Whether it’s a steaming bowl of ramen in a 24-hour noodle shop in Osaka or a heaping platter of chili crab overlooking Marina Bay in Singapore, Asia Pacific is a legendary place to eat. From eating your way through a local market in Bangkok to indulging in a Michelin-starred tasting menu in Seoul, there are so many ways to explore the culinary traditions of this incredible region.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to an incredibly diverse array of culinary traditions and we’ve rounded up nine of the region’s top food cities, plus ideal Marriott Bonvoy hotels to make your base while you set out to explore. After all, nothing makes a trip more complete than a comfortable stay paired with a food adventure.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
For an upscale cocktail, visit the Punch Room inside The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza. (Photo: Marriott International)
Tokyo, Japan
The Japanese capital has access to some of the finest raw ingredients in the world, whether that’s the freshest fish hauled in at Toyosu Market or coveted Hokkaido strawberries. Tokyo has also cultivated a highly specialized restaurant culture in which chefs often spend decades perfecting a single dish, elevating it to the level of fine art.
Tokyo Shiba Tofuya Ukai, for instance, is all about tofu. The space, where diners can dine in tatami rooms, conjures maximum tranquility, complete with a Japanese garden with pine trees and a koi pond. If you’re craving tonkatsu, Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama, with its chic, high-ceilinged interior, serves tantalizing pork cutlets — crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. For a traditional kaiseki experience (multicourse meal), the intimate Ise Sueyoshi serves delicate courses artfully constructed from wild plants and seasonal ingredients.
Wind down the night at Punch Room — the swanky, velvet-furnished cocktail bar in The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza — with a view of the Tokyo skyline. The specialty is punch, created with artisanal Japanese spirits and sake and served in exquisite punch bowls made for sharing. This luxury hotel is centrally located within the Ginza shopping district, providing convenient access to a variety of exclusive boutiques and renowned dining establishments.
Osaka, Japan
Osaka is believed to be the birthplace of dashi (stock made with kelp) and iconic street foods such as okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes). Should you find yourself desiring a warm bowl of udon or soba, Dotonbori Imai is a charming noodle shop tucked in a small alley framed with red lanterns. Another delightful eatery is Hanamaruken Hozenji, a snug 24-hour ramen shop.
Osaka excels at fine dining, too. Michelin-starred Ajikitcho Bunbu-an, helmed by a third-generation chef, is the quintessential kaiseki restaurant. The restaurant sports a minimalist interior that mixes sleek black marble and tatami rooms. Each course, from dishes like seared scallops to wild vegetables, is thoughtfully crafted. Another gem is Michelin-starred Konoha, known for its tempura and hyperfocused on seasonal ingredients, which are accompanied by their scrumptious dashi.
Stay at W Osaka, housed in a glittering black-and-gold tower close to Dotonbori, Osaka’s nightlife district, and located a short metro ride from these restaurants. The slick, urban hotel is itself a dining destination. Ask the staff to escort you to the “secret” restaurant, Sushi Ukiyo (ukiyo means “to live in the moment”). As you watch chefs slicing some of the finest seafood on the planet, you’ll find yourself wishing this particular moment would never end.
Bangkok, Thailand
Thai cuisine is varied and flavor-packed thanks to the country’s abundance of herbs and spices. Bangkok has everything from street food to some of the most renowned fine dining establishments in the world.
Located near both BTS Skytrain and MRT stations, the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park makes for an ideal base for exploring the buzzy neighborhoods along Sukhumvit Road. Before venturing out, have an afternoon tea at The Siam Tea Room, a sweet and savory affair with a distinctly Thai flair. The a la carte menu also provides a sampling of classic Thai favorites such as khao soi (egg noodles in a curried broth topped with a nest of fried noodles), massaman curry, and pad thai.
Take a day trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where hawkers in boats serve kuay teow reua (boat noodles), a super-savory specialty of rice noodles in a cinnamon-scented broth enriched with pork blood. Closer to the city, Boat Noodle Alley is a collection of restaurants by Victory Monument that serve boat noodles of all flavors.
Over in Silom, Laem Charoen Seafood serves delicious deep-fried seabass and crab fried rice. Another superb option is Patara Fine Thai Cuisine, set in a bungalow with lush surroundings. The menu includes dishes like pineapple fried rice and wagyu beef salad with herbs. For a most memorable fine dining meal, book a table at Michelin-starred Paste, where chef Bongkoch “Bee” Satongun prepares artfully plated dishes grounded in regional Thai recipes.
Singapore
Savor colorful cocktails at the Republic Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. (Photos: Marriott International)
Singapore’s cultural diversity is reflected in its cuisine, which incorporates Chinese, Malay, and Indian elements. Talking about food is a national pastime, and options here are endless.
The best places to sample Singapore’s signature dishes are at hawker centers, open-air food courts with different vendors, each specializing in one dish. Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat, which means “Old Market” and dates back to the Victorian era, are good starting points to eat chicken rice, char kway teow (a stir-fried noodle dish), Hokkien noodles, and more. Try Singapore’s famous chili crab at one of the many seafood restaurants along East Coast Park Beach or at No Signboard Seafood in Geylang.
Casual eateries such as 328 Katong Laksa specialize in a fiery version of laksa (curry noodles) packed with cockles and chiles, while The Coconut Club focuses on nasi lemak (coconut rice with fried chicken, deep-fried anchovies, and egg).
No visit to Singapore would be complete without sampling Peranakan cuisine. The Peranakans, a group also sometimes known as Straits Chinese, settled around the region from Phuket to Penang hundreds of years ago. Their distinctive, utterly delicious dishes incorporate Malay and Chinese cooking techniques.
In a historic house filled with antiques, True Blue Cuisine offers homecooked Peranakan fare such as otak-otak (spicy ground fishcake) and kueh pie tee (veggies in a small crisp tart shell), while celebrity chef Violet Oon’s Bibik Violet is an affordable alternative to her high-end Peranakan restaurants.
For a lush brunch experience, The Halia is nestled in the middle of the Botanic Gardens. For dinner, make a reservation at Gold Leaf. This family-run restaurant has been serving hearty Taiwanese fare with a Singaporean kick since 1971 and the steamed pork patty and three-cup chicken are delicious.
Conveniently located by City Hall, Republic Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is the perfect setting for a nightcap. The swanky bar with glittery furnishings celebrates the founding of the Republic of Singapore in the ’60s with vintage spirits and cocktails inspired by 1960s icons from Singapore and beyond.
Sink your teeth into delicious Cantonese cuisine at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. (Photos: Marriott International)
Hong Kong
Feast on dim sum, wonton noodles, and all sorts of delectable roasted meats in this food-obsessed metropolis. Many of the Cantonese staples here have the signature smoky hint of wok hei, the term for the kind of char only achievable with a blazing-hot wok.
Find your footing with Cantonese cuisine at Man Ho inside JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. A classic Hong Kong dining experience with a regal view over Victoria Harbour, the restaurant is renowned for its fish-maw soup and wok-fried tiger prawns.
For many Hong Kongers, a Sunday morning family outing for yum cha is a sacred tradition. The quintessential yum cha experience should take place in a big banquet-style setting where waitresses push around carts filled with har gow, siu mai, and other steamed and fried bite-sized delicacies. Fook Lam Moon’s main Wan Chai branch fits the bill and has been operating since 1972.
Stroll past the wall of waving lucky cats at Ho Lee Fook, which means “good fortune for your mouth,” and dig into plates of perfect roast goose, typhoon shelter crab, and other Cantonese classics. Peking Garden, established in 1978, specializes in Peking duck and beggar’s chicken, both of which are prepared with theatrical flair. And for the finest char siu and soy-marinated chicken, reserve a table at the Michelin-starred Yat Lok.
Seoul, South Korea
As the birthplace of K-beauty, K-Pop, and all things fashionable, Seoul sports a dining scene that’s as on-trend and eclectic as everything else. Here, you can eat piping-hot tteokbokki (simmered rice cakes) on the street after spending the evening with friends sipping makgeolli (milky rice wine) served in bowls with floating fruit. The next day, dress to the nines for a Michelin-star-studded evening.
Start your Seoul adventure with a stroll at Gwangjang Market, where you’ll sample kimbap (rice and seaweed rolled around veggies, seafood, or meat) and japchae (stir-fried noodles and vegetables). Then head to Noryangjin Fish Market, which has fresh crabs. Myeongdong Night Market is the best place to try street food, especially grilled octopus.
Like many Asian cuisines, Korean food is meant to be shared. Banchan refers to all the various small side dishes (kimchi, glass noodles, tofu) served with rice at a traditional eatery. Seek them out at family-run restaurants in neighborhoods such as Itaewon and Hongdae.
Another beloved tradition is Korean barbecue. There are numerous restaurants devoted to this where customers cook their own meat on a grill. DOOKUPSAM and Saemaul Restaurant Hongdae Seogyo Branch are local favorites.
Book a seat at The Green Table, a lovely space helmed by one of South Korea’s leading female chefs, Kim Eun-hee, whose emphasis on farm-to-table and the use of local, seasonal ingredients makes for a scrumptious menu. For modern Korean dining, reserve well in advance to snag a table at Michelin-starred Jungsik or Mingles.
Stay at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul and fine dining will be at your doorstep. The Margaux Grill offers fresh seafood and premium beef paired with wine in a swish greenhouselike setting.
Sip on New York-inspired cocktails, like the Batavia Mary, in dazzling surroundings at The St. Regis Bar Jakarta. (Photos: Marriott International)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Formerly known as Batavia, the Indonesian capital played an important role in the Dutch East Indies spice trade. Today, it’s an epicenter of delicious food. Jakarta’s kaki lima (five-foot walking lanes) are packed with street carts selling satay and gado-gado (spicy salad with tofu, tempeh, and peanut sauce). Numerous warungs (family-run restaurants) cook local favorites such as nasi goreng (fried rice), ikan bakar (grilled fish), and nasi padang (steamed rice with an assortment of dishes such as curry, vegetables, and fried chicken).
Start your day with kaya (coconut jam) toast or Indomie (Indonesian instant noodles) with kopi (local coffee) or teh tarik (pulled tea) at Sabang 16 Kopi & Srikaya, which is decorated with memorabilia from Indonesian history.
For nasi padang, Rumah Makan Surya Masakan Padang in south Jakarta is the place to go. The no-frills restaurant serves traditional nasi padang, which includes dishes such as gulai ikan (fish curry) and long beans cooked in sambal.
At the other end of the spectrum, one of the swankiest fine dining restaurants in town is August. Chef-owner Hans Christian adds a whimsical spin to dishes his mother once cooked for him.
Top off your night at The St. Regis Bar Jakarta, a stylish bar with live jazz in The St. Regis Jakarta. The bar’s centerpiece is an intricate mural by Eddy Susanto that tells the history of Javanese art and jazz. Ask head mixologist to make a Batavia Mary for you.
Melbourne, Australia
The culture capital of Australia, Melbourne sparkles with creativity. Stroll through the colorful graffiti-splashed streets and stop by cafés that double as plant shops. Each neighborhood has its own energy. People from all over the world have settled here, making it easy to grab a banh mi sandwich one day, tapas the next, and Neapolitan-style pizza the day after. When the weather is warm, restaurants set up their alfresco patios so diners can enjoy the sublime Australian sun.
Begin your journey at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne, dining at Atria, a swanky art-deco-style restaurant perched on the 80th floor with a panoramic view. Indulge in Australian flavors with ingredients sourced from sustainable harvesters, growers, graziers, and fishermen.
A short commute from the hotel is the historic Victoria Market, with vendors selling fresh produce and wines from vineyards in Melbourne’s outskirts. Grab a tipple at MoVida, a Spanish restaurant along colorful Hosier Lane where the sangrias are as good as the tapas.
Just outside of the CBD, in the Vietnamese enclave of Richmond, Paper Plate is a modern Vietnamese restaurant that offers beef or chicken pho, as well as inventive dishes such as seared scallop in betel leaf.
Melbourne also has a sizable Italian community, which means it also has many superb regional Italian restaurants like Vaporetto serving Venetian fare. A favorite restaurant among Camberwell residents, Fiorelli serves homestyle Italian dishes such as procini pappardelle and aranicini balls since they opened in 1991
For fine dining by the sea, Stokehouse at St. Kilda Beach wins in both ambience — picture a glass house overlooking the beach and boardwalk — and food. The seafood platter is a must.
Finally, no Melbourne visit is complete without an afternoon flat white. Blood Orange, a friendly neighborhood cafe in Hawthorn East, that does a classic Melbourne cappcucino to perfection.
Mumbai, India
Home to Bollywood and beaches, the bustling metropolis on India’s west coast never sleeps. Mumbai’s street food is legendary — there’s puri (disk-shaped fried bread) idli (savory rice cake) and vada pav (deep-fried potato dumpling inside a bread bun).
Check out Crawford Market and Lokhandwala Market to sample some of these foods. Ashok Vada Pav is one of the best street stalls, known for its addictive sweet-spicy vada pav made with ghati masala, a uniquely Maharashtrian spice blend.
For sit-down dining, The Table is a fashionable farm-to-table restaurant that uses produce from its own farm to make delicious salads and zucchini pastas. Equally chic is The Bombay Canteen. Housed in an old colonial bungalow, it serves modern Indian food such as prawn toasties and duck momos (dumplings).
There’s also Avatara, a plant-based fine dining restaurant whose executive chef, Rahul Rana, grew up in a mostly vegetarian community by the foothills of the Himalayas. Avatara’s walls are adorned with magnificent murals inspired by Himalayan nature and mythology, an apt setting for the delicate multicourse meals made with ingredients such as pomegranate chutney.
End your stay with an inventive cocktail made with premium Indian spirits at The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar at The St. Regis Mumbai, a setting that evokes 19th-century opulence.
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