Earlier this week, Lonely Planet released their latest Ultimate Eatlist book—a compilation of 500 of the best dishes to eat on the planet.
Malaysia not only made it on the list. We’re number freaking 2 on it.
The dish that put us on the map is none other than a humble bowl of curry laksa that can be found at the hawker stalls along Madras Lane, near Petaling Street.
While locals might feel an overwhelming sense of Malaysian pride that we’re featured in the Ultimate Eatlist, I question how this particular bowl of curry laksa even made it on the list in the first place.
In case you didn’t know, the compilation of best eats are done by top chefs, food writers and authors around the world. Some notable names include Aussie chef Curtis Stone and Ipoh-born Masterchef champ Ping Coombes. Another Malaysian name who has given his two cents worth on the dish included is Masterchef Australia winner Adam Liaw who was born in Malaysia.
In other words, these aren’t folks who have had their fair share of curry laksa growing up. Nor do they have a large pool of other amazing curry laksa dishes in their mind as a form of comparison. In fact, if you were to ask these folks to name a handful of top curry laksas throughout the country, they’d probably be stumped.
I’m not bashing Madras Lane’s well-loved laksa by any means. I’ve not even tasted the dish and it might very well be top notch curry laksa with the creamiest broth and juiciest tau pok.
But I’m not taking a foreign chef’s word for it, not even a world traveler or some fancy schmancy Masterchef champ.
Why not the Tuai Pui Curry Mee in Lebuh Kimberley? Or the one in Cecil Street Market?
Chances are, the food critics who formulated the assumption that Madras Lane has the best curry laksa in Malaysia have probably never even tried Penang laksa in the first place, which is arguably the birthplace of curry laksa.
The same goes with the Hong Kong dim sums which are ranked 10th on the Ultimate Eatlist. Some of the places mentioned in the list as worth visiting include Michelin-starred restaurants like Fook Lam Moon and Duddell’s.
And for the best crayfish experience? It’s apparently at New Zealand’s Nin Bin’s.
Want some melt-in-the-mouth sushi? According to Lonely Planet, it’s at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo—the same place where the ex POTUS and Japanese prime minister dined at, the same place where you’ll likely require a reservation in order to enter.
My point is, a Lonely Planet endorsement means absolutely peanuts and I wouldn’t necessarily use it as my compass for the best makans around the globe.
Sure, to a certain extent the dishes on the list might be superb but I honestly believe that it can’t be the absolute best, not in the way that Lonely Planet has hyped it up to be at least.
I’d much rather take my recommendations from word of mouth of peers who’ve traveled to these places before, or a food vlogger whose sole mission is to hunt down the best street eats. Mark Wiens, anyone?
Then again, that’s just me, and as my favourite saying goes, Suum Cuique. To each their own.
So go ahead and hunt down the famed Madras Lane curry laksa. Or not.
Feature Image Credit: AS Food studio / Shutterstock / Lonely Planet
