The 11 best restaurants I visited in 2024 — a completely biased list
I traveled to 12 countries and 18 cities in 2024. Here are the best restaurants I visited around the world.
Now that I work for an airline, I travel a lot more than before. As a foodie, I couldn’t resist sharing my top 11 restaurants from the past year.
But before we get into it, a small warning: The list I’m about to share is completely biased.
The fact that I had the best hummus of the year in Riga doesn’t mean that the best hummus in the world can be found in Riga — I just happened to travel there and have some excellent hummus.
Also, I’m plant-based, so all the listed restaurants offer vegan/vegetarian options. Sorry, meat lovers.
Knowing all this, feel free to stop reading now. I won’t be offended. But if you decide to stick around, I hope you’ll find something exciting to try on your future travels.
Asia
Lian Xin 莲芯膳坊, Singapore: The best vegan laksa
“Temple food is amazing!” a friend of mine commented on one of my Instagram stories from Singapore. I couldn’t agree more. I ate such good food at this restaurant located below a Buddhist temple that I felt like crying out of joy.
I had their vegan laksa, which was the dish of the day. Laksa is a spicy coconut milk-based soup served with noodles and, in this case, tofu. I also had two different baos. The entire meal came down to just 4€ (and people say Singapore is expensive!).
Whenever I rave about the food in Singapore, this is the place I mention among the first. I went there twice on my five-day trip and the food was excellent both times. But if you go to Singapore, try to visit Lian Xin on the laksa day.
Lian Xin, 288 South Bridge Rd, B1 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, Singapore 058840
Madras New Woodlands Restaurant, Singapore: The best thali meal
Eating at Madras New Woodlands in Singapore’s Little India redefined Indian cuisine for me. I ordered the VIP thali, which came with an assortment of 12 dishes in small metal cups. The world around me disappeared as I sampled each of them. I tried to make up my mind about which of the dishes I loved the most, but I was unable to do so. The layers of flavor were unbelievable (all those whole dried spices!).
If I had to pick my favorite dish of the year 2024, the VIP thali at Madras New Woodlands would be it. Need I say more?
Madras New Woodlands Restaurant, 14 Upper Dickson Rd, Singapore 207474
Ucca.柚见, Petaling Jaya: The best vegan Hakka food
I was traveling in Malaysia with my Malaysian friend, and, one day, I accidentally dragged him to a vegan restaurant offering food from his clan, Hakka. “The best vegan Hakka food” is a slightly humorous heading — I don’t assume there to be many vegan restaurants of that type (of course, I may be wrong). But this place really was one of the highlights of my stay in Petaling Jaya, a city in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area, where my friend is from.
We went there twice, so I got to try two different vegan meat soups. I also sampled my friend’s lei cha, a traditional rice dish that comes with a wonderfully fresh and herbal green liquid — almost like a green smoothie — you pour on top (lei cha means ground tea).
Ucca.柚见, 5, Jalan 19/29,46300 Petaling Jaya, 46300 Selangor, Malaysia
LaGula By The Hungry Tapir, Kuala Lumpur: The best fusion cafe
LaGula by The Hungry Tapir made this list partly because of how much my Malaysian foodie friend raved about it. I ate an excellent vegan sourdough sandwich with black bean and soy pastrami, but my friend loooved his mushroom rendang croissant.
At first, we were suspicious of the North-American-South-East-Asian fusion, but the first bites converted us — so much so that we visited the cafe’s parent, The Hungry Tapir, later the same week. It was just as excellent. To our delight, we even spotted a group of nuns having dinner at this trendy plant-based restaurant.
LaGula By The Hungry Tapir, G-02, Ground Floor, Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, 2, Jalan Balai Polis, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Europe
Souksou — Couscous Bar, Madrid: the best baba ganoush
This small Moroccan joint near Museo Reina Sofía had the best baba ganoush I’ve ever tasted. I also tried the vegetarian couscous and a vegetarian filo pastry with sugar and cinnamon on top, but they didn’t compare to the baba ganoush. It was so deliciously silky and smoky. Just perfect. The only downside was the size: it was served as a small side dish. The next time I’m in Madrid, I’ll ask if they could prepare the baba ganoush as a main.
Souksou, C. del Salitre, 43, Bajo izq, Centro, 28012 Madrid, Spain
Orburu, San Sebastián: the cosiest three-course experience
I’m so glad my Spanish-speaking friend called in to Orburu (I was worried they wouldn’t speak any English) and managed to get me a last-minute reservation. All the tables were reserved, but I got a spot at the bar for 1 p.m., right when the restaurant opened for lunch.
The restaurant is underground, with no windows, and has a very traditional look: wooden tables, chairs, and bar and stone walls.
Because it was early for lunch in Spain, it was still quiet, and the founder and chef (who spoke fluent English!) and the waitress had time to chat with me. I found out that the two of them ran the small restaurant by themselves. The chef had worked in a bunch of vegetarian restaurants in the UK and Ireland for ten years and then come back to open a vegetarian place in San Sebastián. I’m glad he did.
Against the chef’s recommendation, I ate three courses (they didn’t believe me when I said I could eat a lot): baba ganoush (yes, again) with roasted carrots and vegan feta, yellow lentil dal, and chocolate cake. The starter was the winner, a perfect balance of flavors.
Orburu, Orburu taberna, Calle Matia 5 bajo, callejon cruz roja (antiguo, 20008) Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
2eat falafel & hummus, Riga, Latvia: The best hummus
Never would I have guessed that I would eat the best hummus of the year in Riga, Latvia, of all places. I was there for a bachata festival and had booked an Airbnb apartment just around the corner from 2eat falafel & hummus, an Israeli place. The host recommended it and it had good reviews on Google Maps, so I decided to try it out.
The first time I visited, I got the hummus plate that came with some flatbread. I could’ve licked my plate clean. A middle-aged man came to ask me how I’d liked it, and I found out he was the owner. I praised the simple yet absolutely delicious meal. “All my food is amazing,” was his response. I had to go there a second time to find out if he was right.
The second time, I tried to order the baba ganoush as a full meal, which only worked out when I saw the owner again (it was on the menu as a side dish, so the employee refused to sell it as a main at first). It was very tasty, but if you visit, get the hummus—and the vegan baklava, which they prepare with a lovely hint of cardamom and lemon peel. An absolute treat.
2eat falafel & hummus, Krišjāņa Barona iela 41/43, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1001, Latvia
Vamos Veganos, Berlin: the absolute best vegan döner
Döner used to be my go-to quick meal when I worked or studied in Germany. After going plant-based, I didn’t think I’d get good döner again. I was wrong.
Vamos Veganos makes their own döner meat from smoked tofu — they call it Fiöner — and I could only marvel at the taste and texture. It comes with three different sauces (as it should): garlic sauce, spicy chilli sauce, and an orange-colored sauce (not sure what it was exactly).
When I came in, they’d run out of the classic bread döner, so I had to settle on the slightly more expensive döner bowl. It still came with plenty of bread, so I was able to assemble my own little mini döners using the bowl’s ingredients. I couldn’t have asked for more. A definite must-go vegan place in Berlin!
Vamos Veganos, Schönfließer Str. 16, 10439 Berlin, Germany
Vegan Restoran V, Tallinn: The best vegan 3-course meal
There are plenty of excellent affordable vegan restaurants, but when it comes to more upscale places, I’m often disappointed. Vegan Restoran V was an exception. All three courses were mouth-watering: red beet ravioli with cashew cream, lemon risotto, and chocolate banana peanut butter cake. The risotto was phenomenal — I would come back just for that! What’s more, the whole meal, including an award-winning local kombucha, came down to only €34. If you visit Tallinn, don’t miss this place.
Vegan Restoran V, Rataskaevu tn 12, 10123 Tallinn, Estonia
Velani, Vienna: The best vegan Wiener Schnitzel
Growing up, I used to always order Wiener Schnitzel when we traveled to German-speaking countries with my family. I loved this thin and crispy breaded veal cutlet that was sometimes so big it went over the edges of the plate. Add a slice of lemon and some roasted potatoes, and voíla, you have the perfect dinner.
It’s probably no surprise that I hadn’t had a Wiener Schnitzel since I went plant-based and that I was extremely excited to hear a restaurant in Vienna serves it vegan.
The day I visited Velani, I sat on the restaurant’s terrace with a bunch of sad Taylor Swift fans (it was the day her concert was canceled over an alleged terrorist plot, and the fans were everywhere). Almost everyone ordered the Wiener Schnitzel which came with a potato salad. The schnitzel came mind-glowingly close to the real thing: the shape was uneven as a real veal cutlet would be (I rejoiced at this detail), the breading extremely yummy, and the texture of the “flesh” so realistic I had to examine it in detail.
I also ordered the vegan Kaiserdschmarrn (another classic) for dessert but it was merely good. Just get the Schnitzel and you’ll be happy.
Velani, Schönbrunner Str. 235, 1120 Wien, Austria
North America
Ramen Danbo Kitsilano, Vancouver: The best vegan ramen
Vancouver has a good restaurant scene, especially for Asian food. But the place that stood out to me the most was Ramen Danbo. I found out I was lucky to get in without queuing (I came in at 5 p.m., that is, before peak hour). Apparently, it is the ramen place in Vancouver.
The menu has four different broth options, all variations of a tonkatsu pork broth (or its vegan version). I love simple menus; one thing done very well is often enough. This was not an exception: the vegan negi-goma ramen was full of flavor. I also enjoyed the vegan pan-fried gyozas and especially being able to order an extra serving of noodles (called kaedama) for 1 dollar!
Ramen Danbo Kitsilano, 1833 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M4, Canada
