How to choose restaurants abroad

I have seen so many Indians travelling abroad this season that I reckon we form a huge source of income for restaurant owners all over the world.

Unfortunately, like most tourists, we don’t always spend wisely or get value for money.

 

There are no foolproof rules for how to choose restaurants abroad and what rules there are tend to change from country to country. But for what it’s worth, these are the rules I follow.

 

Try not to eat at your hotel

 

India is an exception to global trends because hotels have been at the centre of the evolution of cuisine over the last 50 years. (Though that’s less true now.) In most of the world, hotels serve mediocre, overpriced food. In the Far East, hotel cuisine is still designed to appeal to Western tastes so it can be bland and boring.

 

   There are, of course, exceptions to this rule (in Dubai, for instance) but even when a hotel restaurant is good, it still costs at least 25 per cent more than an equally good standalone. So, save your money.

 

   There are restaurants located in hotels run by chefs from outside. (For instance Heston Blumenthal runs Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental in London.)These don’t count as hotel restaurants in my book.

 

Always try and eat the local cuisine

 

Even if a French restaurant in say, Kuala Lumpur, is good it probably won’t be as good as a French restaurant in Paris. Equally the best Malaysian restaurant in Paris will not be as good as the restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Don’t look down on mall restaurants

 

In the West there are very few good restaurants at malls so you would be nuts to eat there. But this is not true of Asia (including the Middle East) where restaurant owners often don’t want the hassle of coping with corrupt municipal officials and need a readymade infrastructure.

 

   There are excellent restaurants to be found in malls in the East. In Bangkok for instance even Alain Ducasse’s Michelin starred restaurant is in a mall. In Dubai the super-hot Michelin starred Manao is in a mall. Mall restaurants can excel at all price levels so always explore the possibilities.

 

Don’t blindly trust the Concierge

 

If you are staying in one of the great hotels of Paris, London or New York and are willing to spend money then the concierge can be a useful ally. Some top restaurants hold tables back for Concierges who can get their high roller guests in even when the restaurant is supposed to be full.

 

   But at tourist hotels Concierges have no clout. Many (more like most) operate on a commission basis and only recommend restaurants that will give them kickbacks. Far better to do your own research than to rely on the crook in the lobby.

 

Streetfood can be difficult

 

The problem with the great street food places abroad — especially the ones that attract locals — is that there often are long lines. You may want to go to another place next door where there is no queue but always ask yourself: why do locals line up for one and not the others?

 

"Why go to Burger and Lobster when there are better local restaurants serving superior burgers in every city where the chain has a branch?"

   The short answer is that the places with queues are nearly always the best. So if you want great street food either go when the queues are smaller (early in the evening usually) or learn to be patient or wait.

 

Big name chain restaurants are often a waste of money

 

We live in the age of the chain restaurant. Often these restaurants are good: it’s hard to eat badly at a Zuma or a Nobu. Often they are inconsistent: over 20 years ago I went to the original Din Tai Fung in Taiwan and was very impressed. But as the chain has exploded I have found that the quality varies enormously. Some outlets are good and some are very disappointing

 

   I guess this is true of many chain restaurants so don’t blindly go to one on the grounds that the branch you went to in say, Singapore was great. That doesn’t mean that the one in Hong Kong will necessarily be any good.

 

   At celebrity chef restaurants, always be wary. Gordon Ramsay is great on TV and his original London restaurant is terrific. But does that mean he knows anything about hamburgers or Asian food? The answer is obvious.

 

   Ignore tourist-friendly Western chains. You would have to be mad to queue up for L’Entrecote and over pay for a mediocre steak. Why go to Burger and Lobster when there are better local restaurants serving superior burgers in every city where the chain has a branch?

 

General rule: if you see a restaurant run by a famous TV chef from the West, look elsewhere. If you see a restaurant run by a top chef (say Massimo Bottura or Mauro Colagreco, Anne Sophie Pic or Alain Ducasse) that serves the cuisine that made him or her famous then take it seriously. But remember that it won’t be cheap.

 

Tourist traps are to be avoided if you are looking for good food

 

If you see a beach shack in Phuket then no matter how lovely it looks (though a lovely shack is hard to find in Phuket) be aware that the food is likely to be rubbish. That doesn’t mean you will have a bad time; you may enjoy the location so much that the food is secondary.

 

   But remember that restaurants at tourist-friendly spots are rarely any good. You have to be a genius to find a place where you can eat well in Times Square where no New Yorker eats or next to The Tower of London.

 

   There are exceptions. The Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower is Michelin starred. There are good restaurants near the Pantheon in Rome. But on the whole try not to combine sightseeing with eating well. If you take a dinner boat cruise on the Chao Praya in Bangkok try and eat before you get on the boat.

 

Be careful about guides to restaurants

 

In many cities guide books and magazines meant for tourists charge money for including restaurants. The model is that 85 percent of the restaurants will have paid to have been included. About 15 per cent will be famous restaurants which will be listed free to give the guides credibility.

 

   Always look at a variety of recommendations on the internet and ignore anything that is aimed at tourists and not locals.

 

  The only guide I take seriously (in the West at least) is Michelin not just for the starred restaurants but for the cheaper Bib Gourmand recommendations.