The old maxim applies equally to a traveller as it does to the proverbial man; that is, the way to his or her heart is through his or her belly.
And the way to see the true heart of a culture’s cuisine is through the quality of its street food.
So often, you’ll find the ultimate authentic food a country has to offer from a truck or cart along a roadside.
San Francisco (and now much of Melbourne) has its street food parks, Vietnam has its pho and banh mi carts and Mexico has its taco trucks.
But you’ll find the best street food in the world, according to My Late Deals (and this editor), from the dai pai dongs and street-side vendors in Hong Kong – home of Michelin rated meals for under A$8.
My Late Deals analysed 30 of the best street food cities in the world to create the Street Food Index, basing its rankings on vendor numbers, affordability, variety of experiences and sanitation standards.
Hong Kong beat Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Mumbai for the street cuisine crown, followed by Rome, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Mexico City and Portland.
Strangely, Sydney beat Asian food strongholds Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei, as well as culinary hotspots Paris and New York City.
Home to around 60 Michelin-starred restaurants and vendors, Hong Kong is no stranger to the top spot, having already won the award in 2019.
Hong Kong placed first, with its high sanitation standards and large array of street food experiences. Known for its cheung fun, dim sum and curry fishballs, most street food in Hong Kong is reasonably priced at around $10.
The top 30 street food restaurants are:
|
Position |
City |
Total Points |
Number of Street Food Vendors Score (0-30) |
Affordability Score (0-30) |
Number of Street Food Experiences Score (0-30) |
Sanitation Score (0-30) |
|
1 |
Hong Kong |
93 |
23 |
17 |
23 |
30 |
|
2 |
Bangkok |
90 |
18 |
30 |
29 |
13 |
|
3 |
Ho Chi Minh |
89 |
25 |
29 |
30 |
5 |
|
4 |
Singapore |
86 |
19 |
12 |
25 |
30 |
|
5 |
Mumbai |
78 |
30 |
23 |
21 |
4 |
|
6 |
Rome |
76 |
14 |
4 |
28 |
30 |
|
7 |
Tel Aviv |
73 |
20 |
2 |
21 |
30 |
|
8 |
Sydney |
72 |
28 |
7 |
7 |
30 |
|
9 |
Mexico City |
70 |
21 |
19 |
16 |
14 |
|
10 |
Portland |
69 |
29 |
6 |
14 |
20 |
|
11 |
Seoul |
68 |
12 |
16 |
19 |
21 |
|
11 |
Beijing |
68 |
15 |
21 |
24 |
8 |
|
13 |
Berlin |
67 |
17 |
11 |
9 |
30 |
|
14 |
Paris |
66 |
23 |
4 |
9 |
30 |
|
15 |
Istanbul |
65 |
5 |
18 |
26 |
16 |
|
16 |
Palermo |
63 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
30 |
|
16 |
Penang |
63 |
11 |
27 |
15 |
10 |
|
18 |
Tokyo |
61 |
9 |
9 |
27 |
16 |
|
19 |
New Orleans |
60 |
26 |
8 |
6 |
20 |
|
19 |
Kuala Lumpur |
60 |
2 |
25 |
23 |
10 |
|
21 |
Cartagena |
59 |
6 |
28 |
14 |
11 |
|
22 |
Port Louis |
58 |
16 |
15 |
5 |
22 |
|
22 |
Honolulu |
58 |
27 |
6 |
5 |
20 |
|
24 |
Taipei |
49 |
1 |
24 |
17 |
7 |
|
25 |
Marrakech |
48 |
8 |
26 |
12 |
2 |
|
26 |
Rio |
45 |
7 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
|
27 |
New York |
43 |
3 |
1 |
19 |
20 |
|
27 |
Durban |
43 |
22 |
13 |
5 |
3 |
|
29 |
Kingston |
39 |
13 |
20 |
0 |
6 |
|
30 |
Dakar |
27 |
4 |
22 |
0 |
1 |
Where do you think the world’s best street food is? How many of these countries have you eaten in?
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