The World's Essential Eats 2013

By ExtremeFoodies on April 30th, 2013

Leading food bloggers, top chefs and food connoisseurs gathered on April 28, 2013, at the Village Underground in East London for the inaugural ExtremeFoodies Awards (formerly known as Chowzter). The event, which announced the World's Top Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts, was a mouth-watering night of tribute to the best dishes around the world.

The winners are:

Margherita - Story Deli

 

An award-winning pizzaiolo, Lee Hollingworth has taken over operations of The Shoulder of Mutton, a quintessential English pub in the heart of Little Horwood village. He uses only local, organic and deliciously fresh produce to top his ultra-thin crust. His dough is made with Molino Grassi organic flour, rolled thin and baked for 30 seconds. The result is a crunchy wafer, more brittle than a traditional base and closer to a Roman pizza than the Neapolitan style. Brushed with La Macina Ligure, a creamy Genovese basil pesto, Hollingworth’s Margherita pizza is scattered with fresh cubes of mozzarella di bufala, organically grown tomatoes and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Fried Chicken Wings - Hanchu

 

Lightly battered and perfectly fried, the chicken at HanChu is crispy on the outside, soft and fleshy on the inside. But what really set this chicken apart is that the restaurant fries peppers with the chicken. It’s a subtle change, but it cuts that sweetness that is sometimes hard to bear when eating lots of chicken. It’s the best “Seoul” food in South Korea.

Kielbaski Sausage - Kielbasa Truck

 

Located on Grzegorzecka Street, this simple blue van serves Poland's best kielbaski. The owners roast their meat just outside their truck, hypnotizing all meat lovers in the area with its tantalizing aroma. The enormous kielbaski is served with a huge roll topped with mustard and cheese. A monster incomparable to any other hot dog, fans can wash it down with an order of old-fashioned lemonade.

Cheeseburger - Louis Lunch

 

The "least disputed" inventor of the hamburger is Louis Lassen, who began selling them in 1900 at his lunch stand in New Haven, Conn. Beef patties comprised of five cuts of meat are layered with sliced onion, then broiled in the restaurant’s historic vertical presses that date to 1898. Served simply between toasted white bread with a sharp cheddar spread and a slice of tomato, the explosion of beefy goodness on first bite is a profound hamburger experience not to be missed. 

Mutton Vindaloo - Ritz Classic

 

The Portuguese who colonialized Goa for almost 500 years left an indelible influence on the people, the culture and cuisine – epitomized by the legendary Vindaloo. The curry is not about fiery heat. Rather it is a rich masala paste redolent of coconut, vinegar, garlic, chilli and spices tempered in hot oil that gives the meat its aromatic quality.

Banh Mi Thit - Huynh Hoa

 

Fusing local flavors with the bread baking style brought over during French colonial times, the Vietnamese baguette is a masterpiece. Crisp vegetables, flavorful sauces, tender meat and a crunchy baguette form to combine an unforgettable experience. Truly the world’s best sandwich is the Banh Mi Thit at Huynh Hoa in Saigon.

BBQ Goat Tacos - Barbacoa Santiago

 

Barbacoa, Mexico's version of barbecue, is mutton (sometimes goat, but here the former) wrapped in the leaves of the maguey plant, - the same used to make mezcal. The meat is grilled in a pit over mesquite coals. The meat stays tender and smoky while the rich broth is saved and served as a side dish. This legendary and enormous roadside establishment, located between San Juan del Rio and Querétaro, attracts day-trippers all the way from Mexico City. Sheep, raised on a nearby farm, are butchered and cooked on site. Tortillas hand-made as are an array of spiky salsas. Barbacoa is ordered by weight. Start with 1/4 kilo for two - and take it from there.