Contributed by guest author Ashley Fleckenstein<\/em><\/p>\n

Asia is a dream for foodies, with each country offering up its own unique dishes, ingredients, and culinary traditions.\u00a0It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to planning a culinary tour of the region. Here are 10 foodie\u00a0destinations that you can’t miss the next time you\u2019re eating in Asia:<\/p>\n

1. Hong Kong<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hong Kong is Asia’s\u00a0economic powerhouse, located just off mainland China. In addition to being one of Asia’s major financial centers, it’s also a gastronomic hub and one of the top Asian destinations for all foodies. Hong Kong’s most famous dish is dim sum, a brunch during which dumplings, rice noodle rolls, and tea are served.<\/p>\n

The best place to find dim sum in Hong Kong is\u00a0Tim Ho Wan, known as the world\u2019s cheapest Michelin star restaurant. A menu favorite is cha\u00a0siu\u00a0bao, or barbecue pork buns. The shumai, which are steamed pork dumplings, are also popular.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Hong Kong:<\/strong>\u00a0beef brisket noodles, dim sum, char siu bao, and peking duck pancakes<\/p>\n

2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s sprawling capital, is easy to overlook as a tourist destination. Because of its limited number of touristic sites and decidedly pedestrian-unfriendly streets, KL is not a city that makes a good first impression. But what Kuala Lumpur\u00a0lacks in aesthetic appeal, it makes up for in gastronomy.<\/p>\n

Malaysian food is Asian fusion at its finest—a blend of Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Malay influences.\u00a0No dish embodies this better than curry laksa, a curried coconut\u00a0broth filled with deep-fried tofu, cockles and egg noodles, and topped with spicy sambal.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Kuala Lumpur:<\/strong> curry laksa, fish head bihun, and wanton mee<\/p>\n

3. Penang, Malaysia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Penang is a treat\u00a0for history buffs, with\u00a0crumbling Chinese shophouses\u00a0and stately Straits-Chinese mansions. Georgetown, Penang’s center, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n

Penang abounds not only in history, but also some of the best Asian cuisine. Penang’s most famous dish is char kway teow, a noodle dish of Chinese origin that features noodles stir-fried with\u00a0shrimp, bean sprouts, eggs, Chinese chives, and soy sauce.<\/p>\n

Another good dish to try is Penang asam laksa. A dish of Straits-Chinese origin,\u00a0Asam laksa is a sour, fish-based soup made with tamarind. It is always topped with belacan, or Malaysian shrimp paste.<\/p>\n

To find authentic food in Penang, head to local hawker centers such as Red Garden Food Paradise or CF Hawker Centre and queue up with the locals.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Penang:<\/strong>\u00a0char kway teow, asam laksa, and putu mayam<\/p>\n

4. Melaka, Malaysia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Colonized by the Portuguese and British, Melaka is a beautiful colonial city with tons of history. But Melaka’s best food isn’t found in the historic center. To find the best eats,\u00a0it’s better to take a bus or rent a car to restaurants or hawker centers on the outskirts.<\/p>\n

One gastronomic highlight of Melaka is satay celup at\u00a0Ban Li Xiang Restaurant. Satay celup involves dipping roast pork, tofu, quail eggs and other savory foods on a stick into a bubbling pot of peanut sauce. Melaka also has wonderful Indian food. If you’re in the mood for brunch head to an Indian restaurant for chai and roti prata, a flaky flatbread dipped in dahl.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Melaka:<\/strong>\u00a0satay celup, roti prata, and popiah<\/p>\n

5. Bangkok, Thailand<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While it’s difficult to find authentic Thai food in southern Thailand, there’s no shortage of it in Bangkok. At local wet markets like the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, vendors sell salt water and fresh water seafood dishes from their long-tail boats.<\/p>\n

Thai cuisine traditionally\u00a0integrates both sweet\u00a0and spicy\u00a0flavors, and tropical ingredients such as\u00a0coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves. Some excellent Thai dishes to try in Bangkok are curries like green or massaman curry, soups like tom yum goong (spicy shrimp soup) and tom kah gai (galangal and chicken\u00a0soup), and noodle dishes like pad thai or pad kee mao (drunken noodles).<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Bangkok:<\/strong>\u00a0tom yum goong, pad thai, tom kah gai, massaman\u00a0curry, and pad kee mao<\/p>\n

6. Saigon, Vietnam<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hanoi may be the capital city of Vietnam, but Saigon is Vietnam’s economic and financial hub. Saigon is a modern metropolis where motorbikes are a dime a dozen and a good meal is never far.<\/p>\n

For your first meal in Vietnam, sit down at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for a bowl of Saigon-style\u00a0ph\u1edf. Don’t forget the garnishes, which include\u00a0chili peppers, lime, bean sprouts, and Thai basil. When it comes to Vietnamese food, customization is half the fun! If you ever find Saigon a bit too overwhelming, retreat inside for Vietnamese iced coffee, a\u00a0creamy and refreshing\u00a0beverage made with condensed milk.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Saigon:<\/strong>\u00a0Saigon-style ph\u1edf,\u00a0grilled pork with broken rice, b\u00e1nh m\u00ec, and Vietnamese hot pot<\/p>\n

7. Singapore, Singapore<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Singapore is a one-stop shop for some of the best food in Asia, boasting Chinese, Thai, Malay,\u00a0and Indian\u00a0communities. Nicknamed the\u00a0Little Red Dot, Singapore is as clean and multicultural as it is food-obsessed. Use HungryGoWhere, the Singaporean equivalent of Yelp, to find the best meals. Singaporeans are very serious about good eats so listen to the locals!<\/p>\n

Singapore’s most famous dish is undoubtedly\u00a0chili crab. Chili\u00a0crab is served\u00a0with\u00a0a sweet, spicy chili sauce and is best mopped up with pillow-soft mantou buns. One savory alternative to chili crab is black pepper crab.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Singapore<\/strong>: chili crab, bah kut teh (Chinese pork bone broth), and chicken rice<\/p>\n

8. Bali, Indonesia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bali is the only Hindu island in predominantly Muslim Indonesia, with a unique cultural and food landscape. Steer away from the western caf\u00e9s and head to warungs, which are Balinese family restaurants, to find authentic Balinese cuisine.<\/p>\n

One of the most iconic Balinese dishes is\u00a0bali sate lilit, ground meat grilled on a wooden skewer or lemongrass stalk. Balinese dishes rely heavily on peanut sauce, palm sugar and other sweet ingredients, but there are plenty of savory dishes available as well.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Bali:<\/strong>\u00a0bate sate lilit, beef rendang,\u00a0and gado gado<\/p>\n

9. New Delhi, India<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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While all of India has incredible food, Delhi is a great place to discover Northern Indian cuisine, which is typically spicier than southern food and includes influences from neighboring Punjab and\u00a0Rajasthan.<\/p>\n

Northern Indian food uses many dairy products like paneer, or curd cheese, so a good dish to try in Delhi is paneer tikka masala. This vegetarian cheese dish is cooked\u00a0in a creamy tomato-based sauce, and it’s particularly delicious when scooped up with\u00a0still-warm naan or roti. For on-the-go eats, try a samosa, or flaky pastry filled with spiced potato, onion, lentil, and sometimes meat.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in New Delhi:<\/strong>\u00a0paneer butter masala, samosa, lamb skewers with dahl, and naan<\/p>\n

10. Macau, China<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While Macau may be best-known for its casinos, it’s also a wonderful place to experience colonial Portuguese architecture and great Chinese-Portuguese eats. The pastel-colored buildings and Portuguese signs here will have you wondering if you\u2019re in Asia or Lisbon.<\/p>\n

Macau is most famous for its Macanese\u00a0egg tart, a flaky pastry with a custard interior that evolved from the Portuguese\u00a0pastel\u00a0de nata. The city is also famous for its Portuguese-influenced dishes like caldo verde, a light potato and kale soup, and balcalhau, which is salted cod.<\/p>\n

Must-try dishes in Macau:\u00a0<\/strong>Portuguese egg tart, caldo verde, and balcalhau<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/span><\/a><\/span>Ashley Fleckenstein is an American <\/em>travel blogger<\/em><\/a> and freelance writer who moved to Paris at 21, traveled the world for a year and now lives in Denver. She’s usually in pursuit of skiing, languages, and perfectly ripe cheese. Her writing has been featured in National Geographic, Viator, and Jetstar Australia.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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