Our Favorite Restaurants In The World | Top Food & Drank
Over the past few years, we've been fortunate enough to do some traveling. During our time in North America, Asia, Europe -- and now South America -- we've found some pretty awesome dining spots along the way!
These are some of our favorite restaurants in the entire world. Check back from time to time; this list is subject to change as we continue our travels.
Central Restaurante
Lima, Peru
Man, Central really hits the mark as the #4 best restaurant in the world. Everything from the atmosphere to the decor and of course, the food, was so amazing. It actually brought a tear to my eye. To read more about our experience at Central, check out the first entry in our ‘Hall of Fame Feasts' series.
Central is relatively cheap for this caliber of food. However, it'll still cost you $$$$
Sushi Yasuda
Manhattan, New York
We went into Sushi Yasuda as normal people, and came out as fiends. Honestly, this was the best sushi that we've ever eaten. Every single dish we had was perfectly prepared and featured flavors that we hadn't experienced before up until that point.
This place is incredibly popular and with good reason. The atmosphere was very casual and conducive to the eating experience. There isn't much fan-fare when you're here. The main focus in the food. If you want to read more about our experience at Sushi Yasuda, check out our 'Yo Dat Shit Was Dope!' recap.
Omakasay what? You better bring the Benjamins, cuz this place is $$$-$$$$!
Cal Pep
Barcelona, Spain
Just a few blocks from the Barceloneta metro stop, Cal Pep is one of the most popular restaurants in the area. On any given day, you'll want to arrive about 30 minutes before they open (to line up). If you show up right as doors open, be ready to wait up to an hour and a half (although, you can order a few limón cervezas to help pass the time).
The restaurant is made up of a narrow bar area in front, and a quieter seating area in the back. Guess where we sat though? The bar is definitely where you want to be. The atmosphere at Cal Pep is lively to say the least. Perfect strangers will converse with each other about their meals or, with the wait staff, who are incredibly engaging. Ask the Filipino bartender where he comes from, and you're sure to get a hilarious response.
The star of the Cal Pep is the food. We didn't see a menu the entire time we were there. You simply tell your server what kinds of food you like (meat, seafood, vegetarian, etc.), and whether you have food allergies; they take care of the rest -- designing you a menu of 4 to 5 dishes to suit your tastes. You'll also want to take note of what the people around you are ordering, in case you want to try something different.
We had the grilled razor clams, little neck clams in butter sauce, Spanish omelette, Octopus tentacle with sliced potato and baby squids with chickpeas in shrimp paste. Each dish was the best of that type of food that we ever had. The descriptions don't really do it justice so check out some photos here.
Prepare to spend $$-$$$ depending on how many dishes catch your fancy.
Bar la Plata
Barcelona, Spain
This may have been our favorite spot during our European honeymoon. Bar la Plata is a hole-in-the-wall joint in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona (just a stone's throw from Cal Pep). It's in the back of an alleyway, which keeps it relatively less packed than some other main street businesses. However, true OGs will make their way over.
It appears that the purveyors on this fine establishment were a father and son duo; although, they may have no relation at all. The service was quick and friendly the entire time we were there. When ordering a vino, you'll be delighted as Dad (?) pours it dangerously high from a barrel. The drinks are cheap, so keep 'em flowing.
There are 6 items on the menu, but the real reason that you're hear is the Pescadito Frito (small deep-fried fragrant fish). These things have a light crispy battering, juicy inside and are exploding with flavor. We polished off a plate and came back an hour later for another. This place does them better than anywhere we tried.
The dining room is pretty small, but you can sit at one of the tables outside or just lurk around the alleyway, knocking back plates of pescadito.
You can feel free to stop here multiple times a a day because it's only $.
Kaiki Sushi & Teppenyaki
Tsim Sa Tsui, Hong Kong
Looka the flicka da wrist! This restaurant is located in a top floor of The One Building in TST, Hong Kong. In the dining room, you get a great view of the harbor and Hong Kong Island. However, you won’t want to be in there. The dining experience at Kaika involves sitting at the bar in the back and watching the sushi chef prepare each piece of sushi in front of your eyes. Did I say sushi? I meant nigari and sashimi. The fresh Hong Kong seafood is the star of this show, so you won’t find much rice here. You can go next door to the café for that.
Your experience starts out with some soup and a light salad to prepare your pallet. From then on, you are fed the perfect cuts of seafood piece by piece. They start off with some more normalized fare such as salmon, yellow tail and tuna. Then, it gets more mollusk-y as we work our way through surf clam, scallop and eventually, uni. All of the seafood was amazingly fresh. That’s the benefit of being an island, right? Watching the chef make each piece allowed for great pacing and entertainment while we dined. We ate our way through about 10 pieces by the time we finished. It was enough for a light lunch.
Overall, Kaiki is a cool little spot in a great location. Surprisingly, it was only $$ for our experience. Definitely budget-friendly.
騷豆花
Taipei, Taiwan
If you’ve never had Dou Hua (which translates to “tofu flower” in Chinese), then please allow me to explain. Dou Hua consists of slices of soft tofu bathed in a simple syrup. You can also add whatever toppings you want to it for extra flavor and texture. The tofu and syrup base is very smooth and if done right, very subtly sweet. The optional toppings are usually pieces of fruit or red bean paste.
We stopped into this dessert café after a spicy hotpot. This turned out to be exactly what we needed. The tofu was soothing to our inflamed taste buds. The syrup was light and provided the right amount of sweet. The fruit and red bean past added some substance to the dessert, making it a substantial serving. The inside of the café is very small and eclectic. There was seating for maybe 15 people inside, and a courtyard area outside for when it’s nice out (i.e. you’re not soaked through with humidity sweat). The walls are signed by what I can only imagine are visiting celebrities. It’s also situated in an alleyway full of cafes and restaurant; very cool eclectic vibe.
Overall, 騷豆花 is a good place for an after spicy hotpot dessert. Order extra because it’s only $.
Yat Lok
Hong Kong
Description coming soon
Aunglo by yangrak
Bangkok, Thailand
Description coming soon
Happy travels and we hope you have a chance top try some of these places out!
-E & J