My 7 Memorable Eats from Across the World

The first thing I look for when I travel to a place is where to eat. I prefer to go and eat where locals eat. Family run places or hole in the run joints excite me the most.

 I don’t do much research before a trip. I prefer to take things as they come. I land at my destination and ask locals for their recommendations. I also post on social media hoping to get some answers. Do look for people who do food walks. They are worth subscribing to if you love food.

Here some of the memorable eats that I have had during my travels (in no particular order). Trust me, this was a tough list to make.

Botin, Madrid:

I love history. Heading to Botin seemed perfect when an American tourist in Madrid told us that we should check it out as it claims to be the oldest running restaurant in the world. We went to Botin for lunch. The setting was pretty formal and vintage, but the service very warm. I can’t forget the roast suckling pig that I ate there. They later showed me the heirloom oven in which the dish is made and shared the recipe too. A memorable experience indeed.
 

Tian Tian Chicken Rice, Singapore:

Locals will tell you there is ‘better’ but if you are an Anthony Bourdain fan then like me, you too must dutifully go and queue up outside the Tian Tian stall at the Maxwell Road Food Centre for a serving of Singapore’s national dish; The Hainanese chicken rice. It’s located in the China Town and easy to reach.
 

Nase Maso, Prague:

Nase Maso is a company in Prague which is trying to get people to come back to old school butcher’s shops rather than shopping for meats at modern super markets. The company runs modern Taverns such as Lokal where they supply the meat for the dishes on offer. The vibe, beer and food are all lovely there. If you are a steak lover like me than you should go to the Nase Maso meat shop where the friendly staff helps you choose your cut of meat and then grill you the most exquisite steaks and burgers tohave at the tables kept in the shop. We discovered this place during a food walk.
 

Venchi, Venice:

We had a lot of gelatos during our trip to Italy and realized that the dark chocolate gelato is our favourite. Of all the places that we tried, the comparatively more expensive gelatos at Venchi were our favourite. Venchi is a confectionary store which was opened in 1878. They started making gelatos in 2006 and a do a great job of it. They have outlets across Italy but the gelato I had at the Venchi outlet in Venice on the last night of our Italy trip felt extra special; the taste lingered with me through the trip back to India.
 

Guylian, Sydney:

The Rocks is my favourite place to hang around in Sydney. As a lover of history I liked the way they had restored the British colonial architecture here. My favourite pastime at the Rocks was to sit at the Guylian café and have a mocha or a hot chocolate or (what else) a Belgian waffle with chocolate and admire the Sydney harbor bridge.
 

Borough Market, London:

If you’re a food lover there’s nothing like a walk down London’s Borough Market. You can try out a variety of cheeses and meats and breads and take lots of pictures of great produce. The food court has some pretty interesting food on offer and you can have coffee at one of the cafes there before heading back. Some of the other great markets that I have been to and I would recommend checking out are La Boqueria in Barcelona, Vic Market in Melbourne, Grand Bazar (for spices) in Istanbul and the Sydney Fish Market.
 

Tunday, Lucknow:

Back home, one of my most memorable food adventures was going in search of the original Tunday outlet at Lucknow’s Chowk area one night in the middle of an ‘andhi’ or sandstorm. I final reached my destination and shared a table with a couple of friendly locals who insisted on paying for my kebabs and parathas. Yes, Lucknow is one of the warmest cities you can visit in India and has some great food on offer.