150 Iconic Dishes Slideshow: Asia And The Pacific

The history of the meat pie dates back to Neolithic times, but you'd never know it at Sydney's iconic Harry's Café de Wheels. The outdoor stand with bright neon lights, a long line, and a menu with classic and new meat pie varieties, draws locals and visitors for flaky crusts and fillings like beef with peas and mash, and chicken and curry. 

Ema datshi is served hot, spicy, and cheesy, made with chile peppers, cheese, and cayenne pepper and served with herbed rice. One noteworthy restaurant in Bhutan is Plums Café, in Thimphu, where locals and visitors find traditional ema dashi and other Bhutanese dishes. 

Rice, noodles, and a fish broth come together in this classic Burmese dish that can be found on every street corner and in nearly every restaurant. It's often eaten for breakfast, though locals really don't discriminate about timing when it comes to mohinga. Head to Yangon (formerly Rangoon) for a bowl at Green Elephant. 

Peking duck is a Chinese specialty known around the world, but it remains highly appreciated in its homeland, specifically in Beijing, where it was invented. Locals will argue over where to find the best version of this crispy duck served with pancakes and spring onions, and two of the best are found at Quanjude and Bianyifang, both in Beijing.

Also spelled minchi, this "fusion" of Portuguese and Macanese flavors consists of stir-fried ground pork with soy sauce and onions, topped with a fried egg. Macau's O Porto Interior should be any visitor's first stop for well-done local classics like minchee.

Northern India is the home of tandoori, though it really is a national specialty. The tandoori is a type of oven used to cook flatbreads and typical meat dishes. Naan and tandoori chicken, which is marinated in yogurt and spices before cooking, are among the most common dishes made in this oven, though all the various options can be sampled at Bhukara in Delhi.

Nasi goreng is basically Indonesian fried rice, which is most often enjoyed as flavorful street food topped with a sweet soy sauce, tamarind, chile peppers, egg, chicken, and shrimp. It's not clear when Indonesians customized classic Chinese fried rice, creating nasi goreng, but it's a local favorite. Try your first or fifth nasi goreng at the famous seaside La Lucciola in Seminyak.

Japanese curry, not to be confused with Indian curries, can be eaten for any meal and is served with rice, udon noodles, or bread. It's a thick vegetable-based sauce with meats from beef to deep-fried pork, and is found in every kitchen, whether at home or at restaurants like C&C Restaurant in Tokyo.

Sushi has to be one of Japan's greatest exports (after cars and electronics). And it can be found everywhere in Japan, from street market stalls to its range of Michelin-starred restaurants. One of the most famous sushi restaurants is Ginza Kyubeiy in Tokyo, which opened in 1936, and a three-Michelin-starred option is the city's Sukiyabashi Jiro.

One of the most important ingredients in nasi lemak is the pandan leaf that infuses the rice with flavor and an irresistible scent. The rice is cooked with coconut cream and is then topped with meat or fish. Madam Kwan Pavilion is known for its nasi lemak, and is one of Kuala Lumpur's best-known restaurants.

In Nepalese, "dal" means lentils, and "bhat" means rice, but those two ingredients are only the base of what makes up dal bhat. To be complete, the dish also needs potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, tomato, spinach, and other vegetables and herbs. It's then served with a crispy papadum-like cracker, and can be enjoyed at Kathmandu's The Third Eye Restaurant.

Found at many cafés throughout Auckland (and the rest of the country) for breakfast and lunch, bacon and egg pies are flaky crusts filled with bacon, egg, and sometimes cheese, onions, or other vegetables. One of the best in town is found at Little & Friday.

On an episode of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain said that the lechón he tried in Manila was the best he'd ever had. Lechón is a whole suckling pig roasted over charcoal, creating succulent cuts and crispy skin. Because of the enormous effort of cooking lechón, it's most often seen at festivals and on special occasions, but one local favorite is found at Manila's General's Lechón.

Like chile crab, Hainanese chicken rice is ubiquitous; there are a number of eateries dedicated to serving only that. Originally Chinese, it's prepared a specific way in Singapore by boiling the entire chicken in a pork stock with garlic and ginger. Then, the rice is cooked with coconut milk and everything is topped with a spicy chile sauce. Sample some at Fook Seng GoldenHill Chicken Rice or Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Korean barbecue enthusiasts will be very familiar with this marinated, grilled lean beef preparation, whose name means "fire meat." The dish, which has long history in Korea, reportedly dating all the way back to 37 B.C., is served with rice and mixed vegetables. Bulgogi Brothers restaurant in Seoul has a strong handle on it.

Consisting of stewed beef, broth, vegetables, and noodles, Taiwanese beef noodle soup is usually served alongside other plates of braised tofu and seaweed. It's so loved that there is an annual Beef Noodle Festival held in Taiwan, but when the festival ends, locals and visitors can get their fix at Yong Kang Beef Noodles in Taipei.

Tom yum (or yam) soup is hot, spicy, and restorative, with flavors like lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, chile peppers, and fish sauce. It's made with vegetables, shrimp, and mushrooms. Try it for yourself at Bo.lan in Bangkok's Sukhumvit neighborhood.

The quintessential noodle soup is called pho in Vietnam. Start off with rice noodles, seasoned with lime and mint, which are then topped off with sliced beef or chicken. Slurp up some of the best at Pho Hung in Ho Chi Minh City.