By Liam Isola One of the best parts about traveling is sampling all of the food a new place has to offer. So, today we’ll discuss the 10 best food cities in the world that I’ve been to.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit 36 countries so far, and I’ve still got a lot more places to go. Through my travels, I’ve visited plenty of cities with incredible food. Sometimes, I’m not expecting much of the local cuisine, and it completely surprises me.
That was certainly the case when I traveled through the Balkans, as the food in Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania was terrific. However, only one Balkan city is on this list and you’ll have to sit tight to see which one it is.
The list spans three continents, and none of the South American cities I’ve visited made the list, although I have only been to Colombia and Ecuador so far. Lima tends to receive a ton of plaudits for its cuisine, so this list could definitely be expanded in the future.
Regardless, here are the 10 best food cities that I’ve been to so far, in no particular order:
10 Best Food Cities – 1. Chiang Mai
I had a great time eating my way through Thailand, and Bangkok could easily be on this list as well. However, Chiang Mai has one of my absolute favorite dishes, Khao Soi. Khao Soi is a creamy coconut soup commonly served with chicken or beef. The best Khao Soi I had was at Grazie Thai.
What makes Khao Soi special is the combination of boiled egg noodles and fried egg noodles in the same soup. Chiang Mai’s street food culture is excellent as well. There are countless options to try at its night markets.
Other northern Thai delicacies readily available in Chiang Mai include Laab and Nam Prik. Laab is a minced meat salad with fresh herbs, while Nam Prik is ground pork, tomatoes, and a chili paste served over sticky rice or with fresh vegetables.
10 Best Food Cities – 2. Naples
Naples uses its local ingredients to perfection and pizza napoletana might just be my favorite food. The San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella make for an incredible combination.
Neapolitan pizza dough is also my favorite of any pizza. There are plenty of great places in Naples to try Pizza Napoletana, like L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Gino e Toto Sorbillo, and Starita. Neapolitans love pizza so much that they also have a popular fried variety worth a try.
Other iconic Neapolitan foods include Pasta alla Puttanesca, Spaghetti alle Vongole, and Sfogliatella. Just for Pizza Napoletana alone, Naples would have made this list. However, there are plenty of other dishes to try in the wonderfully chaotic capital of Campania.
3. Mexico City
Mexico City’s inclusion on this list is obvious to anyone who knows me. The sheer variety of street food is what sets Mexico City apart. Granted, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Merida have excellent cuisines of their own.
There are Tacos, Tortas, Tamales, Tlacoyos, Gorditas, Elotes, Esquites, Huaraches, Quesadillas, and Tostadas, among other things. I haven’t tried everything I’ve wanted to after living here for almost two years. It may take another two years to do so.
Tacos al pastor are obligatory in CDMX, along with chilaquiles. The purest version of Mexico City’s cuisine is its street food. There are also plenty of restaurants with elevated versions of the above. I’ve been to Azul a couple of times, and it really hits the spot.
The international options aren’t as wide-ranging as some other major cities. However, there’s still some excellent foreign food.
4. New York
Perhaps this is another obvious one. As a kid, I didn’t appreciate growing up 20 minutes from the biggest city in the US. Now, I’m thrilled every time I get to go into New York City to eat food.
Even if you are unimpressed by all the Michelin star restaurants and the James Beard Awards in New York City, you can pretty much find food from everywhere else in the world in NYC. You can find Uzbek, Yemeni, Paraguayan, Danish food and pretty much anything else you desire.
Obviously, there’s also New York-style Pizza and Jewish delis. There’s also a long tradition of excellent steakhouses in NYC, which is easily one of the 10 best food cities I’ve been to.
5. Sarajevo
In my opinion, the best food in the Balkans is in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Belgrade’s a close second, and Albania, in general, had great food.
Still, Bosnian Burek (a savory pastry filled with meat or vegetables and cheese) was the best I had in all of the Balkans. Buregdzinica Sac had great spinach and feta burek, served with yogurt on the side.
The Cevapi in Sarajevo are also mouth-wateringly good. Cevapi are grilled minced meat sausages served with onions, kajmak (cream), and pita. Cevabdzinica Beg was my spot in Sarajevo for cevapi.
While Belgrade seems to have a little more diversity in its cuisine, what Sarajevo does, it does exceedingly well. Bosnian coffee is also worth a try while you’re in the “Jerusalem of the Balkans”, one of the 10 best food cities in the world that I’ve been to.
6. Singapore
Singapore may just be the best destination in the world for street food. You could certainly make a case for Mexico City and Bangkok, but Singapore’s hawker stalls are second to none.
I was surprised by how many affordable food options there were in Singapore’s numerous hawker stalls. In fact, a ridiculous 148 street food restaurants in Singapore are in the Michelin Guide. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has a Michelin Star.
There’s a delicious blend of Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences on Singapore’s cuisine. Some excellent dishes in Singapore include Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Roti, Chilli Crab, and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Maxwell Food Centre is one of the most popular hawker centers to try Singapore’s food.
7. London
London is a lot like New York in the sense that you can find food from pretty much anywhere in the world. So, you don’t have to like Full English breakfasts and meat pies to love the cuisine in London.
It’s said that the Indian food in London is better than anywhere else outside of India. Brick Lane, in East London, has some of the best Indian restaurants in the city.
There are also plenty of Greek, Italian, Turkish, and Lebanese people in London, which means exceptional food from these countries. Caribbean and Southeast Asian food are two other things that the U.K.’s sprawling capital city does well.
8. Rome
Was this ever in doubt? Roman food is some of the best in Italy and the entire world.
Rome is home to three of the most iconic pasta dishes out there. Pasta all’Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, and Carbonara are all absurdly tasty and abundant in Rome.
Also notable for having its own style of pizza, the flatbread Pizza Romana is a good change of pace from the doughy Pizza Napoletana.
Jewish-style artichokes and Gnocchi alla Romana are two other must-try dishes in Italy’s incredible capital.
10 Best Food Cities – 9. New Orleans
New Orleans is my favorite city to visit in the US. It’s a place with incredibly diverse influences and that, of course, extends to its food. The Big Easy’s cuisine is influenced by Creoles, Cajuns, Caribbean African Americans, French, Native Americans, Spanish, and Italians, among others.
This has resulted in some of the most flavorful and inventive dishes you can get anywhere. Gumbo might just be the best stew around, and jambalaya is one of the best rice dishes I’ve ever had. The Southern food in New Orleans, like at Elizabeth’s, is also excellent.
Not to mention Po Boy sandwiches, with fillings like fried seafood and roast beef, and Italian-inspired Muffaletta sandwiches. Crawfish Etouffee is another dish you absolutely must try in New Orleans. You can also indulge in a Beignet for dessert.
10 Best Food Cities – 10. Kuala Lumpur
Like Singapore, Malaysia has Malay, Indian, and Chinese influences on its cuisine. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, is another street food haven. The Jalan Alor and Bukit Bintang street food markets are two places to try some delicious dishes.
Nasi Lemak is Malaysia’s most famous dish. It has a base of rice cooked in coconut milk. It’s served with a boiled egg, chili paste, peanuts, fried anchovies, and sometimes fried chicken. 100 Years Nasi Lemak, and Nasi Lemak Alor Corner on the Jalan Alor Food Street are two great places to try it.
I enjoyed the Malaysian “nasi kandar” style of eating. These places allow you to choose a bunch of pre-cooked curries, meats, and vegetables served over rice. You’ll pay according to how much you eat.
Laksa, Roti Canai, and Satay are other typical Malaysian foods worth a try in KL.