Our Top 20 Ultimate Eats in Asia
by the Selective Asia team
Asia’s edible delights are never far from the Selective Asia team’s thoughts - to be honest, it’s become something of an obsession - and planning our travels around the region’s finest flavours is a given. We’ve eaten some pretty adventurous things in our time (at one point, nibbling on a deep fried tarantula whilst in Cambodia was practically compulsory!), and whenever a member of the team returns from a trip, the office coffee table groans under a weight of wonderful treats.
While celebrating our first 20 Years in Asia, we’ve put together a list of our absolute top foodie moments from our travels through the region. Pinning the team down to their favourites was like asking them to pick a favourite child, and it’s far from exhaustive (we could easily have made it 100) but we’ve whittled it down, in no particular order, to our top 20 ultimate eats in Asia.
Be warned: have a few snacks handy while you read, because this may make you quite hungry…
1. Rice & Curry in Sri Lanka
Simply named, but intricately varied, Sri Lanka’s undisputed national dish is rice and curry. Mixed elegantly from your plate into delicate mouthfuls by your own lotus-pursed hand, and enjoyed equally in home kitchens and busy restaurants across the country, this one dish must have a thousand versions, but they all have a few things in common: soft, delicately spiced rice, rich coconut and lentil dal, aromatic curry leaves and, of course, a touch of cinnamon.
“I don’t think you can really ever say you’ve ‘done’ Sri Lankan rice and curry, as every version is different. I’ll never get tired of trying new ones.”
- Anna
2. Pad Thai in Chiang Mai
An obvious addition, perhaps, but some things are obvious for a good reason! This comforting, nutty web of thick, sticky rice noodles tangled around with shrimp, onions, egg and salty-sweet sauce has become a staple on tables from New York to Madrid, but it always takes us back to our earliest travels, seeking out hot, affordable street food in the markets of Chiang Mai and between Thailand’s legendary beaches. Though it’s a popular dish to recreate at home, there’s still nothing like eating it fresh, in situ.
“I mean, it’s a classic!”
- Dave
3. Chả Cá Catfish in Vietnam
If you’ve never tried Vietnamese catfish before, you might not be quite sure what to expect from this famed freshwater giant, but you’re rewarded with sweet flakes of white fish that absolutely melt in the mouth. Often mixed over a flame at the table with dill, spring onion and fennel, and served over angel-hair-thin vermicelli with sour sauce, fresh chilli and roasted peanuts, this dish is a real taste of Vietnam.
“In the Mekong Delta, they serve a whole catfish and you take the fish off the bone and wrap pieces in rice paper with salad and herbs, then dip the 'rolls' in fish sauce. The flavours are just incredible.”
- Kate
4. Masala Dosa in Southern India
Some of Asia’s finest eats are found in the earliest hours, and it’s true what they say: a good breakfast really sets you up for a day’s exploring. In southern India, our mornings are dominated by masala dosa: a protein-rich rice and lentil pancake wrapped around tangy spiced potatoes, surrounded by a smattering of chutneys and sambars full of fiery flavour, and maybe a creamy raita to cool the tongue. It really gets the juices flowing!
“The best breakfast; quintessentially Indian grub!”
- Karl
5. Bangkea Chhar Ktis in Kep
This aromatic dish of fresh, juicy prawn swiftly fried with fiery red curry paste and soothing coconut milk is a Khmer classic; an absolute feast of flavour. It doesn’t stand on ceremony - it’s rustic, quick and confident with components that create something far greater than the sum of its parts. One spoonful, and Nick was smitten. In fact, he loves it so much that he’s never once stopped to take a picture before tucking in, hence this rather lovely image of boats bobbing by the crab market instead! Imagine that Nick’s just off-camera, with a mouthful of seafood…
“Served at Kimlys in Kep - P3 on the menu - I order this every time I visit. It's my favourite dish in all of Asia.”
- Nick
6. Lunch between the Mai Chau hills
Sometimes, it’s not just the food but the whole experience that makes a meal something to write home about…
“After a morning wandering through Mai Chau’s heavy heat, we stopped for lunch at a homestay hostel - an unassuming spot with a warm welcome but a sparse decor, and food that went way beyond expectations. Dish after dish was brought out, simply cooked but packed with the most phenomenal flavours - umami pumpkin broth, marinated chicken, crisp fried fish and pillowy rice. Enjoying that spread in the shade with a cool glass of lemonade was just the best.”
- Kate G
7. Sin Dat & Beer Lao in Luang Prabang
If you’re out for dinner with friends in Laos, chances are you’re tucking into sin dat and cooling off with a chilled Beer Lao. Known as mu kratha in Thailand, and enjoyed from Malaysia to the Philippines, this traditional barbeque-style meal has become the height of Laotian communal eating - hands-on, freshly-cooked and delicious. A dome-shaped griddle surrounded by a moat of broth, is placed in the middle of the table along with an assortment of sliced meats, sausages, vegetables and fish, and diners take their pick and cook it to their liking straight onto their plates.
8. Laksa in Kota Kinabalu
The ultimate Malaysian comfort food? That’s a toughy, but if pushed we’d have to say laksa. This richly simmered stock made into the creamiest, most fragrantly spiced coconut soup that smothers springy noodles, crunchy bean sprouts and herbs, and can be topped with pretty much anything you like from tofu and hard-boiled egg to prawns or chicken is nourishing, homely and utterly morish. Like nyonya used to make? If you ask nicely, she still might…
9. Green Tea Salad in Myanmar
This unusual offering, which Anna remembers fondly from her time in Myanmar, has stayed with her for its delicate flavours and strong sense of place. Known locally as lahpet thoke, this dish centres around fermented tea leaves dressed with chilli, garlic, ginger and lime, mixed with finely shredded cabbage, nuts and fried beans. It takes the flavours of the lush surrounding landscape, and pops them right onto your taste buds. Delightful.
10. Frozen Buffalo Curd in Sri Lanka
Who doesn’t crave a frozen dessert when the temperature rises? From ice cream to fro-yo, the world seems to agree that some form of sub-zero dairy is the order of the day. In Sri Lanka, this is given a local twist with the use of traditional mee-kiri buffalo milk curd as the base, served topped with sweet honey, ripe fruit, or crumbled chocolate for a tangy soft-serve sensation to cool the soul.
11. Beef with Red Tree Ants in Cambodia
We mentioned that we like to be a little adventurous with our eating, and this often includes introducing new sources of, erm, invertebrate protein into our diets! Our contact in Cambodia takes a particular delight in challenging the team to try new things, which is how we discovered this absolute diamond of a dish. In among the beautifully tender strips of stir-fried beef, fresh herbs and zingy dressing diners will discover red ants which add a sour pop to every mouthful. A little more difficult to recreate at home than most of the dishes on our list, this is one to try on your next trip if you’re feeling culinarily adventurous…
12. Sweet & Sour Salad in Indochina
When the humid heat hits, nothing cools the palate with as much satisfaction as the region’s array of fabulous sweet and sour salads. Finely shredded vegetables and green papaya meet tangy fish sauce, salty soy, sour citrus, sweet palm sugar and fiery chilli in a flavour package that absolutely hits its mark. From tom sam in Thailand to goi ga in Vietnam, they’re the perfect palate cleanser and they pack a hearty punch.
“I’ve got a bit of an obsession with Asia’s sour-spicy-sweet salads, especially the ones made with green mango - they’re the perfect combo and not many salads can beat the addictive profile they provide.” - Lou
13. Spiced Nuts in Cambodia
Almost everywhere you go in Cambodia, you’ll find the country’s famed spiced nuts to nibble on. Flavoured with lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilli, to say they’re moreish is an understatement! Eaten warm just out of the pan, or cool from a bag by the riverside, they are the ideal accompaniment to a chilled glass of beer …The perfect bar snack? We’d say so. Try our friend Thary’s recipe for them here.
14. Tofu Amok in Cambodia
Cambodia’s delicious and world-famed yellow amok curry brings a touch of class to the list, having been cooked for royalty down through the generations and now enjoyed by all as one of the country’s national dishes. Steamed in a particular way in banana leaves to achieve its renowned light and airy consistency, and traditionally made with fish, this dish always has us coming back for seconds.
“When I was last in Cambodia I had the most gorgeous tofu amok - Cambodia’s famed yellow curry - full of the flavours of kaffir, coconut milk and galangal, and cooked with loads of fresh veg.. you just can't go wrong!”
- Lou
15. Crispy Prawns in Kho Pha Ngan
Ok, so this crunchy, batter-coated seafood delight was bound to make it onto our list somewhere, as you really can’t travel far through Thailand without encountering some version, from glass-crisp tempura to vermicelli-fuzzed kung sarong, but Thailand has pretty much perfected it. A plate of crisp prawns in one hand, a glass of something cool in the other, and a warm breeze drifting across a sandy island beach; what could be better?
“A local restaurant in Koh Pha Ngan served the best crisp prawns I've ever had - I'd go back there just to eat them!”
- Dave
16. Yakitori in Tokyo
Almost all of the food in Japan could have earned a rightful place on our list - Anna did venture that as a suggestion! - but there’s just something about these tender marinated skewers, with those just-on-the-right-side-of-too-crisp edges, scarfed piping hot and freshly grilled from izakaya and food stalls throughout the country that epitomises Japan’s distinctive and elegant focus on flavour.
This is Japanese food at its most essential; a step aside from the refined beauty of its finest sushi (though we’re absolutely here for that anytime too!) Unlike much of Asia, it’s just not really the done thing to eat and walk in Japan, which forces you to sit, slow down and savour each bite. This is eating with the locals, Japan style.
17. Khanom Krok in Nang Loeng Market
When it’s time for something sweet while wandering through Bangkok’s multitude of street food markets, a portion of khanom krok absolutely fits the bill. Not overly sugary, but just enough to satisfy that sweet-tooth craving, these little creamy coconut pancakes can be whipped up in a matter of moments and it’s sometimes difficult to wait long enough for them to cool down before scoffing one (we all know that open-mouthed, oooh-oof, hot food dance!). If you can’t wait for your next Thailand trip to try them, there’s a stall in London’s Borough Market that does a banging version, and they’re vegan and gluten free too.
18. Momos in Nepal
We just couldn’t write this list without including a dumpling, and though there were many, many contenders for the spot, in the end Nepal’s momos pipped them all to the post. Originating from Tibet, but now adored throughout the Himalayan region, these delicate dumplings can be stuffed with a multitude of flavourful fillings, from spiced mince to soft cheese, before being steamed to perfection and dipped in salty sauce. Each little pillow is soft, just the right amount of chewy, and fiercely delicious. We wouldn’t like to put a number on how many we could eat in one sitting…
19. Miang Kham in Laos
Enjoyed equally across Laos and Thailand, miang kham, or just kham, makes an ideal finger food. With its name literally meaning ‘one bite wrap’, this snack consists of raw betel, lolot pepper or purple coraltree leaves wrapped around roasted coconut shavings, seasoned with a heady mix of shallot, chilli, lime, ginger and garlic, and topped with palm sugar. Each bite hits all the right fundamental flavours and wakes up the appetite so you can enjoy even more food.
20. Phở in Hanoi
Last but definitely not least is the dish that started it all; that essential Selective Asia Proustian moment at a street-side eatery, carving out a haven of momentary calm from the Hanoi hubbub. The experience of eating phở (pronounced ‘fuh’) is difficult to overstate, and perhaps hard to imagine from its simple ingredients, but (like so many of the world’s great broth-and-noodle dishes) it truly nourishes the soul.
Whether slurped noisily seated on a low plastic stool by the curb alongside the local lunchtime crowds, served with a knowing smile to a slightly homesick traveller in need of comfort, or eaten with gusto in a high-end eatery, the effect is immediate: deep, hearty and nourishing. If, as a team, we were forced to pick one favourite from the list (and we’re very glad we don’t have to!) then pho would be a strong contender.
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by the Selective Asia team on 26th June 2026