steak, chicken, fish or calamari), sausage, chips and salad. I love the difference between the way breads are made in different countries, and in Cape Town, vetkoek is a local favourite. A traditional fried bread, I’m quite sure it’s not known for its nutritional value, but boy, does it look tasty.

A great spot to sample all kinds of South African delicacies is the Eastern Food Bazaar.

A great spot to sample all kinds of South African delicacies is the Eastern Food Bazaar, a former fruit market that now serves everything from Chinese noodles and mango lassi to the uniquely South African bunny chow (a hollowed-out bread loaf served with curry). The Oranjezicht City Farm Market is another spot to head to on the weekend – an artisanal food market under a tent overlooking Cape Town’s Granger Bay, where you can pick up sausages, cheeses, pickles and sweet treats.

Coming to the stuff I’m most excited about: oodles and oodles of noodles. If there’s one thing that makes me exceptionally happy, it’s a bowl of steaming hot ramen. Torisoba Zagin Niboshi makes a very creamy ramen with chicken soba that’s blended to become frothy and creamy. Served with fried burdock and slices of pork, this one’s popular with locals and tourists.

If there’s one thing that makes me exceptionally happy it’s a bowl of steaming hot ramen.

When it comes to fine dining, self-taught Chef Hiroki Matsuoka serves an omakase menu with 20 courses at Yakitori Matsuoka. The menu takes you from chicken skewers and yakitori to seasonal dishes and a rich ramen bowl that you’re not likely to forget. Sake is, of course, a vital part of the experience.

At Avo’s Kitchen (“avo” translates to grandmother from Portuguese), you can have a steaming crab xacuti or a seasonal ansanche sansav (a pineapple curry that’s sweet and spicy). When you want to start with a snack, I love crispy rawa fried prawns or calamari.

Goa’s bakeries are in a league of their own.

Goa’s bakeries are in a league of their own. If you don’t grab your bread from the poee man who comes cycling down the street, you can head to a local spot for freshly baked bread. Located near Majorda Beach, Jila Bakery serves legendary chocolate eclairs that empty off the shelves minutes after the bakery opens. Meanwhile, Padaria Prazeres is known for its pastéis de nata (Portuguese egg custard tarts).

The state’s cocktail scene is flourishing with gastrobars like Petisco serving drinks that celebrate local flavours with their new menu that celebrates the monsoon. The cocktails are made with preserved ingredients like sukhi mirchi (preserved chillies), kokum, dried jackfruit, tamarind, dried mango and more.

If you roam around local markets, you’ll come across stalls selling ros omelette—a fiery, coconut-tinged omelette drowned in spicy xacuti gravy or a choris pao, an iconic Goan pork-sausage-in-bread snack echoing the region’s Portuguese heritage.

One of my favourite meals of all time is a plate of sizzling grilled prawns that a lady was selling on a corner street in Bangkok when I visited about a decade ago. I still remember those flavours. She didn’t have a shop or even signboard, it was just her with some kind of portable grill – and she served me the most incredible, spicy prawns I’ve ever had. Michelin-worthy in my eyes.

Michelins don’t need tiny portions and fancy table arrangements in Bangkok.

On that note, Michelin’s don’t need tiny portions and fancy table arrangements in Bangkok – in fac,t some of the best ones are street food stalls. Nai Mong Hoi Thod in Bangkok is a Michelin-recognised street food spot that’s famous for its oyster omelettes. Another no-frills sport with a Michelin Bib Gourmand is a Krua Apsorn that’s said to serve a mean green curry.

When it comes to fine dining, I’ve been meaning to see if Gaggan’s is worth the hype. Serving what they call “progressive Indian cuisine”, the experience is another theatrical, experimental one. The experience is designed to be a multi-sensory journey incorporating touch, sound, light, smell, taste and a lot of surprise.

The experience at Gaggan’s is designed to be a multi-sensory journey.

Nahm Bangkok is another fine dining spot that serves a modern take on traditional Thai fare. The tasting menu takes you from kam pachi ceviche, made with green mango and served on betel leaf, to a richly spiced lamb curry served on Thai crepes, smoked duck soup, wagyu curry, and a dessert called “life cycle of coconut” that celebrates all the ways a coconut can be relished.