DEPARTURES MENU
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
İZMİR, TURKEY
MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA
VORARLBERG, AUSTRIA
CAIRO, EGYPT
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
UDON THANI, THAILAND
SALVADOR, BRAZIL
SEYCHELLES
OSAKA, JAPAN
Milwaukee, wisconsin
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BUSAN
CAIRO
İZMİR
MEDELLÍN
OSAKA
PHILADELPHIA
SACRAMENTO
SALVADOR
UDON THANI
VORARLBERG
MilwAukee
SOUTH KOREA
Busan exists at a crossroads. South Korea’s second-largest city after Seoul, and one of the largest ports in the world, sits at the intersection of the Nakdong River and the Korea Strait, bringing in a steady stream of fresh seafood and international trade. It’s also a cultural hub, welcoming tourists for a myriad of annual events like the Busan International Film Festival and Busan Biennale. The combo of food, fun, and surf has earned the city nicknames like the Miami of South Korea. As K-culture takes over the world, Busan has come to a metaphorical crossroads of its own, ready to claim its place as a global food capital alongside Seoul, especially with the arrival of the Michelin Guide in 2024. Along the stunning coastline, seafood-centric villages serve a briny array of fish, crab, eel, anchovies, sea pineapple, conch, and urchin, while regional dishes like milmyeon (wheat noodles) and dwaeji gukbap (pork soup) surprise visitors with bold seasonings. The city’s time as a capital during the Korean War has also shaped its cuisine, fueling the growth of areas like Gukje, one of the country’s largest markets. But the city is unabashedly modern too, attracting waves of coffee nerds to burgeoning specialty cafes and propelling young chefs to capture new sides of the historic cuisine. — Matty Kim
Chefs Sell Seafood by the Seashore
Along with quirky lighthouses, the coastline around Busan is dotted with fishing villages and markets, where vendors lure customers with the freshest catch. They make for great day trips from the city center.
Jagalchi Market
15-25 minutes from Busan Station On the first floor of South Korea’s largest fish market (and the streets outside), vendors hawk a wide array of ocean creatures, while the second floor contains restaurants preparing elaborate seafood meals.
Taejongdae Jogae Gui Chon
40-60 minutes from Busan Station Grilled clams are the dish of choice at this collection of stalls just outside Taejongdae Park, perfect for refueling after exploring the cliffside paths and other tourist attractions.
Gijang Haenyeo Chon
60-90 minutes from Busan Station Named for haenyeo, women divers who collect shellfish off the coast, this village is well-known for its platters of fresh and live seafood, including some especially wriggly octopus.
Fresh oysters on display in Haenyeo Chon.
Haenyeo Chon storefronts.
Scallops and raw turban snails at Sooni and Okie.
Diners enjoy midday seafood platters.
Photography by Niall Ruddy Additional photos courtesy of f11photo/Shutterstock
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The colorful cars of the Haeundae Sky Capsule.
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EGYPT
Better known worldwide for its ancient sites dating back over 4,000 years, Cairo has struggled to gain recognition as a contemporary destination. But the traditional tourist itinerary, heavy on historical wonders, barely scratches the surface of Egypt’s bustling capital. Luckily, that particular reputation is finally giving way to a new one, partly thanks to the food scene. As Egypt experiences a massive population boom, Cairo’s residents are creating new connections across communities through TikTok and other platforms. Young diners rollerblade into old-school downtown eateries that have been serving classic Egyptian dishes since the ’50s. Once part of more insular immigrant food communities, Filipino bakers and Ethiopian cooks increasingly share pandesal and injera platters with wider audiences. And, while Cairo is still recognized as a destination for affordable street food, the high-end dining scene has burst out of luxury hotels and into upscale malls in growing parts of town like New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, restaurants like Reif Kushiyaki from Dubai increasingly choose Cairo to expand their operations, and Cairo Food Week attracts international stars like Massimo Bottura. As Egyptian designers, entrepreneurs, and artists create new works for a modern Cairo, chefs are pulling out all the stops to prove the city is more than ancient history. — Laila Hassaballa and Mariam Nezar
At home, Egyptians eat salata baladi (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, herbs). On the streets, they drink it. Some restaurants compose welcome shots of “whiskey” by gathering dressing from prepared salads. Fee sahetek! Cheers!
Vegan travelers should keep one word in mind when communicating at restaurants: “seyami.” Coptic Christians use the phrase, meaning “fasting-friendly,” while abstaining from animal products for much of the year.
Typically trained quite young, Cairo’s baladi deliverers weave through traffic on bicycles while balancing large trays of bread on their heads, supplying baked goods to vendors all over the city.
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Baked eggs glaya with pastrami at Khufu’s.
Baking fresh bread with a historic view at Khufu’s.
Chef Mostafa Seif and team at Khufu’s.
Mixed meze plates at Khufu’s.
Photography by Yehia El Alaily, Ahmad Altrabolsi, Mohamed Elma’andi
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TURKEY
Right as you step off the plane at the İzmir airport, you’re hit by the smells of the Aegean and pine trees. The İzmir province and eponymous city are the gateway to the resorts of the Çeşme Peninsula, where the jet set dine on Turkey’s freshest seafood, and farm-to-table restaurants intertwine with stylish beach clubs. Mornings begin with lively fish auctions in towns like Urla, while the markets in Alaçatı overflow with produce made vibrant by the Turkish Riviera sunshine. The setting has proven irresistible to Turkey’s young chefs, who have been gravitating toward the coastline, turning villages into international travel destinations, and drawing on regional foodways while strengthening local economies. With the Michelin Guide’s arrival in İzmir (and Bodrum down the coast) in 2023, the country’s culinary attention has finally shifted beyond the capital. Start with an Aegean home-cooked meal among olive trees at family-run Asma Yaprağı. Then tour the Urla Vineyard Route, where centuries-old indigenous grapes are generating modern hype. Choosing dinner is a challenge, so reserve a night each at Od Urla, Vino Locale, Teruar Urla, and Amavi, all known for impeccable meals drawn from the sea and land. Spend long enough walking the cobblestone streets, and you may end up staying well past your planned vacation. — Tuba Şatana
What Grows Together, Goes Together
The best pairing for a meal on the Turkish Riviera is a bottle of local wine. Here are a few native grape varieties to look out for.
Foça Karası
This sooty, medium-tannic red has notes of cherry, black plum, strawberry, and clove. Though the grape is used in a few blends around Turkey, winery Öküzgözü Şarapçılık produces reds entirely with foça karası.
Bornova Misketi
With floral aromas and citrusy flavors, this crisp muscat variety ends on a long, fruity finish. It shows up in both dry and sweet wines, including bottles from Usca, Urla Şarapçılık, İkidenizarası, Nif, and Sevilen.
Urla Karası
A vibrant, tannic, acidic powerhouse, this grape delivers flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cherry, dark chocolate, and clove. Look for it at Urla Şarapçılık, which combines it with nero d’Avola.
Outside Vino Locale restaurant.
Chef Osman Sezener and team at Od Urla.
Wood-fired Çeşme octopus with fermented pomegranate syrup at Od Urla.
Ravioli with goat cheese and caramelized pear sauce at Od Urla.
Photos courtesy of Od Urla, Vino Locale Urla
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COLOMBIA
Over the last two decades, the City of Eternal Spring has blossomed into one of Latin America’s biggest cultural hubs, alongside Mexico City and Buenos Aires. To attract international visitors and digital nomads, some rising cities snuff out pieces of local culture in favor of bland metropolitan attractions; Medellín, by contrast, has come to look more like itself as it has grown more popular. Cable cars and escalators tie neighborhoods together and ferry tour groups who come to gawk at the city’s beautiful graffiti. The raucous late-night scene attracts music lovers to the so-called reggaeton capital of the world. And, though the potential for gentrification is real, young entrepreneurs are committed to highlighting local products and makers. The city's dining scene has evolved in parallel. Chefs like Carmen Angel and Rob Pevitts of Carmen and Jhon Zárate of Sambombi utilize endemic ingredients and modern culinary techniques to reflect contemporary Colombian identities. Unlike Bogotá, Medellín boasts a bustling street food scene, including buñuelos (cheesy fried dough balls), decadent perras (hot dogs), and a huge variety of arepas. With local coffee beans showing out in third-wave cafes and Paisa regional pride coming through in cazuela de frijoles (bean stew), Medellín’s flavors are entirely its own. — Liliana López Sorzano
Before you visit Perro Negro (Black Dog), an iconic reggaeton venue, listen to Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny honor the club in a collab with Medellín-born Feid. Click for the full playlist
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Flan de caramelo at Sambombi Bistró.
Chef Ana Valentina Mejía at Sambombi Bistró.
Tostada de atún at Sambombi Bistró.
Street vendors in Medellín.
Photography by Pamela Angel Additional photos courtesy of Trece Clothes, Bruno M Photographie/Shutterstock
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Read more about the locals taking back Colombian coffee
See where to eat in Medellín
Pay Homage in the Reggaeton Capital
Though reggaeton is often associated with Panama (its birthplace) or Puerto Rico (its glow-up), Medellín made the genre its own with an expansive music scene, including stars like J Balvin, Maluma, and Karol G. Here’s how to spend a night out.
Raise a toast
Sold by the bottle or carton, aguardiente is the anise-flavored spirit of choice in reggaeton clubs.
Dance and dine
Vendors perch on street corners near popular dance spots, distributing warm empanadas to partyers as they emerge into the morning.
Get the look
Streetwear, asymmetrical cuts, and flashy accessories are all the fashion. Try local brands like True, Trece, and Desatín.
MILWauKEE
Wisconsin
This isn’t the first time Milwaukee has appeared on Eater’s Where to Eat list. The city was featured in 2020, poised to break out of the Rust Belt with a swell of buzzy restaurants, just as the Democratic National Convention booked the new Fiserv Forum, the title-favorite Bucks had MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and expectations filled the air like yeast floating from the city’s breweries. Then everything screeched to a halt in early March, restaurants and bars went dark, and — well, you know the rest. Then, in late 2023, Eater asked its readers which great dining scene in the U.S. deserved a spot on this list. The answer, resoundingly, was Milwaukee, a reflection of residents’ tireless work toward a second shot. Hot spots like Adam Siegel’s Lupi & Iris have snagged award nominations; favorites like Odd Duck, Bavette la Boucherie, and Taqueria la Guelaguetza got new spaces; young businesses like Flour Girl & Flame and Taqwa’s joined the ranks; and even Zócalo Food Park got an upgrade. Now, Milwaukee is set to welcome another national political convention (the Republicans this time), Top Chef is shooting Season 21 in the city, and the Bucks have notched a championship (Antetokounmpo even opened his own restaurant). After four years, there’s little left to prove. So grab some glistening cheese curds and a High Life. It’s party time. — Todd Lazarski
Chefs at work at Lupi & Iris.
The butcher board at the Vanguard.
Milwaukee’s skyline looking bright.
Oysters at Odd Duck.
Photos courtesy of the Vanguard, Wes Lewis / Unsplash, Lupi & Iris, Odd Duck
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Read more about how Milwaukee won Eater’s reader vote
See where to eat in Milwaukee
JAPAN
There’s a common phrase in Osaka: kuidaore, or “eat yourself to ruin.” It gets at the city’s reputation for gregarious indulgence. Compared to refined dining in Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka is like their gritty, punkish sister who revels in food with a lust for life. After dropping its last pandemic-era border rules in 2023, Japan has fully reopened to international tourism (including nonstop flights to Osaka from multiple North American cities); there’s no better place than Osaka for food lovers to revenge-eat their way through specialties like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and takaida-kei ramen. Osaka's casual vibe doesn’t stop it from competing on a high level. In the 2023 Michelin Guide, 94 restaurants in the city received stars, including many by young chefs like kappo cuisine expert Akemi Nakamura, who leads an all-female staff at Nishitemma Nakamura; others, like Bib Gourmand winner Jibundoki, celebrate Osakan specialties like okonomiyaki. Still, some of the city’s best meals are its most affordable. The streets are lined with dishes that go for less than $10, ideally enjoyed on a food crawl through dozens of stalls in the retro-futuristic Shinsekai and Dotonbori districts. Follow your nose to a counter with a smoky charcoal grill, raise a whisky highball, and kuidaore until the early morning. — La Carmina
Osaka is known for its no-holds-barred, immersive theme bars. Grab a drink in the fetish-themed Farplane, the submarine-like Shinka, or Victorian horror-filled Kinguu.
Osaka historically consumes most of Japan’s fugu, the pufferfish that’s deadly when prepared incorrectly. Fugu is available at both affordable spots and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Offal nabe hot pot at Tatsuya.
The Tsūtenkaku tower looms over Shinsekai.
Inside Nonkiya Doteyaki.
Cream caramel at Sennariya Coffee.
Photography by Nadia Gunardisurya
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Read more about Osaka's takoyaki fascination
Alt rock band Shonen Knife, which emerged from Osaka in the 1980s, has become known for songs about food like “Ramen Rock,” “Green Tea,” and “I Wanna Eat Chocobars.” Click for the full playlist
See where to eat in Osaka
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
When Philadelphia restaurants dominated the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards — winning for Outstanding Restaurant (Friday Saturday Sunday), Outstanding Restaurateur (Ellen Yin of High Street Hospitality), and Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon of Kalaya) — it finally killed the longtime narrative that limited the city to greasy cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, and water ice. Anyone who doubted the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection was left wondering how Philly became the dining scene to beat. Locals saw this epic victory coming; it was the result of a subtle yet momentous culinary revolution that had been growing for years. In other cities, restaurants develop in one particular area or thanks to one restaurateur, but in Philly, the restaurant community came together, neighborhood by neighborhood, brick by brick, plate by plate. French attraction My Loup emerges with grandeur in Rittenhouse Square, while Black-owned neighborhood restaurant Honeysuckle Provisions impresses in West Philly (both were among Eater’s Best New Restaurants in 2023). Mission-driven hot spot Down North Pizza in North Philly finds its match in the remarkable veggie-forward sensation Kiddo in Midtown Village. From cozy BYOBs to exquisite prix fixe menus, Philly may be surprising out-of-towners with individual, award-winning restaurants, but the making of the modern food scene has been an intentional, citywide endeavor. — Ernest Owens
Where (and What) to BYOB
Philly’s liquor licenses are notoriously expensive; as a result, many restaurants forgo a bar and allow diners to bring their own wine and spirits, often without corkage fees. Here are some of the city’s best restaurants for BYOB (bring your own bottle)
Apricot Stone
This cozy restaurant in Northern Liberties serves a fusion of Mediterranean, Armenian, and Levantine flavors. A chillable red, such as xinomavro from Greece, perfectly complements the lamb kebabs and fattoush salad.
Gabriella's Vietnam
East Passyunk hasn’t been the same since this Vietnamese restaurant started serving exceptional water fern dumplings and shaken beef, perfectly paired with a Thai Singha, pinot bianco, or chardonnay.
A Mano
This fine Italian restaurant in Fairmount prepares impressive house-made pasta courses. A Sicilian wine, such as grillo or catarratto, will do the food justice.
Pietramala
This critically acclaimed vegan BYOB offers dishes such as fire-roasted delicata squash or escarole salad with fennel and fermented ramps. The wine-friendly flavors pair with just about anything.
Buna Cafe
West Philly’s reputable Ethiopian cuisine shines at this beloved BYOB. Scoop up Buna’s excellent doro wat with injera as you sip a Spanish red from Ribera del Duero, or a Rioja blanco.
See where to eat in Philly
Chef Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon at Kalaya.
Waldorf salad at My Loup.
Dishes at High Street Restaurant.
Fried chicken with grits and eggs at Honeysuckle Provisions.
Photography by Gab Bonghi Additional photos courtesy of Mike Prince, High Street Hospitality, Tippman98x/Shutterstock
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Read more about how Philly built a winning scene
Drummers in Malcolm X Memorial Park.
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Sacramento
California
Most Californians can pinpoint Sacramento on a map, if only from elementary school class trips to see the state capitol. For many California residents, it remains a drive-through city, a place for a bathroom break on the way from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, or a spot to sleep on the long drive north toward thickets of towering redwoods. But the view of the city as it flies by a car window can’t do justice to one of the most exciting dining towns on the map. Blanketed by tranquil rice paddies, neat almond orchards, and some of America’s strongest wine regions and agricultural areas, Sacramento is in the midst of a culinary revival, especially since setting up a restaurant here is relatively affordable compared to nearby San Francisco. Downtown, step inside an old-school diner reinvigorated by a beloved local chef or slam a couple of slices of ’za in a punk rock shop run by a former fine dining chef. There’s top-notch ramen; a boisterous, interactive Michelin-starred restaurant expanded in a new space; and a handful of restaurants breathing new life into the city’s historic Japantown. A pit stop isn’t nearly enough to taste it all. — Lauren Saria
A Merlino’s freeze is like the citrusy child of shave ice and sorbet. Though the original shop closed, they’re available at Sutter Health Park, home of the River Cats, and local shops.
Jimboy’s Tacos are the stuff of NorCal fast-food legend. The grilled, Parmesan-dusted tacos are so popular, there’s even a vegan version in downtown Sacramento.
East Sacramento grocery store Corti Brothers was once a destination for Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl, an early supplier on the West Coast for at-the-time rare ingredients like Italian Parmesan.
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Phuong Tran and Seoyeon Oh at Southside Super.
Egg salad sandwich at Southside Super.
Chicken pho at Southside Super.
Sukiyaki udon with rib-eye at Binchoyaki.
Photography by Andrew Calisterio
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Read more about Sacramento’s revived Japantown
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BRAZIL
Often called the Black Rome for its central role in the Afro Brazilian community, Salvador brought in waves of travelers in 2023 with its mix of colonial architecture, palm-laden beaches, and cozinha Baiana (the cuisine of the Bahia state), which factored heavily into the country’s overall tourism rebound. As you walk the city’s cobblestone streets, the sounds of drums emanate from capoeira circles and street vendors perfume the air with fried snacks, all evidence that the former capital of Brazil, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site at its core, is experiencing a renaissance. Akin to New Orleans in its transatlantic culinary layers, Salvador’s food combines Portuguese cooking methods, Indigenous resources like cassava and seafood, and ingredients like okra brought by enslaved Africans. As Afro Brazilians fight for greater visibility on the national level, Salvador’s chefs build on the city’s roots, including the foods of Candomblé, a local religion that emerged out of a mix of other religions from West Africa. A fleet of young chefs are now opening independent spots — a big change for a scene once dominated by hospitality groups — and cooperating to share suppliers and promote local ingredients. Restaurants have joined the decades-long redevelopment of the historic center (including a renewed push by the city government in 2024), but neighborhoods further out such as Rio Vermelho have also gained exciting venues. The city has never felt so effervescent. — Rafael Tonon
Olha o Acarajé!
A blend of historical foodways, religious practice, and Afro Brazilian pride, acarajés — black-eyed pea fritters — appear on street corners all over town. Here’s what to look for, though you can also just follow vendors’ shouts: “Olha!” (take a look) and “Pode chegar!” (come closer).
Acarajés can be topped with vatapá (spicy shrimp-coconut-peanut paste), caruru (onion-okra paste), salada (onion-tomato-pepper slaw), and glistening brown brine shrimp. Baianas do acarajé, the city’s iconic female street vendors, often wear striking white outfits. Essential items include the axó (hoop skirt), camino (pants), ojá (headscarf), and elaborate jewelry. As with other foods associated with specific orixás (deities) in Candomblé religious practice, acarajés are traditionally made as offerings to Oyá/Iansã. The oil palm came to Brazil alongside enslaved peoples in the 16th century. Today, local trees provide dendê fruit for oil, a key ingredient in many Afro Brazilian dishes like acarajés.
The many parts of an acarajé at Acarajé da Dinha.
Black-eyed pea fritters frying at Acarajé da Cira.
Pizza frita with mortadella at Boia.
Brown brine shrimp make a bright filling at Acarajé da Cira.
Photography by Brenda Matos
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Read more about the cuisine of Candomblé
The sunny scene at Acarajé da Cira.
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Get a taste
Outfit breakdown
More than a snack
The deep fry
Since Queen Elizabeth II opened the international airport in 1972, Seychelles has seen a steady stream of visitors. The 115-island archipelago stuns tourists (the country’s primary economic driver) with pristine beaches, jungly mountain trails, and scenic villas. Even as some tourism industries faltered the last few years, Seychelles has continued opening new hotels, including a Waldorf Astoria (on a private island) and two others set to debut in 2024. Though the tropical setting may get lots of attention, Seychelles saves its greatest experiences for the plate. Traditional Seychellois Creole food traces the history of immigrants, enslaved peoples, and laborers from France, India, Madagascar, China, and East Africa (especially Mozambique). On the largest island, Mahé, roadside restaurants, such as the popular Jules Take Away, serve homestyle dishes like octopus kari koko (coconut curry) and grilled fish with lasos piman (hot chile sauce). The ranks of food trucks expand every year; one recent addition at the historic La Plaine St André property sells sublime rougail saucisse (sausage stew), while Any’s Snack & Takeaway in Au Cap serves rotating seafood items like bourzwa griye (grilled snapper) alongside tropical pizzas. Though most of the best Creole meals are outside the resorts, restaurants at newer hotels, like Laïla’s Kafe Kreol and Mango House’s Moutya, make a point to showcase local foods. As tourists return in droves, Seychellois Creole cuisine may become as big a draw as the beaches. — Tyler Zielinski and Steven Rioux
The Many Ways to Slice a Coconut
During the early 20th century, many Seychellois earned their livelihoods from the coconut industry, on nearly 25,000 cultivated acres. Since tourism took off in the 1970s, this labor-intensive industry has subsided, but coconut remains a prominent ingredient.
Kari Koko
You’ll find the signature Seychellois Creole coconut curry made with octopus, red snapper, chicken, prawns, or breadfruit.
Coconut oil
Look for local coconut oil, still produced in small quantities, at the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market.
Kat-kat Banane
Green bananas and fish are cooked in coconut milk, making use of multiple local resources.
Ladob Patat
This hearty dessert is made with sweet potato, coconut milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and sugar.
Takamaka Koko
This local coconut rum can be found in almost every bar in Seychelles.
A feast at the La Plaine St. Andre food truck.
In action at Moutya’s Creole cooking class.
Whole grilled grouper at Moutya.
Octopus salad at Moutya.
Read more about Seychelles' coconuty Creole cuisine
Photography by Tyler Zielinski
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One of Mahé’s blissful beaches.
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THAILAND
You no longer have to go to a city like Udon Thani to taste the food of Isan, the agricultural region of northeastern Thailand. Restaurants in global capitals like New York are now slinging Isan-style grilled chicken and pungent som tum. Yet it’s hard to say you’ve really tried Isan food until you’ve trekked to the source, where rice paddies produce the country’s finest grains, foragable herbs sprout from the forests, and spots specializing in larb literally line the highways. Once known as an R&R getaway for American GIs, Udon Thani has developed a deep food scene over the last decade. It’s home to the requisite legion of Thai street food vendors, but chefs here also build on influences from nearby Laos, and the thriving Vietnamese community supplies impressive banh mi and kai-kata, a fried egg platter supposedly invented for Western soldiers. After decades of brain drain to Bangkok, the last couple years reversed the flow of creators and chefs, who returned home with renewed interest in their own culinary traditions. Inspired by farm-to-table movements abroad and local luminaries like chef Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat of Samuay & Sons, Udon Thani’s cooks are reexamining ingredients like aged buffalo meat and forest mushrooms to shape a cuisine full of pride. — Chawadee Nualkhair
Pla rah, fish fermented with rice and salt, forms the backbone of northeastern Thai cuisine. For thousands of years, it’s been popular with locals, who once buried it with their dead.
Mang mun (glossy ants) cost about $30 per kilogram, making them popular with enterprising farmers trying to make an extra buck. They taste a bit like butter or coconut.
Tales of heartache, tilling the soil, and country life fill mor lum, Isan’s own music style, originally adapted from Laos. Today, it incorporates elements of rap, jazz, and African beats. Click for the full playlist
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EAT This
Grilled chicken massaman at Samuay & Sons.
Goong sarong (fried shrimp wrapped in vermicelli).
A variety of dishes at Samuay & Sons.
Moo palo (Chinese five-spice stew with pork belly).
Photos courtesy of Samuay & Sons, Chitsanupong Pakdeekul/Shutterstock, Chawadee Nualkhair
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Read more about the chefs fighting for Isan's pride
Red Lotus Lake.
See where to eat in Udon Thani
AUSTRIA
With record-breaking heat blanketing the world each summer, a wintery Alpine getaway feels more necessary than ever, not only for some skiing but for some hearty comfort food too. The restaurants around resorts in the mountain chain tend to fall into two camps: Traditional huts serving carb-heavy, cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs fuel to get adventurers up and down the slopes, and pricey hot spots like St. Moritz in Switzerland and Megève in France, which import celebrity chefs with foams and tweezers. But in Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria and the cradle of the Alpine ski industry, a new generation of hoteliers and restaurateurs are doing things their own way. Chefs are opening new concepts, while third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation inn owners are retooling businesses like Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel and Gams 1648, with tasting menus and pizza, respectively. The region’s ethos of artisan craftsmanship is also evident in its kitchens, where self-sufficient chefs forage for produce and utilize wild game from the mountains and lakes. Across the board, they’re diversifying the region’s culinary traditions with contemporary, ingredient-driven, and sustainable menus, making food they (and visitors) really want to eat. — Michelle Tchea
The Complete Austrian Mountain Matrix
All-day dining on the slopes should include Vorarlberg’s greatest culinary hits
Light on Your Skis
Heavy Mountaineer Fuel
Pre-Ski
Après-Ski
A decadent start at Hotel Goldener Berg
Luxe Iced Coffee
End with battered, fried apple slices
Apfelspalten
Like Austrian mac and cheese with egg noodles
Kasespatzle
Mountain cows fill breakfast platters with fresh cheese
Mountain Breakfast
Choose Mohrenbräu (est. 1763) or Panülerbräu (2012)
Weissbier
Semolina porridge for breakfast, dinner, or dessert
Riebel
Ideal after doing french fries on your skis
Schnitzel
Arnica lends local flavor to Rote Wand’s herbal cocktail
NIGHTCAP
Soup with semolina dumplings to warm icy skiers
Griessnockerl
Caramelized whey fills these dumplings
Sig Knödel
Local deer meat makes a hefty ragout
Venison Stew
Wine tasting at Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel.
Poultry at Fuchsegg Eco Lodge.
Pine-tip panna cotta at Restaurant Alpensteakhaus.
Photos courtesy of Gunter Standl, Angela Lamprecht, Andreas Haller
Read more about retro-chic Alpine ski towns
Cattle grazing in the mountains.
See where to eat in Vorarlberg
