Camiguin
Camiguin's culinary profile is given a big boost by this restaurant housed in a large yellow villa on an isolated bit of waterfront. The culinary-school…
Must-see restaurants in Southeast Asia
Northeastern Thailand
Also known as Som Tom Mae Pet, this simple Isan restaurant by Wat Salaloi is Surin's most famous purveyor of sôm·đam (spicy green-papaya salad) and gài…
Pahang & Tioman Island
The excellent restaurant at the resort is open to nonguests and serves a fantastic range of foods, from local dishes such as satay (RM26) to salads,…
Ho Chi Minh City
This wonderful florist-cafe is run by an artistic owner who takes as much care with her bouquets as she does with her cooking. The food is healthy,…
Northeastern Thailand
It’s a bit of a trek south of the centre, but this is a real Isan restaurant with dishes such as gôry kài mót daang (raw meat 'salad' with red-ant eggs)…
Kep
Eating at the crab market – a row of wooden waterfront restaurants by a wet fish market – is a quintessential Kep experience. Fresh crabs fried with…
Luang Prabang
Offering a Lao fusion menu inspired by the recipes of royal chef Phia Sing and sprinkled with some magic dust from Michelin-starred Thai chef Bongkoch …
Kuantan
With soft lighting, a jumble of antiques, odds and ends, curios and vintage paintings, and an enticing choice of tables, this superb, eclectic and very…
South Jakarta
This branch of the Michelin-starred Taiwanese dumpling restaurant, one of many in Jakarta, is well hidden and has a relaxing ambience. It specialises in…
Ubud
Celebrity chef Will Goldfarb, who hails from the States and gained fame via Netflix's Chef's Table, runs what could be a nightclub but is in fact a…
Sanur
This hub for entrepreneurship, which is part of a growing, membership-based network of beach clubs, also serves up delicious food and drinks from a…
George Town
Penang's most famous hawker complex sits just past the Gurney Plaza mall, cooled by breezes wafting in off the sea. It buzzes with stalls serving Muslim…
Phuket
Elegant yet understated, one of Phuket's finest restaurants sits in glorious hilltop, sea-surrounded seclusion, 20km northeast of Phuket Town. Blue…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
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…
Kanchanaburi
Masterful spice blends, a creative menu and peaceful river views make this one of the most irresistible restaurants in Kanchanaburi. The signature…
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…
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…
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…
Central Mountains
Easily the best option for a meal in the area, this fantastic cafe has epic volcano views. It's affiliated with the much-loved Warung Bodag Maliah…
Phuket
Cool-blue booths, an open-plan kitchen and white-brick walls plastered with artwork set the scene for chef Jamie Wakeford's ambitious, contemporary…
Miri
If you’ve never tried Kelabit cuisine, this place will open up whole new worlds for your taste buds. Queue up and choose from the colourful array of …
Chiang Mai
A riverside, three-in-one stop for delicious meals, contemporary art and perhaps a bit of shopping. The stylish, modern cafe specialises in Thai food,…
Cameron Highlands
On a lofty perch above Tanah Rata's main drag, Singh's serves the most authentic Indian food in town, with a strong Punjabi flavour. Dig into fragrant…
Sihanoukville
Loosely modelled on the beloved Phnom Penh institution Romdeng, this superb restaurant is an extension of the vocational-training programs for at-risk…
Ipoh
Ipoh's signature dish, tauge ayam (chicken and bean sprouts), has been honed to perfection at perennially popular Lou Wong: velvety-smooth poached chicken…
Yangon
It's hard to believe that this trendy cafe, with its artfully distressed walls and minimalistic chic furnishings, was once a car workshop. The menu…
Manila
Arguably Manila’s finest restaurant for almost 15 years, this refined European bistro is headed by Scottish chef-owner Colin Mackay, who also runs People…
Flores
Don't miss this beachside fish shack. Sit at a tree-shaded table on the sand and order the catch of the day or a soul-stirring ikan kuah assam (tamarind…
Jalan Jaksa Area
A fittingly fashionable bistro occupies the lobby of the designer Kosenda Hotel, with a 24-hour bar and a menu of modern Asian. Food appears to be served…
