the 50 best foods in the world and where to eat them _ life and style _ the observer

The 50 best things to eat in the world,and where to eat themFrom cake, steak and tapas, to oysters, chicken and burgers,Killian Fox roamed the world to find the 50 best things to eat andthe best places to eat them in, with a little help from professionalslike Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux, Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray

Killian FoxThe Observ er, Sunday 1 3 Septem ber 2009

1. Best place to eat: Oysters.Strangfor Lough, Northern Ireland

Richard Corrigan reckons Strangford Lough oysters arethe world’s best. Photograph: John Smith/Corbis"If I were to die tomorrow, I'd walk to Strangford, get a couple of bottles of really coldChablis, and eat as many Strangford Lough oysters as I could. Then I'd die very happilyindeed. There are very few places you can get Strangford Lough oysters now. Last time,we bought some from a company called Cuan and went to a beautiful local pub andopened them ourselves. The speed of the tidal movement, and the huge nutrientrichness of the water, is what makes them so good. The only accompaniment you need islemon juice and black pepper: you'd never ever use vinegar and shallots or Tabasco."

Cuan Oysters, Sketrick Island, Killinchy, Newtownards, County Down, NorthernIreland, 02897 541461, www.cuanoysters.com

2. Best place to eat: AuberginesTa Kioupa, Athens

"The aubergines were slow- baked for six hours, brought to the table whole, and skinnedin front of us. They took out the flesh, crisscrossed the aubergines with two knives, andthen added whipped cream with hazelnuts, lemon, sweet pepper, oil, feta cheese, saltand pepper. Incredible."

Dinokratous & An, Polemou 22, Kolonaki, 11521 Athens, 0030 210 7400150,www.takioupia.com

3. Best place to eat: HamburgersLittle Owl, New York

There are many fine hamburgers in New York, even the most mediocre of which wouldput its British counterparts to shame. But the best is the bacon cheeseburger at a smallGreenwich Village bistro called Little Owl. "This sandwich is so copiously juicy, so richwith precious bodily fluids," says Josh Ozersky, author of The Hamburger: A History,"that it practically haemorrhages onto the plate. But the meat, which is a signature blendfrom New York's virtuoso hamburger maker Pat La Frieda, is perfectly paired with a

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bun of uniquely moist and yielding character. It's by far the best cheeseburger in this orany other city."

90 Bedford St, New York, 001 212 741 4695, www.thelittleowlnyc.com

4. Best place to eat: ZabaglioneLa Cinzianelle

The best place in the world to eat zabaglione, according to Giorgio Locatelli, is at hisuncle's restaurant, La Cinzianell, in Corgeno, northern Italy. "As the sun goes downbehind Monte Rosa and it starts getting a bit chilly, the thing I enjoy most is thezabaglione prepared by my cousin Maurizio…"

Via Lago, 26 Corgeno, 0039 0 331 946 337

5. Best place to eat: PhoPho 24, Vietnam

Vietnam’s signature dish Pho at 'Pho 24' in Hanoi,Vietnam. Photograph: Krista Kennell/CorbisPho, a noodle soup with thin slices of meat (usually beef but sometimes chicken), isVietnam's signature dish, and the issue of who makes it best is as tangled as white ricenoodles in tasty broth. The Hanoi streets throw up a lot of persuasive contenders, suchas the shack at 172 Ton Duc Thang Street. However, the sleek chain restaurant Pho 24,with branches around the country and across Asia, produces Vietnam's most reliablygood pho. The meat is of a consistently high quality – a rarity in Vietnam – and the stockimpresses even the hardest-to-please critics.

5 Nguyen Thiep Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (and other locations).0084 88226278, www.pho24.com.vn

7. Best place to eat: MacaroonsLaduree, Paris

The original M Ladurée opened his bakery on the rue Royale in 1862. In 1930 hisgrandson invented the double-decker macaroon – two shells of the meringue-like pastryheld together by creamy ganache filling. Ladurée has produced the definitive macaroonsever since. In recent years the company has opened shops around the world, but theoriginal is by far the best.

16 rue Royale, 75008 Paris, 0033 01 42 60 21 79, www.laduree.fr

8. Best place to eat: Roast ChickenL'Ami Louis, Paris

This Paris fixture, open since 1924, is the ultimate French bistro. Heads of state (Clinton,Gorbachev) and cultural giants (Welles, Hemingway) have come here to feast onsumptuous roast chicken, served whole with matchstick pommes frites and a simplegreen salad. It's touristy and expensive and the decor is a bit clichéd, but such detailsbecome trivial once the chicken (which inspired Simon Hopkinson to write his much-loved Roast Chicken and Other Stories) turns up at the table.

32 rue du Vertbois, 3e, 3rd arrondissement, Paris, 0033 1 48 87 77 48



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9. Best place to drink: MilkshakesFosselman's, Los Angeles

The ingredients for the perfect milkshake are extremely good ice cream mixed with justthe right amount of milk, and a classic American setting. The award-laden Fosselman's,in the LA suburb of Alhambra, has been offering both since 1924. The milkshakes, madewith home-made ice cream, taste like you'd expect milkshakes to taste in the movies.Make a beeline for the double-chocolate malt.

1824 W Main Street, Alhambra, Los Angeles, 001 626 282 6533, www.fosselmans.com

10. Best place to eat: Texas barbecueSnow's, Texas

The title of best BBQ joint in Texas is hotly contested in a state where the consumptionof charred meats is as serious as religion. Texas Monthly magazine does the definitiveannual poll. Most recently, the magazine awarded the title to Snow's, a rank outsiderthat has been trading a mere five years. Run by a former rodeo clown and an elderlylady named Tootsie, the restaurant only opens on Saturday mornings and consists of asmall number of tables around a smoking pit.

516 Main Street, Lexington, Texas, 001 979 773 4640 (Saturday only),www.snowsbbq.com

11. Best place to eat: SteakEl Carpicho, Jimenez de Jamuz, Spain

Time magazine called it "the perfect steak". American Vogue's exacting food writerJeffrey Steingarten said it was "probably the greatest steak I've ever eaten". They werereferring to an enormous chuletón taken from the central rib section of a 16-year-oldRubia Gallega ox, dry-aged for 90 days, and served in the cellar dining room of a ruralbodega named El Capricho, near León in north-west Spain.

Paraje de las Bodegas, s/n, Jimenez de Jamuz, near León, Spain, 0034 987 664224

12. Best place to eat: Fish and chipsThe Wee Chippy, Fife, Scotland

The nearby Anstruther Fish Bar wins all the plaudits – it was named Fish and Chip Shopof the Year by the National Federation of Fish Friers last January – but locals swear byits rival, The Wee Chippy, which serves sublime fish and chips on the same street andwithout the endless queues.

4 Shore Street, Anstruther, Fife, 01333 310106

13. Best place to eat: Strawberry tartRestaurant de Bacon, Antibes, France

"When I go to the south of France in the summer, I always visit the Restaurant de Baconin the Cap d'Antibes and I wait eagerly, in front of the sea and the old town, for the mostamazing wild strawberry tart. The crust melts in the mouth, it is deliciously flavouredwith butter, and once you have finished it you feel delightfully naughty."

688 Boulevard de Bacon, 06160 Cap D'Antibes, France, 0033 4 93 61 50 02,www.restaurantdebacon.com

14. Best place to eat: Pastrami on rye



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Katz's Deli, New York

The mail order department of Katz's Delicatessen on theLower East Side of Manhattan, New York. Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty ImagesThe legendary pastrami on rye from Katz's, New York's oldest (and possibly shabbiest)deli, could qualify as king of all sandwiches by virtue of size alone: a whole pound ofbrined beef, pre-trimming, is used in each serving. The sandwich – stacks of juicy meatwith mustard and pickles between slices of rye bread – is as jaw-dropping, taste-wise, asit is gobstopping. (Recall Meg Ryan's unfaked endorsement of it in When Harry MetSally.)

205 E Houston Street at Ludlow Street, New York, 001 212 254 2246,www.katzdeli.com

15. Best place to eat: Custard tartAntiga Confeitaria de Belem, Lisbon

Creamy, flaky custard tarts – served warm with cinnamon – are one of Portugal's greatculinary gifts to the world. The original pasteis café in the Belém district of Lisbon, nextto the monastery where the dessert was invented, is still the best: their secret recipe hasbeen guarded since 1837. Sit down with a plateful, and a strong coffee, and you'llunderstand why more than 10,000 tarts are baked here every day.

Rua de Belém, 84-92, Belém, Lisbon, 00351 21 363 7423, www.pasteisdebelem.pt

16. Best place to eat: Leg of beefLe Louchebem, Paris

"For the most wonderful leg of beef I can't go past Le Louchebem in Paris, a simple, plaincafé with a very, very good rotisserie, located in the old meat district of Les Halles. Thebeef comes with mashed potato and three different sauces."

31 rue Berger, Angle 10, rue des Prouvaires, Paris, 0033 1 42 33 12 99, www.le-louchebem.fr

17. Best place to drink: Tomato juiceHappy Girl Kitchen, California

"If you find yourself in Marin County, California, it's well worth the time to drive downthe beautiful shoreline road to San Francisco and visit the Ferry Building for theheirloom organic tomato juice from Happy Girl Kitchen, which has a stall there onSaturdays. They blend it with coriander and chilli and it's quite literally the best tomatojuice you'll ever taste."

Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, One Ferry Building, San Francisco, 001 831 750 9579,www.happygirlkitchen.com



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18. Best place to eat: Italian slow foodCoco Lezzone, Florence

"You can get the most amazing 'slow food' in this tiny family- run restaurant which hasbeen around for about 30 years. It is famous for its pappa pomodoro and ribollita – thetwo most traditional Tuscan bread soups. And they do the most delicious arista: porkloin cooked on the bone, stuffed with fennel seeds, garlic and rosemary, and served atroom temperature."

Via del Parioncino 26, Florence, Italy, 0039 05 52 87 17 8

19. Best place to eat: Nordic foodOlo, Helsinki

"When I'm back home in Finland, I always visit Olo in Helsinki. The chef, Pekka Terävä,has created a brand in its own right, cooking modern Nordic cuisine with the bestseasonal ingredients."

Kasarmikatu 44, 00130 Helsinki, Finland. 00358 9 665 565, www.olo-restaurant.com

20. Best place to buy: Olive oilTurkish embassy electrical supplies, London

Mehmet Murat in his electrical shop. Photograph: AndyHallThe most unlikely olive oil vendor in the world? At his electrical supply shop in London'sClerkenwell, Mehmet Murat sells wonderful, intensely fruity oil from his family's olivegroves in Cyprus and south-west Turkey. Now he imports more than a 1,000 litres peryear. His lemon-flavoured oil is good enough to drink on its own.

76 Compton Street, London EC1, 020 7251 4721, www.planet mem.com

And Manni

One of the priciest olive oils in the world, the minimum order of a litre of Manni costs£190. Film director Armando Manni harvests olives from seven plantations at differentaltitudes on a Tuscan mountain and speed-couriers the oil in small, UV-resistant bottles.The flavours are extraordinary. Chef Thomas Keller, of The French Laundry and Per Se,has called it "the best olive oil in the market".

Monte Amiata, Seggiano, Italy, 0039 069 7274787, www.manni.biz

21. Best place to eat: TacosEl Pastorcito, Mexico City



People drive the length and breadth of Mexico City, causing traffic jams, to get to thisneighbourhood taqueria, which spills out onto the street from dusk till dawn. The maindraw is their superlative tacos al pastor – a speciality of the capital – made with porkcarved from a shawarma-style spit and ultra-fresh salsa served in dramatically massivestone bowls.

4503 Lorenzo Boturini Street, 24 de Abril, Mexico City, Mexico, 0051 55 5764 1185,www.elpastorcitodeboturini.com

22. Best place to eat: Peking DuckQuanjude, Beijing

Beijing's most famous purveyor of Peking duck is nothing if not well-endorsed: morethan 115 million ducks have been dished up in the restaurant's 145-year history, andChina's first Premier, Zhou Enlai, personally chose the location for the seven-storeyHepingmen branch. Quantity hasn't affected quality: the duck, with its crispy red skinand melt-in-the-mouth flesh, is sublime – 400 versions of the classic dish are available:opt for the classic kaoya.

Hepingmen Dajie, Xuanwu District, Beijing, China, 0086 10 6552 3745,www.quanjude.com.cn

23. Best place to eat: Pork bellyGramercy Tavern, New York

The dining room at Gramercy Tavern in New York.Photograph: Neville Elder/Corbis"As far as I'm concerned, the Gramercy Tavern is one of the best places to eat in NewYork, and the best place to eat pig. It is very relaxed but serves spectacular food. Ialways have the rack of pork and braised belly and it always tastes perfect."

42 East 20th Street, New York, New York, 001 212 477 0777,www.gramercytavern.com

24. Best place to eat: Vegetarian IndianSagar Ratna, Delhi

"Sagar Ratna, in Delhi, serves South Indian vegetarian food – pukka food that nourishesthe body and soul and is always in harmony with the seasons. My favourite dish therehas always been idli sambhar: steamed rice cakes with coconut chutney and sambharlentils."

18 Defence Colony Market, New Delhi, 110024, Delhi, India, 0091 11 24 33 36 58

25. Best place to eat: Sushi



Daiwa sushi, Tokyo

If you want the world's best sushi, don't even think of looking anywhere but Japan.Empty your bank account and eat at one of Tokyo's swankiest sushi temples, such as thethree-Michelin-star Jiro in Ginza. Alternatively, go right to the heart of the action, to thecity's overwhelming Tsukiji fish market (the largest on the planet), and eatunsurpassable sushi for a fraction of the price at Daiwa Sushi. It's a fast-moving hole-in-the-wall establishment without tables and it's only open for breakfast, but none of thismatters once the expertly prepared rolls come your way. Try the melt-in-the-mouthtai, a type of sea bream that is impossible to get outside Japan.

Building 6, Chuo-ichiba, 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 0081 3 3547 6807

26. Best place to eat: Filipino cuisineLighthouse Restaurant, Cebu, Philippines

"The Lighthouse in Cebu in the Philippines is my favourite restaurant. We always eatbulalo (beef stew), banana heart salad, adobo (marinaded meat), baked oysters, pancitnoodles, lechon de leche (suckling pig) and, to drink, green mango juice – my daughter isaddicted to it! The staff are so friendly and welcoming. The chef has been there for morethan 20 years, so the food is very consistent."

Gaisano Country Mall, Banilad, Cebu city, Philippines, 0063 32 231 2478

27. Best place to eat: California cuisineChez Panisse, Berkeley, California

"Chez Panisse doesn't just do the world's best Californian food: it is quite simply the bestrestaurant in the world. Superb."

1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California, 001 510 548 5525, www.chezpanisse.com

28. Best place to eat: Algerian foodRestaurant Gnaoua, Algiers

"To get a really good North African meal in Algeria you have to get yourself invited tosomeone's house, and as there are so few tourists, people would love to have you to theirhome for a meal. The few restaurants around tend to serve bad French food. That said,there is a handful of really good grilled-fish restaurants down in the port in Algiers. Myfavourite is a small, traditional place called Restaurant Gnaoua. The owner, Hamidou,understands Algerian cuisine. It's not an easy cuisine to get, but he just does."

Cite Sahraoui, les Deux Bassins, Ben Aknoun, Algiers, Algeria

29. Best place to eat: Classic French cuisine, Close des Gourmets, Paris

"I eat at Clos Des Gourmets two or three times a week when I'm in Paris. They only useseasonal ingredients and always add a touch of wackiness to very classic dishes. Theylove creating new things. I suppose it's new classic French cuisine. I'll have roast kidneysor grilled rabbit with fresh herbs in a white wine sauce, asparagus with truffle in earlysummer, and a lavender crème brûlée to finish. It's always madly busy but the dishesare always perfectly cooked. And it's amazingly cheap: ¤80 for three courses with wine.Unbelievable."

16 Avenue Rapp, Paris, 0033 1 45 51 75 61, www.closdesgourmets.com

30. Best place to eat: Tapas



Cal Pep, Barcelona

"Cal Pep does completely amazing tapas. It has a brilliant atmosphere, and the bar ispresided over by the owner, Pep, himself. Order the langoustines with onions, chickpeas,spinach and bacon, and fried seafood."

Plaça de les Olles 8, Barcelona, 0034 93 31 07 961, www.calpep.com

31. Best place to eat: PizzaFrank Pepe Pizzeria, New Haven, Conneticut

You could generate enough heat to fuel a brick oven with the argument over whichcountry bakes the world's best pizza: Italy, where the concept originated, or America,where it was globalised. Neapolitan purists will make pilgrimages to hotspots such as LaSorrentina, outside Naples, whose chef has won the prestigious Naples PizzaChampionship, but we contend that the upstart Yanks do it better. The best Americanpizza can be found, not in New York as is commonly assumed, but in New Haven,Connecticut, where the Pepe family has been spinning dough since 1925. Their whiteclam pie has no equals.

157 Wooster Street, New Haven, Connecticut, 001 203 865 5762,www.pepespizzeria.com

Pizzeria La Sorrentina, Via Domenico Pirozzi 37, Fratta Maggiore, Italy, 0039 3383248615

32. Best place to eat: Thai curryKrua Apsorn, Bangkok

"When I'm in Bangkok, I go to Apsorn's Kitchen, also known as Krua Apsorn, a smallrestaurant just up from the National Library. It is a great place to go for incrediblytraditional Thai food. I have the crab in curry powder, followed by the deep-friedkingfish with green mango and the yellow curry with prawns and lotus shoots."

503-505 Sam San Road, Dusit, Bangkok, Thailand 0066 2 24 18 52 8

33. Best place to eat: Simple French foodLe Vin et L'Assiette, Besancon, France

"When I go home, I go to Le Vin et L'Assiette in Besançon and order pâté de campagne,a big chunk of crusty bread and a glass of wine. The restaurant is honest, simple, and awonderful place. It has fantastic wine cellars with local wines that people would neverhave heard of."

97 rue Battant, Besançon, France, 0033 3 81 81 48 18

34. Best place to eat: Ice creamCorrado Costanzo, Noto, Sicily

The legend about Romans making the earliest ice creams from the snows of Mount Etnamay be apocryphal, but Sicily is still the best place for frozen treats in gelato-crazedItaly, and Italian ice cream, as everybody knows, is the finest in the world. (Gelato ismade with considerably less butterfat than the heavier American variants, for starters.)Corrado Costanzo's pastry shop can be found in the crumbling baroque town of Noto, inthe south-eastern corner of the island. We defy you to find an ice better than histranscendent mandarin-orange granita.

Via Silvio Spaventa 7, Noto, Sicily, 0039 931 835 243



35. Best place to eat: KebabsBade Miya, Mumbai

An entire Mumbai street gets overrun, nightly, by pilgrims to an unassuming grilled-food vendor on a pavement behind the Taj Hotel. People hunch over rickety outdoortables, or the hoods of their cars, to gorge on cheap, basic but spectacular kebabs, rotirolls and drumsticks hot from the grill. The chicken tangdi kebab is especially delicious.

Tulloch Road, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai, India

36. Best place to eat: RavioliBabbo, New York

"I love the oxtail ravioli with black truffles and pigeon liver sauce at Babbo in New York,my favourite restaurant. It is a simple neighbourhood Italian, but it has a wonderfulatmosphere . The only problem is that the restaurant is so busy you have to book amonth in advance."

110 Waverly Place, New York, 001 212 777 0303, www.babbonyc.com

37. Best place to eat: PrawnsCasa Bigote, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain

"The logo of this restaurant is actually a prawn, and they get their seafood from littledayboats. They serve the local Sanlucar prawn, which is mild and sweet, a bit like a tigerprawn but pinker. They do mantis shrimps too – prehistoric-looking things which tastelike white crab meat. They steam them, and really needn't do anything else."

Restaurante Casa Bigote, Bajo de Guia, 10, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, Andalucía,0034 956 36 26 96/956 36 32 42

38. Best place to eat: CurrywurstKonnopke's Imbiss, Berlin

The German obsession with currywurst – 800m portions of chopped sausage with sweetcurry sauce are consumed each year – reaches its zenith in Berlin, where countlessdiners and roadside stalls vie for the currywurst crown. It's hard to improve onKonnopke's, which has been serving superlative sausage since 1930 under raised traintracks in Prenzlauerberg. Consume with fries and a cold bottle of Berliner Pilsner formaximum impact.

Schönhauser Allee 44a, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, 0049 30 442 7765, www.konnopke-imbiss.de

39. Best place to eat: HamCasas, Aracena, Spain

"Aracena, 40 minutes north of Seville, feels like a frontier town, because north of it is anarea the size of Wales of nonstop forest. Here groups of men disappear for months at atime harvesting the cork bark and tending the oak so the iberico pig may gorge onacorns. Black foot ham from nearby Jabugo is some of the finest in the country, andthere is nothing better than sitting down in any of the bars and restaurants in Aracena toa plate of this rich delicacy, sliced and served with unpretentious understanding. Lasttime we were there we had a memorable revueltos (scrambled eggs) with setas (localwild mushrooms) and jamón at Casas."

Calle Colmenetas 41, Aracena, Huelva, Spain, 0034 959/128044



40. Best place to eat: Chocolate cakePierre Herme, Paris

"When Pierre Hermé first let me try his heart-shaped Chuao cake, made withblackcurrants and a chuao couverture from Pralus, I totally forgot where I was. It was afirework of aromas, temperatures and textures. The freshness of the fruit flirted withthe roundness of the chocolate. Hermé is a genius – one of my chocolate gods. The cakeis seasonal and available on demand, and now made with Valrhona, but it is still myfavourite in the world."

72, rue Bonaparte, Paris, 0033 01 43 54 47 77, www.pierreherme.com

41. Best place to eat: Fried potatoesBomba Bar Cova Fumada, Barcelona

"It's an ancient place, with a marble bar on which they note down what you've had withchalk. Father and son run the bar, while the grandmother and mother look after thestove. Go for the bomba, crushed potato balls with minced meat, bread-crumbed anddeep-fried with a spicy sauce."

No 56 Carrer del Baluard, Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain, 0034 93 221 4061

42. Best place to eat: OctopusTholos, Symi, Greece

"On my most recent trip to the Dodecanese islands, outside a tiny taverna in Symi portthat overlooked the beautiful bay, we ate monster 4kg octopus cooked in its own waterthen barbecued and brushed with the juice from the cooking. It was super-tender andcrunchy on the outside. The flavours were incredibly intense – the juice had beenflavoured with rosemary, garlic and olive oil. The best time to eat octopus here is May orlate September."

Gialos, Symi 85600, Islands, Greece, 0030 22460 72033

43. Best place to eat: BouillabaisseRestaurant de Bacon, Antibes, France

"The most powerful experience I ever had with a bouillabaisse (Provençal fish stew) wasat this restaurant by the sea in Antibes. The place itself is nothing fancy but it's veryfamous for this dish, and people travel a long way for it. They kill you with the price – itcosts an arm and a leg – but it's worth it. They use fish from the region that's beencaught that same morning, and bouillabaisse is their speciality: they do it better thananyone else on this planet. It's really an experience."

688 Boulevard de Bacon, 06160 Cap D'Antibes, France, 0033 4 93 61 50 02,www.restaurantdebacon.com

44. Best place to eat: Steak and kidney pieThe Hinds Head, Bray



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Heston Blumenthal in his pub, The Hinds Head.Photograph: Karen RobinsonHeston Blumenthal made hundreds of different versions of steak and kidney pie beforedeciding that oxtail gave the preferred meaty kick. The result is on the menu at his pub,just down the road from The Fat Duck in Bray, and it is beyond spectacular.

High Street, Bray, Berkshire, 01628 626151, www.thehindsheadhotel.com

45. Best place to eat: PastaTrattoria Caprini, Verona, Italy

"This little restaurant in Verona makes the most beautiful pasta in the traditional way,rolling it into wafer thin sheets before cutting it into the various shapes. The pasta is richand eggy with a slightly tough texture that ensures that it doesn't turn sloppy whencooked. We went recently and loved the pasta so much we bought some back for thechefs at the restaurant. It was so delicious that they ate it with just some olive oil – thepasta spoke for itself."

9 Via Paolo Zanotti, Torbe di Negrar di Volpolicella, Verona, Italy, 0039 0457500511,www.trattoriacaprini.it

46. Best place to eat: CevicheSankuay, Lima, Peru

The ceviche craze has gone global in recent years (it now graces the menu at London'sNobu), but to really experience Peru's national dish of raw fish cured in lime juice andhot pepper, you have to venture into the backstreets of Lima. The title of bestcebecheria is hotly contested in the Peruvian capital. Javier Wong's Sankuayundoubtedly has the greatest sense of theatre. There's no sign outside, and the buildingin the anonymous Balconcillo district turns out to be the chef's own home. There are only10 tables, and no menu. Wong's cebiche, made with lenguado (a type of sole) andaccompanied by octopus discs rather than the usual choclo (white maize) and camote(sweet potato), is out of this world.

Garcia Leon 114 (between block 3 and 4 of Av Canada), Santa Catalina, La Victoria,Lima, Peru, 0011 51 1 470 6217

47. Best place to eat: Suckling pigMontimar, Estellencs, Mallorca

"This restaurant is in the tiny village of Estellencs in Mallorca, where our mother grewup. Every time we come to visit we eat here – you actually have to walk through theterrace of the restaurant to get to our house. The suckling pig is delicious."

Plaça Constitució 7, 07192 Estellencs, Mallorca, 0034 971 618 576



48. Best place to eat: CurryKarim's, Delhi

In a beehive of rooms off a hectic Old Delhi bazaar, the Zahiruddin family, which oncecooked for Mughal emperors, has been serving sumptuous curries and grilled meatssince 1913. The butter chicken curry, served in a rich tomato sauce, is as much alandmark as the colossal Jama Masjid at the end of the street. Devotees swear it's thebest curry in India and therefore, naturally, the world.

Jama Masjid, Gala Kababian, Old Delhi, India, 0091 11 2326 9880,www.karimhoteldelhi.com

49. Best place to eat: Dim sumLuk Yu Tea House, Hong Kong

"Hong Kong is the best place for dim sum, and Luk Yu Tea House is a Hong Konginstitution. It feels very authentic, and the dim sum they do is of an extremely highquality (it's incredible how they've managed to keep both the quality and theauthenticity). The menu hasn't really changed since it opened in 1933. You get thingshere you won't get anywhere else. They buy the best Chinese ham and grill it in smallslices as an appetiser – amazing with a glass of red wine. And they still do incredible eggtarts."

24-26 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong, 00852 2523 5464

50. Best place to eat: RamenRamen Jiro, Tokyo

"People in Japan always say ramen (Japanese noodle soup) can't be this and can't bethat. Ramen Jiro is very non-traditional, in your face, take it or leave it. You either loveit or hate it, but people who like it are good people. It's got pork, it's got cabbage, it's gotgarlic, and the sauce is sweet. It's gnarly. There are several branches; my favourite isthe one near Keio University."

2-14-11 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

WITH THANKS TO

Fergus Henderson, St John, LondonAnthony Demetre, Arbutus, Soho Skye Gyngell, Petersham Nurseries, Richmond, Surrey Rowley Leigh, Le Café Anglais, LondonOliver Rowe, Konstam at the Prince Albert, London Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, The River Café, London. Helena Puolakka, Skylon, London Stuart Gillies, The Boxwood Café, London Jason Atherton, Maze, London John Torode, Smiths of Smithfield, London Atul Kochhar, Benares, London Mourad Mazouz, Momo, London Sally Clarke, Clarke's, LondonMichel Roux Sr, The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire; author of "Pastry"Jun Tanaka, Pearl Restaurant, London Sam Hart, Quo Vadis, London David Thompson, Nahm, London Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire Richard Corrigan, Bentley's, London Theodore Kyriakou, More, London Alan Yau, Wagamama, Hakkasan, Yauatcha, all London Sam and Sam Clark, Moro, London Eric Ripert, Le Bernardin, New York



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Darzinho13 Sep 2009, 7:53PMI don't think Pho aficianodos will agree with Pho 24 as being the place to have Pho. Iwould say I've had better Pho in places outside Viet Nam than the Pho served in Pho 24.Great article though - I'll be keeping it as checklist!Recommend? (22)Report abuseClip |Link

syrupmag13 Sep 2009, 9:33PMJust a thought - you might want to try Bluff oysters from New Zealand...Recommend? (33)Report abuseClip |Link

glamorous13 Sep 2009, 10:16PMSo, anyone been to the Olive oil dealer in number 20? I don't mean Manni of course.Recommend? (3)Report abuseClip |Link

jojonz14 Sep 2009, 4:41AMThe best place to eat seafood has to be Fleur's Place at Moeraki, on New Zealand's Otagocoast. The Kaimoana Platter, a selection of fresh fish and shellfish, landed by local fishingboats and smoked at the on-site smokehouse is truly superb!Recommend? (22)Report abuseClip |Link

helen4morrissey14 Sep 2009, 12:04PMWhere is the falafel?!Since we're allowed pizza from the US, I'll vote for falafel from l'As du Falafel on the Ruedes Rosiers in Paris.Recommend? (23)Report abuseClip |

Chloe Doutre-Roussel, chocolate connoisseur, buyer and writerDavid Chang, Momnofuku, New YorkEddie Hart, Fino, Barafina, London



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GingerSnaps14 Sep 2009, 12:43PMI suppose it is fantastic to see Cuan Oysters in Strangford lauded - my parents live about3 miles down the road - but oh, we were trying to keep it a secret...Recommend? (2)Report abuseClip |Link

misshelen14 Sep 2009, 2:00PMWhat nothing from Australia or New Zealand? Are you kidding me?Also, best Pho in my opinion is from the markets in Hoi An - they make it with waterfrom a well fed from an underground spring, that's in the middle of the market.Recommend? (44)Report abuseClip |Link

fyodor7614 Sep 2009, 2:27PMPlease learn how to spell Connecticut.Recommend? (16)Report abuseClip |Link

alxpix14 Sep 2009, 2:58PMActually, yes I get my olive oil and other tasty produce from Mehmet and the oil is asgood as they say it is! His olive grove also has a holiday villa on it which he rents out -I've been there and seen them at work on the farm, growing the olives, grafting lemontree branches onto mandarin trees....the care and love they put into this beautiful placeis reflected in the quality of the oil and products from the farm - they taste brill!Recommend? (7)Report abuseClip |Link

CloudCastle15 Sep 2009, 8:37AMThe best place in the world to eat meat and potato pie is at my mum's in Salford. But I'mbiased and there's a strict door policy.Recommend? (95)Report abuseClip |Link

roxy55015 Sep 2009, 8:49AMMisshelen.



Cao lầu, a dish of rice noodles which are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer intexture to pasta. The secret is the water used to make it, and authentic cao lau uses onlywater from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped with slices of roast pork,dough fritters, and this being Vietnam, lots of fresh herbs and veggies.I think that the food in Hoi An you are referring to isn't Pho but a similar soup madewith excellent noodles traditionally from that ancient well. Good but not Pho. Check outsquid/shrimp/goat pho in Mui Ne on the beach for around 20 grand dong or just under 1Euro. Also they do MASSIVE grilled tiger shrimp there for around 1.50 Euro per plate,served on the beach with either a cold beer or quite expensive imported wine. Bliss itwas at the weekend. Going back for seconds this Friday! 6 hours on the bus is worth it.Recommend? (10)Report abuseClip |Link

haddockinthekitchen15 Sep 2009, 9:13AMOnly 50? I seriously doubt it. Where's bread on the list? Surely one of the best things inlife to eat. Of course, that's just my opinion.http://haddockinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2008/09/21/our-daily-bread/Recommend? (24)Report abuseClip |Link

tomweirsbobbleyhat15 Sep 2009, 12:26PMComing from Anstruther i can tell you that the wee chippy is alright but not a patch onthe rightly famous one along the street and the assertion that this is where all the localsgo is just plain wrong. Aside from the celebrity recommendations, makes me wonderwhat research went into this, seemed like a good article but i'm a bit dubious now.Recommend? (23)Report abuseClip |Link

tomweirsbobbleyhat15 Sep 2009, 12:32PMJust had a look at the where the contributors are from in the list of thanks, makes sensenow, dont think many Londoners holiday in Anstruther.Recommend? (10)Report abuseClip |Link

Elitist16 Sep 2009, 12:38AMBest coffee in the world - Decolata, 134 Smith St, Summer Hill, Sydney.Best fish 'n' chips in the universe - Ocean Foods, 154 Lyons RdDrummoyne, SydneyRecommend? (7)Report abuseClip |Link



tomsito16 Sep 2009, 7:25PMI refuse to accept that the best steak in the world could be anywhere other thanArgentina. Sorry to appear arrogant but you're wrong Foxy!Ditto ice-cream, no better city in this world for creamy, not overly sweet, actually tastelike what they're supposed to taste like ice-cream than Buenos Aires.And to prove I'm not overly Argentinecentric (is that even a word?) how about thatresteraunt in Paris that only does steak and chips? The steak comes in a lemon-mustardsauce which I just cannot reproduce and the chips are crispy and hmmmm steak andchips. Anyway, can't remember the name but there's always a massive que and theyrecently opened a (not nearly as good) branch in London.Recommend? (25)Report abuseClip |Link

SpanishKitchen16 Sep 2009, 8:59PMKillian Fox - I want your job! I want to roam the world eating all these wonderful things.Recommend? (6)Report abuseClip |Link

mrdave200017 Sep 2009, 12:38AMAre you out of your mind!!! Best pizza in the world in Connecticut?!?!?! You really likethe clam pizza??? Complete BS, the pizza at any unassuming shop from Brooklyn up I-87to Orange County will be better than anything you can get in Conn. The writer of thisarticle is trying to be different by denying the supremacy of New York pizza, it is kind ofa fad to do that right now. Don't believe a word. Clam pizza is an abomination.Recommend? (32)Report abuseClip |Link

teamryan17 Sep 2009, 3:12AMAny best of list when it comes to food that doesn't include New Orleans can not be takenseriously. Honestly, a list of 50 and not a single mention of New Orleans?This list belongs at the bottom of a bird cage, and that's being polite.Recommend? (26)Report abuseClip |Link

sbron17 Sep 2009, 4:24AMI grew up in Los Angeles and I remember my father used to drive out to the suburbsevery once in a while to get Fosselman's, so it makes me very happy that it is on this list!In addition to the milkshakes they have fantastic ice cream—my dad used to bringmassive containers of it home.I live in New York now, and it's good to see a few restaurants I can try out on the list. I



pass by Babbo all the time but I've never been because I just assume that I'll never beable to get a reservation. Also I've never even heard of Little Owl but it's right aroundthe corner from me so I'll definitely be trying that! And I've heard of Katz's but neverbeen. I feel like it's worth a long crosstown walk...!Recommend? (5)Report abuseClip |Link

oyeindia17 Sep 2009, 2:42PMSaying that the best idli-sambar in the world is at Sagar Ratna in Delhi, is like saying thebest pizza in the world is at Pizza Hut in Mongolia.Clearly your contributor hasn't travelled to the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka inthe south of India, which is where idli-sambar comes from. There are hundreds ofroadside eateries in Bangalore and Mysore cities alone, that I've eaten in, that makethem better than anything Sagar Ratna could dream of.Recommend? (66)Report abuseClip |Link

sabeth17 Sep 2009, 3:25PMThat overpriced tourist trap Katz's at #14?You thank Eric Ripert and David Chang, yet you seem to have no clue what's good inNew York. Pity.Recommend? (5)Report abuseClip |Link

McAbsent17 Sep 2009, 3:35PMMy god, why am I reading this in ramadhan...! Mmmmmmm...I'm glad you guys didn't mention biryani, as my other half occasioanlly shars herannoyance at the fact that the biryani one see's in Indian restaurant is preparedradically different to that created in homes.Recommend? (12)Report abuseClip |Link

tonyj81517 Sep 2009, 4:20PMI agree with teamryan! New Orleans not being on this list of "great" foods is a disgrace!New Orleans easily has some of the best and most original foods that you can getanywhere in the world. One of my personal faves is the BBQ Shrimp Poboy at Liuzza'sBy The Track. Not what you would think a BBQ Shrimp Poboy consists of but its themost delicious and original poboy hands down. You cant get a poboy anywhere betterthan in The Big Easy.Recommend? (10)Report abuseClip |Link



Lamby17 Sep 2009, 4:30PM"And to prove I'm not overly Argentinecentric (is that even a word?) how about thatresteraunt in Paris that only does steak and chips? The steak comes in a lemon-mustardsauce which I just cannot reproduce and the chips are crispy and hmmmm steak andchips. Anyway, can't remember the name but there's always a massive que and theyrecently opened a (not nearly as good) branch in London."Tomsito - you're thinking of Relais de Venice. the sauce is not simply lemon mustard...the recipe is a closely guarded secret (google it) and apparently contains chicken livers....Recommend? (5)Report abuseClip |Link

MarcellaFromItaly17 Sep 2009, 4:35PMI can not really believe the best pizza is from New Haven - or New York, for all thatmatters. Or that the ravioli from Babbo beat any of those I can have in Langherestaurants and trattorie. The article says nothing about how the research was madeand I suspect it could be based on sparse memories of places where contributors enjoyedtheir meals, rather than a more scientific approach (let's just consider zabaglione:apparently the best place to eat it is at the reviewer's uncle's restaurant!). I know youcan't possibly visit every restaurant or eatery on earth but then again, why not go easierand say *some of the best places where* or *some really good places where*. (and, whodecided on the 50 foods? but that's quite another matter... should have rather read *our50 favourite foods*?)Recommend? (32)Report abuseClip |Link

blaggard17 Sep 2009, 5:07PMre: 31 - I live in the New Haven area and I can say that the pizza is definitely not thebest in the world. It's not even the best in Connecticut - for some the New Haven areapizza places specialise in "apizza" which for some unknown reason excludes mozzarellacheese (or 'mootz' in the local accent/dialect) from the definition of plain pizza. In myexperience the crust is nearly always burned, and when I asked work colleagues andneighbours why this is the case i was informed that this is the way apizza is made. Weird.Plus - the pastrami sandwich at Katz' is too big. You need two people to eat it, for whichthey naturally charge you extra...Recommend? (6)Report abuseClip |Link

KarenInSonoma17 Sep 2009, 6:45PM"Chez Panisse doesn't just do the world's best Californian food: it is quite simply the bestrestaurant in the world." Is this statement supposed to be taken seriously?Recommend? (13)Report abuseClip |Link



glove17 Sep 2009, 10:11PMLikely, in this article you're referencing a "Macaron", not a "Macaroon".Macarons are sandwich-like pastries made with two thin cookies and a cream or ganachebetween the cookies. Macaroons are dense cookies made either with coconut or with acoarse almond paste.* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroon* http://www.laduree.fr/public_fr/actualites/actualites_coffrets-christian-louboutin.htmlRecommend? (19)Report abuseClip |Link

jr23089818 Sep 2009, 1:06AMSeafood....Mozambique....and also Peri Peri Chicken (Galinha) slow grilled overcharcoal...and the local treat of Matapa.Try a plate of grilled prawns on the veranda at Costa da Sol, from where Bob Dylan wasreputed to have written 'Mozambique".Check out what is to offer in the seafood markets:http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/59234-employment-opportunities-10.htmlRecommend? (5)Report abuseClip |Link

flowergrrl18 Sep 2009, 2:43AMCan't believe no one has pointed this out yet but Luk Yu teahouse is NOT the best placefor dim sum. It's very touristy and appeals to gweilo sensitivities (looks very nice) but isnot particularly well known for dim sum amongst locals. The best ambiance for dim sum(for both locals and tourists) is the City Hall dim sum place. It's got a view of the harbourand push carts.Recommend? (8)Report abuseClip |Link

Gravey18 Sep 2009, 4:39AMAlthough some fantastic inclusions, it's way too northern hemisphere centric. The articleshould been called the 50 best foods in the world near where you live, workand travel.Recommend? (22)Report abuseClip |Link

Jabberwoc18 Sep 2009, 6:20AMAnyone who would eat butter chicken (and not mutton) in Karim's is a complete



philistine. And claiming that the best South Indian food is found in Delhi (although SagarRatna is very good) and not in South India, is very odd too...Recommend? (39)Report abuseClip |Link

arthurdog18 Sep 2009, 7:37AMWhoever did the Barcelona ones seems to have only visited one small area of the city.Did they visit these places on a Day trip or stag night weekend ?Recommend? (13)Report abuseClip |Link

SamanthaN18 Sep 2009, 8:59AMI guess the world no longer includes West, East or South Africa then?How could food from regions below the Caucasian African countries be ignored entirely.Maybe this should be called 50 best things to eat in the Caucasian/Asian world.Disappointed at the lack of rigor used to produce this article.Recommend? (21)Report abuseClip |Link

davidsouthafrican18 Sep 2009, 9:20AMBest place to eat Climate Change? Everywhere!Surely this is the opposite of eat local and seasonal?And more vegetarian food please, Mr Killian-eco-terrorist, in any future list.Surely this is Marie-Antoinettism? Please provide us with a counterpart delicious greeneating list now, to offset the damage to culinary eco-awareness caused by this one.Recommend? (23)Report abuseClip |Link

Barkotron18 Sep 2009, 9:29AMtomweirsbobbleyhat - I've got to agree with you. My Gran used to live in Crail (we'refrom Dunfermline) and we'd go down to Anstruther for chips reasonably regularly. TheWee Chippy wasn't a bad substitute if the queues at the other place were too insane, butit wasn't as good. Sometimes the famous places are famous for a reason, and pretendingthat somewhere else is better to appear "in-the-know", as this article appears to havedone, makes me wonder what else on the list can be "right".I still miss the old, tiny room, and shouting your order from the door though. It's just notthe same experience now it's a bit shinier. Food's just as good though :).Hind's Head Steak & Kiddley pie though. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Forsomewhere that's about a 15 minute drive away, I don't go there nearly as often as Ishould.Recommend? (6)Report abuseClip |



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antonyob18 Sep 2009, 9:38AMi hate this sort of shit. oh the clams in Polynesia are to die for. piss off. still read itthough!!Recommend? (90)Report abuseClip |Link

Foodlover3418 Sep 2009, 9:43AMQuite an interesting article although I find the omission of anything from Iran surprising.Has the author ever tried Iranian rice dishes such as Chelow, Kateh and Shirazi Polow?They are something to behold especially when the Tah dig is perfectly crispy.Perrrrrfect with Chicken and Lime kebab and Beef Sirloin kebabs.And we could ask too about the omission of Lebanese food or Egyptian cuisine...In conclusion, I think the author must be encouraged to keep going with their researchsince there are evidently other foods they have yet to even discover.Recommend? (13)Report abuseClip |Link

Wirnicht18 Sep 2009, 9:44AMYakitori Street or piss pan alley or whatever you want to call it near the east exit ofShinjuku station opposite the train tracks. You'd be hard pushed to find a better andmore authentic place to eat Yakitori (and Whale if your feeling particularly cruel) .Ramens for fucking chumps!!Recommend? (3)Report abuseClip |Link

Benulek18 Sep 2009, 9:49AMYou'd be hard pushed to find a better and more authentic place to eat YakitoriAh, the dread word 'authentic' - the mating call of the Observer Food Monthly reader.Recommend? (16)Report abuseClip |Link

Foodlover3418 Sep 2009, 9:56AMSome further thought: Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian food. Where is it in thislist? Singapore Chilli Crab, Nasi Lemak, Blue Cod Fish Head Curry, Mee Goreng......sorry the more I think about this, the more deficient this compilation becomes.Recommend? (18)Report abuseClip |Link



mikerr18 Sep 2009, 10:02AMBest fish and chips: The chippy on the harbour (no idea what its actual name is) Akaroa,New ZealandRecommend? (15)Report abuseClip |Link

Wirnicht18 Sep 2009, 10:07AMBenulek my mummy always told me if you can't say anything nice don't say anything atall....Recommend? (4)Report abuseClip |Link

montros18 Sep 2009, 10:15AMHow could you miss off paella? Coming from Valencia, the cradle of paella, I've had italmost every Sunday since I cut my teeth and the one in Restaurante Rossinyol inNáquera is truly outstanding.Recommend? (10)Report abuseClip |Link

hklegend18 Sep 2009, 10:33AMAs for dim sum, Luk Yu may be the most famous, but City Hall is far betterRecommend? (7)Report abuseClip |Link

captainbananas18 Sep 2009, 10:37AMThis comment has been removed by a moderator. Replies may also be deleted.

Sundance24718 Sep 2009, 10:49AMA pointless, random list of foods. This article should have been really interesting, but it'sa collection of complete nonsense.Recommend? (29)Report abuseClip |Link

Arblemarch18 Sep 2009, 11:08AMOnly two things worth eating in England: Steak & Kidney Pie & Olive Oil.



Shurley Shome Mishtake?Recommend? (17)Report abuseClip |Link

Freudian18 Sep 2009, 12:14PMit's only opinion))))or "look where I've been on holiday"Recommend? (33)Report abuseClip |LinkShowing first 50 comments | Go to all comments | Go to latest commentComments are now closed for this entry.

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the 50 best foods in the world and where to eat them _ life and style _ the observer

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