Mandalay
It doesn't look like much – you sit on pink plastic chairs in a floral-ceilinged box room – but the curries at this neighbourhood Muslim joint are clean,…
Must-see restaurants in Asia
Ko Pha-Ngan
With lots of busy staff offering outstanding service, a big and bright interconnected two-room interior, scrummy baked goodies, tip-top coffee and hip…
Bangkok
This outpost of the chic Bangkok Trading Post (its main branch is in Phrom Phong) serves brunch favourites such as eggs Benedict and smoked salmon…
Busan
With large wooden tables and rich earthy colours, this is one of the most attractive places to experience pajeon (파전; green onion pancakes), a classic…
Hua Hin
The menu runs from Thai omelettes to a great panang curry, but Ratama is famous for duck served in many forms, including noodle soup and fried beaks. Try…
Luang Prabang
Based on the Lao concept of a shared dining table, this local restaurant is earning a loyal following thanks to its delicious home-cooked-style food that…
Rishikesh
The current favourite backpacker hang-out in High Bank is this laid-back cafe with outdoor tables under the trees. Here you'll find nonveg on the menu (a…
I'm Waiting for You in Chengdu
The Bund & People's Square
The best thing about this wackily-named restaurant on Yunnan Rd is its street-front 'fly cake' (印度煎饼, Yìndù jiānbǐng) vendor, where you can buy fantastic…
Luang Prabang
Food stalls emerge at dusk on a narrow street behind the tourist office with illuminated communal tables to sit at. There's no better place to taste a…
Jaffna
Highly authentic and atmospheric old-school eatery in the market district with marble-topped tables, wooden cabinets, swirling fans and photos of holy men…
Tokyo
Nemuro is a fishing port in the far east of Hokkaidō (Japan's northern island), and visiting the original kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurant)…
Bishkek
High-quality rapid-service local dishes at reasonable prices are brought by waitresses in scarf and tunic to heavy marble-topped tables. Expect queues at…
Hanoi
Dong Phu is a stunning restored Vietnamese house that resembles an art gallery. Classic Vietnamese dishes, like green mango salad with grilled prawns,…
Samarkand
This Uzbek theme restaurant remains one of the most popular places for groups and independent travellers alike. The national- and Russian-influenced…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Led by Michelin-starred British chef Duncan Robertson, this upmarket revolving restaurant sits up top the iconic N Seoul Tower. Views are amazing, as is…
Kupang
As tiny tailor shops finish up for the day, stallholders begin setting up this lamp-lit market. You're here for seafood, whether ikan (fish), cumi (squid)…
Yaeyama Islands
This little Ishigaki city izakaya is a friendly refuge true to its name, which means 'the shade of the forest'. Local treats are sliced steak of Ishigaki…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Kume-jima's most famous soba shop is open for lunch only and is worth the trip. Serving handmade noodles out of his own home, the hospitable Nakasone-san…
Bangkok
The slick, modern interior here belies the fact that Baan is a family-run restaurant. The menu is inspired by full-bodied recipes and ingredients that are…
Northern Bangkok
Located in a cosy home in a suburban-feeling street, Yang Gao Gorn does appropriately homestyle Thai dishes such as sweet/savoury salads, rich curries and…
South Jakarta
Elegant Italian place with exposed brick walls and white tablecloths renowned for its pizzas (baked in a wood-fired oven) and homemade pasta. Other menu…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
In 1927 Ong Kim Lian arrived in KL from Fujian, China, and opened a noodle stall – Kim Lian Kee has been serving some of the city's best Hokkien mee ever…
Yangon
Popular for breakfast meetings with the embassy and business crowd (it does excellent dim sum until 2pm), the Garden Bistro is also a pleasant spot for a…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
This higher-end Indian chain, the domain of celeb chef Sanjeev Kapoor, is a gastro-godsend in Jabalpur. Creative takes on gourmet Indian fare rule here…
Hue
This ever-popular and no-nonsense open-air vegetarian restaurant is renowned for filling food at bargain prices. Fresh banh beo, noodle dishes, crispy…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Sometarō is a fun and funky place to try okonomiyaki (savoury Japanese-style pancakes filled with meat, seafood and vegetables that you cook yourself)…
Beppu
This friendly shop has been serving simple fugu (pufferfish) since 1958. Sit on hori-kotatsu seating and sample sashimi, karaage (fried fugu) and hirezake…
Taipei
What's more natural to eat by the seaside than a plate of fish and chips? Opened by a British chef who married a Taiwanese guy, Britshake serves soft…
Bandung
In a colonial 19th-century villa in a well-heeled neighbourhood is this Dutch restaurant that does the likes of bitterballen, traditional stews, soups and…
Sandakan
Bah kut teh literally means 'meat, bone, tea', and in much of Malaysia you can expect pork (and pork innards) in a fragrant herbal soup. Good Taste does…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Hop on to a stool at this Scandi-styled dessert bar and watch gallery-worthy creations materialise with some help from liquid nitrogen and the owner's…
New Territories
This famous old shop sells only four things – beef brisket (牛腩), fish balls (魚蛋), fish slices (魚片) and tripe (牛肚) – and they're delicious. You can have…
Meghalaya
Beside the Shillong road 1.3km from the town centre, Orange Roots is a bright and sparkling clean pure vegetarian restaurant where local women serve up…
Phnom Penh
This smart little air-conditioned cafe on genteel St 178 is set up to assist victims of trafficking or abuse with vocational training as chefs, baristas…
West Bengal
This riverside colonial inn dating from 1786 has recently been converted into a cafe/restaurant by Danish organisations. You can enjoy pasta, grilled…
Western Honshū
In the Bios Arcade across from the station, this local chain serves up the tasty Kurashiki udon speciality – called bukkake udon (from bukkakeru, meaning…
Hanoi
Just the ticket for a good-looking detox in a neat and wholesome wood-furnished space with an outside terrace and parasols. Choose your rice base, fish …
Ko Pha-Ngan
Fancy succulent steaks and schnitzel in a rickety jungle cottage? Peppercorn may be tucked in the brush away from the sea, but that shouldn’t dissuade…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This tiny shop in Ikebukuro's Chinatown deals in Shanghai street food, namely shēngjiān (pan-fried pork buns; called yaki-shōronpo in Japan). Warning:…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Pocketed away in an otherwise unexciting mall, 2km east of central Trivandrum, this laid-back self-styled cafe-bistro is run by a duo of hands-on actors…
