The number one question I get asked about travelling is, “What is your favorite country you have ever traveled to?”. I love this question just because I like talking about travel in general. BUT the absolute best question is, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten when traveling?”. Now you are speaking my language! Food is the one thing every country has in common no matter what language, ethnicity, race, location, etc. This 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World blog lists the best 12 foods we have ever eaten while traveling and where to get these dishes!
Counting Down the 12 Best Staple Dishes From Across the World
- 12. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Meat Platter
- 11. Guatemala – Roast Chicken and Garlic Potatoes
- 10. Thailand – Pad Thai
- 9. Ukraine – Pierogies
- 8. Iceland – Cod Fish and Chips
- 7. Sand Diego, CA USA- Fish Tacos
- 6. Country of Georgia – Khinkali
- 5. Mexico City – Tacos
- 4. Greece – Gyros
- 3. New York, USA- Pizza
- 2. Slovenia – Trout
- 1. Jordan – Falafel
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Tima Irma, Meat Platter
Website: Tima Irma Website
Address: Onešćukova, Mostar 88000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tima Irma is a very well known restaurant for the their meat platters, or in other words Cevapi, a staple dish in Bosnian culture. Typically you order a platter for a group and eat family style. We ordered a platter for 4 people and it could have fed 8+! The platters typically include multiple assortments of meats, cheeses, sauces, and vegetables.
People actually take day tours from surrounding countries, like Croatia, to Mostar, Bosnia just to get a taste of this food. Bosnia is stunning and beautiful, but the main town of Mostar is quite small. It’s really all about the food here! These meat platters come in at number 12 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
If you are looking to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina check out our 1 Night – Mostar, Bosnia Blog!
11. Guatemala – Rincón Típico, Roast Chicken and Garlic Potatoes
Website: Rincon Tipico
Address: 3a Avenida Sur, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Roast Chicken and potatoes may seem like a simple dish, and maybe it is. Yet, Rincon Tipico makes the absolute best chicken dinner I’ve ever had in my entire life. Rincon Tipico is hidden between two buildings. It’s like a large alley way that was turned into a restaurant. This is the place you want to be if you are looking to dine with the locals!
This place not only has awesome food, but an incredible atmosphere. There’s a lot of plants and Guatemalan decor, not to mention the massive rotisserie spitting out fire! I would travel back to Guatemala just for this plate any day. That’s what makes this roast chicken and garlic potatoes plate number 11 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
If you are looking to travel to Guatemala check out our 8 Day Guatemala Itinerary – Ultimate Guide Blog!
10. Thailand – Thipsamai, Pad Thai
Website: Thipsamai
Address: 313 315 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Thailand was the first international trip Faris and I took together back in April 2017. We chose Thailand as our first trip because of 3 key details: food, culture, and landscapes. Thailand did not disappoint, that trip actually acted as a catalyst into what WorldTravelDuo is today and ignited our love for travel!
Thipsamai is located in Bangkok Thailand, the street food capital of the world! This place has been voted best Pad Thai in Thailand for years and there is a reason for that! Thipsamai is a very popular spot with a line that will wrap around the street an hour before opening. This place is no hidden secret, you will definitely run into crowds, but you can’t beat a restaurant with a 4.1 star with 6,800+ reviews! That’s what makes this Pad Thai dish number 10 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
Pad Thai is the most popular Thai dish all around the world so you definitely need to try the best in Bangkok! Be careful when ordering the spice level. The waiters will ask you, “Thai Medium Spicy or American Medium Spicy?” Yes, a massive difference, Faris tried Thai Spicy and had all the waiters laughing over his coughing purple face!
If you are looking to travel to Thailand check out our 10 Days in Thailand – Ultimate Itinerary Blog!
9. Ukraine – Kanapa, Pierogies & Borscht
Website: Kanapa
Address: Andriivs’kyi descent, 19, Kyiv, Ukraine, 01025
I am actually Ukrainian so this trip was personal to me. I was on a mission to find pierogies that competed with grandma’s and oh I did, hello Kanapa! We traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine in the dead of winter January, 2019. Call us crazy, it was so cold but so worth it!
Kanapa is located in Kyiv, Ukraine which is the main city and capital! The restaurant has a cozy, cabin feel which makes you crave comfort food that much more!
Kanapa’s food is a modern twist on traditional Ukrainian food. Just take a look at these pictures and you can tell what I mean. Bite size pierogies and borscht in a charred cabbage head, yes please! My mouth is watering just writing this. I’ll always side with Grandma but these are the 2nd best pierogies I’ve ever had! That’s what makes this pierogi and borscht meal number 9 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
8. Iceland – Mönsvagninn, Cod Fish and Chips
Website: Mönsvagninn
Address: Arnarstapavegur, Arnarstapi, Iceland
Any seafood expert will tell you cold water fish will taste more fresh, while warm water fish tends to be a little mushy. Iceland is a very cold country, only getting to up to the 50’s in the summer while the water remains freezing with floating ice chunks all year round. It’s safe to say the fish will taste so fresh!
We actually stumbled on to Mönsvagninn while we were exploring the Arnarstapi Cliffs and Overpass. The Vagninn is a food truck located in the parking lot of the Arnarstapi Cliffs. Once we were done exploring we decided to order some fish and chips, not knowing this was the highest voted fish and chips spot of the entire island.
Wow I’ve never tasted fish like this in my entire life. The batter was so flaky while the cod was so thick, just the perfect balance. If you decide to travel to Iceland please put this at the top of your restaurant list. This dish is literally life changing. That’s what makes this fish and chips plate number 8 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
If you are looking to plan a trip to Iceland check out our 7 Day Iceland Road Trip Itinerary Blog!
7. San Diego, CA – Baja Fish Mart, Fish Tacos
Website: Fish Mart
Address: 2036 Dairy Mart Rd #127, San Ysidro, CA 92173
Fish Mart is actually just 30 minutes south of San Diego in San Ysidro right on the California and Mexico border, making it even more of an authentic taco! Faris and I did a foodie vaca in San Diego and these fish tacos and seafood were our absolute favorites!
Fish Mart is not fancy by any means, it’s located in a strip mall. It’s the last place you would expect to have the best fish taco in the world! Mexican culture is very prevalent in this restaurant. Waiters and waitresses speak little English, the number of salsas are endless, and the margaritas are delicious. I fell in love with the freshness of the fish, the spice level and the avocado salsa, muy delicioso! That’s what makes this fish taco number 7 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
Check out our San Diego, Los Angeles 5 Day Road Trip and 5 Best Cheap Eats San Diego Blogs for road trip ideas and more food!
6. Country of Georgia – Vitamin, Khinkali
Website: Vitamin
Address: 30 Aleksandre kazbegi st, Stepantsminda 4700, Georgia
Most people have not and probably will not ever travel to the county of Georgia. I’m here to change your mind by the force of food porn. Georgia is located between Russia and Turkey, Georgia is exactly that, a mix of Russian and Turkish cultures. It’s apparent in the way people look, the clothing, religion, and food!
Georgia has a few staple dishes but the most popular and my personal favorite is khinkali. Khinkali is a dumpling that is filled with meat, usually lamb, beef, pork, or a mix, onions, and herbs. When the khinkali is cooked the meat, onions, and herbs come together to make a very tasty broth. The khinkali turns into a soup dumpling with meat!
The correct way to eat the dumplings is with your hands, then you tilt the dumpling to its side and take a bite. This way the broth does not come pouring out. Khinkali is served at every restaurant in Georgia, but our personal favorite was Vitamin.
Vitamin is located in Kazbegi, which is a Northern mountainous town. You can find this cafe right downtown and sit outside with a view of the mountains. It has a cool vintage feel with homemade traditional Georgian dishes! The scratch made dumplings and traditional Georgian atmosphere brings this dish to number 6 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
5. Mexico City – Street Taco Cart, El Pastor Tacos
Mexico City Historic Center Crossroads: Calle de Motolinia and Av Francisco I. Madero
So this spot may be a little more difficult to find because it’s just a taco cart located in the Historic Center. The cart is mobile so there is no guarantee it will still be there but based on the traffic they were receiving my guess is they haven’t moved very far. You will know when you see it because there will be a crowd of local workers standing in line to get their tacos.
We actually went downtown to take some pictures at sunrise. There were no tourists at this time only people walking to go to work. Then all the sudden we ran into this massive crowd of professionals at 6:30 am lined up to get their tacos. We’re not talking breakfast tacos either, full on el pastor tacos with spicy salsa at 6:30 am. We loved these tacos so much we went back for more at lunch but the cart was already gone. Wake up early to catch this hidden gem!
Once in awhile I will bring up these tacos in conversation to Faris and he instantly craves Mexican. Unfortunately there are no Mexican restaurants at home that can compare to this taco cart in Mexico City. The authenticity and juicy pork puts these tacos at number 5 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
4. Greece – Kandavlos, Gyro
Website: Kandavlos
Address: Persefonis 47, Athens 118 54, Greece
Drooling writing this paragraph… So Athens was the first international country I’ve ever been to. It’s actually the start of Faris and I’s relationship. You can read about it in our About Me section. We traveled to Greece prior to the start of the blog so I was not in the regimen of writing down every detail like restaurants, things to do, accommodations, etc.
Even though I did not write any of these details down I could not forget about this gyro 4 years later. I mean mouth watering, juicy, garlicy, fresh, amazingness. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.
There’s no way I could have left this gyro out of this blog, therefore Faris and my two other friends have been investigating what the hell this restaurant was called. It’s really hard to find one specific gyro place in Athens, Greece. There’s basically a gyro place on every single corner. But 5 days later we figured it out, Hallelujah! I am so happy we found it because we are planning a trip back to Athens in the next year and this will be our first stop! Pure juiciness brings this gyro to number 4 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
3. New York – Di Faras, Pizza
Website: Di Faras
Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Hands down the best pizza we’ve every had. Better than Chicago, other NY places, Detroit, Italy, anything! And I’m proud to say the US is home to number 3 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World. What makes this pizza so good you may ask?
Domenico De Marco opened Di Fara Pizza in 1964 after emigrating from Italy to Long Island. He has been perfecting the pizza ever since. Dom experimented with different ingredients and found the best were from Italy. He specifically imports a special olive oil that is drizzled onto the pie after it has been cooked and brings in the freshest tomatoes.
He is also the only one allowed to cook the pizza even though he has three family members working in the small shop with him. So when Dom is not available the shop shuts down. This way every single bite will be perfect and consistent.
You can find Di Fara’s in Brooklyn, it’s a very small building on a corner. Usually this place has a long line out the door. Save an hour at least to get your pizza. I promise it’s so worth it! The craftsmanship and pie perfection makes this pizza number 3 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
Check out our New York City Weekend Getaway and 10 Most Iconic Restaurants You Must Try in NYC Blogs for a NYC Foodie Weekend Getaway!
2. Slovenia – Gostisce Hedvika Hedvika Mlekuz S.P., Seafood Platter
Website: Gistuce Hedvika Website
Address: Mala vas 16, 5230 Bovec, Slovenia
You can find Gostisce Hedvika Hedvika Mlekuz S.P. located in the heart of Bovec, Slovenia. Bovec is a small rural town known for it’s turquoise rivers and water sports. Bovec is definitely off the beaten path and is not the most popular travel destinations in Slovenia. I would consider Bovec a best small kept secret because we absolutely adored this town.
The building of Gostisce Hedvika Hedvika Mlekuz S.P. looks like something out of the sound of music. Actually Bovec reminds me of the small towns of Austria. Since this place is not a tourist destination you will find it hard to find anyone who speaks English. Our waiter was extremely nice and we navigated through Google translator and hand motions.
We ordered two seafood platters for the 4 of us and Oh My Lord was this delicious. The platter came with grilled trout from the rivers, grilled and fried calamari, veggies, potatoes, and loads of butter. I dream about that trout to this day, I’ve never tasted fish so fresh in my life. That’s what makes this seafood platter number 2 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
If you are looking to travel to Slovenia check out our 24 hours in Bovec Slovenia Blog and 4 Day Slovenia Road Trip – 3 Cities Blog!
1. Jordan – Hashem Restaurant Down Town, Falafel
Website: Hashem
Address: King Faisal Street Amman, ʿAmman, Jordan
This falafel is arguably the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Honestly, I’m not even the biggest falafel person, I’d rather have a chicken shawarma or kabob any day when getting Middle Eastern food. This falafel is different, I’m finding it difficult to find the words to describe this dish. It’s just so damn good – the fresh herbs, lemon, garlic, hummus. The falafel itself is so fresh with a soft interior and crunchy exterior.
Hashem is most famous for their falafel but you can get salads, wraps, and dips like hummus, baba ganoush, fol, etc.
It’s no secret Hashem has the best falafel just based on its 12,000+ reviews! Hashem is a small little spot tucked in-between two buildings in an alley way with no covering. You’ll find people here at all hours of the day!
Jordan is another unique travel destination although tourism has actually picked up in the past few years due to all Jordan has to offer. The most popular spot is Petra, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I HIGHLY recommend traveling to Jordan to experience the culture and the AMAZING food. Hashem is just one of the phenomenal restaurants we went to. The freshness, culture, and pure deliciousness makes this falafel number 1 on our list of 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World.
If you are looking to travel to Jordan check out our Jordan Egypt Travel Guide Blog!
12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this 12 Best Staple Dishes from Across the World Blog. I know I enjoyed writing it and drooling over these pictures. Honestly, this was probably one of my favorite blogs to write. Something about food and the memories associated with them are just so special! Now that I’ve listed my absolute favorites it’s your turn to create your own list. Travel and Eat on friends!
Make sure to check out all of our destination blogs!
