Ever wish you could have an expert critic to tell you what to eat in other countries? We enlisted some of the Travel Connoisseurs from around the globe. 

This is one list you'll want to save!

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA by @agentcikay

  About @agentcikay :

Ciki is an avid traveler, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who enjoys writing about her travel and gastronomic experiences. In her words: “It all started out a couple of years back as a means to journal our travels and related photos. 

http://www.whoa-adventures.com 

1. Bakuteh (BKT)         or Bak Kut Teh is top on our list of must eats in Kuala Lumpur. 

The name literally translates as “meat bone tea”, and, at its simplest, consists of fatty pork ribs simmered in a broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dong guai, fennel seeds and garlic) for  as long as possible , i.e. days if possible.  However, additional ingredients may include offal, varieties of mushroom, choy sum (vegetables), and pieces tofu puffs. We personally have the highest regard for BKT at ‘Restaurant Yik See Ho’. This place is situated in the vicinity of the Pudu Wet Market and is a hot favourite amongst KL-lites. Some may beg to differ or have their own favourites but for now, we bring all our friends here. 

Where else can you see the butchers hacking away at the pig carcass (corner alleyway), in preparation for tomorrows rations, from where you sit and eat along the 5 foot way. Grim? Gross? Well, this is BKT, Pudu style!  

2.Fried Hokkien mee        (Chinese style- fried yellow noodles) has a cult following in Kuala Lumpur. It is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish-cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of crispy fried pork lard as garnishing (that would be the square cubes that you see on top of the noodle). Some might say that the pork lard, is the main ingredient. This dish is eaten before a huge night out, after a huge night out, for dinner, for supper .. heck , at all hours of the day really. If you have not eaten Hokkien Mee, you have not visited Malaysia, proper!  

3. Suckling pig is normally served here in Malaysia at big festivals and for special occasions such as Weddings and is traditionally roasted whole. It is a delicacy because the flesh is incredibly tender but the skin is super crispy. Go for the ears and the cheeks -those are the best parts! 

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4. Next up is the Sang Har Kwey Teow. This is fresh river prawns cooked cantonese style in a thick eggy broth and finished off with either flat or egg noodles. The orange roe in the head of the prawn just seeps and infuses into the eggy liquid sauce of the noodles and makes the taste phenomenal.  The amazing way that the tautness of the prawn flesh blends into the springiness of the flat noodles is like these two components were just made for each other.  

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5. After the Sang Har Mee, we will definitely drag you to eat, the Sentul Satay.Close analogues would be the Yakitori from Japan, the Shish Kebab from Turkey, the Sosatie from South Africa.. oh, and my most recent discovery was the Chuan from China! Meats on sticks over a BBQ – basic yet effective. Tapping into that childhood ‘fun’ way of eating your food. For satay, the “must have” ingredient which gives the dish its characteristic yellow colour derived from tumeric. Serve it up with a spicy peanut sauce dip, or peanut gravy, slivers of onions and cucumbers, and ketupat (rice cakes).. and you have a balanced meal of carbo, protein, fats, and vegetables but tastes delightfully sinful.. not unlike junk food!  

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6. If you are a rice lover, this is another amazing local dish that you cannot miss.Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes.The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, gizzards, curried mutton, cubed beef, fish roe, fried prawns or fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be brinjal (aubergine), okra/bendi (lady fingers) or bitter gourd. A mixture of curry sauces is poured on the rice. Always ask for the sauces to be mixed , i.e. fish + chicken + dhal .. let it soak through your rice and just die from the awesome aroma and taste. This is called nasi ‘banjir’ (flooded rice) and imparts a multifaceted taste to the rice. Many eat the sauced soaked rice with their bare fingers and the aroma actually stays with you long after you have washed your hands. This is part of the appeal of eating Nasi Kandar!  

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7. Charsiew (BBQ Pork) is another great dish.. Charsiew literally means ‘burn with a fork’ where long gorgeous fatty strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire. The meat, typically a shoulder cut is seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu , dark soy sauce and possibly hoisin sauce. The melting sugar plus the seasoning will turn the exterior layer of the meat dark red, not dissimilar to American barbecues. A sugar coat is sometimes used in the place of honey to give char siu its characteristic shiny glaze. Here in KL,  you can get amazing charsiew with a texture so soft and succulent in the centre, sweet and caramalized on the outside, it would make a grown man weep.  

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8. Close your eyes. Now open them! See the live and kicking river prawns know that a fantastic dinner is just around the corner.  

Lung Seng Tanjung Tualang, Perak (North Malaysia) – everybody needs to make this ‘holy’ pilgrimage to the mecca of  Fresh River Prawns and all things crustacean at least once in their life-time. As a matter of fact, KL city folk don’t mind the 2 hour drive to Tanjung Tualang in Perak just to satisfy their yearning for delicious freshwater prawns. They don’t come fresher than this (swimming outside in tanks) and the cooks actually drop them into ice water for five minutes to stun them before they prepare them for cooking. This retains the  springy texture and flavour in the meat. Butter River Prawns.. Mouth-watering!  

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9. Northern Indian food is also spectacular in KL. We would definitely take you to eat,Palak Paneer is my all time favourite northern indian dish because it combines fresh spinach and goat’s cheese in a creamy curry and is really rich but oh, so delicious. Anyway, this is as close as you will get to a vegetable dish in a Northern Indian restaurant. Palak Paneer goes great with anything.. From chapatis, puris, parathas to bhaturas.. it’s all good. The texture of the cheese really gets under my skin. Those rich and chewy square chunks of curd, with that generous slathering of spinach is almost too astronomically good for words.  

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10. Nasi Lemak is a must! The name itself ” rice in cream” is derived from the cooking process where regular white rice is literally soaked in coconut cream and then steamed to give a gorgeous, aroma of  coconut-perfumed white rice that is then wrapped in banana leaf  or served on a plate and eaten with the other side dishes mentioned above. Sometimes  a knotted pandan  leaf, or ginger or a stalk of lemongrass is thrown it to make the rice all the more fragrant.  

the Malaysian nasi lemak has hot spicy sauce (sambal),  hard boiled egg, cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis) and roasted peanuts at its core and to this you may add sambal cuttlefish, fried chicken, cockle, stir fried water convolvulus (kangkong), pickled vegetables (achar) or beef rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). Sinful and bad for the heart but incredibly delicious.. If you eat this once in a while, it’s not so bad!  

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11. OK, I lied…! Siew Yoke or Chinese Roast Pork is the final dish that completes the ensemble of TEN + 1, that we will take you to eat should you come to KL. I don’t really need to explain why.  I will let the succulent pork and crispy pork crackling photo speak for itself. Have this with a huge mug of beer and know that this is as good as it gets!   We have traveled to many international destinations, found good tasting dishes with some really exotic ingredients BUT we have never found a country with such diverse choice of food as Malaysia and of a quality that closely resembles its ethnic origins and more importantly, the afford-ability

INDONESIA 

by  @vewe

About vewe:   

She is an avid traveler, she loves life, family and friends..ahh and she loves food!  

Can't be missed when visiting Indonesia  

Kerupuk   

Kerupuk is a very popular snack in Indonesia. It is a deep fried cracker made from  starch and some other ingredients such as prawn, fish, squids, and veggies.    

Sambal  

Indonesian condiments that’s made of chilli peppers.  Most Indonesian like to eat spicy food, that’s why Sambal is a must to go with any kind of dishes. There are many type of sambal such as Sambal Terasi (Dried-Shrimp based), Sambal Kecap (Soy-sauce based),   Sambal Matah (Onion based), etc.  

  Gado-Gado   

Vegetable salad with peanut sauce dressing and usually eaten as main dish. Very common food that can be found all over Indonesia, from street vendor, to food court as well as luxurious restaurant.  

If you are a vegan, then this is the dish for you. Gado-gado is usually served with Nasi(rice) or Lontong (Rice Cake).  

Sate (Satay)  

Known as the National Dish of Indonesia, Sate is widely renowned in all regions all over Indonesia. Sate is barbeque skewered meat pieces served with different types of sauce such as peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, coconut milk sauce, star-fruit sauce, yellow(turmeric) sauce, etc.  There are various types of Sate, different area has different kind of Sate, and most is named after the meat that’s been used or the area where it comes from. The most common is Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay), however, you can also find beef, goat, mutton, fish and pork satay easily; In some area you can spot more exotic meat such as rabbit, horse, cat, snake, crocodile or turtle meat satay. Mostly served with Lontong (Rice Cake).  

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)  

As main staple for Indonesian, there are many different varieties of Nasi (Rice) dishes in Indonesia. One of the most common found is Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice).  Nasi Goreng is fried pre-cooked rice with other ingredients, from simple one like vegetables and eggs to special one with different kind of meats.  

It can be eaten during any times of the day, but mostly for breakfast as its cook from the leftover rice from the night before.  

There are hundreds different varieties of nasi goreng all over Indonesia; tastes different depends on regions; those from Java tend to be sweeter while Sumatran fried rice are saltier and more spicy.  

MEXICO by @planetnomad

About @planetnoad: 

He is an actor,writer,world traveler and Mexico enthusiast 

http://mexicounmasked.com/   

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is one of my long-held faves and I just love  the Mayan influence in the cuisine down there. "Poc Chuc" is a tasty dish  I have to eat while down there. It's made up of thinly-sliced pork that's been marinated in sour oranges, then grilled.  It's typically served in corn tortilla tacos with an onion and cilantro garnish...yum!  Gosh, I'm  getting hungry just writing this, ha! ha!  

Another Yucatecan dish, mostly found around Merida,  "panuchos", are  really good! This is a corn tortilla that's filled with black beans and deep-fried to a crisp, then it's topped off with shredded turkey (the Mayans ate a lot of turkey), lettuce, tomato, and escabeche (pickled onions, habanero peppers and carrots).  

One last one, also found a lot in the Yucatan or along any beach area in Mexico, is fried red snapper or "huachinango" as it's called in Spanish. It's usually served with rice and black beans ( black beans mostly in the  Yucatan) and garnished with avocado slices and escabeche on the side. This  dish is not a Mayan one, but I love it nevertheless. I have more faves  from other countries/places, but most of my travel is to Mexico, as you've  probably gathered by now.  

CHINA, THAILAND, VIETNAM, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND, SPAIN, MOROCCO  by @CelebrationsInt

About @CelebrationsInt :

Adrienne,  is a Travel agent specializing in culinary travel, cruises, tours,  

all-inclusive resorts & group travel.  

http://www.celebrationsinternationaltravel.com/  

China:  Peking Duck  

Thailand:  Phad Thai  

Vietnam:  Pho or Bun Cha  

Australia:  Bush Lunch with Billy Tea  

France:  Duck a l'Orange or Pate de Fois Gras  

Austria:  Weinerschnitzel  

Switzerland:  Fondue or Raclette  

Spain:  Paella  

Morocco:  Traditional Couscous  

ARGENTINA by @LatinAmerExpats

 About @LatinAmerExpats:

Wanderlusty travel writer and editor of 2 expat websites. 

Climbing Aconcagua to raise $40k for a charity that keeps kids from going blind.  

http://www.expatdailynewssouthamerica.com/   

Can't be missed - Vegetarian dish from Argentina  

Lentil Stuffed Red Peppers for the Asado Grill    

You will need:  

10 Red peppers (cut in half, to make 20 total)  

4 cups brown Brown Rice  

4 cups cooked Lentils  

1 bulb garlic  

1 onion  

2 small carrots, shredded  

2 tomatoes  

fresh cilantro, green onion, or parsley to taste  

queso cremosa or other easy melting cheese  

olive oil for drizzling  

After cutting the red peppers in half lengthwise, so that they are shallow and long cups, fill as you like with all of the above ingredients.  Top with cheese to hold everything in.  (I prefer to save the herbs and a few tomatoes for after they are cooked, to add color to the top.  Otherwise the cilantro may dry out too much if you have it over the fire for the whole time). Place directly on the asado grate over a slow fire, drizzle generously with olive oil, and cook until peppers have softened a little and all cheese is melted.  You can also place these on an oiled baking sheet and bake in the oven.  

They even save well until the next day, and you can just re-heat them easily.  

UNITED STATES by @TravelMaestro  

About @TravelMaestro:

Virtuoso travel management firm with unrivaled customer service.   

Experts on worldwide destinations, luxury vacations, corporate travel,   

and meeting management.  

http://www.covingtontravel.com/  

When I consider my favorite foods from my area of the US (eastern Virginia of the Chesapeake Bay/Atlantic Ocean), delicious seafood is top on my list.  

Oyster fishing in the Chesapeake Bay has been a career to generations of locals. Oysters can be savored raw, steamed, broiled or fried and it is said that they are best in months that have the letter "R" in them (happen to be the colder months). One of my favorite dishes is Oysters Rockefeller which is oysters, dressed with spinach and cheese and broiled in the half shell. Yum!  

Another Tidewater staple is steamed blue crab. Jimmie's are the males, sooks are the females. It can be a messy affair to pick crabs, and requires some practice to become skilled a getting all the sweet meat from the body. Casual restaurants cover the table with butcher's paper, bring you a tray or bucket of hot steamed crabs (they turn red when they are cooked), and you eat with your fingers.    

And I would be remiss if I left out good old steamed shrimp. Best with a light dusting of Old Bay seasoning - I can eat my weight in warm steamed shrimp! Local fish favorites are striped bass, known as "Striper" and rock fish.  

MEXICO by @YucatanHolidays 

About Yucatan Holidays: 

He is a visionary company committed to providing inspiring and sustainable travel experiences.  

http://www.yucatan-holidays.com/  

Mole Poblano :  

Is a popular the thick, rich sauce in Mexican cuisine. Mole poblano is prepared with dried chili peppers (commonly ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle), ground nuts and/or seeds (almonds, indigenous peanuts, and/or sesame seeds), spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts).  

Chochinita Pibil:  

Is a traditional Mexican (Yucatan area) slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Península. Preparation of traditional cochinita or puerco pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, coloring it with annatto seed, and roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana leaf.  

MEXICO, BELIZE, GRAND CAYMAN, CANADA by @LocoGringoCom

 About @LocoGringocom 

Kay is one of the first online travel guides, vacation rentals & forums for the Riviera Maya. 

http://www.locogringo.com/  

Belize:   Stew Chicken Red Beans and Coconut Rice  

            Johnny Cakes for breakfast  

Mexico:    Pozole  

               Scrambled eggs, with ham, refried beans, fresh habanero and tortillas.  

               Huitlacoche empanadas  

                Flan  

                Mole Verde  

Grand Cayman:  Turtle Soup. (sorry but they do farm them)  

Canada:  Fish n Chips  

PORTUGAL & SPAIN  by @JCreatureTravel

 About @JCreatureTravel:

 independent journalist+consultant in travel and food 

http://www.jthetravelauthority.com  

RESTAURANTS IN LISBON

Some of my favorite meals have been on my travels in Portugal, one of the countries that's my specialty.

 On my recent trip to Lisbon, I visited a relatively new restaurant, Alma -- which aptly translates to "soul" -- where chef Henrique Sa Pessoa is focusing in on using simple ingredients that reflect Portuguese flavors married with Asian tones. Here I dined on a perfectly prepared salt cod with chickpea puree; tender baby pork confit that was cooked for some 34 hours and then served with sweet potatoes; and prawns that were sauteed with leeks and accompanied by a chutney of ginger, pineapple and lemongrass. With fine food like this and such a talented chef, one might expect a pretentous atmosphere. But instead I found a welcoming, casual atmosphere.

Another newish Lisbon-based restaurant that guarantees a fine meal is Tasca de Esquina, which also lives up to its name -- a tasca is a traditional Portuguese eatery. Here, I found a cozy, low-key space with a communal table, cabinets chock full of olive oils and wine bottles as well as wicker baskets overflowing with oranges, potatoes and garlic. The spirit is lively in the dining room where I found it easy to mingle with the couple sitting beside me because, even though I don't speak much Portuguese, they understood my Spanish. I chose from the many offerings on the tapas focused menu that reflect take offs on traditional Portuguese recipes. My heavenly meal included clams in coriander broth, diced cod whipped up with eggs and mini French fries, and a cold tomato soup with Portuguese mint and goat cheese.  

SPAIN

Another country where I'm always finding great meals is Spain. I visit every year, sometimes twice and on my last visit I stopped at a new restaurant that opened in the Selenza Madrid Hotel in the upscale Salamanca barrio in Madrid. Named for star chef Ramon Freixa, this restaurant appealed to my experimental side. The chef loves the avant garde, so here I started my meal with an amuse bouche of a licorice cake, vermouth and coke reduction gum and a kumquat with pickled garlic. Then, even though I don't love tomatoes, I adored the "Tomatoes 10 Ways" where tomatoes appears in every texture imaginable -- chef Freixa also has a love affair with textures. The deconstructed burger consisted of a sphere of duck meat, green mustard ice cream, grated Basque cheese and a splash of ketchup. (Yet, it tasted like a burger, but way more fun.) Of course, being a chocoholic, I had to finish the meal with  the "Five Chocolate Textures," featuring a soufflé, ice cream, mousse, yogurt and shavings.   

MOROCCO by @JenniferTravels

About JenniferTravels:

She is a Frequent traveler a news junkie  

MORROCO   

·         Dinner at La Mamounia’s Le Morocain restaurant (www.mamounia.com)  

·         Wine: A new Moroccan red wine called ‘Terres Rouges’:  

·         Appetizer: Sélection de salades fines marocaines et petit tagine de k’hliae au piment 240  

·         Assortment of fine Moroccan salads and tagine of piment with k’hliae  

·         Entrée: Couscous au poulet Tfaya  

          Chicken couscous with onions, raisins and chickpeas  

·         Famous Moroccan Mint Tea: The technique of pouring the tea is as crucial as the quality of the tea. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps. Moroccan tea pots have long, curved pouring spouts and this allows the tea to be poured evenly into tiny glasses from a height. To acquire the optimum taste, glasses are filled in two stages. The Moroccans traditionally like tea with bubbles, so while pouring they hold the teapot high above the glasses.  

·         And, last but not least, an incredible hostess/manager makes every dining experience even better: Kudos to Le Morocain’s manager Ms. Rajaa Ben Moussa.  

SOUTH AFRICA, ENGLAND, BELGIUM, MEXICO, USA by @travelspauline  

About Pauline:

History Travel Writer who loves food and wine, museums and landmarks, vintage cars and trains

Examiner: http://bit.ly/cjyciT

Best meals for each country. 

South Africa

Bunny chow.  Actually, any curry in Durban would be great.  

Bunny chow may not be the best, but it is the most fun. Here is a paragraph taken from my article, South African Food and Wine, on Associated Content.  

“Bunny Chow is not rabbit food.  

Bunny Chow is one popular dish from Durban with plenty of stories about how it got its name. Some have said the Bunny part comes from the Banias people, an Indian caste, who used to make it, while others have said it is from being eaten outdoors under banyan trees.  Whatever the origin of the name, it doesn’t have any bunnies in it, and is an easy casual way to eat a delicious curry. A small loaf of bread has the top cut off, then it is scooped out a bit and filled with a delicious lamb, beef, chicken, or vegetable curry. Then the top is plopped back on. This is casual, take-away food to be eaten with the bread and the fingers. Bunny Chow was served as a take-away food to the Indians, who being deemed “Colored” were not allowed to go inside and sit in the restaurant in the days of segregation and apartheid.”  

England

(but also Ireland, South Africa, Australia and those places the Brits colonized)  

Breakfast.  

A good English breakfast will keep you going all day.  Bacon, eggs, bangers (sausage), grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, black pudding (blood sausage), and toast.  English people today don’t necessarily eat a good English breakfast most days, however.  Years ago kippers used to be a choice for breakfast, too, but the English don’t love them the way they used to. The best of these smoked herring are from the Isle of Man or Scotland.  

Belgium  

Two suggestions:  In Brussels, the restaurant that serves moules, or musssels, in a big bucket cooked in your choice of sauce.  

In Brugges, Rabbit with plums at one of the tourist restuarants there was fabulous, and a local specialty.  

Mexico  

Not an actual meal, but traveling the country and enjoying the variety of Tortilla Soup served almost everywhere.   

 USA  

A hamburger in the western half of the United States.  Even in this day of moving and travel, as you head west, the burgers get better.  

SCOTLAND by @scottishroutes

  About @Scottishroutes: 

They're specialists in tailor-made and distinctive tours of Scotland - Explore Scotland Your Way,  

with Scottish Routes!           

http://www.scottishroutes.com  

1) A seafood platter on the west coast or Western Isles. The lobster had only been out of the sea for a few hours, and had only travelled around 10 miles by land to get to us.     

2) Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (Mashed turnips and potatoes respectively). The most traditional dish in Scotland. Some great haggis producers out there but, in my opinion, the best one is http://www.macbeths.com   

AUSTRALIA by  @travelsceneusa   

About @travelsceneusa: 

Nadine is on the scene, proud Aussie and passionate traveler. They're all about travel to Australia and the South Pacific.  

Aussie Meat Pie: a ground beef and gravy mixture encased in a pastry shell. Often eaten with Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)

Lamb Roast: lamb….roasted. served with roast potatoes, pumpkin and peas and lashings of Mint Sauce –YUM!  

MEXICO  by @TipsdeViajero

About @tipsdeViajero: 

She is an expert on travel to Mexico  

http://www.tipsdeviajero.com/  

Tamales

 Tamal is a generic name given to some of indigenous dishes usually prepared with corn dough steamed. Tamales are cooked and wrapped in corn or bananas leaves. Traditional dish of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Guerrero, mainly.  

  Pozole

 It is a soup made with corn called cacahuazintle, meat and chili. It’s served in bowls and add lettuce, radishes, oregano, avocado, onion and lemon. Depending on the region of the country, there are pozole white, red and green.  

UNITED STATES  by @lannaxe96  

About @lannaxe96:  

She is a Doctor of Archaeology in the Making 

http://www.ancientdigger.com/  

The Mashed Potato Club: Chicago  

Porks Chops with a Cider and Apple Demiglace and mashed potatoes with over 100 toppings to choose from.  

Aunt Catfish: Port Orange Florida  

The Salad Bar. You have to go check out. There's nothing like it!