Just like with everything else today, the ever-increasing options in eateries, cafes, and restaurants are making life a tad bit difficult for travelling foodies. You're limited on both time and money but there's just so much to check out. So how do you find and try the best that a town has to offer?
Well, we've enclosed a clever answer to that question in this post. Whether you're planning a world tour or want to put a grazing table together like the experts, read on to learn how you can find the best food across the world.
Whether you're trying to find the best food in your own country or a town in a different continent, just follow the steps below!
Begin your search for the best food in a specific place by browsing the internet. Type the following into the Google search bar:
Best food in [the town/city you're visiting]
Read the posts that appear on the first page. There's a high chance they will recommend the top restaurants in your area of interest. Note the name of the top 3-5 restaurants that the majority of posts recommend.
Tip: Avoid reading Trip Advisor or Quora pages. The reviews on these are not as authentic as others.
Some posts might also recommend the best cultural or traditional food to try in your area of interest. Bookmark all such pages, as they're super valuable!
Once done, it's time to head to the videos section on Google. Watch any videos that appeal to you in this section. We suggest watching recommendation videos.
It's also a good idea to visit YouTube and enter the same search query as above, and watch videos that offer a visualisation of practical experience. For example, if I search for "Best food in Melbourne", the following are the best videos to watch from the ones appearing on first page:
Another way to bridge the gap between yourself and the food you seek is to get specific with your search query. Say if you want to taste the finest dishes in Sydney, search for:
best fine dining restaurants in Sydney
Or if you want to experience the spiciest food in Brisbane, search for:
best spicy food in Brisbane
Step one will give you a lead, and step two of this guide will validate your leads.
So it's time to hop onto Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, and search for the most famous food bloggers in your area of interest.
Similar to the Google search query, you have to type the following in the search bar:
food bloggers in [your area of interest]
You should check out the top-ranking accounts and see if they have mentioned the restaurants and dishes you found on Google's first page. If we're talking about a restaurant, it's a good idea to check out what dishes from that particular restaurant these food bloggers recommend.
These food bloggers will also give you newer leads, so don't forget to note those names down as well!
But how do you know which food bloggers to trust? Well, you can assess their numbers of followers and frequency of posting to get a general idea. The higher, the better.
Keep in mind that followers are not always the best way to assess the credibility of an account. But when you're completely new to a domain/area, it's safe to trust the account with the highest number of followers.
You can also check out the engagement level on posts of a blogger you're trying to analyse. If a lot of people positively interact with them, they're probably trustworthy.
By now, you should have a rough list of at least the top 3-5 foods or food places to try in your area of interest. It's now time to join a few Facebook groups.
We recommend joining:
You can find these by simply typing the following in the Google search bar:
Once you join a group, you can ask for recommendations from the locals. Since you're deep into your research now, it's best to ask for specific things instead of general recommendations.
For example, you may already know the top 10 restaurants to visit in Melbourne. So you can ask if restaurant X is worth the money and if there's a better alternative. You can also ask questions, such as:
Which restaurant in Australia offers the best Pavlova?
You'll get plentiful information from these interactions.
Lastly, gather all your findings and go with the dish/food place most reputable sources have recommended. But keep in mind that the opinion of locals is as credible and reputable as that of an established food blogger!
The love for food comes from within. So, if something inside you urges you to try something other than what you planned, go with it. Or better, try both the planned and unplanned dishes " because as they say, life is a box of chocolates and you never know what you're going to get.
Also, know that every area has a food specialty of its own. You'll find something delightful in all nooks and corners of the world. So, never fall for the "best food in the entire world" narrative. There's no such thing!
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