Miri
A long-running family business that started off as a satay stall in the 1970s; read the history on the wall above the kitchen. Madli's is open on two…
Must-see restaurants in Southeast Asia
Banglamphu
This cafeteria-like dining room is a favourite of members of the Thai royal family and restaurant critics alike. Just about all of the central and…
Vigan
This home-grown craft brewery doubles as Vigan's best restaurant. It's a smokehouse – pick your meat and a couple of sides, and wash it down with home…
Phu Quoc Island
The most atmospheric and best-value place to dine on the island, Duong Dong’s busy night market has stalls of snacks, coconut ice cream and a parade of…
Pai
Escape the wheatgrass-and-tofu crowd at this unabashedly carnivorous local eatery. The house special is 'larp moo kua', northern-style lâhp (minced pork…
Kuching
Lepau translates as 'farm hut', and organic and free-range ingredients feature at this atmospheric restaurant showcasing the cuisine of Sarawak's…
Denpasar
A favourite sweet treat for Balinese of all ages is jaje laklak – disks of rice flour cooked in an open-air cast-iron pan and redolent of coconut. One of…
Kerobokan
Modern, vibrant and packed, this Vietnamese restaurant lures in the buzzing masses with its swanky neon decor. Creative Vietnamese dishes include peppery…
Johor Bahru
With a fantastic brunch menu, this good-looking, elegant but minimalist restaurant is overseen by attentive staff serving a host of trendy lunchers,…
Davao
The polished wood floors, carved trellis work and white clapboard exterior make this beautifully restored colonial-era home one of Davao's treasures…
Chiang Rai Province
One of the friendliest restaurants in town also happens to be the one serving the tastiest food. Salima does tasty Muslim-Chinese dishes, including a rich…
Denpasar
Join the government workers and students from the nearby university for superb dishes cooked to order in the bustling kitchen. Order the buttery and…
Singapore
This intimate, linen-lined Italian is one of Singapore's unsung glories. In the kitchen is young Lombard chef Denis Lucchi, who turns exceptional…
Manila
Locavore uses locally sourced ingredients to stunning effect, creating French-inspired takes on Filipino classics like Bicol exprés (spicy minced pork),…
Hua Hin
Once just a coffee shop, this 50-plus-year-old restaurant is one of Hua Hin's top culinary destinations. The late mother of the current owner invited her…
Singapore
Iggy's refined, sleek design promises something special, and with a large picture window drawing your eye to the magic happening in the kitchen, you can…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
This hidden-away alley of hawker stalls is best visited for breakfast or lunch. Among its standout operators is one offering 10 types of yong tau fu …
Melaka City
The amiable chef at this upmarket Nonya eatery set in a handsome 19th-century house will come to your table and explain specialities such as chicken…
Aceh
Who would have thought Sumatra’s best Italian food was hiding in a remote corner of Pulau Weh? Sit by the lapping waves and dig into Luca and Eva’s…
Siem Reap
This excellent contemporary-Cambodian restaurant supports local community EGBOK (Everything's Gonna Be OK), which offers education, training and…
Myanmar (Burma)
Outstanding Italian food is served in this classy, upmarket restaurant that's probably one of the best Italian restaurants in the country. Expect dishes…
Sagada
One of Sagada’s many wonderful surprises is this aptly named restaurant that feels like a cosy ski lodge, with a roaring log fire and a fleece-clad…
Puerto Princesa
This shoes-off eatery is an institution in Puerto Princesa. It has a lovely Balinese ambience – colourful paintings, sculptures and masks adorn the walls …
Bukit Peninsula
Long-time resident and cookbook author Heinz von Holzen, his wife Puji, and their well-trained and enthusiastic staff serve exquisitely flavoured dishes…
Chiang Mai
Northern Thai food enthusiasts shouldn't miss this out-of-town gem, where authentic, hard-to-find dishes beloved by the people of Myanmar's Shan State …
Bangkok
Supanniga has three outlets across Bangkok (plus a superpopular dinner cruise), but this branch in Sathorn is a favourite in terms of ambience and service…
Chiang Khong
The Chiang Khong version of kôw soy – the famous northern curry noodle soup – forgoes the curry broth and replaces it with clear soup topped with a rich,…
Dili
Easily Dili's most interesting restaurant, this sweet hideaway upstairs in an English school has a fabulous approach to food, sourcing traditional local…
Thanon Sukhumvit
The slightly cheesy interior of this osteria (Italian-style wine bar) serves as a cover for a fabulous Italian menu. There’s an abundance of delicious…
Nakhon Si Thammarat
One of the two long lines stretching along the main road sells everything from mobile phone cases to knock off labels, but the other, busier one serves up…
Puerto Princesa
The Scottish owner calls the style here 'obscurity'; it basically consists of anything he fancies. The menu is a best-of-the-world affair, where tikka…
Arcobaleno Pizzeria & Ristorante
Puerto Galera
It doesn't look like much – basically a lean-to with just a few tables – but the medium-crust pizza here is the best in Puerto Galera, heaped with…
El Nido
This upstairs Slovenian–owned place does the best pizza in El Nido, made with imported mozzarella in the street-level brick oven. There are a dozen types…
Vientiane
The slightly dreary, semi-open-air dining room couldn't be a bigger contrast with the tart, spicy, bold flavours served inside. This long-standing…
Bagan
Although it sounds like the title of a fairy tale, the restaurant is indeed run by seven sisters, who do a fine job cooking up prawn curry, Yunnan-style…
Chin State
There's no better exemplar of traditional Burmese food culture than this always-busy, atmospheric, wood-floored restaurant, crowded with families, couples…
Phitsanulok
Dinner at this local favourite is what a meal at your grandparents’ place might be like: opinionated conversation, frumpy furniture and an overfed cat…
Dili
With an exceptionally friendly crew even for Dili, charismatic Cesar cooks up fresh and tasty Timorese morsels from his kitchen out front. Outside seating…
Jakarta
Served in a hip Kota warehouse with soaring ceilings, big art murals and a retro-industrial vibe, Historia's dishes hail from around the archipelago. Try…
Ubud
Australian-style cafe society is represented by a few popular businesses here in Ubud, and this is its most recent – and sleek – incarnation. Though it's…
