Chicken in Alabama White Sauce @ Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
Bob Gibson famously started serving barbecue from his hang-dug pit on a makeshift oak plank nailed to a sycamore tree in his backyard in 1925. Over 90 years later, the hickory-smoked pork is still a winner today and Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q restaurant is still using the secret time-tested recipe that has won it over 10 World Barbecue Championship titles. The Flame Roasted Chicken in Alabama White Sauce showcases the original smoky flavors, authentic slow cooked techniques and that tangy White Sauce that has made Big Bob Gibson a BBQ staple and Southern culinary legend.

Chargrilled Cauliflower Wrap  @ Mike and Ollie
This is one of the most underrated sandwiches in London. Mike + Ollie’s stall is a fixture at South London’s Brockley Market – a beautiful little market well worth visiting on a Saturday morning. They make sandwiches with whatever is in season, from lamb to mackerel to interesting vegetables. This charred cauliflower number comes in warm, soft flatbread with hummus, crisp garlic, yogurt, herbs and whatever other lovely garnishes caught the cooks’ eyes that week. Mike + Ollie are soon to open a South London restaurant – one to keep an eye out for this year.

Catfish bánh mi  @ Banh Mi Hoi-An
Banh Mi Hoi-An in Hackney is easily making the best bánh mi in London right now. All the options on the menu are great, but the catfish is special. It’s skillfully spiced so the balance is right, perfumed with turmeric and grilled just so. The baguettes here (so often the downfall of a bánh mi) are good, just sturdy enough yet light and airy. The pickled vegetables (carrot and daikon) are first rate, and always fresh. Plus, there’s plenty of coriander and cucumber, sliced so as to lay flat in the sandwich (so many places don’t do this). There also is another major advantage to the bánh mi at Hoi-An. They are huge. The people of Hackney are lucky to have this place in their neighborhood.

Salt Beef on Challah @ Delancey & Co.
New (ish) kids on the block Delancey & Co. are turning out some excellent American deli-style sandwiches. The salt beef is super soft, with lovely edges of fat – very important in a salt beef sandwich – and the portions are huge. There’s a selection of breads, but the challah is the best choice in terms of size and texture. It also is just so beautifully shiny. The menu can be overwhelming at first with the different options for mustards and “load ups.” But the best combo has to be American mustard (just the right amount of tang without too much bolshiness) and sliced pickles. (It’s best to go for a mixture, just to eliminate any chance of regret). To be honest though, all choices at Delancey’s are good ones. It’s just a case of working out your favorite combination.

Pork Ribs @ Little Miss BBQ
The owners of Little Miss BBQ have grown up with countless pilgrimages to Texas, learning the secrets of BBQ from the Southern legends. Their dedication has definitely paid off and they have succeeded to be one of the best Central-Texas-style briskets outside of the state. Using local Gambel oak and a straightforward yet sensational rub, the tender flavors and use of only the highest quality meat helps their BBQ stand out from the crowd. The Pork Spare Ribs are a highlight of their menu: cooked daily using Arizona oak and pecan on a massive offset smoker, they offer the finest taste of the South.

Sandwich con brisket y canonigos @ La Casa Bistro
La Casa Bistró opened a few months ago with a unique concept in Caracas: “Hecho en Casa,” almost everything you eat is home made. Discover an incredible variety of French breads, extraordinary butter and delicious cured meats. Some blocks away, they own a roof garden with unique vegetables and herbs. You can find good sandwiches nearly everywhere in the city, but the one with brisket and lamb’s lettuce at La Casa is definitely a winner. Close your eyes and enjoy a surprisingly soft, slow cooked meat rich in taste, crispy lettuce combined with caramelized onions and BBQ sauce.

Marquesa de Chocolate  @ St. Honor
The uber famous St. Honoré bakery is no longer in the bustling neighborhood of Los Palos Grandes. But the traditional and emblematic Marquesa de Chocolate remains at their new premise in La Alameda. It’s a trending place to see and be seen, with two nice areas to sit and enjoy delicious dishes. Try the cozy terrace filled with green plants and light decor. The Marquesa de Chocolate has eight thin layers of dark smooth chocolate interspersed with sponge cake and surrounded with crunchy, toasted almond flakes. You will want to eat more and more of this heavenly dessert.

Tierra de Cacao  @ Restaurant Alto
They say Alto Restaurant's chef took huge smiles and applause at the Slow Food Cooks Alliance meeting three years ago in Tuscany. At the gala, Carlos García presented his iconic Tierra de Cacao dessert, made with several varieties of cocoa. It has been on Alto's menu ever since. Be prepared to receive a ceramic pot filled with scrumptious textures of chocolates: solid, liquid, crunchy, soft and creamy. Alto Restaurant has been listed among Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants since its first edition in 2013.

Romero Salé  @ Arcay Chocolates
Anabella Arcay is an artisan known for her beautiful, award-winning chocolates. She handles special orders and assembles decorated tables for family celebrations and corporate events. She also sells to the public from her at-home boutique in the Prados del Este residential area of Caracas. The Romero Salé, coated in bitter chocolate and filled with rosemary leaves and fleur de sal ganache, takes you to a new world of sensations. This bonbon won bronze medals in the Grand Final of the International Chocolate Awards 2014 and bronze in the 2014 International Chocolate Awards Americas.

Tonka  @ La Praline Chocolatier
Visiting La Praline is an adventure wrapped in delicious cacao aromas while trying to decide which bonbons to eat. Master Chocolatier Bryan Van Den Broeke uses a special formula from Chocolates El Rey to make his unique mousses, pralines and ganache. It’s not easy to choose from more than 100 beautiful dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, decorative bonbons and truffles. The Tonka bonbon made with milk chocolate is a real gem. Break it with your teeth and you will find a delicious light touch of tonka bean infused ganache and honey from Cerro de la Sabana. It will take you to the moon. The tree of sarrapia is emblematic of Bolivar state in Venezuela and it also grows in Brazil and Guyana. The seed has a vanilla-like taste and is used to flavor certain tobaccos, perfumes, soaps, spirits and bakery products. Once you’ve tasted Tonka, you will ask for it every time you visit La Praline.