Street Food

The classic hawker-centre order. Rice is oily, chicken silky, chilli sauce with garlic and ginger on the side. Around S$5-6. Queue can be long at lunch — go slightly off-peak.

Went for the soup dumplings. Skin is thin, filling is hot, be careful the first bite. Around $16 for eight. Cash-friendly. Long line at peak lunch, weekday off-peak is easier.

Crispy vada, garlic dry chutney, thecha on the side. Cheap and fast. Line moves quickly at the evening rush. If you're near Kirti College or Shivaji Park, it's an easy stop.

Drove down to Charminar for early chai and Osmania biscuits. The biscuit is buttery-salty, dip it once in the chai, eat quickly. Under ₹50 for the combo. The area is quiet at that hour which is the real bonus.

Weekend queue can be 30-45 min. Ghee-heavy, crisp, dark-brown dosa with the potato tucked inside. Order counter-only, small dining room. Cash is safer even though they say they take cards now.

The grilled cheese toastie is what most people queue for. Sourdough, aged cheddar, onion, garlic. Around £7. Saturday queue is long — weekdays are much more manageable.

Long wait, generous portion, the wheat and ghee balance is what most people are here for. Sarvi and Shah Ghouse do very good haleem too, often with less wait. Try all three across a Ramzan week if you can.

Egg-mutton double is my regular order. Paratha is flaky, filling is spicy, chopped onion and green chilli on top. Around ₹140 for the double. Cash preferred, quick line.

The tarri (spicy gravy) here is on the hotter side of Pune misal spectrum. Comes with pav, laddu, chivda, chopped onion, and lemon. Solid experience if you want a properly spicy misal.

Wood-fired sourdough pizza. Around £8 for the margherita. The Brixton branch (original) has more atmosphere than the newer chain locations. Brixton Market on a Saturday is a whole afternoon.

The dahi bhalla stall gets busy from mid-afternoon. Thick set curd, tamarind and mint chutneys, sev. Cheap and quick. If you're doing a Chandni Chowk food walk, add it in.

Filter-coffee, pongal, idli-vada. The pongal is peppery and generous with ghee. Small dining room, quick turnover. Walk to Kapaleeswarar after breakfast for the classic Mylapore Sunday.

Karim's is one of those places where the food and the setting are both part of the pull. Mutton korma + roomali roti is the classic combo. Around ₹300-400 per head for a good meal.

The outer market has aged well. Tuna handrolls, uni bowls, and small sushi stands. Start early (around 7-8am) for the best selection. Cash preferred at smaller stands.

The gali is a Delhi institution. Aloo, gobi, keema, and the sweet stuffing paranthas. Prices have gone up but under ₹100 each is still doable. Come hungry, be prepared for a crowd.

Around ₹30 for a plate. Tamarind water is tangy, aloo filling is well-seasoned, kala namak on top. Go at sunset. Nothing complicated, just really good chaat.

Kebab rolls, baida roti, chicken tikka. Chaotic in a good way. Cash is the safe bet. Around ₹150-200 per roll, prices creep up but the food is still what people come for.

Soy chicken over rice, around S$4. One of the better-known Chinatown Complex stalls. Cash-preferred, quick line. Char siu is a good alternative order.

Tonkotsu, custom noodle firmness, custom spice level, private booth. Around ¥1000. Yes it's a chain, and yes late-night Shibuya is when it makes the most sense.

The bandi runs late into the night. Butter-roasted crispy dosa, generous potato filling, coconut chutney. Long queue but it moves. Around ₹80 for the dosa. If you're a night owl in Hyd, this is the move.

Chicken over rice with white sauce and hot sauce. Around $10. Long lines at lunch and dinner. The 'original' cart on the corner is the one you want.

Small counter, cash only. Shrewsbury biscuits are the headline. Mawa cake is dense and rich. Weekend queue is real, weekday mornings are calmer.

Post-Church-Street move for a lot of us. Butter chicken with rumali roti, comes fast, hits the spot. Not fancy, not trying to be. Good for groups.

Went to a small family-run place in Assagao. Chicken xacuti with sannas and poi (Goan bread). Around ₹450 for two. Not fancy, just a nice quiet meal.

Charcoal-grilled lamb + chicken combo, side of fries, extra tzatziki. Around $16. If you're used to airport or midtown gyros, this will reset your expectations.