Little India & Kampong Glam
You can choose your level of spice at friendly Lagnaa: level three denotes standard spiciness, level four significant spiciness, and anything above…
Must-see restaurants in Southeast Asia
Kuala Lumpur
Barack Obama visited this worthy project run by Dignity, a Malaysian foundation providing education for the poor and refugees. Students gain work…
Surabaya
Put on your posh frock to come to this highly regarded restaurant. It's set inside a renovated colonial mansion with 6m-high ceilings, chandeliers and…
Jakarta
High tea or cocktails? You can have both, plus a divine Indonesian dinner in between at this alluring re-imagined Dutch colonial mansion, once Batavia's…
Bagan
Enjoy delicious and exciting dishes surrounded by tropical plants in the open-sided dining room of this memorably good restaurant. You'll find inventive…
Dong Hoi
Splendid Tree Hugger's combo of coffees, juices and Western-style snacks lures throngs of travellers and English-speaking Dong Hoi locals. There are also…
Kuching
This elegant restaurant, 2km southeast of Old Chinatown, was the first to treat Dayak home cooking as true cuisine. Classically trained in a Western style…
Hat Patong
At Phuket's top Italian restaurant, amid sleek, monochrome decor, you can dine on homebaked focaccia, deliciously creamy buffalo mozzarella and house-made…
Chiang Dao
The undisputed culinary highlight of the area, Chiang Dao Nest is worth the trip from Chiang Mai all by itself. Discover imported ales, fine wines and…
Malang
The Tugu hotel's poolside restaurant is a romantic setting for a meal, with attentive staff to guide you through the delicious Indonesian and Chinese…
Hoi An
One of Hoi An's culinary secrets, Tadioto (owned and run by author, award-winning journalist and polylinguist Nguyen Qui Duc) belongs in its own charming…
Sarawak
At this delightful cafe diners feast on healthy local food such as mushroom rolls, spicy otak otak barbecued fish, deliciously fresh herb salad and…
South Jakarta
Inside this grand old 1920s colonial house is one of Jakarta's best upmarket Indonesian restaurants. The menu changes nightly depending on what the chefs…
Ko Samui
At the isolated Six Senses Samui, the island's ultimate fusion dining experience takes place on nine cantilevered verandas yawning over the gulf. After…
Kota Kinabalu
Flaming woks, crowds of customers and tables of glistening fish and squid, crabs, prawns and lobster, all within a few metres of the fishing boats bobbing…
Flores
This sparkling-clean, bare-walled restaurant is filled with travellers out for a taste of local food, but who come back for Martin, the charismatic owner…
Laos
It's hard to envisage a more beautifully situated restaurant in all of Laos, as Carpe Diem is set in thatched pavilions dotted about the lower falls of…
Hat Patong
Inspired by traditional fishing-village architecture, with lotus ponds, a glassed-in pavilion and skilled Trang-born chefs, the outstanding, seaside…
Banglamphu
Wearing ski goggles and furiously cooking over a charcoal fire, septuagenarian Jay Fai is renowned for serving Bangkok’s tastiest (and priciest) crab…
Siem Reap
The Cambodian word for food is mahob, and at this restaurant it is delicious. Set in a traditional wooden house with a contemporary twist, this place…
West Java
Pangandaran’s terrific fish market consists of more than a dozen large, open-sided restaurants just off the east beach. Karya Bahari is considered the…
Phnom Penh
This three-storey air-conditioned cafe sets itself out as the capital's first 100% vegan restaurant, creating original homemade superfood recipes in its…
Yogyakarta
This lively French-owned kitchen is a delight in every sense and comes highly recommended by expats. Everything is homemade, including crusty baguettes…
Mandalay
Come hungry to this downtown spot that clocks in with over 80 varieties of meat, vegetables and side dishes, all stored in colourful bins in refrigerators…
Phuket
Launched in 2017 in a sleek glassed-in space, the Cherngtalay branch of star Phuket chef Noi Tammasak's sought-after Suay is a fusion-tastic sensation…
Flores
This open-sided Indo-Australian affair starts with local coffee, house-made soy milk and freshly baked bread; it progresses to exceptional Indonesian…
Bangkok
Run by a passionate, hands-on Italian chef, this fabulous restaurant serves a sturdy range of northern Italian goodies in its casual yet stylish premises…
Phuket Town
Fabulous fusion and fine wines, courtesy of top Phuket chef-owner Noi Tammasak, are the draw at this converted house just south of the Old Town. Spicy…
Bukit Peninsula
From this triple-level cafe on its cliff-side perch, you can watch never-ending swells march across the Indian Ocean and the surfers carve it up when the…
Singapore
Madam Ong Kim Hoi famously started out with an unnamed hawker stall (hence 'No Signboard'), but the popularity of her seafood made her a rich woman, with…
Sentosa Island
Free-flowing-alcohol Sunday brunch is huge in Singapore, and this posh, secluded spot – complete with strutting peacocks and roaming band – serves one of…
Danang
This stylish restaurant and lounge bar has led the eating and drinking charge across the Han River on the eastern shore. Innovative Asian fusion dishes,…
Ho Chi Minh City
This cafe/cultural centre is a gem. It's tricky to find: off busy Ð Pasteur, along an alley and then up steep stairs in a somewhat rundown apartment…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Behind the raw concrete and timber facade of the old Mah Lian Hotel is this restaurant and teashop with a plant-filled courtyard and the original hotel…
Holland Village, Dempsey Hill & the Botanic Gardens
The first and only Peranakan restaurant with a Michelin star, Candlenut is where Singaporeans head to impress out-of-towners. Chef Malcolm Lee does not…
Chiang Khan
One of our favourite restaurants in Loei Province. There's a full Isan menu but its speciality is đôrng dêng noodles (a super-thick version of kà·nŏm jeen…
Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son's morning market is a fun place to have breakfast. Several vendors at the northern end of the market sell unusual fare such as tòo·a poo ùn,…
Singapore
When it comes to chart-topping crab, no shortage of locals will direct you to Mellben, a modern, hawker-style set-up at the bottom of a nondescript block…
Jakarta
There are more than 70 types of artisanal tea on offer at Lewis & Carroll. The tea lounge serves locally sourced teas with names like Batavia Grey and…
Kuching
This neon-lit courtyard and its half-dozen humming seafood stalls sits, rather improbably, on the roof of a concrete parking garage. Don't be pressured…
