If an army marches on its stomach, then we Singaporeans fly for food. According to Skyscanner’s 2024 Travel Trends report, 54% of travellers here say sampling local cuisine was their most preferred holiday activity heading abroad – which naturally means it’d influence what travel destinations we’d pick. And foodie destinations are always popular with us.
In fact, three in 10 Singapore travellers have picked a location purely because of one specific restaurant they wanted to dine at, proving that our tastebuds largely determine our travelling habits.
The key, said Singapore travellers surveyed, was that we wanted food both authentically local and friendly to our wallets, with fine dining generally being seen as too pricey even on a holiday.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of top travel destinations for foodies on a budget, along with their most famous dishes and where to get them.
As a bonus, the list of epicurean havens includes the familiar and well-known – think Japan, Taiwan and Thailand – as well as the unconventional for the adventurous gastronomes among us.
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Japan
No foodie travel destination list is complete without Japan, the birthplace of sushi, ramen, tonkatsu (fried pork cutlets), tempura and so many more familiar eats.
While plenty of these are already available in Singapore, the bona fide Japanese versions of these dishes are typically cheaper and better due to the accessibility of fresh produce, seafood and of course, prized Wagyu in the motherland.
You’ll also have access to regional specialities of different dishes depending on whether you find yourself in the capital of Tokyo or somewhere further afield like Hokkaido, Fukuoka or Osaka (takoyaki, anyone?). Ramen especially boasts many different styles apart from the Hakata or Sapporo versions typically sold here in Singapore.
Must-try:
- Supremely fresh sashimi; kaisen-style set meals (featuring a variety of dishes with rice);
- Dango (glutinous rice balls on a stick);
- Wagyu sandos;
- Kobe beef cooked a la teppanyaki, if you’re willing to splurge
Thailand
The Land of a Thousand Smiles is just around two hours away by plane from Singapore.
Combine this with its plethora of regional delicacies at an affordable price, and it’s no wonder why Thailand has established itself as another firm favourite foodie travel destination for the people in the Lion City.
Popular dishes like pad thai, tom yum goong and pad kra pao (stir-fried pork with holy basil and rice) need no introduction, though those with the time – and stomach space – should make room for both Northern and Southern Thai flavours.
The latter, due to its proximity to Malaysia and Java, boasts that fiery, fragrant flair that most of us are probably familiar with, while Northern areas like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai ease back on spicy, sweet and sour notes.
Thankfully, you’ll get a good dose of both at the capital of Bangkok, which sits nicely in central Thailand.
Must-try:
- Grilled giant river prawns (also known as "big head prawns");
- Red, yellow and green curries;
- Khao soi (a signature noodle dish of Chiang Mai anchored in a rich, coconutty broth);
- Som tam (spicy green papaya salad)
Italy
The world-renowned Italian eats largely fall into two broad categories.
On the one hand, there’s the Mediterranean’s bounty of sun-soaked, seasonal produce – plucked straight off the vine, naturally sweet and as rich in flavour as it is in nutrients. It forms the basis of a diet often lauded as one of the healthiest in the world, thanks to its multi-hued palette of plant-based vitamins and whole foods.
But on the other hand, there’s pasta, risotto, pizza and a whole lot of other dishes rich in carbohydrates and dripping with calorie-dense olive oil and cheese. As with everything, we say enjoy your foodie holiday in Italy with some moderation, balancing out the hulking flame-kissed Florentine steaks with more comparably virtuous salads and seafood.
Must-try:
- Pizza al taglio (baked in rectangular trays and sold by weight; popular in Rome);
- Regional pastas;
- Seafood risotto;
- Arancini (fried rice balls with sauce);
- Italian wines
Vietnam
While Singaporeans are familiar with and readily accept many of Vietnam’s more-famous foodie imports, pho, banh mi, bun cha and com tam (broken rice, typically eaten with pork chop) are not the only culinary treasures the country has to offer.
Start off with friendlier dishes like bun rieu, a hearty noodle dish pairing slippery shredded crab meat with a tomato-based broth, or cha ca, a popular dish in Hanoi featuring fish fried with turmeric and lots of dill, before moving on to the adventurous stuff like mi quang (a noodle dish served with pork broth and sometimes, river snails) and bun dau mam tom – featuring rice vermicelli, tofu, boiled pork belly and greens served with a funky fermented shrimp paste sauce).
Must-try:
- Banh cuon (steamed rice rolls with fillings, essentially like Hong Kong-style cheong fun);
- Bo ne (a sizzling hotplate of beef, pate and fried eggs served with a baguette);
- Banh xeo (fried crepe typically stuffed with pork, shrimp, onion and bean sprouts)
Peru
Much like Singapore, Peru boasts a hodgepodge of flavours and culinary influences from all across Europe, Africa and even Asia (thanks to a large Chinese immigrant population).
Couple that with its incredibly diverse produce – it has over 3,800 kinds of potatoes alone, without even looking at corn and its famed native chiles – and you’re looking at a gastronomic travel destination that’s well-worth the long-haul flight.
Peru’s best dishes pack plenty of heat. There’s ceviche, its national dish of raw local fish marinated with lime juice, onion and chillies, as well as rocoto rolleno – spicy peppers stuffed with a mix of ground beef, onions and spices and topped with a hunk of queso fresco.
If you’ve got the stomach for it, don’t miss cuy – as in guinea pig, roasted over an open flame or deep-fried until deliciously crispy.
Must-try:
- Arroz con pato (rice cooked in cilantro paste and dark beer, topped with crispy duck confit);
- Pollo a la brasa (spit-roasted chicken);
- Lomo saltado (stir-fried beef, a result of Chifa, the fusion of Chinese Cantonese food with Peruvian flavours)
Morocco
Ending off our foodie travel destination list is the spice capital of the world, Morocco, where Arabic, Mediterranean and Andalusian flavours coalesce and intermingle into a rich, flavourful whole – most often in a tagine, a stew of meat, vegetables and spices cooked in a cone-shaped earthenware pot.
The North African country’s most popular form of cooking can be found bubbling away in almost every restaurant, cafe and home, where it will always be served with crusty bread or perhaps a side of couscous.
Save some room for bastilla, a sweet-salty pie traditionally stuffed with pigeon (though chicken is more common now) and fish chermoula, which describes fish grilled or baked with a mix of herbs and spices.
After all, you’re dining in the world’s spice bazaar, which is why it’s only natural that even the priciest red gold on the planet, saffron, lends its floral, fragrant whiff to so many an iconic Moroccan dish.
Must-try:
- Steamed sheep head (if you visit during the festival of Eid al-Adha);
- Spice-stuffed sardines (Morocco is the world’s largest exporter of sardines);
- Zalouk (a veggie spread made with eggplants, tomatoes and garlic)
