Acutally I wanted to create a top 5 list. Then it became a top 10 list and now it got me to top 15 list. I will publish this now so I will not bore you with top 20, top 25 or (beware) top 30 food. And NO, this is not all the food I ever tried in Asia (I’ve spent 8 weeks here now so I had some more food than mentioned in this selection).

Eigentlich wollte ich eine Top 5 Liste mit dem besten Essen hier einstellen. Dann wurde es zur Top 10 Liste und schließlich lande ich bei Top 15. Ich veröffentliche diese Liste jetzt, bevor ich euch langweilige mit Top 20, 25 oder gar 30. Und NEIN, das ist nicht einfach alles Essen, was ich hier hatte (Ich habe mittlerweile 8 Wochen hier verbracht, da hatte ich schon noch etwas mehr Essen als das was hier erwähnt wird).

#15 Kimchi-Bacon Sandwich by Taiwanese bakery „Saison du Soleil“. Fantastic takeaway after or before a long day. Great combination!

 

#14 Japanese Strawberry Kitkat – I mean look at that, I HAD to try it. It’s probably the sweetest food I ever tried but still it was good.

 

#13 Turtle in Shanghai: I know, it sounds a bit weird but my colleagues ordered it after a long team meeting day so of course I had to try. And it was quite tasty although I’m not sure if this was related to the sauce.

 

#12 Bibimbap in Seoul – tasty and healthy and as my local friend Jake took me to a restaurant that can only be visited by local people, the quality was outstandingly great!

 

#11 Buns all over Taipei: It is the perfect handy snack. You can have it with pork, seafood, vegetables… my favorites are spicy pork and bamboo-pork.

 

#10 Curry in Taipei – in a Japanese-style restaurant. Amazing and it is the perfect idea to add raw egg onto it. Also, combination of beef and chicken is much better than it sounds. The added garlic rounds it up perfectly.

 

#9 Udon Noodles with Squid Tempura in Tokyo: Japanese soups are the best in the world (just my humble opinion) and with added Udon Noodles, it makes it perfect. Also I am a big fan of Tempura by now (available with seafood, meat or vegetables). So yummy and comforting.

 

#8 Grilled Squid Street Food in Kenting, South Taiwan. Spicy flavor, freshly grilled and a great treat in the evening without being too heavy. Delicious.

 

#7 Malaysian Curry at a Vietnamese Restaurant in Taipei. Yeah I know strange combination but although this was spicy as hell (for me at least) it was sooo good.

 

#6 Ramen in Tokyo. Classic here and as good as they say. Even more perfect in combination with Jiaozi (Gyoza). For someone who always tries the Westernized version at MoschMosch in Germany and Wagamama in London, my dreams came true!

 

#5 Korean pancakes with different additions like vegetables or oysters – rice wine goes with it in a perfect way (and don’t forget the spicy kimchi).

 

#4 Mongolian Hot Pot in Taipei. My local friend Shue-Rong showed me this great place and I have been here now a few times. The beef is beyond compare, I adore all sorts of vegetables and tofu you can just put in and one has to try the fruit vinegar (yes, drinkable!) Finally, trying the soup in the end is the best part!!

 

#3 Papaya Milk. Oh Yes! There are lots of booths all over Taipei but if you can, ask locals where they have the best ones. There is a great shop at Shilin night market where I could get loads of it everytime I am there.

 

#2 Din Tai Fung in Taipei. THIS is it. Amazing in every aspect. Friendly, fun, caring, free tea and waiters go out of their way to provide an experience. And though it hardly can get better, the food is amazing: Dumplings, buns, rice cake, all kinds of vegetables. Have been there 4 or 5 times by now and this will always be the place I am going to return to when in Taipei (or any other city where they have this food chain). If you visit, make sure to try the truffle dumplings and the seafood wontons in spicy sauce.

 

#1 Sushi in Tokyo. I love love love sushi and had it in lots of places (Germany (loads), London, Sydney, Taipei, Hong Kong, San Diego) but NEVER ever in Japan. Until this day. My colleagues took me to a restaurant and made sure to order a great selection of raw fish and sushi. And it was just wow. One of the reasons (among 100 others) why I will definitly return to Japan. I am beyond grateful for this experience.