If you’re a foodie on the go, here’s why you should never Google the best places to eat on vacation.
Although search engines are a fast and efficient way for travelers to discover new places, they can lead to tourist traps instead of memorable meals.
Experts believe there are four principles that will make all the difference to your palate, and these include not over-planning, becoming a regular, asking smart questions and going with the flow.
Nathan Thornburgh, co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, a travel and food publication, shared with The Wall Street Journal:Allow yourself to eat poorly. It’s like everything in life: risk and reward go hand in hand.
By stopping searching on Google, food lovers can discover delicious, unhyped dishes.
If you’re a traveling foodie, here’s why you should never Google the best places to eat on vacation (stock image)
If you don’t plan too much, you’ll be open to new opportunities.
Traveler Jamie Barys, who lives in Shanghai and Singapore, tried to take shelter during a sudden downpour and spontaneously found herself on an isolated street.
He ended up discovering the ‘amazing izakaya’ without planning it.
Jamie was inspired by his often miscalculated food discoveries and decided to launch UnTour Food Tours, a website focused on “expert eaters” that offers visitors places that don’t appear on most search lists.
When life coach Elizabeth Hays, 43, took a trip to Paris, she visited the same bakery every day, for the convenience and tasty pastries, and she believes becoming a regular customer is the key.
During Nathan’s trip to Novello in Piedmont, Italy, he visited a wine bar that he didn’t have high expectations of, but ended up going there every night.
She recalled that “the food was amazing” and that she felt part of the community.
Jamie also urges foodies to not just ask questions, but specific questions.
Although search engines are a fast and efficient way for travelers to discover new places, they can lead to tourist traps, rather than memorable meals (stock image)
She suggested asking locals: “What’s your favorite place to have lunch or dinner every day, a place where you eat regularly but where you don’t see many tourists?”
If you want to eat somewhere fancy, Jamie advises travelers to ask locals where they like to go for special occasions.
In addition to that, Jamie noted that it’s important to ask what specific dishes to order at each location.
Jamie also stressed that it is vital to strategize your sources.
She warned: ‘Don’t ask a Shanghainese what the best Sichuan restaurant in town is.’
Instead of relying solely on restaurant recommendations from the hotel concierge, Jamie advised also asking the waiter or housekeeper to get a better idea.
Nathan noted that in addition to asking for recommendations, it is important to ask what time of day locals come out to visit.
Experts believe there are four tactics that will make a difference to your taste buds, including not planning too much and becoming a repeat customer (stock image)
He shared, ‘Save your meals for when you know the good meals are happening.’
During his travels to Mexico City, he discovered that “these are not midday tacos, they are night tacos.”
Life and career coach Colleen Newvine shared the rule her father told her, which is, “If it’s lunchtime and a spot is empty, there’s probably a reason and we’ll keep moving.”
Colleen also highlighted the importance of following the physical crowd, rather than focusing solely on social media hype about a location.
