A Teen’s Top 10 ‘oh my God’ food moments around the world

By Bailey
 
Everyone has had a food dish so good, that the when the first bite is taken the immediate reaction is, “Oh my God.” These 10 dishes did that for me. And yes, they are in order.

1 – Spaghetti Vongole at Osteria Al Mascaron [Venice, Italy] 

The first time I had this dish, I was 10 and traveling around Italy for one month with just my mom. We were in Venice for 3 days and basically just ate the whole time. There’s nothing much better to do, honestly! One night we decided to go to Osteria Al Mascaron because I believe, mama read about it from an article. We ordered the Spaghetti Vongole (said to feed 3, but really just 2 foodies.) We ordered this because Venice is known for seafood. Really the best choice, as this dish has become my favorite pasta of all time. That says a lot because I’m crazy about pasta. The second time I had this dish, which was during a year-long journey we had taken a couple years back, mama and I made sure to bring papa. We tried to pretend we went to Venice to tour and enjoy the city, but we had done that enough times already. The truth is, we really came back to Venice just to have this vongole dish.

Castello, 5225, 30122 Venezia (VE)
Tel.041 5225995

Fun fact: this vongole made me like seafood!

2 – Akamaru Modern Ramen at Ippudo [New York City, USA]

My parents may say this is a little biased for I am a ramen addict, but every single time I have this dish, I say “oh my God” every,single, time! It never disappoints, and it’s been 9 years of having it. I must admit I get the veggies on the side, but I’m sure it’s just as good with them because mama always has hers with veggies and loves it. My parents and I have been going to Ippudo since they’ve opened and when the dishes were about 40% cheaper. Even with the rise in prices, it’s so good that we continue to go.
Tip: It gets really crowded and reservations are not taken, so try to get there at the opening time, 11 AM.. and DO NOT eat breakfast before. You’ll want to fill up there. If you can’t make it that early, I still think the usual 1-2 hour wait time is worth it. If you are simply too starving, and can’t wait, there is another ramen restaurant right around the corner called Zundo- Ya, which is also very good. Different type of ramen, but a great alternative. Here, you’ll want to order the thin noodles with extra rich broth!

65 Fourth Avenue (Between 9th and 10th Street)
New York, NY 10003 Phone: 212-388-0088

3 – Tagliatelle Ragu Bianco at Trattoria Santucci [Santa Maria Degli Angeli, Umbria, Italy]

I am well aware that my dad already wrote about this dish in one of his posts, but it is just that good, that I have to repeat it. One of my favorite pictures from my travels is this one, with this pasta dish. I was just genuinely so happy. When we went to Trattoria Santucci that night, I ordered a Red Ragu on Gnocchi and it was my dad that actually ordered this tagliatelle dish. However, he offered me a bite, and his chances of eating the rest of that dish were over. We swapped dishes and after finishing that dish, I ordered yet another serving. I can definitely say it’s one of my favorite meals ever.

Via Patrono d’Italia, 40
S. M. degli Angeli – Assisi
Perugia – Italy
Tel. Trattoria +39.075.8042835

4 – Margarita Pizza at Pizzeria Mattozzi [Naples, Italy]

I mean, I can’t say I was surprised when I tasted this pizza. It’s Naples, for Pete’s sake! This pizza certainly does not disappoint. My parents and I only had one night in Naples, so we made sure to have a top-notch dinner, not a touristy one that many fall for. The center of this pizza is wet and doesn’t hold up the way an NYC slice would. So, you have to use a fork and knife to eat it. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy. My dad had trouble with the knife and fork thing the whole time and even took note of how good I was at doing it. The pizza here is very plain, but I guess that’s what makes it so good. The simpleness of it all.

Ristorante – Pizzeria
Mattozzi a P.zza Carità 2
Napoli, 80134 – Italia 

tel: 081 / 552 43 22

If you want to know more about pizza in Naples, read our friends at the 2foodtrippers’ pizza guide.

5 – Entrecôte Steak at Paul Bert [ Paris , France]

It was my second time to Paris when I had this dish. My parents brought me because they felt this was an extremely important landmark to visit while staying there. The restaurant was so nice and warm, especially considering the freezing and rainy weather outside that evening. Perfect weather for a steak. I have had so many amazing steaks in my life*, but this one was something else. You’d have to go to know what I mean.

18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, France
+33 1 43 72 24 01

*Honorable mention: Le entrecôte de Venise. Great fries and sauce. Great, great sauce. AMAZING sauce. So good that I rate it 11/10. We often go to their NYC branches to reminisce about Paris.

271 Boulevard Pereire
Porte-Maillot

0145 74 27 97

6 – Jamón Iberico at Mercado de San Miguel [ Madrid , Spain]

I (sadly) have not had this snack in a while because we haven’t returned to the market since I was 8. Though to be honest, the amount I was eating every time we went wasn’t very healthy and hardly a snack.  It’s been 5 years and the taste has been stuck in my mind. I first had this when I was 4, and I could NOT stop. I was probably eating double of what the adults were eating. I mean, 24 pieces for 7 euros! (from what I remember.) How could you resist?

Plaza de San Miguel, s/n 28005, Madrid (+34) 915 42 49 36

Typical 7-year-old me. Ice cream right in front of me but I choose to eat jamon. This picture was taken before my parents were blogging, so unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of me at the Mercado, but this was during the same trip.

7 – Moules Frites at La Maree [Brussels, Belgium]

I decided to give this dish a try because I knew then that I liked seafood after my trip to Venice. Also because I heard it’s great in Brussels. We weren’t in Brussels for long, so this was on my list of important things to eat (along with Belgian waffles and chocolate.) This dish was so good that I am a fan of mussels forever. I’d also like to mention how crispy the fries were. These fries would have to be the only fries I’ve ever had that were better than McDonalds, Welp, there’s the American in me.

rue de Flandre 99

1000 Brussels

phone: +32 (0)2 511 00 40

8 – Ham and Gruyere Crepe at La Crêperie de Hampstead [London, England]

During our 6 month stay in London, we stayed in Hampstead with awesome family friends. It’s a lovely neighborhood that I fell in love with. Along with many cute stalls, such as the butcher, fishmonger, sandwich man, and Saturday market, there was this one crepe stand. Sorry, France, but this was the best crepe I’ve ever had. The people who ran the stand were, however, French, so it makes total sense. The Ham and Gruyere crepe was my favorite and honestly the only one I tried. There was so much cheese; they were NOT shy with grating it on. They had a crazy big grater and a HUGE slice of gruyere. The cheese was always melting out of the crepe. There was also some butter on the actual crepe which made everything 10 times better. I also had a minor freak out a few days ago when I saw that Harry Styles (yeah, that kid from the boyband) posted a picture of this crepe stand that I had been to so many times. It’s pretty famous within the neighborhood.

La Crêperie de Hampstead

77a Hampstead High Street

Hampstead

London

NW3 1RE

020 7445 6767

9 – Porchetta sandwich at Il Grotino (Todi, Umbria, Italy)

I had so much porchetta in Umbria, but this one really stood out. It came as a sandwich and every bit, including the bread, was unbelievably delicious. The skin was super crispy, the meat tender with a lot of fat, along with some herbs that added to it all (which soaked into the bread). My parents and I went there at least once a day while we were there. They also have a small wine keg where adults can help themselves to a free cup of red wine. My dad loved that part almost as much as the sandwich.

Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 9, 06059 Todi PG, Italy

10 – Butao Ramen at Butao Ramen [Hong Kong]

I was too jet-lagged that night to remember much except a number of people waiting in line to get into this restaurant located along the small alley. While waiting on line, cards were passed out, so you can pre-order your ramen and how you wanted it prepared (degree of spiciness, toppings, etc.). Luckily I had enough energy to remember what this ramen tasted like. It was so special and I never had anything like it anywhere since. The pork bone broth was the richest I’ve ever tasted, and the noodles cooked a little bit firm, and everything else on top was great. My parents, of course, went for the adventurous options of the Black ink ramen and the Green (veggie) ramen. While eating, I caught them taking a few glances at my dish, probably wishing they went the traditional route. The restaurant is very small with just a few seats. It felt crowded but fun. I kind of loved it. Added to the buzz of the nightlife. Which, by the way, is fantastic in Hong Kong.

This is not the Butao Ramen, actually. This is my mom’s Green (veggie) ramen. I devoured mine too quickly for her to get a chance to take a picture of it.

Chun Wah Commercial Building, 28-30 Minden Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Bonus Track:

11 – Spaetzle in Strasbourg

Get the best Spaetzle at La Corde A Linge in Strasbourg. Just get it whenever you can… Excellent!

2 Place Benjamin Zix, 67000 Strasbourg, France +33 3 88 22 15 17

Hope you enjoyed my list! Make sure to stop by all these restaurants whenever you get the chance. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post. I’m sure y’all have missed me, and these shorter articles. (Isn’t papa so long winded?) Ha. Anyway, keep eating and ENJOY LIFE 🙂

If you enjoyed my story, please read another I’ve written: 

Here is my favorite noodles around the world story.

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