Phil Rosenthal considers street food the quintessential food of mankind after decades of traveling to more than 90 countries and filming culinary docuseries such as Somebody Feed Phil.
It all began for Rosenthal in 1983 during his first trip overseas at age 23, when he discovered the simple joy of eating a baguette and some Brie in a Paris park. According to Yahoo Life Singapore, that initial outdoor meal taught him what money is truly for.
“It’s the thrill of being surprised,” Rosenthal said. “The unexpected pleasure. Great street food strips away the pretensions of sit-down fancy restaurants. And it’s all about the flavour of the dish.”
Among his favorite stops is Khao Soi Loong Prakid Gard Gorm in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a rustic shack where chickens run around inside and outside. Dining alongside chef Ian Kittichai, Rosenthal finished an entire second bowl of the northern Thai noodle soup with beef, noting it ranks at the very top of his street food experiences.
In New York City, he favors Gray’s Papaya on 72nd and Broadway, an institution operating out of a tiny storefront. There, patrons can get two hot dogs and a medium papaya drink for a deal.
Offering advice on spotting the best spots, Rosenthal notes that queues are typically a good sign. “If they were poisoning people, the queue wouldn’t be so long,” he said. He adds a caveat that modern lines can sometimes indicate Instagram sensations that look great but taste otherwise.
In Mexico’s artistic center of Oaxaca, Paseo Juarez El Llano features a central plaza with various food stands. One standout vendor ran a smoking griddle stacked high with a burger containing every imaginable vegetable and condiment.
Another morning stop introduced Rosenthal to a vendor making fresh scallion pancakes cooked to order on a griddle. The vendor cracks two eggs in oil next to the dough, adds the scallion pancake, layers in spicy and savoury sauces, and rolls it up like a breakfast wrap.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Jay Fai operates a Michelin-starred street-side stand inside an old shophouse. The 81-year-old owner, known by the same nickname, cooks while wearing aviator goggles.
Rosenthal calls her signature dish the world’s most expensive street food. According to Yahoo Life Singapore, customers face a long wait for the crab omelette unless arriving with cameras, but Rosenthal maintains the dish matches the quality of the finest dining restaurants in the world.
