Gone are the days when street food was a hurried pit stop, the kind you visited without ever noting down the address. Across Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, family-run eateries that have stood firm for decades sit beside solo carts and newly sprouted stalls, all working toward the same thing: serving hyperlocal flavours shaped by regional produce, inherited recipes and the kind of quiet expertise you only get from repetition. In many countries, street food has become its own form of finesse. Even the simplest broths are layered with seasoning; traditional dishes are reimagined without losing their roots; portion sizes are generous, intentional and reflective of local appetite. Desserts, too, offer a clear culinary lens into the region: from the soft, warming Chinese sweet soups ladled out in Hong Kong’s tiny confectioneries to the sweetened sticky rice steamed inside bamboo in Chiang Mai. The savoury trail is inexhaustible. In Singapore, hawker centres won’t let you leave without at least one Michelin-approved bite, whether it’s braised duck rice glossy with soy or a plate of greasy hokkien mee. In Da Nang, Vietnam, a bowl of duck porridge can stop you in your tracks. And in George Town, Malaysia, a steaming bowl of laksa is enough to warm you through a long, lazy afternoon of wandering its spirited streets. Here are five countries where the street food scene is adding flavour, identity and colour to the larger gastronomic map of the world.
Singapore
Number of Michelin-approved street food spots: 148
With 148 Michelin-approved street food spots, Singapore leads the world in being recognised for hawker culture at its finest. Many fall under the Bib Gourmand category: budget-friendly but still carrying Michelin’s stamp of excellence, yet every single one reflects the country’s long-standing belief that good food should be accessible, communal and rooted in tradition. Fried Hokkien noodles arrive slick with gravy, piled with squid and crisp lard cubes infused with prawn stock. Braised duck rice comes lacquered in soy, the meat fork-tender and usually served with a gentle herbal broth. Seafood is a constant through-line here, whether it is the comforting simplicity of fishball soup or the messy chaos of a fried oyster omelette. With hawker stalls scattered across every neighbourhood, it is almost impossible to be more than a few minutes away from a Michelin-approved plate. The biggest clusters sit inside icons like Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre, Newton Food Centre, made famous in Crazy Rich Asians, Golden Mile Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Ghim Moh Road Market and Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre. Within these are the unique picks that give the list its texture: kaya toast with kopi kosong at the nostalgically named The 1950's Coffee in Chinatown Complex; handmade chwee kueh, soft steamed rice cakes topped with dried radish and sambal; xiao long bao and wanton noodle soup stalls that appear in abundance across the city centre. On East Coast Road, Birds of Paradise draws visitors for its thyme-scented waffle cones and housemade botanical sorbets: think sea salt hojicha and white chrysanthemum. And in a nod to the city’s Indian culinary cluster, Springleaf Prata Place brings its signature egg prata to the table, while the tofu pudding at Whampoa Makan Place adds a light, cooling counterpoint.
Prices range under S$25 (about £19)
Thailand
Number of Michelin-approved street food spots: 33
Thailand’s street food landscape remains one of the most expressive in the world: fast-paced, flavour-packed and rooted in family traditions passed down like heirlooms. Bangkok holds the lion’s share of these stalls, but a generous scatter across Phuket, Chiang Mai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and Chon Buri ensures that a Michelin-approved bite is not too far away. Seafood leads the conversation here, shaped by the country’s vast coastline, though a few enduring desserts shine just as brightly. Jay Fai remains in the spotlight: her now-legendary, golden-brown crab omelette, crisp on the outside, custardy within, is still the country’s most sought-after street food experience. Just a short walk away, the family-run K. Panich, serving its iconic mango sticky rice for over 80 years, continues to draw long queues for its ripe mangoes and barely-sweet coconut cream. In Chiang Mai, the offerings start at Tue Ka Ko Na Prince, the crispy deep-fried taro served with sweet chilli sauce is a simple staple. Meanwhile, Go Neng has become something of a local legend for its deep-fried dough sticks shaped like dinosaurs, dragons and other animated creatures, a delightful snack that younger visitors especially favour. Travel south to Chon Buri for Khao Lam Mae Khai Toon Klao, where sweetened sticky rice cooked inside bamboo with fresh coconut milk offers a rustic take on the dessert. And in Phuket, O Tao Bang Niao has been serving O Tao, a stir-fried dish found only in this region, since 1982. Built on taro, seafood, eggs and a punchy gravy, it’s the kind of hyperlocal speciality you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
Prices range under ฿300 (£7)
Malaysia
Number of Michelin-approved street food spots: 27
Malaysia’s vibrant hawker culture comes alive most vividly in George Town, the UNESCO-listed heart of Penang Island. This is where Chinese shophouses sit beside bold murals, and night markets spill into the streets, an atmosphere that naturally lends itself to some of the country’s most flavourful, tightly guarded recipes. In George Town, the Michelin picks map out a tour of Penang’s heritage food. At Air Itam Sister Curry Mee, the Penang-style curry mee: pale, fragrant and enriched with cuttlefish, tofu puffs and congealed blood cubes, remains a local favourite. On Lebuh Queen, Ravi’s Famous Apom Manis doles out soft, lacy-edged pancakes alongside hot samosas. And at My Own Café, the Penang asam laksa comes sharp with tamarind, mint and mackerel. For something deeply Malaysian, head to Sri Weld Food Court, where the national staple, nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf, waits in neat little pyramids. Each portion centres on coconut milk rice and sambal, with a choice of six toppings that turn it into a complete meal. Across the water in Seberang Perai, the chargrilled pancake outside the Cathay Food Court is a local secret: crisp and smoky. In Kuala Lumpur, the Michelin trail continues with a focus on meats and hearty rice bowls. The city’s version of siew yok, or roast pork, is prized for its blistered crackling. And in Taman Kok Lian, the Claypot Chicken Rice arrives hot: rice, lap cheong and chicken caramelising together at the bottom of the pot until a smoky crust forms.
Prices range under RM40 (£7.50)
Hong Kong
Number of Michelin-approved street food spots: 26
Hong Kong’s street-eating culture balances its Cantonese roots with a subtle British influence, an interplay that shows up most clearly in its dessert scene. Unlike most Asian street food lists, sweets take centre stage here, forming the bulk of Michelin’s picks. At Beanmountain in Causeway Bay, you will find the distinctly herbal Hakka tea cake made with stinkvine, a flavour very specific to the region. Banana roti stalls are scattered all over the city, too, crispy and folded to order. Over in Hung Hom, Hung Hom Pancake on Taku Street has held its reputation for four decades with its Tricolour egg waffles, a nostalgic favourite with crisp honeycombed edges. For classic Cantonese confections, Mrs Fong Chinese Desserts on Temple Street offers red bean cake and black sesame rolls. Traditional Chinese sweet soups also feature strongly on the Michelin list: try the silky bowls at Kai Kai on Parkes Street or the warm, comforting varieties at Shum Shum Desserts in Kweilin Street. The savoury options may be fewer, but no less memorable. On Fort Street, Mak Kee dishes out layered scallion pancakes, crisp at the edges and chewy within. And at Cheung Hing Kee on Lock Road, the sheng jian bao, pan-fried soup dumplings, come with fillings like mala pork, truffle, crabmeat and even roe. For something simple but deeply satisfying, Fishball Man serves cheung fun that’s soft, sauced generously and reliably flavourful.
Prices range under HK$100 (£10)
Vietnam
Number of Michelin-approved street food spots: 24
With 24 Michelin-approved street food spots spread across Hanoi (10), Ho Chi Minh City (9) and Da Nang (5), Vietnam’s street food culture relies on savoury, slow-cooking techniques. At the heart of it all is phở, the country’s undisputed classic. In the early hours of the morning, you will find locals pairing steaming bowls of the aromatic broth with soft-boiled eggs and pieces of crisp fried dough. Some stalls spotlight delicate chicken, while others lean into richer, more unusual cuts like beef heel muscle, each version shaped by the regional instinct. In Ho Chi Minh City, head to Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền on Dang Van Ngu Street for its famed steamed broken rice topped with a pork chop marinated in a deeply guarded family sauce. A few streets away, Cô Liêng on Vo Van Tan Street serves minced beef wrapped in betel leaves, grilled until smoky. Hanoi’s offerings start with Bánh Cuốn Bà Xuân on Hoe Nhai Street, order the delicate steamed rolls filled with minced pork and black fungus, ideal with a splash of fish sauce and fresh herbs. And in Da Nang, Quán Nhân on Phan Tu Street offers a bowl of duck porridge made from a local duck breed sourced from Cẩm Nam Island, simmered with rice, mung beans and coix seeds for warmth.
Prices range under 4,00,000 Vietnamese Dong (£11.50)