So where do you think is the Best Street Food In The World? According to VirtualTourist.com, a user-generated travel site which is part of the TripAdvisor Media Group, a trio of Southeast Asian cities took the top spots in a ranking of the top 10 street food cities, with Bangkok, Thailand emerging as the best in the world, notably for its variety and abundance of options.
In a virtual trip around the world, members and editors at travel website VirtualTourist.com gave top marks to the Thai capital for its offerings like pad thai, green papaya salads, mango sticky rice, and chicken with green curry.
Frommer agreed with Bangkok as the top city, but had a somewhat different view on the other top cities in the world for street food.
Virtual Tourist, which has 1.2 million registered members from 220 countries around the world, lists Singapore as second best, for its hybrid gastronomy ranging from Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan fare (Chinese and Malaysian), and its reliably safe and hygienic street food stalls.
Specialties to try in Singapore include Hainanese Chicken Rice — steamed chicken with a ‘jelly-like’ layer and rice, cucumbers, chilies and pounded ginger; chili crabs — in a garlicky, fiery paste; and laksa — a spicy Peranakan noodle soup.
Rounding out the top three street food cities was Penang, Malaysia, for its multicultural cuisine. Like Singapore, food is heavily influenced by Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures. Foods to try include Char kway teow — stir-fried noodles, a tart, hot and sour fish soup called assam laksa, and satays of beef, chicken and pork.
Meanwhile, travel guide Frommer’s named Bangkok, Tel Aviv and Istanbul as the top three street food destinations in the world. That’s quite a difference, Tel Aviv & Istanbul vs Singapore & Penang.
What do you think?
