Pamper Your Palate in Provence

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You may think Paris is your starting point, but you should instead start looking in Provence, where the food is known as the finest cuisine of the sun and the heart. Where Parisian food is all about decadence and indulgence, Provençal fare focuses on homegrown, farm fresh produce and all natural ingredients. It’s light and lovely with flavors that still recall local seafood. The soupe de poisson and the bouillabaisse you eat today has likely been perfected over hundreds of years.

If you so choose, there are both professional and local cooking classes, many of which take place in charming local villages. Skip the stores when shopping for ingredients and instead head straight to the open markets. After learning how to make traditional dishes, visit restaurants such as La Fourchette, an affordable gem found in Avignon. Christian Étienne is in Avignon as well, while La Petite Maison de Cucuron is in gorgeous Aix-en-Provence. They’re both more expensive, but definitely worth the Euro.

Savor Versatility in Sydney

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Few people consider going down under for a culinary adventure, but Sydney features truly amazing cuisine. The city has always been a tourist’s dream but now it’s a sanctuary for foodies as well. Some of the fare is indigenous, literally tens of thousands years old, with recipes and diets colloquially known as bush tucker. With globalization, local cuisine is now infused with multicultural foods of every imaginable flavor. British food is a high point, dating back to Australia’s origins, but it’s no longer the base.

While Aussies love burgers and barbecue, they also adore Chinese and Italian, plus their own traditional Australian cuisine. Many restaurants are purely organic and some offer bush tucker food like crocodile and exotic seafood. Try Adamo’s for Italian, Albion Lane Cafe for Mosman fare, and Bar Cupola for more modern Australian delicacies. If you want to cook yourself, try David Jones Food Hall, the Fourth Village Providore, or fresh Wild Basket.

Head to Hong Kong for Haute Street Food

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Hong Kong offers a wealth of sights, smells, and tastes. Packed, pungent, and alive, the entire city seems like it’s eating all the time. Before becoming a huge tourist scene, locals feasted almost solely on fresh seafood, vegetables, and rice, often right on the street—which is of course why street food is still such a big thing. These days, there are thousands of restaurants specializing in every kind of cuisine, including authentic local dishes, such as the six-hour Beggar’s Chicken.

It’s best to head to the more traditional local eateries, many of which exist in hotels. Kowloon thrives with fine places to eat, but at the Mandarin Oriental, you’ll find flavorful fusion food with haute flair. Yung Kee and Man Wah are excellent, as is Indochine. Here, unless you need something quick, ignore the stores. The open air markets and alley stalls in Lan Kwai Fong have the best foods at the best deals.

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Paris, New York City, Morocco, and New Orleans are all excellent places to take your appetite as well, but start with lesser known destinations. What’s your dream foodie bucket list?