10 best street food cities in Asia you need to eat through

When asked to choose one place to eat street food for the rest of my life, it’s Georgetown, Penang – hands down. A cultural mix of Malay, Chinese, Peranakan and Indian, there’s a laundry list of specialities to try here, including char kuey teow (a stir-fried noodle dish), assam laksa (a sour style of laksa), roti canai (Indian flatbread), and hokkien mee (a prawn noodle soup). Good luck asking a local where the best place to try each dish is; you’ll always get a different answer.

If you eat only one thing: Char kuey teow, a stir-fried noodle dish with prawn, egg, and Chinese sausage tossed with a “secret” savoury sauce. Order a heaping plate at Goggles Man Char Kuey Teow or Left-handed Char Koay Teow.

Vietnam’s capital city is home to a treasure trove of foodie finds down narrow alleys, up winding concrete stairs and on crowded street corners. Join the lines outside Banh Mi 25 in Old Town for a barbecue pork bánh mì. Hunt for a steaming bowl of northern-style phở down a dark hallway and up a winding staircase into the living room of Ms. Minh at Phở Hàng Trống. Snag a stool at Bánh Cuốn Bà Lộc for some bánh cuốn, a rice paper roll filled with minced pork and mushrooms.

If you eat only one thing: Bún chả is Hanoi’s unofficial, official dish. An addictive umami broth with grilled pork meatballs and pork belly served alongside fresh vermicelli noodles for dipping. For the best, head down a smoke-filled alley to Quán Bún Chả - 74 Hàng Quạt.

Singapore’s street food is so good that it became part of UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. With more than 200 hawker centres to choose from, there are literally thousands of stalls to try its signature dishes, like laksa (a coconut broth noodle soup), fried carrot cake (stir-fried radish cake), bak kut teh (a pork rib soup), and the national dish, Hainanese chicken rice. Avoid the crowds at Maxwell Hawker Centre and go to Golden Mile Food Centre and Amoy Street Food Centre instead.

If you eat only one thing: You can’t leave Singapore without trying Hainanese chicken rice, poached chicken and fragrant rice served with chilli sauce at Chin Chin Restaurant or Kampong Chicken Eating House.

A street food crawl through Mumbai isn’t for the faint of heart or weak-stomached, but be bold, your taste buds will thank you. Influences from the local Maharashtri people, South India, England and Portugal have shaped this diverse cuisine. Don’t miss dishes pav bhaji (spicy mashed vegetables in a roll), bhelpuri (a tangy rice dish), and of course, fresh dosa. When in doubt, join a local who knows their way around on a tour like Chef’s Tour.

If you eat only one thing: Vada pav is a fried potato dumpling inside a bread roll lined with chutney. There are endless options, but Mumbai Ladu Samrat is a stalwart.

It's pretty hard to have a bad meal in Chiang Mai. Thailand’s northern capital is known for Lanna food, with an affinity for chilli and bold flavours. Huen Muan Jai serves a long list of traditional Lanna dishes, like larb and spiced pork sausage. There are also dozens of night markets to peruse around the city's moated wall, from Phaploen Market to Chang Puak Gate Market, where the world-famous cowboy hat lady cleaves pounds of tender pork knuckle. Another iconic Chiang Mai spot is SP Chicken; just follow the scent of charcoal and the noise of a spinning rotisserie.

If you eat only one thing: Chiang Mai loves a good khao soi. Mostly served at lunch, this curry egg noodle soup is arguably the city’s most popular dish. Try Khao Soi Maesai or Khao Soi Khun Yai.

This ancient Taiwanese city is known as the country’s birthplace and its food capital. Here, beloved beef soup recipes have been perfected for hundreds of years, passed down through the generations. A good rule of thumb here is to wander through its narrow alleys, past hanging red lanterns and street art and jump in any food queue you see. One of my favourites is Small Park Danzai Noodles for their famous egg noodles in a pork sauce or broth, also recommended by Bib Gourmand. More adventurous eaters can try the renowned eel noodles at Fu Sheng Small Good, served in a sweet sauce. And for the famous beef soup, make a beeline to Six Thousand Beef Soup, where it's made with tender, fresh beef.

If you eat only one thing: In Tainan, eat everything. Walk to Tainan Garden Night Market on a Thursday, Saturday or Sunday to try as many Taiwanese delicacies as possible, including an oyster omelette, candied yams, coffin bread (a hollowed-out bread with stew inside), and, if you’re brave, stinky tofu.

In Japan, you can throw a chopstick and hit a life-changing meal. Nicknamed “Japan’s kitchen,” Osaka is a go-to for foodies looking for affordable bites like takoyaki (octopus-stuffed balls) and okonomiyaki (Japan’s version of a savoury pancake). For Netflix and Michelin-recommended takoyaki, go to Takoyaki Umaiya, a must while in Osaka. Fukutaro is a fan-favourite for okonomiyaki; just be prepared to wait in line.

If you eat only one thing: Kushikatsu, deep-fired skewers of meat and vegetables, pair perfectly with a highball. Kushikatsu Daruma is a popular chain with shops throughout Osaka. Away from the tourists, there are plenty of tiny, hole-in-the-wall spots to wander to. Just remember, there’s no double-dipping in the communal sauce.

Name a more iconic street food destination in Asia; I’ll wait. Bangkok is known for its sizzling street-side bites from the world-famous crab-stuffed omelette at Jay Fai to the plastic trays of mango sticky rice in Chinatown. Banthat Thong Road has just about every Thai dish your stomach could crave, from tom yum noodles to northern-style larb. And in Chinatown, sweet satay skewers grilled by the road, while green curry ladled into plastic bowls are hidden down alleyways (psst, it's Khao Gaeng Jake Puey).

If you eat only one thing: Mango sticky rice is arguably the world’s best dessert. I said it. And for the best of the best, go to Kor Panich, a Michelin-recommended spot actually worth the hype.

An undoubtedly underrated street food spot, Phnom Penh’s sidewalk scene offers more than just fried tarantulas and scorpions. It packs a flavour punch with its umami prahok (fermented fish paste) and fiery chilis. Fish amok is Cambodia’s signature dish, made with freshwater fish blended with a coconut curry, steamed in a banana leaf. Num pang with pate is a fresh and addictive Cambodian version of a bánh mì. Central Market and Toul Tompong Market (Russian Market) are go-tos for sampling the city’s tastiest street bites.

If you eat only one thing: Num banhchok, fermented rice noodles in a coconut, lemongrass, and fish broth, is a comfort food classic in Cambodia. Try it and much, much more at Kengkong Restaurant.

If you’re headed to Chengdu, you’re probably going for the food. The epicentre of China’s Sichuan cuisine, it's a UNESCO City of Gastronomy known for its lip-tingling chilis. Mapo tofu is a must here; the silkier and spicier the better. Dan dan noodles are one of Sichuan's most popular dishes, made of egg noodles and tossed in chilli oil with vegetables or meat. Chengdu is covered in night markets where you can try these delicacies and more, like the Sanse Road Night Market or the Jianshe Road Food Street.

If you eat only one thing: Xiao Ming Tian Shui Dan Dan Mian is a Chengdu institution for its tongue-numbing, spicy bowls of dan dan noodles.