BB in Asia

The quintessential Hong Kong experience — go for yum cha on a weekend morning. Must-orders: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai, char siu bao, cheung fun, and dan tat (egg tarts). The variety and quality here is unmatched anywhere in the world.

Silky shrimp-pork wontons in a clear, umami-rich broth made from dried flounder and shrimp roe, over thin springy egg noodles. The broth is everything — sip it slowly.

Crispy on outside, soft and eggy inside — a Hong Kong street food icon. Get them fresh off the griddle in Mong Kok or Causeway Bay. Now available in dozens of flavours.

Cantonese BBQ is a world of its own: char siu (honey-glazed BBQ pork), siu yuk (crispy roast pork belly), roast duck, and roast goose — all served over steamed rice with a drizzle of cooking juices. The crackling skin on siu yuk is non-negotiable.

Chilled mango purée with sago pearls, pomelo pulp, and coconut milk — Hong Kong's most beloved cold dessert. Invented here in the 1980s and now copied everywhere. Best eaten freshly made with ripe Ataulfo mango.

Flaky, caramelised-top custard tarts — Macau's most famous export. Lord Stow's Bakery in Coloane Village is the original and still the best. Arrive early; they sell out fast.

A juicy, bone-in pork chop crammed into a crispy Portuguese-style bread roll. Simple perfection. Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa is the most famous spot — queue expected.

Beyond the famous egg tart, Macau has a wonderful Portuguese bakery culture — pastéis de nata variations, bebinca (layered coconut pudding), and doce de chila (pumpkin jam pastries). Wander the historic lanes of Taipa Village for the best finds.

Macau's noodle scene blends Cantonese cha chaan teng culture with Portuguese-Macanese influences. Wonton noodle soup and congee are the morning staples; Portuguese-style pasta dishes appear in Macanese restaurants. The local cha chaan tengs here are quieter and more old-school than Hong Kong's.

Singapore's national dish — mud crab in a tangy, sweet, slightly spicy tomato-egg sauce. Jumbo Seafood and No Signboard are institutions. Mop up every drop with fried mantou buns.

Poached chicken (silky or roasted) over fragrant chicken-fat rice with ginger, chilli, and dark soy dipping sauces. The rice cooked in chicken stock is as important as the bird itself.

Singapore's dessert scene lives in the hawker centres. Chendol (pandan jelly, coconut milk, gula melaka), Ice Kachang (shaved ice mountain), and ondeh ondeh (pandan glutinous rice balls with palm sugar lava inside) are all essential.

Chef's choice sushi — the pinnacle of Japanese dining. From high-end spots in Ginza to affordable counters at Tsukiji Outer Market. Even mid-range omakase in Tokyo surpasses almost anywhere on earth.

Tokyo-style shoyu ramen: clear, soy-seasoned broth, wavy noodles, chashu, and nori. Tokyo also has rich tonkotsu, spicy miso, and tsukemen (dipping noodles). The city has thousands of ramen shops — every neighbourhood has a gem hiding in plain sight.

Tokyo's dessert culture is vast — from centuries-old wagashi (traditional sweets) shops to ultra-modern parfait cafés. Matcha everything, seasonal kakigori (shaved ice), and the infamous 7-Eleven soft serve are all unmissable.

Pad Thai: stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu or shrimp, bean sprouts, and tamarind — topped with peanuts and lime. Also try boat noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ): tiny, intensely flavoured bowls of noodles in pork blood broth, eaten in rapid succession.

Pounded shredded green papaya with chilli, lime, fish sauce, peanuts, and dried shrimp. Fresh, fiery, and addictive. Order it on the street — every vendor has their own version. Go "phet mak" if you dare.

Thailand's traditional sweet world is stunning: lod chong (pandan noodles in coconut milk with ice), bua loy (glutinous rice balls in coconut milk), and khanom chan (layered pandan-coconut jelly). Most sold at fresh markets by morning vendors.

Taiwan's national dish — slow-braised beef shank and tendon in a rich, spiced soy broth over thick chewy noodles. Two main styles: red (spicy bean paste) and clear (lighter, cleaner). Taipei holds an annual festival dedicated to it.

Soup dumplings — thin-skinned, pork-filled, with a scalding soup inside. Din Tai Fung started in Taipei and remains the gold standard. Bite carefully, sip the broth, add ginger and vinegar.

Taiwan invented bubble tea in the 1980s and it shows — the quality, variety, and tea craftsmanship here is unmatched anywhere in the world. This is the pilgrimage destination for any boba lover.

Grill your own samgyeopsal (pork belly) or galbi (beef short ribs) at the table. Wrap in lettuce with ssamjang paste, garlic, and kimchi. Mapo-gu and Mapo Station area have excellent BBQ streets.

Mixed rice bowl with seasoned vegetables, gochujang paste, a fried egg, and often beef. Get the dolsot version (stone pot) for crispy rice on the bottom. Jeonju-style is considered the most authentic.

Korea's shaved milk ice — finer and creamier than shaved water ice. Topped with red bean, mochi, fruit, or matcha. Seoul's dessert café culture is extraordinary: beautifully designed spaces serving stunning seasonal bingsu and cake slices.

KL's wok noodle duo: Char Kway Teow (flat rice noodles, dark soy, lard, cockles) and KL Hokkien Mee (thick yellow noodles braised in dark soy with pork lard and crispy lard bits) — both demand intense wok hei and generous lard. Do not skip the lard.

Malaysia's national dish — coconut-milk steamed rice with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and a hard-boiled egg. Eaten for breakfast but also available all day. Village Park Restaurant in Damansara is iconic.

Kuih are bite-sized Malay-Peranakan steamed or fried sweets — layered pandan kuih lapis, onde onde, kuih talam, ang ku kueh. Each piece is a labour of love. Morning markets have the best and freshest selection.

Beijing's most iconic dish — crispy lacquered skin and tender meat carved tableside, wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onion, cucumber, and hoisin. The skin is the star; the meat plays second fiddle. A whole duck, properly done, is a ceremony.

Beijing's soul food — hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles topped with a rich, slow-cooked soybean and pork mince sauce, alongside shredded cucumber, radish, edamame, and bean sprouts. Toss everything together before eating.

Shanghai's signature soup dumpling — impossibly thin skin holding a pork filling and a spoonful of scalding hot broth. The technique: bite a tiny hole, sip the soup, then eat. Never squeeze. Never rush. Dip in ginger-vinegar.

Pan-fried pork buns — crispy sesame-studded bottom, fluffy steamed top, juicy broth inside. Shanghai invented them. Eaten with black vinegar and ginger. Four buns for breakfast at a street stall is peak Shanghai morning.

The original and most intense hotpot in China — a cauldron of blood-red tallow broth loaded with dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. The mala (numbing-spicy) sensation is unlike anything else. Cook thinly sliced meat, offal, and vegetables tableside. Sweat is mandatory.

Spicy noodles in a fiery, numbing chilli-oil broth with ya cai (preserved mustard greens), peanuts, spring onion, and sesame paste. Under ¥10 at any corner noodle shop. One of China's most beloved bowls.

Hand-pulled, belt-wide noodles slapped against a wooden board until they're thick, chewy, and uneven — topped with spicy chilli oil, vinegar, and minced pork. The character "biang" is the most complex in Chinese writing. The noodles match the drama.

Slow-braised spiced pork (or lamb) crammed into a crispy baked flatbread — often called the world's oldest sandwich. Cooked for hours until the meat falls apart, flavoured with dozens of spices. The lamb version in the Muslim Quarter is extraordinary.

Zhejiang's coastal cuisine — salty, lightly preserved, and deeply umami. Ningbo's specialties include salted yellow croaker (黄鱼), clam soup, and sea snails. The freshest seafood markets in China are along this coast.

Named after the poet Su Dongpo — thick slabs of pork belly braised for hours in Shaoxing wine, soy, and sugar until the fat is silky and the meat falls apart. Served in a small clay pot. Rich, unctuous, and extraordinary with steamed buns.

Hangzhou's signature noodle dish — hand-cut noodles in a clear pork broth with sliced pork, bamboo shoots, and preserved mustard greens (雪菜). Light, clean, and deeply satisfying. The bamboo shoot version in spring is considered the finest expression of the dish.

Freshwater shrimp wok-tossed with Longjing green tea leaves — the shrimp turn jade-white, the tea infuses them with fragrance. One of China's most refined dishes; the tea and shrimp must both be fresh on the same day.

Fengjia Night Market is Taiwan's largest — a labyrinth of stalls selling grilled corn, oyster omelettes, stinky tofu, large chicken cutlets, and every fried-everything imaginable. Come hungry, come late, come twice.

Taichung is where bubble tea was born — Chun Shui Tang's original branch is here. The city is also home to Miyahara, a stunning restored Japanese-era ophthalmology clinic turned ice cream and pineapple cake shop.

Tainan's morning ritual — silky rice porridge with tender milkfish, served alongside small dishes of pickled vegetables and fried shallots. The milkfish is farmed locally and sold at dawn. Old Tainan people eat this for breakfast every day.

Tainan's most eccentric creation — a hollowed-out thick toast deep-fried until golden, then filled with creamy seafood chowder (shrimp, squid, potato) and capped with the bread lid. Invented at Tainan's Chikan Tower market in 1940.

Kaohsiung's most famous night market — a long street packed with fresh seafood stalls. Order grilled squid, oyster vermicelli (蚵仔麵線), steamed clams in garlic butter, and fresh fruit juice. The harbour city's seafood is as fresh as it gets in Taiwan.

Japan's ultimate multi-course haute cuisine — a procession of seasonal, meticulously composed small dishes celebrating Japanese aesthetics. In Kyoto, kaiseki reaches its highest expression. Each dish is a painting. Budget ¥15,000–¥50,000 per person for a full experience.

Kyoto has its own ramen style — rich chicken broth (tori paitan) topped with scallion and sometimes menma. Handmade soba (buckwheat noodles) and thick udon in dashi broth are equally revered. Nishiki Market has excellent cold soba to eat standing up.

Kyoto's water produces exceptionally silky tofu — yudofu (simmered tofu in kombu broth) is the city's most meditative dish. Eaten at a temple restaurant surrounded by moss gardens. The simplicity is the point.

Kyoto is the spiritual home of matcha — the bittersweet intensity here is unmatched anywhere. Matcha parfaits, warabi mochi (bracken starch jelly), nama yatsuhashi (raw cinnamon wafer), and seasonal wagashi are all Kyoto essentials.