Must-see restaurants in Southeast Asia

  • Lokal

    LoKal

    Chinatown & the CBD

    By day this Aussie-style eatery, with a German twist inspired by neighbouring Goethe-Institut, serves up mouthwatering homemade dishes that have patrons…

  • Annam Gourmet Market has a deli, bakery and lunch salad bar

    Annam Gourmet Market

    Ho Chi Minh City

    A quiet, relaxing and neat place for breakfast, brunch, a salad, bruschetta or baguette sandwich, this stylish coffee shop on the upper floor of a…

  • The Elbow Room has an American diner vibe

    Elbow Room

    Ho Chi Minh City

    If you’re a lumberjack, you’ll be OK at this upmarket American-style cafe-bistro where there’s a big breakfast with your name on it (pancakes, bacon, eggs…

  • Tiong Shian Porridge Centre, stall

    Tiong Shian Porridge Centre

    Chinatown & the CBD

    Appetite piqued, pull up a plastic stool at Tiong Shian Porridge Centre, an old-school kopitiam (coffeeshop) where elderly uncles tuck into delicious…

  • Nanyang Old Coffee

    Nanyang Old Coffee

    Chinatown & the CBD

    A smart choice for a traditional Singaporean breakfast of kaya (coconut jam) toast, runny eggs and strong kopi (coffee). Sit outside in the breezy five…

  • Lang Son province, Vietnam. the beauty of a rural woman selling homemade rice cakes filled with black sugar at the market.

    Lang Son Market

    Northeast Vietnam

    Lang Son’s market area sprawls over about three blocks, just off P Tran Dang Ninh. It's a colourful and hectic place stuffed to the brim with hawkers and…

  • Rojak Popiah & Cockle

    Rojak, Popiah & Cockle

    Chinatown & the CBD

    Hit this veteran stall for juicy, made-to-order popiah (fresh spring rolls) and the sweet-and-sour flavour explosion of rojak (tropical fruit and…

  • Nha Hang Ngon

    Hanoi

    With a focus on authentic flavours from around Vietnam, this joint gets popular with both locals and visitors. It's street food taken off the street and…

  • 500px Photo ID: 158306929 - Dried red chili peppers on slate background Top view Copy space.

    Mon Hue

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Hue’s famous cuisine comes to HCMC’s hungry hordes through this chain of eight restaurants. This handy branch offers a good, air-conditioned introduction…

  • Dam market (Cho Dam), Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa / Vietnam - August 26 2018: Dam Market is the largest market and trading symbol of Nha Trang coastal city.; Shutterstock ID 1170374734; full: 65050; gl: digital; netsuite: POI; your:

    Dam Market

    Nha Trang

    For a traditional local experience, try Dam Market, which has a colourful collection of stalls, including com chay (vegetarian) options, in the ‘food…

  • A Vietnamese husband and wife with their young son walk past a woman using a mobile phone in bustling Con Market, Danang, Vietnam.

    Con Son Market

    Con Dao Islands

    A good spot for breakfast, with delicious noodle dishes and pancakes churned out at wallet-friendly rates. You can stock up on fruit and snacks here, too.

  • Open-Air Market

    Kuching

    Cheap, tasty dishes to look for include laksa, Chinese-style mee sapi (beef noodle soup), red kolo mee (noodles with pork and a sweet barbecue sauce),…

  • Le Chasseur

    Singapore

    Think you're in for escargot? Think again. Set inside an airy, super-local hawker centre, low-frills Le Chasseur is one of Singapore's best bets for…

  • Trapizza

    Sentosa Island

    At the quieter end of Siloso Beach, Trapizza is a great place to head if you're after a great beach vista coupled with yummy thin crust pizzas straight…

  • Ah Meng Restaurant

    Singapore

    Smack bang in the middle of the Singapore Zoo this is the easiest place to grab a bite to eat during your visit. Choose from local favourites like…

  • Awesome Canteen

    George Town

    Hidden behind a curtain of greenery in a weathered period building is Awesome Canteen, with an all-paleo menu (no processed food and grains) that's an…

  • Dan Nao Muang Xam Restaurant

    Northern Laos

    This hole-in-the-wall spot is hardly brimming with atmosphere, but it has the most foreigner-friendly menu in town in English. Breakfast includes…

  • Vintage Emporium

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Housed in a grand villa tucked down a small side street, Vintage Emporium is all about whimsy. Gleaming wood and vintage-tiled floors, and separate…

  • Cheevit Chiva

    Chiang Mai

    Known for its elaborate bowls of bingsu (a popular Korean dessert made with shaved milk ice covered in sweet toppings), Cheevit Cheeva is an airy dessert…

  • Phetdavanh Restaurant & Street Buffet

    Northern Laos

    This basic-looking restaurant runs a nightly 'all you can eat' veggie buffet (high season only), as well as serving pizzas, schnitzels, pancakes, soups,…

  • Rasapura Masters

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    If you prefer your hawker grub with a side of air-con, head to this bustling, gleaming food court in Marina Bay Sands mall's basement. Its stalls cover…

  • IM Kitchen Chiangmai

    Chiang Mai

    A darling little spot for brunch, IM Kitchen offers tasty Thai and Western dishes in a design-forward, bright setting. The hipster aesthetic (think…

  • Rico Rico

    Flores

    One of the few eating options in Riung and right beside the pier, this is a convenient pre- or post-boat trip dining spot. Food is cheap and basic, but…

  • Blue Lagoon

    Phuket

    One of a dwindling number of Surin restaurants following the crackdown on beachfront establishments, this friendly, family-run, semi-open-air joint serves…

  • Barbara’s

    Manila

    In an elegant space within the Casa Manila complex, Barbara’s does a buffet dinner that includes a cultural show (7.15pm) with traditional music and…

  • Hong Mai

    Hue

    After visiting the Citadel, try this excellent Vietnamese place with aluminium furniture that draws a local crowd for superior versions of two local…

  • Inle Myanmar

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    Bright and relaxed, this is the most accessible of the Burmese eateries inside Peninsula Plaza. Order a bowl of signature mohinga, a delicate, sweet-and…

  • Com Ga Dong Nguyen

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Located in the heart of Chinatown, Com Ga Dong Nguyen has been serving its winning brand of Chinese-Vietnamese dishes at very reasonable prices since 1945…

  • Auntie Kopitiam

    Malaysia

    On the main road across from the entrance to Bukit Malawati, this old-style kopitiam (coffee shop) founded in 1935 serves Malaysian favourites such as…

  • Suffolk House

    George Town

    Dishes such as beef pot pie and prawn-crusted sea bass are on the main menu, but the best reason for heading to this beautifully restored 200-year-old…

  • 1885

    George Town

    It doesn't get more elegant than a candlelit table at the main restaurant of the E&O Hotel, whether you come for dinner or their excellent afternoon tea …

  • Providore

    Singapore

    Waiting at the top of Mandarin Gallery's outdoor escalator is Providore, a cool, upbeat cafe pimped with white tiles, industrial details and shelves…

  • Rainforest

    Mandalay

    Plenty of travellers (but few locals) climb through the treasure-packed family 'antique' shop to a covered balcony with tinkling wind chimes and assorted…

  • Sea Monster

    Kota Kinabalu

    Festooned with ship's rigging and lifebuoys, this place looks like the owners decided to run a few miles with a nautical theme. Maritime theme aside, the…

  • Hangover

    Bandung

    A busy pub restaurant, with classic rock and blues on the stereo and a comforting range of updated Western and Indo classics emerging from the kitchen. It…

  • Vintage Emporium

    Ho Chi Minh City

    It's hard to know which is more social-media ready: the retro-chic decor with colonial-era-inspired tiles and ethnic textiles, or the brightly coloured…

  • Royal Rice & Bun Bar

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Already fresh and light Vietnamese food gets an even healthier makeover, thanks to colourful homemade bún (rice noodles) flavoured with freshly pressed…

  • Kaloang Home Kitchen

    Bangkok

    Don’t be alarmed by the carelessly scruffy appearance and dilapidated deck. The laid-back atmosphere and seafood-heavy menu of this lodge-restaurant will…

  • Waserda HQQ

    East Java

    This humble warung is run by a sweet wife-and-husband team, who cook up delicious East Javanese dishes such as nasi pecel (rice with a spicy peanut sauce,…

  • Braga Punya Carita

    Bandung

    A new-school warung serving mixed rice dishes, oxtail and fish soup, and some forgettable Western options. For the rice dishes, you can choose between red…

    • placement: fullWidth
    • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
    • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
    • targeting:
      {
        "position": "superzone"
      }