Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
There are only two things on the menu at Matsukiya, established in 1890: sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef cooked in sake, soy and vinegar broth, and dipped in…
Must-see restaurants in Asia
Dong Van
This friendly restaurant serving Vietnamese and Western dishes is fast becoming Dong Van's hub for foreign travellers. The couple who run it have lots of…
Thimphu
About 6km south of Thimphu's centre, this charming restaurant offers traditional Bhutanese cuisine in a rammed-earth village home, one of four still…
Kanchanaburi Province
There's as much Mon and Burmese food as Thai at Sangkhlaburi's small but popular night market. Keep an eye out for Myanmar yam kôw soy, a noodle and tofu…
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
For a local eating experience, head to VV Puram, aka Food Street, with its strip of hole-in-the-wall eateries cooking up classic street-food dishes from…
Hualien
With a hearty 'Nga'ayho' ('hello' in Amis), Mu-Ming presents diners with a 90-minute, multicourse dining experience full of flavour-packed indigenous…
Kathmandu
This long-running favourite is popular with well-heeled tourists. Indian food is the speciality and the tandoori dishes are especially good, even if the…
Galle
A classy retreat from Galle's steamy streets, this refined air-conditioned hotel restaurant is the perfect setting for a great meal, with the formality of…
The Bund & People's Square
Among Shanghai’s best Sichuan restaurants, Yúxìn is a dab hand in the art of blistering chillies and numbing peppercorns. Menu all-stars include the …
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
This 300m-long nocturnal food-stall strip is a great experience, not just for the local taste sensations, but also for its friendly atmosphere. Come…
Singapore
Preened staffers in headsets whisk you into this svelte dumpling den, passing a glassed-in kitchen where Chinese chefs stretch their noodles and steam…
Hangzhou
There's no end to the hype about this restaurant, which now has branches across the whole country, with eager diners constantly clustering outside. It…
Battambang
Jaan Bai ('rice bowl' in Khmer) is Battambang's foodie treat, with a sleekly minimalist interior offset by beautiful French-Khmer tilework lining the wall…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Reserve three days in advance for the fine temple-style cuisine served here. Take your time to fully savour the subtle flavours and different textures of…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
This old-school family noodle joint exudes a Shōwa-era movie vibe if only for its fabulously faded original decor. Friendly hosts dish out hearty bowls of…
Malaysia
Darren Teoh heads a team of exciting young chefs at this innovative restaurant based at the KDU University College in Shah Alam. Chefs get playful with…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
This hospitable izakaya is a warm, efficient bastion of Miyako-jima quality, serving fresh, thoughtfully prepared local fare such as kobushime-yawaraka-ni…
Mandalay
Everything is outsized and every appetite satisfied at Prime. The menu covers Burmese, Southeast Asian and Western favourites, ranging from tea-leaf…
Kampot
Hot damn, there's now a twice-baked cheddar soufflé in Kampot, and this is the place that loses money making it for you. We're not sure how the owners…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
You're not going to meet anyone in KL as passionate about sourdough and baking as Tommy Lee, aka Tommy Le Baker. Trained in Paris, he bakes amazing…
Tainan
This white-tiled roadside shop, operated by a milkfish (虱目魚, shīmùyú) farmer, slaughters the fish in the wee hours to prepare the popular breakfast of…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Founded and directed by an Italian lady from Naples, Fire and Ice's waiters bring forth real Italian (al dente!) pastas and Kolkata’s best thin-crust…
Vung Tau
With tables by the ocean, this wonderful seafood restaurant boasts the perfect setting. Don't be put off by its size (Ganh Hao is huge and seats hundreds)…
East Java
Set off the road up to Ijen from Banyuwangi, this restaurant, inside the upmarket Jiwa Jawa hotel, is a stunner, with a massive ground-floor gallery and…
Osaka
This famous tako-yaki (octopus dumplings) stand, just north of Dōguya-suji arcade, uses custom copper hotplates (instead of cast iron) to make dumplings…
Annalakshmi Vegetarian Restaurant
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
The quality of the lunchtime buffet at this upmarket vegetarian restaurant is exceptional, with an extensive and constantly replenished array of freshly…
Ningxia
Locals regard this unassuming decades-old establishment as one of the best places to try Ningxia cuisine, in particular, mutton. The bonus is that it's…
Guangzhou
This marvellous restaurant, one of several branches of Guangzhou's highly regarded chain that also boasts upmarket editions like Bingsheng Mansion and …
Kanchanaburi
Masterful spice blends, a creative menu and peaceful river views make this one of the most irresistible restaurants in Kanchanaburi. The signature…
Chiang Mai
Popularised by the late, great Anthony Bourdain, this low-key street stall beneath a rain tree (after which it is named) is now a staple for authentic…
Anuradhapura
With its airy, upper-storey pavilion and dripping eaves, this haveli (town house)-style building has a charming setting, but it's the food that really…
Kyūshū
At this fantastic thatch-roofed ex-farmhouse the staff use oven mitts to grill dengaku (skewers of vegetables, meat including Aso beef, fish and tofu…
Ipoh
Local and visiting foodies scramble to this legendary Ipoh food stall, which has been serving fresh, warm, silky bean-curd pudding (tau fu fah) since 1952…
Jeonju
Jeonju's best night out, if you can get a seat. Unlike other makgeolli (milky rice wine) bars, where the food is secondary, the dishes here are…
Mumbai (Bombay)
From the same French trio that brought us Suzette comes this superb organic cafe, a haven of health and homesick-remedying salads, sandwiches, cold-press…
The Bund & People's Square
Lost Heaven might not have the views that keep its rivals in business, but why go to the same old western restaurants when you can get sophisticated Bai,…
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
If you’re lusting after chilli crab – and you should be – this is a good place to indulge. The gravy is sweet and nutty, with just the right amount of…
Bagan
Brits will be familiar with the name, borrowed by amiable owner Win Tun from a UK discount pub chain, and there are plenty of Western classics on the menu…
Varanasi
Seriously some of the best Indian food we've ever had. The palak chaman (paneer in spinach and spices) is heaven in your mouth and the aloo chaat (fried…
Chittagong Hill Tracts
This modest restaurant is the best place in town to sample Marma cuisine. The main themes are a mountain of ginger and a volcano of chillies, plus the…
