Recently, while on a trip to Seoul to visit his new pizza restaurant, Street Pizza, Gordon Ramsay stopped to chat with YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon.
In an interview titled “Gordon Ramsay on UK food’s terrible reputation” (lol), the two talked about everything from the obsession around celebrity chefs to his tips for finding good food in London.
At one point, Cho asked Ramsay, “Where would you say is the No. 1 food destination?” And Ramsay, who has won a total of 18 Michelin Stars throughout his career, named three countries (well, two countries and one city):
Destination No. 1: Laos. “I recently came out of Laos,” he said. “Going back to the provinces and spending time in the countryside, away from the tourist traps, the food was just off the charts.”
Destination No. 2: Vietnam. “Extraordinary melting pot of great food. I fell in love. Such a humble approach to eating incredible food,” he said.
Destination No. 3: Spain. Or, more specifically, Madrid. “There’s so many exciting things going on in Madrid as well,” he said.
“I get to challenge my palate by traveling all over the world and finding the best locations,” Ramsay added to Cho. “But, yeah, Laos. Beautiful.”
Laos — a country in Southeast Asia that borders Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and China — is maybe best known for larb (alternatively spelled “laap,” a meat salad), tam muk muang (a green papaya salad), and sticky rice.
So, the next time you plan a trip, make sure to add Laos to your list of destinations! And if you have a No. 1 food destination of your own to share, let us know in the comments below!
