2025 was a fun year, filled with trips throughout the US, Europe and Asia.
These are our top new bites that we ate in 2025, in order.
First Place:
Steamed Snow Crab in Taipei, Taiwan
Located at Trésors de la Mer in Addiction Acquatic seafood market, the seasonal snow crab that we selected was steamed simply and prepared perfectly. It was the best snow crab we have ever had, and most likely the best crab we have had in our lives. This bite takes it’s place as number one for 2025, without a doubt. It might have even been worth the entire trip to Taiwan.
For more details on our Taipei trip, see our Taipei travel guide.
Second Place:
Lemongrass Chicken Bahn Mi in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
This photo does not do justice to this magical sandwich. This lemongrass chicken bahn mi is filled with flavor, and the savory meat is tucked between two freshly bakes soft baguettes that crunch perfectly with every bite. We loved it so much that we returned to this bahn mi truck (tucked down an alleyway) every morning we were in Ho Chi Minh (and, yes, you would think by morning 3 I would learn to take a good picture, but here we are). Anyways, the chef made our morning breakfast sandwich feel magically light. 10/10 do recommend.
For more details on this beautiful bahn mi and our Ho Chi Minh recommendations, see our Ho Chi Minh travel guide.
Third Place:
Cajun Prime Rib In Honolulu, Hawaii
Hy’s Steakhouse in Waikiki has quickly become a must-visit for us in Honolulu, and now that we have a top 3 bite from their menu, we will never miss an opportunity to go. This cajun seasoned prime rib is a game changer, and we will undoubtedly order it for every visit in the future. Best prime rib of our lives.
For more Honolulu recommendations, see our Honolulu travel guide.
Fourth:
Beef Tartare in Hong Kong
If you’ve been reading this site, you know we love a good yakiniku. Our favorite spot this year ended up being in Hong Kong (though all time favorite is probably still in Singapore). However, one thing that really stood out to us in Hong Kong was the beef tartare at Yakiniku Sho. It is so much more than it looks. High quality meat. Side of delicious but not even necessary aioli. Covered in cold parmesan. A buttery brioche loaf next to it. Yum. To call it a highlight of the year would be an understatement.
Check out our full Hong Kong travel guide for details on our trip.
Fifth Place:
Tuna Sashimi in Maui, Hawaii
Okay, we’re cheating a little bit here. We have had tuna sashimi at Mama’s Fish House before, and we’ve had it a lot… however – they just put it on their printed menu (you used to have to call in advance). So, one could argue it is “new”? Anyways, this crowd pleaser is one of the best dishes in the world, at one of the best restaurants in the world.
For more recommendations in Maui (especially Wailea), see our Maui travel guide.
Sixth:
Cheese Cart in Vienna, Austria
Steirereck in Vienna is the only 3 Michelin starred restaurant that made it to our best bites list, and a cheese cart is not technically a “bite” it itself… however, let’s be a little lenient here for this absolute masterful cheesemonger who deserves his own Michelin stars. This is the best cheese cart in the world. There are hidden drawers. There are boutique cheeses, including Napoleon’s favorite. It’s amazing.
For more fun restaurants in Vienna, see our Prague & Vienna travel guide.
Seventh:
Beef rendang in Prague, Czech Republic
This Balinese-inspired beef rendang from QQ Asian Kitchen in Prague was outstanding. Perfectly savory with hints of lemongrass and coconut, this was a bite we will remember for years to come.
*P.S. This photo looks professional because it is. We ate this dish so quickly we didn’t get a photo, so we borrowed from their instagram. And, yes, we should probably use professional photos for everything (especially #2 bahn mi) but what’s the fun in that?
For more details on our trip, check out our Prague & Vienna travel guide.
Eighth:
Goulash in Vienna, Austria
Before 2025, we had no idea we even liked goulash. It turns out, Glasswing Bar & Bistro in Vienna changed that, and goulash became a new favorite. We had it twice during our 3 days in Vienna, and would happily eat this savory-umami rich dish again and again.
For more recommendations in this part of the world, check out our Prague & Vienna travel guide.
Ninth:
Al Pastor Skewers in Shoreditch, London UK
The trend in this list shows you that if we find a top 10 bite, we will go out of our way to have it multiple times on a trip, if possible. That was certainly the case with Zapote‘s secreto al pastor skewers. They are coal roasted, served with homamde tortillas and guacamole, and we had them 3 days in a row – which seemed to cause both pride and concern with the chef. Anyways, huge fans.
London is the city we visit the most. For our complete travel guide see our extensive London recommendations.
Tenth:
Lobster Noodles in Maui, Hawaii
Jess hogged most of this dish, but who could blame her? These lobster noodles were mind-blowingly good and garlicky. This was our third or fourth time at Lineage, but our first time trying the noodles and we give them a solid 10/10 (as with every bite on this list).
For more Hawaii recommendations, check out our Maui travel guide, or our Honolulu travel guide.
Honorable Mentions - Restaurants
These restuarants did not have one specific dish that made it into our “top 10 bites” list – however, they were some of our favorite restaurants of the year and we highly recommend them. All of these restaurants we visited for the very first time in 2025, so check them out!
Sushi Rei, Ho Chi Minh (Omakase)
Kampa Park, Prague (European)