The first thing people tell you when you book a trip somewhere, is you have to try the food at —, and then they hit with a long list of extravagant restaurants that all the locals go to. Occasionally, experiencing different food cultures is the best reason for travelers to go explore the world. Rubinsohn Travel put together a list of our favorite bucket-list foods that are worth an international trip to find. *Warning* this list contains the most extravagant, most essential, and most sensual reasons to stamp your passport.
Have Tea in London
Pinkies up! If your idea of a scone is that less than mediocre dough ball in the Starbucks pastry case, get ready to pack your bags for London. Extravagant tea can be pricey, but it’s worth doing, especially just for the experience. The combination of what flour and butter can be when baked to its highest standard and topped with a dollop of the richest, sweetest cream and fresh berry jam, is extraordinary. The English Tea Room at Brown’s, where Queen Victoria used to take her tea, offers the quintessential British experience with a unique twist worth obsessing over.
Chow Down on a Meaty Sandwich from a Bavarian Butcher
In southern Germany, a stop into any butcher shop, or Metzgerei, can be the cure of any hangover in five minutes or less. The locals typically indulge in a juicy bratwurst and roasted pork carved right off the shoulder. The roasted pork then gets slapped onto a fresh roll (what Bavarians call semmel) with sweet or regular mustard as you desire. It’s a fast food bite best devoured at a standing table between a high stack of napkins, and two pints of beer!
Sample the Eccentric Streets of India
When you travel, your best bet is to eat like the locals do. In India, that means hitting the variety in the streets. A stroll through any large city within the heart of India will reveal vibrant food stops and carts. Our personal favorite are the sweet and juicy bright yellow mangoes of summer, that you can enjoy while strolling through the market. Don’t be surprised when you see young, tender coconuts just waiting to be sliced open. In Mumbai, start with a collection of snacks that marries the crunchy and soft textures of puffed rice and crackers with the sweet, tart flavors of chutneys, that are known as chaat, And behind the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai is Bademiya, where skewers of succulent kebabs are grilled on hot coals and then wrapped and served in thin sheets of flatbread.
The World’s Best Guinness Stew in Ireland
The silky, chocolatey, lightly carbonated Guinness is not for everyone. Many people claim that Guinness is “too heavy,” and “drink is like a meal in itself.” Even if you have these feelings, there’s a way to experience Dublin’s famed brew: make it a meal. You won’t find Guinness stew quite like this in the United States — having a couple of hundred years to perfect the recipe will do that. The recipe is crafted with steak, veggies, and spices all selected for their uncanny pairing with Guinness. As you chow down, you can look out at the concrete jungle and steam pipes that make the beer.
Drown in the Delicious Dim Sum in Hong Kong
You can spend hundreds of dollars on Michelin-starred dumplings – or walk down into a basement shop and share a table with locals gossiping in Chinese mere feet from a steam table. Ideally, we would like to do both. Hong Kong lives for dim sum, a tea time tradition of small bites that Hong Kong has turned into a signature meal. Just don’t look for the cart-style service common in American dim sum houses: since freshness matters in dumplings. Our favorite spot? San Hing. The tables in San Hing are shared by a mix of elderly folks, celebrities, and drinkers on a last stop before heading home. Guests typically hover around the food arrival counter, while an unending stream of new guests are looking to snatch seats.
Go to a Gelateria in Italy
A trip to Italy warrants barrels of pasta, pizza, and wine, but there’s a reason every town in Italy has at least one gelateria. Italy’s creamier, silkier alternative to ice cream is served at warmer temperatures and tastes different than anything you’ve had in the US. Sample flavors like pistachio, hazelnut, and panna cotta, then watch as the scoopers twirl swirls of gelato onto cones and cups. Even if you stain your shirt while clutching a drippy, messy cone, well, at least you’re blending in with the locals.
Take on the Francesinha Sandwich in Porto, Portugal
The name Francesinha means “Little Frenchie” in Portuguese. But there is nothing little about this meaty outrage. Recipes vary, but the essential components are two slices of bread between which you’ll find ham, sliced steak, and at least two types of sausage. The sandwich is then topped with melted cheese, smothered in a gravy with a beer-based, and served with an optional sunnyside up egg and fries. Are you hungry yet?
Ready to travel the world to indulge in these delicious bites? Rubinsohn Travel excels in planning premier luxury vacations, and we want to make sure you experience nothing but the best. Give Rubinsohn Travel a call at (215) 886-5200, and we’ll begin your planning today!
