Around the time I moved away from New York City, I compiled a list of things to eat, see, and do there, as a reminder for myself when I visited in the future, but also as a guide for anyone else I knew who might be going. I’ve realized it would be useful to store similar information for all the cities I visit. That’s what this list is. Along with each destination other than Toronto, where I live now, and Kitchener, where I grew up and my parents still live, I’ll list the last time I visited, to give an idea of how dated my experience is. The idea is to update this list over time instead of posting new lists in the future.

Africa

Kenya

• If you’re staying for a longer time, it’s worth setting up Mpesa, an electronic payment system that has mostly replaced cash. You’ll need a SIM card and you’ll have to find a way to transfer money to the account. I used a debit card to put money in my Wise account, then transferred from there to Mpesa.

Namibia

Sossusvlei (March 2025)

• Big Daddy Dune: If you are headed to Sossusvlei, it is most likely to see Deadvlei, but for me the best view of Deadvlei was from the top of Big Daddy Dune. Climbing up sand is hard work, but there’s a big payoff at the peak and you can get back down very quickly, as the sand lets you slide right down.

Swakopmund (March 2025)

• Eat
  • Farmhouse Deli: This is one of a line of restaurants on the waterfront of Swakopmund, but the best thing I ate in Namibia was their oryx ragu.
• Do
  • Sandwich Harbour: On one side there are dunes as far as the eye can see and on the other you overlook the south Atlantic. It is totally worth a tour that will take you for a ride up the dunes, which is known as the “Namibian roller coaster”.

South Africa

Cape Town (March 2025)

• Eat
  • Bihari: Nice Indian restaurant in a hotel.
  • The Black Sheep: Very well done food, from a variety of cultures. I had pappardelle with braised beef and mushrooms.
  • Eastern Food Bazaar: A series of counters with different south and east Asian food. Huge portions for cheap.
  • GOLD Restaurant: Many dishes from across Africa, in combination with dancing, singing, and drumming.
  • Tadka: Nice Indian restaurant. One of Cape Town’s rolling blackouts started while we were there, which made for an interesting atmosphere.
• See
  • Table Mountain: Take the cable car to the top for incredible views on all sides.
• Do
  • Ocean Wonder: Ride around the harbour in a very small boat to get up-close views of local wildlife.

Tanzania

• If you’re going to Zanzibar, avoid Dar es Salaam and the ferry terminal, which is total bedlam. Getting a flight from Dar es Salaam airport to Zanzibar is about the same price and you can skip going to the city altogether.

Zanzibar (March 2025)

• Maru Maru: We were not enamoured with the restaurant options in Zanzibar, but in terms of quality and value, Maru Maru Hotel’s rooftop restaurant was the best we found. My favourite dish was the Zanzibar-style chicken curry.

Asia

China

Hong Kong (June 2025)

• Eat
  • Dim Sum Here: All the dim sum we tried at this busy spot in Kowloon was excellent.
• See
  • Peak Galleria: If you’re taking the tram up to Victoria Peak, they’ll try to sell you a ticket to the Peak Tower observation deck. Don’t buy it. Instead, go next door to the Peak Galleria shopping mall and there’s an observation deck with just as good a view on the top floor, for free.

Macao (June 2025)

• See
  • Cotai Strip: We started out visiting casinos around the Grand Lisboa, in mainland Macao. We spent too much time there and didn’t have enough time in the Cotai Strip, which is where the real spectacle is. The Venetian, Parisian, and Londoner are highlights. If coming from the mainland, you can take a free shuttle there from the Sands.

Indonesia

Bali (July 2025)

• Cream & Crumble: This is a new kiosk selling delicious, buttery cookies on the street in Canggu.
• Fat Chow: Even though it’s located down a side road, this is a busy place and you may have to wait for a table, but they served us excellent Thai and Vietnamese food.
• Living Tree Bali Cafe: The breakfast dishes are delicious too, but the highlight was the best nasi goreng we ate in Indonesia. It’s a small nad busy place, so it can be hard to get a table, but it’s well worth it.
• Ricky D’s: Their signature chicken schnitzel sandwich is crispy, savoury, and delicious. They use soft, spongy sandwich bread which I really enjoyed.
• Tiga Canggu: Their English breakfast was my favourite brunch in Bali, or anywhere else during our six months of travelling.
• Vietnamese Minnie Warung: The food is fresh and delicious, including Vietnamese and Indonesian dishes. The mie goreng was very good.

Nusa Lembongan (July 2025)

• Pondok Baruna Warung: This was the best restaurant we found in Lembongan. They serve delicious and fresh local food. I especially liked the nasi campur.

Japan

Kyoto (September 2025)

• The Smile: After walking through some dark residential streets to find this cafe, we were stunned by how delicious their chocolate brownie with ice cream was. It was very rich, with high quality chocolate.

Tokyo (September 2025)

• See
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory: The local government offers a free 45th floor viewing deck to see Tokyo from above.
• Do
  • Ameyoko Market: This mraket has loads of different food options and cheap clothes and souvenirs.

Kazakhstan

Almaty (June 2025)

• Chef and Sweets: This Indian restaurant was one of our favourites in Central Asia. The tandoori chicken was tender and flavourful and the vegetable biryani was packed with delicious roasted veggies.
• Lanzhou: The tsomyan lagman with chicken and mushrooms had tender, chewy noodles with an amazing umami mushroom flavour. They have lots of locations in Almaty and Astana.

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (June 2025)

• Hong Kee Claypot Chicken: Chicken and rice are cooked together over fire on the side of the street in Chinatown. The chicken is tender and the rice is aromatic, with some crispy pieces where it’s burnt against the side of the pot.
• Roast Duckking: Chicken rice is an iconic southeast Asian dish and they have an excellent rendition, plus duck rice. The restaurnat is located in an extensive underground food court, where the other stands are worth exploring as well.
• Valentine Roti: They make a delicious roti jantan and roti telur, which are fried crispy on a flattop grill with egg inside. Dipping the roti in the accompanying daal is delicious, and their tandoori chicken is perfectly tender as well.

Maldives

Malé (June 2025)

• Fish Market: The fish market on the north coast of the city smells like you might expect, but it was amazing to see the skill of the butchers there. Also, if you walk out onto the jetty where the fishing boats park, you can see huge stingrays in the water as they eat the dropped scraps.

Philippines

• You’re going to need a lot of cash. Even restaurants often only take cash.
• Flights board on time or even early! We’ve never seen such punctual flights.

Manila (July 2025)

• Kazuko Ramenba: The ramen noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was rich and umami.

South Korea

Seoul (September 2025)

• BHC Chicken: This is a big chain but they made the best Korean fried chicken we ate during a week in Seoul.

Taiwan

Taipei (June 2025)

• Eat
  • Crispy Milk Donuts: We stayed on the same block as this tiny corner outlet and got their doughnuts at least once a day. Usha doesn’t normally like doughnuts at all, but craved these, as they are so light and crispy and covered in milk powder, which is delicious but not too sweet.
  • Din Tai Fung: This is an iconic dim sum restaurant in Taiwan and it lived up to the hype! Highlights include the soup dumplings, spicy noodles, and the sweet taro dumplings. They have locations in many countries, but I’ve heard it’s best in Taiwan.
  • Raohe Street Night Market: Of four night markets we visited in Taipei, this was the largest and our favourite. We tried so much delicious street food plus enjoyed the large temple by the entrance.
• Do
  • Elephant Mountain: Hike up the mountain on a huge set of stone steps. It doesn’t cover a lot of distance, but the still, humid air can make it difficult. Still, it gives the best view we saw of Taipei 101 plus it’s accessible by subway.

Thailand

• Most places only accept cash, but luckily there are lots of currency exchanges around with good rates for US dollars.

Chiang Mai (July 2025)

• Anusarn Market: This night market has lots of souvenirs and delicious, cheap food. It’s a great place to hang out in the evening.

Phuket (August 2025)

• Eat
  • Tiki Tee’s: Located just off Karon Beach, we dined there twice and every dish was a hit. These were our best meals in Thailand, and were offered for a great price. They really understood how to balance the flavours and the presentation of the food was immaculate.
• Do
  • Try to take the Smart Bus to and from the airport if you can, because taxis and Grabs can be very expensive.

Uzbekistan

• Carry at least enough cash for a meal. Many places take credit card, but even some established restaurants don’t, so it’s better to be on the safe side.

Bukhara (May 2025)

• Joy Lounge: There are only so many restaurants in Old Bukhara, but this was the best we found. Nice ambience and the food was better seasoned than other places, including the pumpkin manti.

Samarkand (May 2025)

• Eat
  • Arirang: This was the most flavourful food we had in Central Asia. They served delicious Korean dishes and have a prime location right next to Registan Square.
• See
  • Seven Lakes, Tajikistan: These are some very beautiful blue-green Alpine lakes in the Fann Mountains just across the border. You can take a day trip from Samarkand, but make sure you book with a reliable tour company.

Vietnam

Da Nang (August 2025)

• Gordon’s New York Pizza: A New Yorker moved to Da Nang and worked his way up from a stand at a night market to several restaurant locations serving delicious NY-style pizza.
• Miss Nhi: Now run by a third generation, they serve delicious Vietnamese food and local favourites.

Ha Long Bay (August 2025)

• La Casta Cruises: There is a wide range of cruises available in Ha Long Bay, but we were very happy with ours. It was air conditioned and had a great buffet on board, making it much more luxurious than some other companies.

Hanoi (August 2025)

• Met: They have different locations around the country, but the one we went to in Hanoi’s Old Quarter made my favourite Vietnamese meal of the trip.

Ho Chi Minh City (August 2025)

• Oasis Cafe: The food was good but the main draw was the huge koi pond with booths sunken into it to eat in. You can have fish swimming right by you as you eat. It’s great for pictures.

Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad (December 2024)

• Eat
  • Jenny’s on the Boulevard: I didn’t really understand Trini Chinese food until I went to Jenny’s. It’s more flavourful than what I’ve had anywhere else.
  • Swaggy’s Roti: I had their stew chicken and it was delicious.
  • Wings Roti Shop: You get to choose from a variety of veggie and meat curries, eaten with roti. All that I tried were good but the pumpkin and mango stand out.
  • You can’t visit Trinidad without trying doubles. This is the most iconic Trini street food and consists of two bara (fried bread), chana (curried chickpeas), and lots of different sauces as toppings. They are incredibly delicious. Proper procedure is to wash your hands (even doubles carts will provide some water to wash up), order, eat, and then pay after you’re done eating. Just a few will fill you, and they are cheap at about six TT dollars apiece.
• See
  • Queen’s Park Savannah: This large park is in the middle of the world’s largest roundabout. It has carnival facilities, an area for food stalls, and other attractions.
• Do
  • Ariapita Avenue: This is the key nightlife street in Port of Spain. You can have a nice self-guided food tour by going to the food trucks on the Savannah and then visiting the Avenue.
  • Las Cuevas: Of the beaches I’ve been to in Trinidad, Las Cuevas was my favourite. It’s a little farther than Maracas, which is the most popular beach on the island, but it’s calmer and has some cool caves along the beach. You can spend a day driving up to Maracas and Las Cuevas, with a stop for bake and shark for lunch on Maracas Beach.

Tobago (June 2023)

• Crusty Crab: I wasn’t too fond of crab and dumplings, which Tobago is famous for, but their stew chicken, steamed fish, ground provisions, and beans were all delicious.

Europe

Germany

Berlin (October 2022)

• Brammibal’s Donuts: Delicious vegan doughnuts.
• Shakespeare and Sons: Bagels and books.

Spain

Barcelona (October 2022)

• Amigo doner kebab y pizzería: Delicious doner not far from Park Güell.

Granada (October 2022)

• Grana Pizza: Delicious and cheap pizza.
• Jerusalem Restaurant: Best falafel I’ve ever had, and super cheap.

Middle East

Jordan

• You should get the Jordan Pass, which includes the visa fee, entrance fees to Petra and Wadi Rum, and loads of other attractions.

Amman (April 2025)

• Sufra: They kept bringing us fresh pita to eat with the delicious, smoky muttabal and chicken and lamb stews.
• Turkish Restaurant: The name is all in Arabic on Google Maps, but it’s right on highway 15 very close to the airport. All the food was incredibly delicious and cheap. The muttabal and Turkish salad were highlights.

North America

Canada

Kitchener-Waterloo, ON

• La Cucina: Really nice Italian in downtown Kitchener.
• Lancaster Smokehouse: My favourite restaurant in KW, they do really solid southern-style barbeque. The pulled pork is my recommendation.

Montreal, QC (August 2024)

• Brit & Chips: They serve nice and crispy fish and chips in a cool diner. The maple battered fish was good, but not as good as the traditional version.
• Satay Brothers Resto: This Singaporean restaurant was packed the night we were there, and we really enjoyed trying a variety of dishes. The bao buns were a highlight.

Ottawa, ON (August 2024)

• Eat
  • Khao Thai: Our best meal in Ottawa was at this Thai restaurant in Byward Market.
• See
  • Royal Canadian Mint: The Mint has a really cool tour where you can see the factory floor where they make coins.

Toronto, ON

• Burgers n’ Fries Forever: Very good burgers and fries.
• Little India: A little more formal than some Indian restaurants, they have excellent lamb vindaloo.
• Matt’s Burger Lab: Excellent burgers.
• Milagro: Slightly upscale Mexican close to the Skydome.
• Planta: Vegan food that you wouldn’t guess was vegan. There are a few locations but the Asian fusion one on Queen West is my favourite.
• Salad King: Cheap Thai and other southeast Asian food, there are a couple locations.
• Salt and Tobacco: They make really crispy and flavourful pizza in a wood oven. I was there on a cold winter night and the aroma when I opened the door to the restaurant was heavenly.
• Sizzler Kabab: My favourite butter chicken, with big chunks of meat and lots of flavour. And delicious garlic naan slathered in butter.

United States

Chicago, IL (October 2024)

• Pizzeria Due: A second location for the famous Pizzeria Uno, located one block away. The deep dish and tavern-style pizza were both delicious.

Miami, FL (May 2019)

• Eat
  • El Mago de las Fritas: A little out of the way, but it’s worth the trip for the Cuban fritas, a version of hamburgers.
  • El Rey de las Fritas: On Calle Ocho, walking distance from the baseball stadium, they serve delicious fritas.
• See
  • Vizcaya Museum & Gardens: This old mansion was turned into a museum with a beautiful garden and ocean views.
• Do
  • You can walk over the causeway from downtown Miami to Miami Beach. It takes a while and the sun can be hot, but it’s really cool to walk across the water and see all the houses along the way.

Nashville, TN (March 2023)

• Eat
  • Biscuit Love: Best biscuits I’ve ever had. They’re flaky like a croissant, but still distinctly biscuits. Try the chronic bacon too.
  • Cheap Charlie’s Taco Shop: Best tacos I’ve ever had, served out of a trailer in a gas station parking lot.
  • DeSano Pizza Bakery: It’s weird to say that the best pizza you’ve ever had is at a chain in Nashville, Tennessee. I was skeptical too until I tried it.
  • Hattie B’s Hot Chicken: Best chicken tenders I’ve ever had.
  • Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint: Best ribs I’d ever had, until I went to Peg Leg Porker. Tender but not fatty or greasy.
  • Peg Leg Porker BBQ: Everything I liked about Martin’s ribs, but even better.
• See
  • The Listening Room: Pretty modern venue that books good shows, with a variety of singer-songwriters. The food is good too.
  • Station Inn: A dive bar with good music, especially bluegrass. My favourite show in Nashville was the bluegrass drop-in they hold every Sunday night.
  • Hatch Show Print: Take a tour of the print shop to see how Nashville concert posters are made.
• Do
  • Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge or John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge: Walking over either bridge gives a good view of the city skyline.

New York, NY (June 2022)

See my separate post on NYC.

Syracuse, NY (June 2024)

• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: Delicious southern barbeque in central New York state; I’m partial to the pulled pork.

South America

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro (December 2023)

• Eat
  • Churrascaria Palace: Really excellent Brazilian barbeque near Copacabana Beach. They just keep bringing different meats, but the salad bar is full of delicious dishes as well.
• See
  • Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião: This cathedral was like nothing I’d seen before. The outside is hideous, but the inside is an awe-inspiring surprise.

Chile

San Pedro de Atacama (December 2023)

• Eat
  • Ckunza Tilar: We didn’t have any bad meals in San Pedro, but Ckunza Tilar was the best value. Their preset lunch menu was great (including the falafel!) and they serve dinner as well.
  • Many restaurants serve the local specialty pil pil, in which chicken or seafood are served in a spicy, creamy garlic sauce with crispy potatoes.
• See
  • Valle de la Luna: I think this is where we had the most incredible views of our honeymoon. Be sure to take a tour; it’s not very far from San Pedro. There’s a great lookout point to watch the sunset from.
• Do
  • Lagunas Escondidas: The hidden lagoons are saltier than the Dead Sea, so you float right on top, in the middle of the desert, with a view of the Andes in the distance. Swimming there was like something from a dream.

Santiago (December 2023)

• Eat
  • Chipe Libre: The menu has both Peruvian and Chilean food, and everything we ate there was good. They’re known for the many varieties of pisco that they serve.
• See
  • Catedral Metropolitano de Santiago de Chile: Situated on Plaza de Armas, the cathedral is huge and beautiful.
• Do
  • San Cristóbal Hill: Take the cable car to the top of the hill for an amazing view of the city.

Colombia

Bogotá (August 2023)

• Eat
  • Azúl Restaurante: At lunchtime, this place is full of locals enjoying the preset menu. We would each get a drink, soup, meat, rice, plantains, and a side of beans or pasta for COP 12 000.
  • Restaurante Balcones de la Candelaria: It’s a little bit tourist-y, but the hearty soup and giant tamale were excellent.
• See
  • Botero Museum: I didn’t really appreciate Botero’s work until seeing so much of it in Colombia. This museum is free and shows you Botero’s influences and growth as an artist.
• Do
  • Monserrate: Take the cable car up Monserrate for the best view of Bogotá. The city itself is at high altitude, but going up Monserrate makes it even more noticeable.
• Don’t
  • Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar: Don’t bother visiting this reconstruction of a house Simón Bolívar lived in. There’s not much to see.

Medellín (August 2023)

• Eat
  • I can’t give a specific location, but we drank guarapo from a stand on the street and it was fantastic. It’s a drink made by juicing sugar cane and limes together.
• See
  • Centro Comercial Palacio Nacional: The former palace of justice is now a shopping mall, but it retains its opulent interior.
• Do
  • Take a ride on one of the cable cars that form part of the city’s public transportation network. They’re designed to help people commute from the mountainous suburbs, but they also give a great view.
  • Guatapé: Take a day trip to see the rock of Guatapé and climb the stairs to the peak. Tours also stop in the town of Guatapé, the most colourful in the Americas, where each building is required by law to feature either bright colours or a mural.

Perú

Lima (January 2024)

• Barra Maretazo: We found this place near our hotel, open on New Year’s Day. It is tourist-y but the traditional Peruvian food is well-executed.
• Most restaurants serve chicha morada, a sweet purple corn juice. You wouldn’t know from the taste that it’s made of corn and it’s really delicious.