Every year, I tell myself I’ll stop planning trips around food. Yet here I am this December, reflecting on meals that emptied my wallet, expanded my waistline, and made me question my life choices—in the most delicious way possible.
For many people, travel is about beaches, mountains, and Instagrammable sunsets. For me, it’s about restaurant reservations. Going to Milan? Sure, the Duomo is stunning, but have you tried getting a table at Trippa? That’s the real achievement. As you can tell, my itineraries are precision-planned missions of eating and repeating.
For the past decade or so, I’ve eaten out five nights a week, on an average. That’s more than 2,500 meals in restaurants. With this, I’ve somehow managed to make a career out of my insatiable love for food. Some people climb mountains for glory, others run marathons for charity. I just order the tasting menu (for science, of course).
How could I possibly manage to eat so much? Here’s my secret: life’s too short for just one dinner a day. I’ve mastered the art of the double dip: a 6 pm seating at one restaurant, followed by a 9 pm tasting menu at the next. It’s not for the faint-hearted and certainly not sane medical advice. But if the Greeks can have two breakfasts, why can’t I do two dinners? Call it gluttony, but I prefer to think of it as my unwavering commitment to the culinary arts.
This year, my appetite for discovery took me from the snowy peaks of the Dolomites to Copenhagen’s foraged plates, from Seoul’s temple cuisine to Tokyo’s bustling streets, and from Bilbao’s pintxo bars to Shanghai’s hawker stalls. Along the way, I found myself in Milan, Bangkok, London, Madrid, Dubai, and Cairo. And there was that 16-hour trek to Kasauli—totally worth it for this one dish on the menu. Read on for the 12 dishes that wowed me this year. Use this list to plan your 2025 bucket list—just remember to book your tables before booking your tickets.
1. Grilled Palamós prawns at Etxebarri, Bilbao
Tucked away in the Basque countryside, Etxebarri is where chef Victor Arguinzoniz has mastered the art of fire cooking. Every dish—whether meat, caviar, or dessert—is kissed by smoke on his custom-built grills. But it’s the simplest dish that really stole the show: fresh prawns from Costa Brava, lightly grilled. The result? A masterful interplay of charred aroma and sweet, buttery meat that melts in your mouth. Pro tip: suck out the head first—it’s the real deal.
2. Not a nigiri at Tresind Studio, Dubai
Chef Himanshu Saini’s two-Michelin-starred Tresind Studio reimagines Indian flavours with global techniques. On his Rising India menu, the standout was a langoustine nigiri with balchao XO. Perfectly cooked langoustine rests on short-grained sushi rice, topped with a chutney of Goan balchao masala. You eat it with your hands, as you would in Tokyo or Goa. It shouldn’t work, but it does and it’s utterly delicious. Pro tip: pair it with the house-made kokum sake to complete the fusion experience.
3. Truffle burnt soup bread at Ultra Violet, Shanghai
Hidden somewhere in Shanghai (you’re whisked to a secret location), Paul Pairet’s Ultra Violet is a 10-seat sensory playground with three Michelin stars to its name. Each course is choreographed with lights, sounds, and scents, but the truffle burnt soup bread is the true revelation. Golden brioche, crusty outside and soft within, is imbued with smoky notes evoking a burnt soup pot. Dunked into a soy-butter sauce, topped with black truffle shavings, and crowned with airy foam, it’s the restaurant’s signature dish and for good reason. Pro tip: don’t be shy—ask for some extra sauce. You’ll thank me later.
