According to celebrity chef David Chang, host of the wildly popular Netflix show “Ugly Delicious,” these are his top picks for the best foodie cities to visit in 2019.
#1: Mexico City
Chang calls this city “super hot right now,” and recommends that visitors try tacos al pastor, tlacoyos (a street food made with a blue corn tortilla and pork cracklings), and mezcal, which is one of Mexico’s specialties.
#2: Tokyo
Next up, he thinks the cuisine in Tokyo and other smaller Japanese cities, such as Okinawa and Kansai, is waiting to be discovered by tourists. While most people associate Japanese food with sushi, the cuisine is so much richer than that. Chang recommends trying udon noodles (styles of which vary from region to region) and an alcoholic drink called awamori, which is made from rice.
#3: Copenhagen
His most surprising pick might be Copenhagen in Denmark. This city is home to one of the best restaurants in the world, Noma, but Chang predicts that the rest of the region will go through its own food renaissance in 2019. He also recommends visiting Stockholm and Olso, where you can sample shrimp sandwiches, potato dumplings, and pan-fried herring.
All you travel buffs and adventurous eaters now have your directions for the new year: Go forth to a new city, maybe one that doesn’t appear in every guidebook, and try a dish you can’t find at home. After all, these exploits in food tourism have been approved by David Chang himself.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- This city is home to one of the best restaurants in the world, Noma, but Chang predicts that the rest of the region will go through its own food renaissance in 2019.
- Go forth to a new city, maybe one that doesn’t appear in every guidebook, and try a dish you can’t find at home.
- Next up, he thinks the cuisine in Tokyo and other smaller Japanese cities, such as Okinawa and Kansai, is waiting to be discovered by tourists.
