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Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
We've picked the ten best cities for their food. Not listed in any order, since your ranking will vary based on your taste buds.
But if you consider yourself a foodie, these are the cities you must visit.
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Contributed by Aashish Gupta, founder of Yellowleg.com -- The Discerning Traveller's Bookstore.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Bangkok
For Thai food enthusiasts, Bangkok is the culinary capital of the world. Both the atmosphere and food in the city are an assault on your senses.
An out-of-town bonus: Damnoen Saduak, Thailand's busiest floating market, located about 100 km west of Bangkok, is a must-do for sampling the piping hot tasty food from the floating kitchens and fresh exotic friuts and produce.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Rome
Italy is the "Eat" in Elizabeth Gibert's bestseller Eat, Pray, Love.
And when in Rome, there is one thing you won't have to worry about: being able to find a nice place to eat.
From family run trattorias and pizzerias, to fancier, hip restaurants, Rome knows how to quench your hunger.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Paris
Whether you're in search for the best baguette in the world or old-fashioned candy stores, finest dining experiences, haute cuisine, wine-tasting sessions with expert sommeliers, or simply a delicious pain au chocolat for a breakfast on the go, Paris is food connoisseur heaven.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Hong Kong
Food is central to any conversation in Hong Kong, with the Cantonese equivalent of "Have you eaten yet?" being a standard way of greeting people.
Dim Sum, the local specialty, is served everywhere from steamy street canteens to fancy fusion-cuisine restaurants.
But with the cosmopolitan population, you won't be starved for variety. From pavement cafes serving Asian fusion, to Michelin-starred restaurants serving ethnic cuisine from Indian to Spanish to Shunde to Japanese, you'll find it all here.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
New York
Probably no other city can match the diversity of New York's restaurants. Caribbean, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Korean, Greek, Indian -- can all be found all over the city, and every block has an Italian restaurant.
The insane real estate prices ensure that only the best restaurants can survive, and the chefs are superstars (Any Anthony Bourdain fans here?).
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Tokyo
The highlight of any trip to Tokyo is its vast culinary landscape. From traditional Japanese staples to modern Japanese fast food, the cuisine is varied and delicious.
And the health-inducing properties of almost all its ingredients, from shiitake mushrooms to miso soup to pickled ginger and wasabi, mean you won't even have to watch those calories.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Lima
The only pick in the southern hemisphere, Lima is a rising star in the world of food. You'll find here the continent's most sublime culinary creations.
Street side eateries, fancy fusion spots, fresh seafood and regional specialties make for a thriving food scene.
Add in some exotic ingredients found only in this part of the world and you're ready for a gastronomic adventure you won't forget.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Barcelona
Catalonian cuisine and wine are considered to be Spain's finest. And star chefs have combined the wide variety of local seafood with inventive twists.
Restaurants have atmospheric tiled walls and creaking timber-beam roofs to make the whole dining experience atmospheric. And you can't miss the tapas joints.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
New Orleans
Probably the only city in the US that can boast of an original cuisine of its own.
Creole, Cajun, and some delicious ethnic cuisine can be found throughout the city.
Don't miss the gumbo, oysters Rockefeller, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, barbecue shrimp, po'boys, muffaletta and other zesty local specialties.
Yum! Top 10 travel destinations for foodies
Singapore
In Singapore, everyone is a food guide. It's almost impossible to find two Singaporeans who will agree on the best place to eat something. But this means there's an awful lot of good food out there.
From street food (the pride of Singapore, and stop worrying, it's the cleanest city in the world) at hawker centres to the city's huge collection of fine restaurants, you'll find it all here.
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