“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture,” says Mark Kurlansky, the James Beard award-winning author of such books as The Big Oyster and Salt: A World History. Think about it: Of all the ways to immerse yourself in a foreign place — touring the sights, shopping, visiting its museums — what could be as multi-sensory and revealing as simply tasting the local cuisine? Just as some of the best relationships are formed by breaking bread, deep connections to a place are forged through discovering its food. 

MUST TRY: MICHELIN-STARRED STREET FOOD IN SINGAPORE

In spite of its size, this tiny city-state packs a huge culinary punch, so much so that dining is actually considered the national pastime. The street food scene is legendary — more than 100 hawker centers are brimming with delicious local eats like wanton mee (noodles topped with roast pork, soy sauce, and chili paste), fried oyster omelets, Hainanese chicken rice, curried laksa soup, chili crab, kaya toast (made with a coconut milk and egg-based jam), and satay, to just name a few. How do you choose between the dizzying array of options? If the line is long, the food is good. In 2016, two stalls (Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle) became the first street vendors to be awarded a Michelin star. Of course, Singapore isn’t just about the casual eats. The Peking duck at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck is one of the best; the Michelin-starred Summer Pavilion at The Ritz-Carlton puts a contemporary spin on Cantonese cuisine; and Odette (two Michelin-starred and ranked No. 28 on the World’s Best Restaurants list) is led by a French chef, Julien Royer, who creates beautiful dishes like Hokkaido uni with langoustine tartare, caviar and apple.