Bagan
‘No good, no pay’ is the mantra of this justifiably confident operation serving delicious, rich and authentic Indian veggie and meat curries on banana…
Must-see restaurants in Asia
Can Tho
The only dish this locally acclaimed spot does is the best nem nuong in town. Roll your own rice rolls using the ingredients provided – pork sausage, rice…
Thanon Sukhumvit
Innovative dishes at Bangkok’s first ‘urban farm’ are complemented by cocktails using almost 40 edible herbs from the on-site garden. Chef Deepanker…
Chengdu
A very modern take on the traditional dumpling joints – there are several enticing varieties to choose from, including a number of more adventurous…
Temples of Angkor
Set amid extensive farmland on the road between Siem Reap and Roluos, this restaurant specialises in organic vegetables grown in its very own gardens…
Asakusa & Sumida River
If you're keen to try chanko-nabe – the hearty, protein-rich stew that fattens up sumo wrestlers – Tomoegata is a great place to do it. The daily lunch…
Phuket
Gorgeous homemade breakfasts involving Chiang Rai coffee beans and avocados, artisan jams, muesli-fruit bowls, stuffed croissants and French toast with…
Chinatown
The reward for locating this hole-in-the-wall is a delicious plate of gŏo·ay đĕe·o kôo·a gài (flat rice noodles fried with garlic oil, chicken and egg)…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Originally a dai pai dong (大牌檔; food stall), this friendly neighbourhood Canto joint is known for claypot rice topped with preserved sausage, steamed…
Kampot
A cosy, colourful place with a bohemian edge, Baraca serves inventive tapas with cherry-picked influences from Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East…
Shanghai
Contemporary Hong Kong kitchen specialising in lobster and dim sum. Enjoy a superb bowl of wontons with lobster soup (¥58) in the glam dark-wood space…
Mumbai (Bombay)
A quirky, hipster re-imagination of a traditional Parsi cafe, this Bandra Kurla hot spot dishes out ambience (mismatched lanterns, a moving toy train…
Kyūshū
Just off the samurai street, Taki-An is a lovely restaurant in another traditional house where you can sit on tatami and admire the garden over hot or…
Uttarakhand
Gangrotri's main traveller hang-out and best spot to eat is this ultrafriendly restaurant serving up pizzas topped with mozzarella, along with burgers,…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
This is a great little restaurant to rest up in and recharge if you're on a shopping mission in Karol Bagh. Its 32 varieties of dosa are a big hit with…
Rajshahi & Rangpur
Located on a busy road crossing just opposite Hotel Dalas International, this proletarian eatery is popular for dhal-roti breakfasts and set Bangladeshi…
Pingyao
Traveller-friendly, but no worse for that, this popular and welcoming little restaurant has a simple and tasty menu (in English) of Shanxi dishes. Try the…
Kaohsiung
Sanmin St heaves with cheap and cheery stalls brandishing all kinds of deliciousness. One of the most famous is Chou's, for its duck cooked in angelica…
Myeik
Atmospheric teashop-restaurant located in a traditional wooden house. It's popular for tea and snacks, but also does curries, rice and noodle plates, and…
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Chinatown & the CBD
Never short of a queue, this legendary hawker stall serves up some of Singapore's best Hainanese chicken rice. Go for the S$5 serve, which delivers more…
Kowloon
Kids will love the adorable, animal-shaped dumplings and buns at this gimmicky yet delicious dim sum eatery. Barbecue pork buns are adorned with tiny…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
This cute six-table cafe with two Victorian-style lampposts and a serving counter is fashioned like a street cart, with flooring designed to feel like a…
Hakone
This friendly sushi shop is known for its aji-don (horse mackerel over rice). If you know how to fold an origami crane, ask to try their special challenge…
East Bali
Spectacular views and a wide array of menu choices lure diners away from the action in Jemeluk's main strip and up to this restaurant overlooking the blue…
Ajmer
With dim, bar-like lighting and American diner decor, this is a popular Ajmer hang-out. It’s divided in two: Mango Masala is no alcohol and vegetarian,…
Western Honshū
This attractive free-standing beer hall is not quite what its name promises; as its opening hours suggest, it's more of a restaurant than a drinking…
Luang Prabang
Big Tree Cafe's Korean food is considered the best in the city and it's always packed with Koreans, as well as aesthetes who come to see photographer Adri…
Kuala Lumpur
This unassuming stall, down an alley, has been serving up its satisfyingly thick, slippery noodles for more than 20 years. The Hokkien mee here is…
Kampot
Named after the mongoose in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, this riverfront terrace is all about the ambience. It’s also known for its Kampot pepper…
Kochi (Cochin)
Wooden walls, scattered hanging lanterns and a decade-old creeper plant lend an indoor-outdoor feel to this self-styled restocafe, whose New Zealand…
Malaysia
The family that has run this stall for a couple of generations serves up simple dishes from salted-fish rice to braised bean curd and various veggie…
West Timor
You'll smell this place before you see it, thanks to the grill charring sate out the front. Within the orange walls are a handful of large tables…
Himeji
A local sake brewery runs this casual spot specialising in oden (stew comprising fishcakes, tofu, vegetables and eggs simmered in kelp-flavoured broth),…
Tainan
A haven for the health and environmentally conscious, this restaurant uses naturally farmed local produce. The Asian fusion food is light and lightly…
Bangkok
This venerable Thai eatery has numerous branches and mall spin-offs around town, but we still fancy the original branch on Th Pramuan, where local…
Trang
Open for 60-plus years, this cool, old school Sino-Thai coffee shop has vintage marble-topped tables, helicopter fans and a menu that includes excellent…
Chin State
The closest approximation of a modern coffeehouse in all of Chin and one of the few (or only?) where you can order an espresso. It's dimly lit, with a TV…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Botan has been making a single, perfect dish in the same traditional wooden house since the 1890s. Sit cross-legged on rattan mats as chicken sukiyaki …
Ranong Province
Twinkling lights, prayer flags and driftwood signs adorn this artsy, easygoing food shack. Tuck into fantastic homemade panini (garlic mushroom, cashew…
Mandalay
Blandly modern, if sparkling clean, this contemporary Thai place makes up for its lack of atmosphere with convenience (close to several recommended hotels…
