2015: A Year Of Eating Very Good Things. International Edition.
While we ate many excellent things here in the States last year — check out our favorites from the South, Northeast, West Coast and Midwest and Southwest — we'd be remiss to not mention some of the amazing places where our writers dined internationally in 2015. Here are their picks:Chote Chitr (Bangkok, Thailand)
My most memorable stretch of eating this year took place during a weeklong family journey through Thailand in March. So why, over the course of a trip that included incredible meals at world-renowned restaurants Nahm, Issaya Siamese Club and Bo.Lan, is it the five-table, back-alley, hole-in-the-wall Chote Chitr that stood above the rest? Perhaps it was the charm of trekking solo for lunch and getting woefully lost in a foreign city multiple times along the way. Perhaps it was being aware of the family-owned restaurant's 90-year history or the house dogs that nonchalantly nestled against my legs as I ate. More likely, it was the savory banana flower salad and delightfully sticky mee krob noodles that had me licking both bowls long after their tangy sauces had disappeared, much to the consternation of owner/chef/cashier Tim Krachoichuli. Sorry, Tim, but I'd do it again in a second. 146 Praeng Phuton Rd., Bangkok, Thailand, +66 2 221 4082; chotechitr.ch
—George Embiricos
Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
Tim Raue's eponymous two-Michelin-starred fine-dining flagship is easily one of Europe's great destination restaurants and a shining example of the state of Berlin dining these days. Raue, who also runs two casual restaurants (La Soupe Populaire and Sra Bua), grew up in what was the rough (and now swiftly gentrifying) Kreuzberg district, pulling from Asia, especially Japan, China and Korea, in his artful dishes. A meal here is as relaxed as it is refined, with courses like popular Peking duck three ways utilizing the duck's heart, stomach and tongue, or lily blossoms soaked in mint vinaigrette. Eight tiny bites to start (think Korean banchan-style amuse-bouche) are a highlight, as is dessert, like succulent Périgord strawberries from France in rhubarb jus with Pondicherry peppers. Sommelier André Macionga's stellar wine and sake list makes for some memorable pairings. Rudi-Dutschke-Str. 26, 10969 Berlin, Germany; tim-raue.com
—Virginia MillerA Mère (Paris, France)
One of the most perfect meals I had this year was lunch at this new restaurant in Paris, in the 10th arrondissement on the Left Bank. A Mère is small and casual, with communal tables and a bar and plenty of natural light. The fresh, creative and artfully plated food here stole my heart. The place is run by two ambitious young chefs, one Brazilian and one Italian, and a sommelier. They change up the menu frequently, but this goes beyond just seasonal and local; all sorts of unexpected ingredients are put together, and surprising harmony is achieved. I have never tasted foie gras more flavorful than in the dish they served me, where it was paired with chicory, soft boiled egg and hazelnuts. 49 rue de l'échiquier 75010 Paris; amere.fr
—Rachel Signer
Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo is one of the most unreal, thrilling places on earth, where game-changing meals are to be found at every turn. I could name several equally amazing restaurants, but one where you might be able to secure a table (since my sushi and tempura favorites are all six seats only) is Narisawa, proud recipient of three Michelin stars. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa came out and greeted each table personally when I was there, while well-informed staff subtly schooled diners on the chef's poetic interpretations of nature. He gets esoteric (but delicious) with "Essence of the Forest," expressing water, oak and cedar via ingredients like matcha, spinach, caramelized bamboo and deep-fried gobo root, in powders and other unexpected forms. I was wowed by dry-cured Irabu sea snake ("with the poison removed") from Okinawa or yuzu lemon bread fermenting tableside. It's one of the more inspired yet gratifying restaurants in the world right now. Minami Aoyama 2-6-15, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 +81-3-5785-0799; narisawa-yoshihiro.com
—Virginia MillerNobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany)
Inspired by Noma, Rene Redzepi's famous Copenhagen restaurant, Billy Wagner and Micha Shäfer opened Berlin's first chef's counter restaurant with a regionally focused tasting menu this year, and it's already received a Michelin star. My dinner there was probably my most memorable meal of 2015. While I didn't find every dish to my liking, I loved the beverage pairings, the concept behind the place and the overall innovative spirit, and I would definitely go back again to see in what direction the partners have taken the menu. Friedrichstraße 218, 10969 Berlin, Germany, +49 30 25940610; nobelhartundschmutzig.com
—Rachel Signer
Sandwiches (Worldwide)
I love sandwiches because: 1) the possibilities are endless, 2) you can find versions almost anywhere and 3) you eat with your hands. After a night of deep drinking in Copenhagen, I lurched to Isted Grill — a hole in the wall that's been owned by a Chinese family since the 1980s — and mumbled and pointed my way to the famous pork "flæskesteg" sandwich. Imagine slabs of meat with extra thick, crunchy skin flipped on a flat top before getting tucked into a squishy white bun with red cabbage, pickled cucumbers and mayo. Crunchy, soft, savory, sweet and sour — this hit all the right notes, earning my vote as top sando in 2015. While there hasn't been much reportage on Croatian street food (yet), the sausage scene in the country's capital of Zagreb is solid, especially during the Advent season. And one of the most memorable was from a family-run kiosk in Zrinjevac Park. The homemade, garlicky sausage was obscenely long and fat, and smothered with ketchup, mayo, and pickled red onions. Rather than a hot dog bun, this one was folded into a crispy pita-like flatbread (also homemade). In San Francisco, Ohio native Adam Mesnick has been rattling the local sandwich scene with his monstrous and wildly creative creations at the Deli Board. The Kuip — inspired by ballplayer turned announcer Duane Kuiper — takes a classic French roll and packs it with pastrami, corned beef, salami, white and yellow American cheese, cherry peppers, cole slaw, mayo and Thousand Island dressing. It's as moan-inducing and belly-busting as it sounds.
—Katie Chang