worLd’s best bites

spread takes place at Cumbria’s Dalemain soul the best UK food festivals Mansion every March. Pop in for thoughtful food talks, bread-making workshops, and the Hot right now: New York mini scenes NYC is World Marmalade Awards (dalemain 2,000km marmaladeawards.co.uk; £4.50). New York sets the food fish and chewy, tasty bagels to Lower east Side north of New for the rest of the world. But what’s residents since 1914, and this is still the only Orleans, but that l Taste of Graze your way around trendiest right now in the city that deli you need on your hit list. taste your way hasn’t stopped the city the capital’s restaurants at this regent’s Best pizza Chef’S Tip never sleeps (but eats, eats, eats)? through the smoked salmons before filling slavering for Southern soul Park shindig each June, as hot-right-now Naples? Pah. Francesco Mazzei, your glossy pumpernickel halo (around £7); food. King of the scene is chef restaurants (Duck & Waffle and Lima, say) chef-patron of L’Anima (lanima.co.uk) Burgers add cream cheese and pickles (obviously). Marcus Samuelsson. try his ‘dirty rice offer bargain samplers of signature dishes NYC’s ‘SoHo Like the Little of the food world, For afters, cinnamon babka is a sweet, swirly and shrimp’ (aged basmati and the fattest (tastefestivals.com; £26). Square’, BesT eAtS burgers never go out of in NYC. yeast cake that is so New York. prawns, with curry leaves) at Red Rooster IN CALAbrIA l they’re tailored to all tastes – many with in Harlem (redroosterharlem.com; mains Wild Boar Week the Medieval Sussex town from Prince Sun-faded fat percentages carefully engineered by Food trucks around £16). Fans include barack Obama. of rye is perfect weekend-break territory, St Pizza in Cerchiara blending cuts including rib-eye, chuck, sirloin Food trucks are all over NYC. You’ll soon spot especially in late October, when it goes all di Calabria, my l and rib- – but you really just need three the likes of Wafels & Dinges (wafelsanddinges. Puddings Aldeburgh the reedy banks of Snape Dark Ages, with boar, pheasant and mead NoLiTa, has beautiful hometown, addresses. Go fast food at shake shack com) serving up belgian waffles with a biscuity Focus on Manhattan for a cross-section of Maltings in Suffolk become foodie HQ banquets at local restaurants, and hunts in flawless is renowned for its (shakeshack.com; around £4.50), boho bar- sauce kerbside, or smorgasburg (smorgas the best sugar highs: the latest and greatest each September, with talks from writers the nearby woods (wildboar.org.uk; prices vary). huge loaves: they’re style at Corner Bistro (cornerbistrony. burg.com) in brooklyn – a are hip Momofuku Milk Bar’s butterscotch such as Lucas Hollweg, radio 4-hosted tomato sauce baked in the oven for com; around £5) or upscale at Minetta weekend market where crack pie (milkbarstore.com; £3.30 a slice), debates and dozens of local producers and an airy four hours and stay Tavern (minettatavernny.com; the best bites include Bouchon Bakery’s tKOs – a grown-up take (aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk; £8). fresh for two weeks. around £17), where the ‘black red Hook’s creamy on Oreos (bouchonbakery.com; £2), and crust (prince I buy mine at bakery l Label’ is grilled in butter and lobster rolls, and the now globally renowned ‘cronuts’ (a Abergavenny Food stalls and top chefs stpizza.com; Panificio Monti served with caramelised onions. Japanese tacos croissant-doughnut hybrid) from Dominique transform this black Mountains market town Teresa (33 Ctr from takumi. eat Ansel Bakery (dominiqueansel.com; £3.40). during its September knees-up. Make a £2.25/slice). Piana di Cerchiara). Bagels on the waterfront, weekend of it with talks, walks, wild food, I used to work in l Its famed Russ & Daughters with Manhattan Virgin Holidays (virginholidays.co.uk) and dancing at the castle (abergavenny my uncle’s gelateria, (russanddaughters. skyline has five nights at Element by Westin Times foodfestival.com; from £7). margherita’s Artigianale com) has been views. Mains Square West from £1,190pp, B&B, including Pasticceria l so good, it’s doling out smoked around £5. Heathrow-JFK flights. Dalemain Marmalade Festival Yes, a Barbarossa (Via festival dedicated to Paddington’s favourite trademarked. Nazionale 116), in buzzy, beachside Villapiana Lido. It’s one of the best the secret restaurants in Florence in Calabria – try the orange granita. l Trattoria Mario views of the duomo In Altomonte, (Via rosina 2r; trattoria- (pictured). It’s open until Hotel Barbieri mario.com). 9pm – perfect for a sunset (barbierigroup.it) there’s no menu displayed Negroni. Mains around £17. is family-run, and outside this lunch-only trat, serves great local l steps from Florence’s Cibrèo Trattoria (Via de’ produce in a superb market square, but the Macci 122r; edizioniteatro setting overlooking inevitable queue of people delsalecibreofirenze.it). the Medieval village. hints at the delights within. ristorante Cibrèo is one Seating is communal; no of the city’s most upscale bookings or credit cards are eateries, with prices to taken; and popular dishes on match. Head next door Best airport the felt-tipped menu sell out to the no-reservations food fast – try rosemary-infused trattoria, known locally as tagliata (sliced rare sirloin), Cibrèino, and you’ll be LA’s finest or the juicy lombata di vitello rewarded with flavour- Mexican, (veal chop). For around packed seasonal dishes Border Grill, £21, you’ll get three courses from the same kitchen of fabulous tuscan home for a third of the price. just opened cooking with wine. the baccala mantecato at LAX: (Venetian dried cod) is expect l Caffé La Terrazze not to be missed. Mains exemplary (Piazza della repubblica 1). around £11. take the lift to the fourth Margaritas floor of the decidedly l Vueling (vueling.com) flies and piquant unremarkable La rinascente from Heathrow to Florence pork-rib department store, then from £99 return. Doubles at tacos (border climb the stairs to the Casa Howard Guest House rooftop cafe. Steep prices (casahoward.com) start grill.com; are justified by spectacular from £135, room only. around £9). >

November 2013 Sunday Times Travel 119 worLd’s best bites

Best midnight feast I Just try beating (or even eating) Le Sandwich Américain – a hot baguette of steak, frites and the world’s best street food

Gruyère, with mayo and ketchup, served to Niçois clubbers l Pineapple on l Japadogs, l Bifana, Lisbon as at Le Maxi (4 Rue de l’Opéra, Nice; £3.40). Mont Choisy Vancouver this is no ordinary makeshift beach, Mauritius Set yourself up pork bap. It’s roadside Chef’S Tip Prepare to get for Van’s outdoor smoky paprika pork, ‘double’ stalls Yotam ottolenghi, messy – £1 bags of pursuits with a simmered in white (best in St James chef and restaurateur pineapple in chilli salt japadog – a fusion vino, dressed up in a district). Copy the (ottolenghi.co.uk) the secret belgian hotspots and tamarind syrup beef or pork wiener pillowy bun to take locals and tear strips BesT eAtS The other country for rail getaways isn’t just about chocolate from Crayola-hued topped with fried away – sustenance off the flatbread IN ISrAeL and chips. Here are the highlights from the home of Poirot… bicycle carts pop soba noodles, bonito for pounding Lisbon’s to transport Find with every spicy bite, flakes and wasabi cobbled streets. try the chickpea, Jerusalem’s l tucked away among the www.chaletrobinson.be; dripping juice onto mayo. they’re sold beira Gare (rua 1 de tamarind and mango culinary highs by wholesale butchers and pound mains around £22). the white sands via from stands and Dezembro 116; curry mouthwards wandering its alleys, shops of brussels’ Anderlecht your chin and fingers. trailers city-wide around £1.80). (around 60p). following cooking district, local haunt La Paix is all l the undiscovered, discreet Nothing a quick dip (see japadog.com for smells and stopping polished brass and monochrome charm of ancient Namur, an won’t sort out. locations; around £3). l Pani puri, l Cecina, Mexico wherever you see tiles. Meat is the thing here, with hour from brussels by train, is Chowpatty Beach, bacon sarnies don’t a crowd. restaurant- vast, tender steaks to share, but exemplified by simple, intimate l Jerk chicken, l Acarajé, salvador Mumbai come close. Cecina wise, Rachmo (5 find space for chef David Martin’s restaurant L’Agathopède, which Jamaica exercise caution with Get this tangy, crispy (spice-rubbed, sun- Ha’Eshkol St) is a brilliant ways with home-grown takes its name from a secret Drive up (50km or Salvador’s favourite beach snack in your dried pork), served great no-frills place vegetables, too (rue ropsy- 19th-century fraternity. Chef Carl so) from black river snack: a black-eyed mouth pronto. Once on tortillas with black for kubbe (beef Chaudron 49; lapaix1892.com; Gillain serves clever and assured, beach, then pull over pea fritter served the vendor pours beans, onions and dumpling) soup. mains around £35). but never fiddly, food. expect the when you see smoke with piquant prawn tamarind water over avocado, emerges A bit out of town but surprisingly delectable local petit spilling across the paste and hot chilli the spicy potato- from the smoky well worth the effort l A miniature ferry (£1) chugs you gris snails to feature (Ave de la chaotic, jolly outfit serving freshly road from All garnish. buy it for and-chilli mix, he’s is Majda (00 972 2 over to the alpine-style, wooden Plante 23; theroyalsnail.com; three- made, flaky msemen (Moroccan Seasons Jerk Centre pennies from women piled on a light 579 7108; open Le Chalet Robinson, marooned course menu £43; pictured). pancakes stuffed with soft cheese (Spur tree Hill, in white Candomblé- chickpea-flour shell – Wed-Sat), in the on an island populated by tame and honey), to be taken with hot Manchester). Juicy voodoo , at mere seconds stand Judean hills. rabbits, in brussels’ Soignes forest. l the crêpe stall at bruxelles-Midi mint tea (Sundays only; £2-£4). chicken loaded with stalls in the Baroque between triumph Antipasti and meze It’s the kind of place Sunday lunch food-and-flowers market has wood-smoke flavour centre or the balmy and -stained are served from was invented for, with well- no name or address (it’s on the l Eurostar (eurostar.com) has and scotch-bonnet Atlantic Bay beaches. disaster (around 10p). Michal and Yaakov’s executed belgian comfort food, Avenue Fonsny side of the brussels St Pancras-Brussels returns, heat comes in village home – worth and a deadly salted-caramel waffle railway station), but follow the plus two nights at Hotel Bloom! scrunched-up foil l steamed pork l suckling pig, Bali the cab (along (Sentier de l’embarcadère 1; crowds and you’ll discover a from £160pp, room only. for less than a fiver. buns, London No-frills Ibu Oka Highway 1 from tel Squidgy steamed (Jalan Suweta/tegal l Xiao long bao, buns, stuffed with Sari 2), near the Aviv to Jerusalem, Night vision: the Maison exit at ein rafa, du Roi on Brussels’ Grand shanghai tender blythburgh market in Ubud, bali’s follow directions place is home to the take tangy-spicy- pork, hoisin sauce cultural heartland, to the village, then Museum of the City sweet xiao long bao and spring onions: serves the island’s red-lettered Hebrew – a scoop of herby meet the dinky, best babi guling (or signs to Majda). pork and jelly Cantonese-inspired suckling pig): £3 gets wrapped in delicate yum bun. Follow the you a take-out paper dough – dip in scent of roasting cone piled with pork, vinegar and scoff in pork to Kerb market shards of crackling, sizzle of Mercado 20 a single bite (or risk at King’s Cross (yum rice and spicy veg. de Noviembre (Calle spraying fellow diners bun.co.uk; £3.50). 20 de Noviembre; with broth). Try hole- l Souvlakia, Athens £1), near Oaxaca’s in-the-wall Loushi l Pigeon breast, McDonald’s poor Colonial main square. Tangbao Guan (601 scotland Greek performance Nanchang Lu; 60p). Hedgerows and must be down to l Nyonya laksa, farms provide souvlakia – tender, singapore l Som tam papaya the ingredients; charcoal-grilled lamb Whiffs of mint and salad, Bangkok Catherine Kilgour wrapped tightly in lime drift between think salad’s for and rob Wright warm pita bread with the multi-coloured wimps? Pull up a transform them into onion, tomato and buildings of east plastic pew at Hai something delicious tzatziki. try the stalls Coast rd, stirred up Somtam (2/4-5 – flash-fried pigeon, on Monastiraki from the staple spicy Convent rd): white- stag burger, venison Square, or thanasis coconutty-curry masked cooks pound tagine – and serve it (Mitropoleos St; £7). broth. Dig in with a papaya with garlic, from a 1961 Land spoon to unearth chillies, limes and fish rover at spots across l Doubles, Port of plump cockles and sauce into radioactive Scotland’s Lothians spain, Trinidad shrimps. best place heat. Need soothing? (wildroverfood.com; trinis put their car to start? 328katong the bill’s only £1.40. mains around £6). to great use laksa.com.sg; £2.50. >

120 Sunday Times Travel November 2013 November 2013 Sunday Times Travel 121 worLd’s best bites

the best French food city If even Parisians admit Lyon is the go- to town for gourmets, its finest must be France’s crème de la crème. Try its… Best posh dinner: Stunning city-wide views – including both the rhône and Saône rivers – Chef’S Tip accompany technically brilliant dishes such as thomasina Miers, assiette of suckling pig at Tetedoie (tetedoie. founder of wahaca (wahaca.co.uk) com; mains around £36), on Fourvière hill. seCReT eAtS Best bistro lunch: Order the superb pâté en IN MeXICO croute at Daniel et Denise (daniel-et-denise. everyone in fr; mains around £17), a typical Lyonnais Mexico City’s bouchon (bistro) with red-and-white checked heard of the el Bajío tablecloths and bentwood chairs. chain of restaurants, but only true foodies Best market: Join the boho locals on tree- know that the lined Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse as they original one, in the shop for regional specialities: soft and creamy industrial district of St-Marcellin cheese, or garlicky Jésus de Lyon Azcapotzalco, is sausage. Not as smart as the more famous where the city’s Les Halles, but much cheaper. best cooking is found. Dishes Best dish: Landlocked Lyon’s signature recipe are mainly from is quenelles de brochet, feather-light pike Michoacán and dumplings in rich crayfish sauce. try them Veracruz – and are at top bouchon Café des Fédérations as authentic and (lesfedeslyon.com; set menu £21). delicious as you could hope. l Eurostar (eurostar.com) has St Pancras-Lyon Overseen by returns from £109. Doubles at Cour des Loges Carmen ramírez (courdesloges.com) from £169, room only. Degollado, it’s been around for over 40 Hot right now: London years. If anyone wants to taste real The capital’s food scene is on fire at Mexican cooking, the moment; here’s this year’s stand- this is the place to outs and where best to find them go (restauranteel bajio.com.mx; the food scene adopts then adapts, turning mains around £5). dishes from Japan or the Deep South into something uniquely London. the new wave of lively, affordable ramen restaurants, such as Bone Daddies (right; bonedaddiesramen.com; £10 per bowl), pimps up its wheat-noodle Best buffet soups with richer, stronger flavours than its Vegas still counterparts in Japan. Its sibling, Flesh & Buns does all-you- (fleshandbuns.com; mains around £15) serves can-eats with this season’s fashionable dish – Chinese-style steamed hirata buns packed with meaty fillings. Elvis in the renegade vibe at these two hipster hang- mind. The outs is in tune with many of the capital’s ‘dude £25 steal food’ canteens, epitomised by Pitt Cue Co (pittcue.co.uk; mains around £9; top). Here, ribs at Planet are barbecued and smoked, and served in huge Hollywood’s portions. the drink of choice? London-brewed Spice Market craft beer, of course. try the best of these yields sushi, the secret best restaurant in the world, Girona artisan-made ales at one of three branches of the Craft Beer Company (thecraftbeerco. pizza, ribs – Girona boasts el Celler de Can roca, the planet’s seductive liquid mushroom fritter and lacquered com). And to see regeneration in progress, and 20 types best (and headline-hogging) restaurant – luckily Iberian pork. It has just one Michelin star, but it’s a head to Granary Square, north of King’s Cross of cupcake that leaves the sensational modern Catalan supernova . And you won’t wait a year for a table. station: on weekdays, King’s Boulevard is home (planet- cuisine by Pere Massana (restaurantmassana. l Ryanair (ryanair.com) has Bristol flights from £62 to excellent lunchtime street-food vans. Or, for com) for those in the know. Order the nine- return. Doubles at Ciutat de Girona (faderson.com) something more refined, head for the Grain hollywood- course gourmet menu (£104 with wine) for its from £81, room only. store (grainstore.com: mains around £15). resort.com). >

November 2013 Sunday Times Travel 123