Check out Rick Mereki, Andrew Lees, and Tim White on an amazing six-week journey to 11 countries around the world, crammed into one epic – and tasty – minute.

[Full credits here.]

Thin crust pizza cooked in a wood-fire oven inside a bright, engine red 1940s Ford Woodie. Now that’s taking the revolving food van idea up a notch.

Based out of San Francisco, Wood Fire Woodies is the product of two dedicated surfers – Patrick and Mariah Flanagan – who custom built their pizza-toting classic surf mobile and pimped it up with seriously intense wood burning ovens. While moving around town, they gather fresh, local, organic ingredients (it is the Bay Area, after all) to produce their super thin crust, Italian-style inspired pizzas, served outside farmers markets or at small catering events. If you’re into the latter, call them a few days in advance of your fete and the Woodie will show-up ready to make some rocking, wood oven pies.

And San Franciscans seem to dig them, from the traditional pizza with buffalo mozzarella to slightly tricked-up varieties like pesto and three cheeses, or bacon and pineapple. Given that the oven is IN the truck, all pizzas emerge sporting bubbling cheese and hot, slightly smoky crusts. Now, that’s amore, dude.

Condesa DF is an uber-hip, boutique hotel in the heart of Mexico City’s stylish, tree-lined neighborhood of the same name. Housed in an architectural landmark building dating from 1928, the hotel and its restaurant exude style, energy, and creativity. Occupying the ground floor of an airy, high-ceiling open atrium is the buzzing restaurant and bar, where splashes of bright turquoise cut through minimalistic white, black, and brown tones.

Check out the Jamaican margherita made with hibiscus, then delve into Condesa DF’s fusion cuisine, heavily influenced by Pan-Asian flavors, which more often than not, manages to hold its own against the fashionable backdrop. With clear inspiration from Nobu, their rock shrimp tempura with spicy mayonnaise appetizer first pops in your mouth, then ends with a much-welcomed fiery kick. The shrimp is tender, the tempura crisp, the mayonnaise, spicy. The lightly battered fish and chips – truffled, of course – and the sweet sea bass with caramelized tequila, are also tasty options. To wash it down, go for one of Condesa DF’s their own private label tequila and mezcal.

[Photo courtesy of the style files.]

If you’ve ever romanticized about exploring the tastes of India on a train, then Bangalore Express in London is your kind of joint. Here, contemporary Indian cuisine is served to heaps of young and enthusiastic Londoners, within an interior that unabashedly mimics train booths – only more sleek and modern. Linear grooved walls with abstract painted blocks, tube steel ladders, and double height booths create the coach-vibe though a real sense of intimacy still remains.

And then there’s the food. Eclectic options are paired next to classics like tandoori, dosas, and curries. All are fragrant, flavor, cheerful, and cheap, making it an addictive combination when coupled with the lengthy wine list, and quirky design. Admittedly, there are gripes about their service, but healthy, tasty, and fast, quality food means Bangalore Express is solidly packed. So next time you’re in London, jump aboard.

Dinner at La Terraza del Casino in Madrid is, without a doubt, a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experience. Commanding views of Madrid at night are overtaken only by the even more breathtaking, sometimes absurd, always surprising, cuisine. Executive Chef Paco Roncero, protégée to the infamous Ferrán Adrià of Barcelona’s El Bulli fame, is the master behind this untouchably creative, gastronomic achievement.

If you’re sheepish about your food, then be prepared. There is no menu – well, not until you’ve finished that is. And as the food begins arrives, it is clear that nothing is as it seems. Sublime olive oil butter is offered up in what looks like a miniature tube of toothpaste, then a walnut and truffle sponge is followed by ‘Chocolate – grass’ and ‘SpherifiCAted Olives’. The latter is served, jiggling, on a porcelain spoon, to be downed in one bite that instantaneously bursts and oozes on the tongue. A dozen-plus small dishes later, dessert arrives: ‘Coulant – Nitro with hazelnut dust’, prepared tableside, liquid nitrogen steaming out of its container and all.

The whole experience – from dessert to tapas and everything in between – is an awe-inspiring molecular gastronomy masterpiece, saturated with transcendent flavors and dazzling creations.

Photo via tasty bits.

APA Cuka‘s inspired mix of nouveau Hungarian and international dishes fit right in with the restaurant’s artist neighbors in a renovated factory in Budapest’s on-the-rise Joszefvaros district. Creativity abounds in this little enclave, where diners share courtyard seating with at-work painters and sculptors from the studios in the building.

On the Hungarian side of the menu, APA Cuka serves up well-executed dishes like roast chicken and traditional paprika-seasoned stew, all bundled in a potato pancake and topped with garlic sour cream, or duck with savoy cabbage in a ginger sauce. And they do equally well when borrowing inspiration from other cuisines, as with the superb grilled apples stacked atop goat cheese fried in walnut crumbs.

The calm, atmospheric courtyard is also a nice place to sample from the extensive wine list, which features exclusively Hungarian varietals. Juhfark always tastes better when you’re watching the creative process in action.

APA Cuka
Horanszky utca 5
Budapest, Hungary
+36.20.938.2677

Lord of the Fries is a one time revolving van turned take-out joint offering “burgers” and not surprisingly, fries, for Melbournian vegans and vegetarians alike. Their Big Mark Burger — a veggie patty topped with soy cheese, pickles, and ketchup — was recently named Australia’s Best Veggie Burger by animal rights activist group PETA. That’s not to say their fries aren’t equally legendary. Made from Australian-sourced potatoes, these hand cut, skin on fries boast a crunchy, crisp exterior and a fluffy center. Lord of the Fries’ ingredients and methods focus on healthy ingredients, locally sourced, so whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, locavore, or carnivore, this humble shop promises to please.

Photo via Here’s the Veg. This post originally appeared on Lost At E Minor.

Hungry? Got 5 bucks? Curious how a baguette can taste even better than it already does? Then you need to head to New York’s Chinatown. For a Vietnamese sandwich. Banh Mi is simply a toasted baguette (yes, an entire baguette!) sliced and filled with crunchy pickled “coleslaw” and your choice of meat (grilled pork is especially good). And it is delicious.

Signaling the significance of this snack, everyone from hip Manhattan restaurants to diners in New Jersey are jumping on the Banh Mi bandwagon— even noodle shop standby Republic in Union Square usurped their overflow bar seating and created a Banh Mi sandwich counter.

But for the real deal, I spend my money – all 2 dollars and 75 cents – on the Veggie Banh Mi from Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1 at 369 Broome Street. It’s a hole-in-the-wall to be sure, but don’t be fooled by the lack of seating and linoleum tile— this is the best Banh Mi in NYC. The menu offers 17 savory sandwiches, including vegetarian and vegan options, all less than 5 dollars. And if you don’t manage to nab one of the 3 chairs on the sidewalk outside, walk your Banh Mi and salty plum soda to the park on Chrystie Street where the neighborhood kids learn to ride their bikes and all the beat cops speak Chinese— the perfect spot to enjoy a taste of Vietnam on the edge of Chinatown.

Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1
369 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013 USA
+1.212.219.8341

Mexico City’s streets are a sensory overload, saturated with sights, sounds, and smells. The unmistakable old-school bright green Volkswagen bugs chug along while enticing smoky scents of roasting meats waft through the air. Street food is a quintessential and seriously important part of life in this city. And there is no shortage of small storefronts, trucks, and even plastic tables on the side of the road, where truly authentic Mexican food is on offer. Where to find the best tacos in the city has been and will continue to be a never-ending debate. But, for me, after a year in Mexico, El Tizoncito is one of the tops.

The tacos al pastor at this unassuming taquería are awe-inspiring, simple, local food perfection. Handmade corn tortillas, fragrant of ground maize, served just pressed and still warm, are filled with shredded, smoky, pork shaved off a roasting spit, and topped with fresh cilantro, onion, and pineapple. Finish it off with a squeeze of tart lime, red or green fiery salsa, and a hearty gulp of Victoria beer and you’ll never want to leave. If pork isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other, equally mouth-watering, crave-for-weeks-later options (the grilled, sliced steak mixed with roasted peppers and oozing cheese is among my favorites). One bite, one taste, and there is no doubt that this is what Mexican culinary culture is all about.

This post originally appeared on Lost At E Minor. [Photo courtesy of Kevin Church]

It’s official: Macarons are the new cupcakes. Tremendously colorful, bursting with flavor, and available in a range of tastes from classic to quirky, it’s clear why they’re the urban foodies must-have of 2010. And one hot spot gaining heaps of accolades for its crisp-on-outside, soft-on-the-inside version of these meringue-based biscuits is Baroque Bistro Patisserie, nestled in Sydney.

Along with a beautiful range of French pastries and cakes, Baroque churns out handmade, award-winning macarons in flavors from salted caramel and jasmine tea to the most popular, passionfruit with milk chocolate. And just in time for Australia Day on 26 January, the patisserie will be adding ‘Green and Gold’ (banana and avocado) beauties to their collection.

Baroque’s also boasts a buzzing bistro, which according to those in the know, is certainly worth a trip in its own right for spot-on French fare. For now though, let’s skip straight to dessert.

[Photo via Vevin on Flickr]