Why Osaka is every foodie’s dream city
Osaka was my first stop in Japan, and it quickly became clear what this place is famous for. Food. And my, was it glorious. I was constantly stimulated by the sights and smells of unrecognisable treats, my eyes and nose darting in different directions, not only in restaurants and supermarkets...
Bangkok’s best Muslim-Thai food is just steps away from Khao San Road
The matriarch and namesake of Aisyah Rod Dee passed away in late 2016, after running her Muslim-Thai restaurant on Thanon Tani in Bang Lamphu for more than 50 years. It was a sad loss for locals in Thailand, who have long loved the dishes she and her three generations of...
This woman serves the best spicy fruit salad (tum pollamai) in Bangkok
Nu, the owner of a small fruit stall down an alley off Samsen Road in the Thewet Market area, has a name that translates to “mouse” or “rat.” Not that she’s anything like a timid mouse — her Nu Tum Pollamai stall isn’t known for serving the cheapest tum pollamai (mixed...
Where to find Chiang Mai’s most mysterious khao man gai stall
Perhaps Sirichai Khao Man Gai’s biggest claim to fame is that no one knows its name. The shop specialising in khao man gai (Hainanese chicken rice) and khao soi (curried noodle soup) could have rocketed to tourism stardom a few years ago when a travel writer for Lonely Planet came...
Here’s where to get the best fermented noodles (kanom jeen) in Bangkok
Kanom jeen (also sometimes spelled kanom chin) is a dish that few visitors to Thailand will ever encounter, despite the fact that it’s beloved by Thais across the country. That’s because it’s notoriously difficult to keep fresh and therefore hard for restaurants to prepare in bulk — which means when...
Where to find the best tom yum in Bangkok Phra Nakhon
There are only four tables in Som Sri’s tom yum shop in front of Bangkok City Hall. That means if you come for lunch, either get here early or be prepared to wait. But the wait is worth it. That’s because the tom yum in Sor Naa Wang might just be...
Where to find 5-star dining in a Bangkok alleyway
Down a tiny little alley in Bangkok — so narrow you might walk right past — you’ll find 5-star dining in the form of a beloved curry shop. That’s because Nid, the owner of Khrua Luk Niang, worked as a hostess in Bangkok’s prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel before deciding to...
This is the Chiang Mai stewed pork stall that Anthony Bourdain didn’t find
The North Gate Cowgirl is easily the most famous vendor in Chiang Mai serving up khao kha moo (stewed pork leg). That’ll happen when none other than the patron saint of food-travel, Anthony Bourdain, takes his TV crew to your stall. But she’s not the only one in town cooking...
Where to find the best chicken rice (khao man gai) in Bangkok
Maem’s tiny khao man gai cart opens and closes for the day even before more tourists have rolled out of their hostel beds. She cooks all night, starting around 11pm, and sets up her stall serving chicken and rice at 3am, capturing the post-party people stumbling home from nearby Khao...
Inside a hidden 60-year-old roti shop in Bangkok’s old town
Today, Samsen Soi 2 in Ban Phan Thom is a bustling side street packed with tourists, thanks to the mega Nouvo Hotel and a substantial collection of guest houses and hostels in the surrounding alleys — not to mention backpacker ghetto Khao San Road just over the river. But when...