ten best bites of 2024
from 5 months abroad & across 13 countries
I have travelled to 13 countries and 19 cities in five months. I don’t think a year of my life has ever gone faster than 2024. It’s hard to fathom that I’m almost half way through my year long trip- just seven more months of full time travel, then… well, we’ll see where life takes me.
For now, I hope you guys aren’t sick of the 2024 round up posts yet, because I’ve got a good one. So far, I’ve been eating my way across Europe, Cape Town and Dubai, with a goal of finding the best food the world has to offer. And now, it’s time to break down my top ten bites of the trip (and naturally, of 2024). I’d say it’s been hard narrowing down my long list of top bites to ten favourites, but… it hasn’t.
Because I’ve been meticulously tracking and ordering my top eats over the entire course of the trip so far, and I am all the way up to 105 top bites. Neurotic? Perhaps a touch. Useful? Very much so, yes. These bites (imho) are good enough to warrant a trip across the globe, so let’s get into it.
10. Porridge- GROD, Copenhagen
Yep. I have travelled across 13 countries and 19 cities in five months. I have eaten countless meals out, and sampled many strong dishes. But porridge, of all things, has claimed spot #10. Porridge.
Even I’m a little shocked, but GROD really changed the way I view a good oatmeal, because, man, that humble porridge was one of the best things I have ever eaten. The texture was perfectly creamy, it was pleasantly sweet, and the toppings? Perfection. There was just something about ferally devouring the porridge on a rainy day, after an intense morning of exploration that evoked a feeling I cannot describe. Perhaps the famed hygge the Danes are all about? I’m not sure.
Either way. This SLAPPED. It exceeded my expectations so thoroughly, and wow, don’t you just love when that happens.
9. Chocolate Scroll from Artizan bakery, Budapest
Welcome to my favourite bakery of all time: Artizan. Seriously, I am already planning a return trip to Budapest, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit returning to this glorious bakery wasn’t a huge motivation. I guess going three times was simply not enough.
While I can vouch for everything there, my favourite baked good was their chocolate scroll. Which is shocking, because usually a chocolate scroll would not be at the top of my list. But there was just something about this one. The lamination was perfect, with flakey layers and caramelized, crisp edges. The chocolate delicious: not overly sweet and just worked. Every bite with my coffee just hit, ya know? Truly a must-try.
8. Adana Durum from Haci Kebab Durumcu, Istanbul
As I have learned while travelling Europe, kebab is extremely popular. lol. Despite the ever present rotating doner on every street corner, we saved our appetite for our time in Istanbul. Then we went hard.
Our favourite bite in Turkey was the adana kebab. Tender meat cooked on a skewer over flames; what’s not to love? However, few places made adana kebab as good as Haci Kebab Durumcu. My mouth is actually watering thinking about it now.
I loved getting it durum style, all wrapped up in a toasty lavash bread that is pressed on a grill- it’s the perfect meal on the go to fuel a day of trekking Istanbul’s lethal hills.
7. Fish Slider from The Potluck Club, Cape Town
I am not usually one to enjoy a fried fish sandwich. I typically prefer my seafood grilled. Yet, my love for this lightly battered and perfectly crisp fish slider from The Potluck Club is undeniable.
It’s served on bao (obsessed) and topped with lettuce and miso mayo. It was a light, fresh bite of food, and was so good we seriously considered ordering another round. Cape Town is worth visiting for a plethora of reasons, but the hold this slider has on me certainly makes the thought of a return trip more enticing.
6. Enchilada from Blavis, Barcelona
Enter: the best tapas dish I have ever had in my life, from the very cozy and very exceptional restaurant, Blavis.
Seriously, this dish was so good we (once again) debated getting a second order. Honestly? I regret that we didn’t. At it’s core, it’s a humble enchilada (which never fails), but it was topped with such a tasty mole, avocado crema, and so much saucy goodness that we were blown away. Oh, and the melty cheese? I dream of her.
5. Octopus from Taberna Sal Grosso, Lisbon
I’m confident that even an octopus skeptic would like this dish. Octopus is no easy thing to cook; the minute it goes a bit over its ideal temp, it becomes a rubbery mess, so it can be a risky order. You guys. This was the most tender octopus I have ever consumed. It was practically buttery, and had a perfect char.
It was also served with a truly excellent sweet potato mash and the combination was immaculate. It’s a must order if you like octopus (even if just a little bit).
4. Cardamom Bun - Juno the bakery, Copenhagen
Copenhagen aka pastry heaven. I’m not gonna lie to you guys, Copenhagen turned out to be a really cool city and one of our favourite destinations, but I chose it for one reason: the pastries. After hearing about their reputation for baking excellence and having my fyp absolutely flooded by Danish pastry consumption, I was dying to try.
In particular, I wanted a cardamom bun. So it was off to Juno the Bakery for their famed buns. And let me tell you, it was worth the long walk (and line), because these soft, pillowy buns with slight caramelization were WORTH THE HYPE.
Cardamom is so unappreciated in Canada- which sucks, because it is an ELITE spice. It came through gloriously and I swear I could have eaten ten. Visit Copenhagen. Indulge in your pastry dreams. Get a cardamom bun from Juno.
3. DOP’s Toasted Hotdog, Copenhagen
Hotdogs are a quintessential Copenhagen street food. Honestly, you’ll notice a theme of me thinking I’m not into a food, then trying a really good version of said food and being so impressed I fall in love.
This hotdog may be a case of this, so I am curious to go back and try it after having some incredible bratwurst in Germany and Poland. Regardless, this hot dog will be one of the best you’ve ever had.
It’s fairly no frills: a sausage stuffed in a bun with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, onions and pickles, but the quality of everything just shone. The taste and bite of the sausage was perfection, and the toppings all worked so well together while having their own distinct flavour. So.Friggin.Good. So good!
2. BAEST Pizza, Copenhagen
As a previous pizza hater (I know), converted to a pizza appreciator, then a total lover of really good, thin crust, wood-fired oven pizzas, I can be a harsh judge. Pizza needs to have a thin (but not watery) base, a pillowy, slightly charred crust, and good quality toppings for me to really enjoy it.
I also tend to go for more unique or well-topped pizzas. Margherita pizza? I don’t know her. Despite this, I had heard amazing things about Baest’s simple pizza: tomato sauce, stracciatella cheese, basil and olive oil. I was skeptical; it sounded boring.
Then… I had my first bite and my gosh, from the taste of the crust itself, to the fresh tartness of the tomato sauce and the creamy stracciatella with delicious olive oil and basil…this pizza was the best I have ever had, and very worth the hype. Truly a must try.
1. Our entire meal at Leventis Taverna, Crete
Technically this is not one specific bite, but every thing I had during this meal worked so well together, I had to give it the ultimate top bite crown. Sure, an individual dish would be fantastic, but there was something about digging into the homey meat pie, then getting a refreshing, crisp bite of salad before diving into my main that just worked, ya know?
This restaurant is no stranger to winning awards, so I went in with high expectations that were more than blown away. Truly last meal worthy. Dining on Cretan specialties like a fried pie stuffed with cheese, a hearty meat pie, tender meats roasted in olive oil and a fresh salad, all with one of the best dinner views I’ve ever had made the trip to Crete worth it alone. Not that Crete needs help, it’s an insane destination.
But there you have it! These are the top ten things I have eaten in 2024, and these alone are enough justification to start travelling the world. Over the next seven months I’m hopeful I’ll do some eating that surpasses even these, especially as I explore more of the Asia side of the world! Stay tuned heh.
Also, an update:
Happy to report I have been consistent in my goal of posting two newsletters a week, and I intend to keep up with that goal for our remaining seven months (and, long after that, ideally). I hope these newsletters have been adding value; the goal has always been to make it easier for you guys to plan future trips around eating genuine good food rather than tourist trap crap.
Moving forward, I’m switching things up a bit. I’m not sure it’ll be this way forever, but, why not try something new for a bit? I’ll continue to post twice a week, but rather than two free, I’ll be putting out a free Wednesday post and a paid sunday post. If you like my newsletters and find em worth your $$, I’d be more than grateful :)
Regardless, I’m determined to ensure the free newsletters continue to roll out and offer loads of travel/food tips! Happy New year guys!