There are so many reasons to travel – mountains to climb, landmarks to see, resorts to relax in, histories to soak in, people to connect with…the list goes on. But, hands-down, one of my favorite reasons to travel is for the food. Being half-Mexican and growing up in the states, I’ve come to realize that the most significant way I was able to connect with my father’s culture growing up was through food.
Holidays, celebrations, birth and death rituals, and language are all beautiful parts of a culture, but there are certain barriers in place that can make these difficult for an outsider to experience. Language can take years to learn if you didn’t grow up speaking it. Other cultural institutions tend to be less accessible as well, but just about anyone can track down a highly recommended restaurant, whether it be a local hole in the wall or a Michelin fine dining experience, and get a taste of what a faraway land is all about.
For these reasons, I firmly believe that food is the most tactile and immediate way to connect with any culture as soon as you land in a new country. So, here’s my open love letter to traveling for food, as well as a call to structure certain parts of your trip itinerary around food. Go ahead, I won’t judge you–in fact, I highly encourage it.
My favorite restaurants I’ve ever eaten at, I came across while on vacation or living abroad. From the vinegar-based Tsukemen I tried in Tokyo on a date, to the Michelin-starred restaurant nestled in the mountains of Arroyo Seco that changed my life, and olives so divine at a charming tapas spot in Barcelona that they singlehandedly flipped my opinion on the small fruit forever, each one of these cherished memories helped ground my understanding of the country’s respective culture.
It’s funny to me how people will plan their trips down to the hour, without a minute on their itinerary to spare, but fail to make reservations for some of the most spectacular meals in the world. Or, even worse, they won’t give themselves any time to explore the winding alleys that often contain the most spectacular and delicious local gems. I’m here to change that.
The same way there is more to eating than simply getting full, there is more to traveling than just seeing the sights and saying you went. It’s all about how to interact with your surroundings and allow the experience to change your way of thinking. Food is one of the best ways for you to do this, expanding your palate while expanding your horizons. There are so many foods I didn’t know I liked until I had them fresh and in their country of origin.
#1. Location, Location, Location
My first recommendation when you are traveling for food is to pay attention to a restaurant’s location. The aforementioned tapas place in Barcelona was along the marina, beachside in Barceloneta. After a wonderful day of exploring the city on my own, it was a luxury to arrive for my reservation right on the edge of the water. While I was surrounded by the bustle of a peak Friday night service, the serenity of the ocean was the only thing I was focused on.
A book in hand and a coursed out meal were my company that evening. (Jane Austen will always be my favorite dinner companion.) As the evening progressed, due to the time I made the reservation, the sun began to set over the gorgeous Mediterranean coast. Marinated olives with chiles and orange preceded ham and manchego croquetas, transitioning symphonically into paella with chorizo and seafood. The white wine sangria kept the meal and overall experience flowing smoothly; thank god for the metro!
The experience was a feast for all my senses because I was mindful of my surroundings. This can happen in so many different ways, but I find that just taking in the views in the way you would sip on a coffee is the best way to make a meal feel satisfying, especially if you are dining solo.
#2. Ask Around
My second recommendation when you are traveling for food is seeking out quality. Nothing can save a poorly made meal, and you can’t entirely trust google when it comes to reviews. In addition to that, a true fine dining experience is not always the best use of one’s travel budget. This is a very fine line to walk, as sometimes a very highly rated restaurant will blow your mind, but other times it will just leave a hole in your wallet and craving for a post-meal burger.
One of the best ways to find the really good places is simply by asking locals. This might be obvious, but sometimes we are so caught up in our travel itineraries that we just turn to our phones rather than those around us.
Well, I asked and that is how I ended up stumbling upon the Michelin-starred restaurant in Arroyo Seco. After a drive up the mountains with a group of new friends, we reached a small and unassuming-looking restaurant overlooking a beautiful valley. But surprisingly, the view was not the focal point here, in fact you couldn’t even sit outside. So we packed ourselves into a corner table, alongside a sparsely furnished dining room and an open kitchen showcasing chefs in immaculate white coats floating around the space with the grace of dancers.
My expectations weren’t nearly as high as the meal that followed and completely blew my mind. Everything was local, seasonal, and harvested at the perfect time. In fact, the best thing I ate that night was a variety of tomatoes that were grown specially in that climate, at that specific time of year. No tomato has ever lived up to that tomato, I wanted to marry that tomato. It was the perfect combination of acidic and sweet and the taste I continue to associate with my week of soaking in springs, hiking through the mountains of New Mexico, and lots of fun nights out with my new friends.
#3. Looks Aren't Everything
My third recommendation is to not judge a book by its cover. This is classic advice, but sometimes we get too caught up in the outdated tile floors or rude service to really take in the food for what it is. I lived in Tokyo for some time and made a friend while I was there who naturally already had a long list of places she absolutely loved. One was a small hole in the wall ramen restaurant not too far from Waseda University.
It was populated entirely by college students and those who worked in the area no matter the time of day. This place was packed with people, but the outside of the restaurant barely even had a sign, which is very different from the usual advertisements you find outside restaurants in Japan. We took seats at the bar that didn’t face anything but a wall, and I allowed her to order for me. All I knew was it was dipping ramen and the vinegar they made in-house was a majority of the pork-based broth.
This was at a moment in my life when appearances were everything to me, in fact they were a huge portion of my job as a model at the time, so it almost made sense for me to judge the less-than-impressive appearance of this restaurant. But, that day I learned the importance of taking the classic advice not to judge based on appearances, humbled by the sheer quality of the delicious meal. The ramen that was placed in front of me has continued to haunt me in the best way. I request vinegar with every ramen order to this day, but it is never quite the same.
#4. Connect With Your Heritage
My final recommendation stems from a dining experience in Mexico that had a deep impact on my life: travel to the country of your heritage and connect with your own culture through the food. This is an argument that will resonate most with those of us who don’t always feel connected to the cultures that we come from and are technically a part of, but are also an outsider to some degree, whether this be due to a physical distance, language, exposure, or an emotional distance.
If you have family that lives in another country, and you haven’t been able to visit yet, this is your sign to make it happen. If it’s impossible due to financial or physical reasons, it’s your sign to try and connect with that culture via food as much as you can with the limitations you have.
Food is so many things; it’s art, it’s fuel, it’s connection, it’s culture. It’s something that connects every single one of us to the other, no matter what, as we all have to eat.