I ate the world's best street foods: Here are the top 13
Let's find out.
In Reykjavík, I kicked things off at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, a tiny stand whose name literally means 'The Best Hot Dog in Town.' It only serves one thing: a lamb-based hot dog, topped with crispy onions, raw onions, sweet mustard and remoulade. The snap of the sausage, the tang of the mustard and the crunch of those onions made it one of the most memorable hot dogs I've ever had.
At Hawker Chan, a humble food stall in Singapore, I tried soy sauce chicken rice, the dish that earned this place the first-ever Michelin star for street food. The chicken is glossy like Peking duck, incredibly tender and topped with vinegar chili sauce, black soy and chili paste. I also tried the egg noodle version, which had a perfect al dente bite. For under three bucks, this might be one of the best meals I've ever enjoyed.
Next, I met up with Paul, a member of the family who owns Keng Eng Kee Seafood, home to chili crab, Singapore's most iconic dish. This saucy, slightly spicy dish is served with fried mantou buns to soak up every drop.
I also tried the black pepper crab, which was bolder and buttery with a slow-building heat. One is sticky and sweet, the other rich and fiery. Both were unforgettable.
In Bangkok, my friend Mark Wiens took me to visit Jay Fai, the only Michelin-starred street food stall in Thailand. Run by an 80-year-old chef, Jay Fai, who works in ski goggles cooking over charcoal, using masterful techniques to manage the heat. Her crab omelet is the size of a burrito, stuffed with sweet crab and fried to golden perfection. Served with sweet chili sauce, it was hands-down one of the best things I've ever eaten.
At Nhà Hàng Hai Lúa, I found a glutinous rice ball that inflates like a balloon in hot oil. Once golden, it's deflated, cut into pieces and served with sweet chili sauce. The texture is crispy on the outside and mochi-like on the inside, kind of like a cross between a donut and Brazilian cheese bread. Needless to say, I was a fan!
At Nhà Hàng Hai Lúa, I found a glutinous rice ball that inflates like a balloon in hot oil. Once golden, it's deflated and served with sweet chili sauce. The texture is crispy on the outside and mochi-like on the inside, kind of like a cross between a donut and Brazilian cheese bread.
In Istanbul, I met up with my friend Ruhi Çenet to try the famous döner at Karadeniz Döner. Each morning, over 220 pounds of lamb and beef are stacked on a vertical spit and slow-roasted to perfection. Served simply with bread (no toppings!), the meat was rich, juicy and full of flavor. I washed it down with a cup of salty, tangy ayran, which made for the perfect pairing.
Ruhi and I also stopped at Derya Balıkçısı, where they grill fresh mackerel on boats docked along the water. Served on crusty bread with onions, lettuce and lemon juice, this sandwich is salty, smoky and super satisfying. They sell up to 800 a day, and with my first bite, it wasn't hard to see why.
With the help of my friend Hungry Sam, I tried four types of durian: XO, Red Prawn, Musang King and Blackthorn. The fruit is so smelly that it's banned from hotels and public transit. The texture ranged from creamy to sticky, and the flavors were… complex. Let's just say it's an acquired taste. My favorite was the Blackthorn variety, but I won't be rushing back for more.
In Seoul, I teamed up with Suho from the popular K-pop band EXO to try one of Korea's trendiest treats: the Korean corn dog. It starts with a skewered hot dog and mozzarella, and is then rolled in sweet potato chunks and breadcrumbs, deep-fried and dusted with sugar. Top it with ketchup, mustard and chili sauce, and you get the ultimate sweet-savory combination with gooey, crunchy textures.
Suho and I also hit up a 24-hour spot for tteokbokki, which are chewy rice cakes in spicy gochujang sauce. It was warm, sweet and just the right level of spicy.
The stall also served blood sausage, fried bread and fish cake soup. Not all were my favorites, but the variety was impressive.
Before leaving Korea, I met up with my friend Doobydobap to try dalgona — the honeycomb candy that blew up thanks to Squid Game. A treat with a challenge, it is served stamped with a shape of your choosing, and the goal is to cut it out without cracking the delicate disc. It was a lot more difficult than I anticipated, but this was a fun (and sweet) ending to my Korean food tour.
Back in the U.S., I met up with my friend Cugine in Queens, New York to visit Birria-Landia. It's a taco truck known for one thing: birria tacos. José, the owner, brought his family's recipe from Puebla, Mexico. The beef mixture (including brisket, shank, foot and top round) is cooked for hours, dipped in consomé, then layered with cheese and fried until crispy. These tacos are smoky, rich and cheesy, which is everything you want from birria!
This might've been my tastiest adventure yet. However, beyond the flavor of the different foods, what stuck with me most was the pride, passion and history behind each dish. Whether it was crab cooked over charcoal by an 80-year-old legend or döner shaved from a spit the size of a vending machine, these popular street foods told stories far richer than just what's on the plate.
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