FOOD GUIDES

As you can probably tell by now, food plays a major role in our trips. Through careful research and planning, we find only the best local food experiences in every destination. We hate touristy restaurants so if you enjoy local food, then these guides will be helpful in planning your next food trip.

12 Night Markets and Food Streets to Visit in Taiwan

FOOD GUIDES / Hualien / Kaohsiung / Nantou County / New Taipei City / Taichung / Tainan / Taipei / TAIWAN / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

When I think of Taiwan, I can't help but think of night markets. They're synonymous with the country and an integral part of Taiwanese culture. Ren and I travel for food so we can't visit this island without going to at least one night market. And it doesn't matter if it's our first or fifteenth trip either. Our Taiwanese experience would never be complete without it.

Taiwanese Food Guide: 57 Things to Eat in Taiwan and Where to Try Them

FOOD GUIDES / Hualien / Kaohsiung / Nantou County / New Taipei City / Taichung / Tainan / Taipei / TAIWAN / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

We spent a full two weeks eating our way through Taiwan and it's many night markets. We visited Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Tamsui, Jiufen, and Taipei. We tried as many dishes as we could and in the process reconfirmed what we had gotten a taste of almost four years ago – Taiwan is a magnetic country with a rich, vibrant, and storied food culture.

Korean Food Guide: 44 Things to Eat in Seoul, South Korea and Where to Try Them

FOOD GUIDES / SOUTH KOREA / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

As delicious and universally appealing as Korean barbecue is, I've learned that there's so much more to the cuisine than just bulgogi and galbi. Things like ganjang gejang, jokbal, and naengmyeonaren't as well known outside of Korea but they are dishes well worth flying for.

Seoul Food Guide: 22 Must-Eat Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea

FOOD GUIDES / SOUTH KOREA / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

This list of 22 must-eat restaurants in Seoul includes some of the best places to try popular dishes like bibimbap, kalguksu, and Korean bbq. It also included four of the oldest restaurants in Seoul. If you're looking for solid restaurant recommendations, then these are 22 you should seriously consider.

Will Cook for Food – One Chef’s Tip for Eating AMAZING Food While Traveling

FOOD GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 Jakob Polaco

Learn about the practice of “staging” where a cook can work (and eat) under chefs from around the world, for short unpaid apprenticeships, in exchange for experience.

The First Fusion Cuisine: 3 Reasons Filipino Food is the Next Big Culinary Trend (Plus 4 Dishes that Show You What We Mean!)

FOOD GUIDES / PHILIPPINES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 Pamela Sanchez

What’s referred to as Filipino food is actually an umbrella category for all the different kinds of food located throughout the Philippine archipelago. And because the country is built the way it is – three groupings of islands spread north to south – the various peoples who populate the country have very different approaches to food.

Poblacion Food Crawl in Makati, Philippines

FOOD GUIDES / Metro Manila / PHILIPPINES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

The Poblacion area is trendy. It's becoming increasingly popular as a food and arts hub in Makati. Cultured but unpolished, hip but a little seedy, it reminds me of what Malate in Manila used to be.

Discovering Filipino Street Food: 17 Street Food Dishes to Try in the Philippines

FOOD GUIDES / PHILIPPINES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

If you're familiar with our blog, then you already know how much we love eating local food when we travel. A lot of that traveleating involves street food, which in many countries, has a reputation for being less than sanitary. The Philippines is one of those countries.

The Ultimate Vietnamese Food Guide: What to Eat in Vietnam (and Where to Try Them)

Central Vietnam / FOOD GUIDES / Northern Vietnam / Southern Vietnam / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

If I were to use one word to describe Vietnamese food, it would be "balance". Balance is important in all types of cuisine but it seems to be of particular importance in Vietnamese cooking. Vietnamese cuisine aims to strike a balance in different aspects of its food like taste, nutrients, and presentation, and it does so by paying attention to five elements per aspect.

Hanoi Food Guide: 16 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Hanoi, Vietnam

FOOD GUIDES / Northern Vietnam / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 10, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

Before we touched down in this city, I had little experience with Vietnamese food except for the most basic of dishes like pho and banh mi. I preferred rice over noodles and I hadn’t tasted real banh mi so Vietnamese cuisine was never one of my favorites. But Hanoi changed all that.

Hoi An Food Guide: 9 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Hoi An, Vietnam

Central Vietnam / FOOD GUIDES / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 10, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

We ate our way through three cities in Vietnam and I found the food in Hoi An to be the most interesting. Many of the dishes we tried are local specialties, things like (authentic) cao lầu and banh bao banh vac can be found only in Hoi An and much of it has to do with the ingredients.

Saigon Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

FOOD GUIDES / Southern Vietnam / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 3, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

If you're looking for a list of some of the best street food stalls in Saigon, Vietnam, then you've come to the right place.

The Ultimate Japanese Food Guide: What to Eat in Japan (and Where to Try Them)

FOOD GUIDES / Fukuoka / Hokkaido / Hyogo / JAPAN / Kumamoto / Kyoto / Nagasaki / Oita / Osaka / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

I adore Japanese food. It's my absolute favorite cuisine in the world and a big reason why I love visiting this country. We plan on exploring every prefecture and trying as many local specialties as we can. If you enjoy Japanese food as much as I do, then you need to read this guide.

Discovering the Locals’ Favourite Street Food in Saigon, Vietnam

FOOD GUIDES / Southern Vietnam / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 8, 2019 Alexis Nguyen

Although many fast food chains have started settling in to Vietnam’s larger cities, the best place to eat local dishes are still at the small stalls which line the streets. Many of these are not only cheap but also have existed there for half a century.

Hanoi: A Vietnamese Street Food Paradise

FOOD GUIDES / Northern Vietnam / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 8, 2019 Konrad Waliszewski

Hanoi has earned its reputation as a street food paradise. Around every twist and turn of its labyrinthine streets, ravenous travelers are invited to sit on small plastic chairs at a communal sidewalk table and are offered a superabundance of food options. It’s easy—and deliciously fun—to get lost in Hanoi’s food scene.

The Michelin Hong Kong Street Food Guide

FOOD GUIDES / HONG KONG / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 2, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

Reserved it seems for smaller establishments that haven't done enough to earn an actual star, the places on this list are recommended by Michelin Hong Kong as part of the guide's first ever street food section.

Penang Food Guide: 15 Delicious Things to Eat in Penang, Malaysia (and Where to Try Them)

FOOD GUIDES / MALAYSIA / Penang / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Jun 3, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

In a city like Penang that's known to have some of the best street food in Asia, it isn't enough to just walk up to the first hawker stall you see. You need to find the best, and that's exactly what I tried to do when doing research for this post.