Street Food tips

Bangkok is the Asian megacity incarnate. Its vast urban sprawl – home to 22% of the Thai population – is studded with gleaming golden wat (Buddhist monasteries), towering skyscrapers, teeming markets, multi-lane highways, and clusters of village-style houses that show just how far Bangkok has come over the last 50 years. Needless to say, there's a lot to see and do!

Vietnam’s cuisine has been shaped over generations by a rich tapestry of cultural influences. French colonialism introduced baguettes, leading to dishes like banh mi sandwiches; Vietnamese spring rolls are made with Chinese-style rice paper; and Indian and Thai influences are showcased via the widespread use of spices like star anise and curry powder.

Many visitors come to Liverpool for its football or music heritage. But away from those obvious attractions, it has exciting food and drink, unique cultural institutions and a dynamic nightlife and live music scene that stays true to the city’s legacy.

Renowned for its jaw-dropping architecture, world-class museums and mouth-watering street food (did some say deep-dish pizza?) it's no wonder Chicago was voted the second-best city in the world by media and hospitality giant TimeOut.

There’s a soothing hum to laid-back Fukuoka, the largest city on the Japanese island of Kyushu. It’s hard to miss on a weekend afternoon as you stroll down Meiji-dori Avenue, the city’s wide downtown spine, passing places like the Kabuki theater Hakata-za and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Eventually, you’ll reach the slow-flowing Naka River, whose banks are lined with the traditional open-air food stalls known as yatai, a signature attraction in this culinary and arts haven.

‘Street foods,’ as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are ‘ready-to-eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by vendors or hawkers especially in the streets and other similar places.’ As defined by the Cambridge dictionary, street food is ‘food cooked and sold in public places, usually outdoors, to be eaten immediately.’

When it comes to eating in Kuala Lumpur, you could have a different dish every day of your life —street food here is not a trend, but a way of life. In KL, locals are known to eat up to six meals a day and street food stands are hotbeds of innovation.

From bhel puri to halo-halo, we've rounded up some of the best street food in the world — to give you a whole new reason to book your next adventure. And remember, Rough Guides has paired with local experts in over 70 countries so you can plan and book a fully customised trip — like tasting all the delicious items on this list!

Taiwanese xiǎochī, or “small eats”, are justly famed, and no trip would be complete without several Taiwan street food feasts. Night markets are among the best – and cheapest – places to try a selection, and you’ll want to leave plenty of time to go from stall to stall to seek out the best. To whet your appetite, here’s our pick of Taiwan street food dishes you need to try around the country.