Appetizer
Ota Ika (Raw Fish in Coconut Cream)
Tonga's signature dish: sashimi-grade fish cured briefly in lime, drained, then dressed with coconut cream and vegetables. The lime juice has to be poured off before the cream goes in or it splits, and 15–20 minutes of curing keeps the centre translucent and tender.
Buffalo Wings
Crispy chicken wings tossed in a tangy, spicy buffalo sauce (hot sauce plus butter) — the bar snack born in Buffalo, New York. Serve with blue cheese dip and celery to cool it down. Crisp them in the oven or air fryer, no deep-frying needed.
Gyoza (Pan-fried Dumplings)
Ground pork and cabbage folded into thin wrappers, then pan-fried crisp on the bottom and steamed tender on top — Japan's beloved gyoza. With a garlicky filling and a chili-oil soy-vinegar dip, they're impossible to stop eating.
Baba Ghanoush (Smoky Eggplant Dip)
A Middle Eastern eggplant dip: eggplant charred until smoky, then mashed with tahini, lemon, and garlic. A cousin of hummus, perfect scooped up with pita or vegetables.
Gỏi cuốn (Fresh Spring Rolls)
Vietnamese fresh spring rolls: shrimp, vegetables, and rice vermicelli wrapped in rice paper. Barely any cooking, light and healthy, and irresistible with a savory peanut dipping sauce.
Gamja-jeon (Potato Pancake)
Korean potato pancakes made from finely grated potato. Stir the settled starch back in and they turn out crisp outside and chewy inside with almost no other ingredients — a rainy-day favorite.
Bruschetta (Tomato & Garlic Toast)
Italy's classic antipasto: toasted baguette rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and tomato. Barely any cooking and ready in 15 minutes — it shines in tomato season.
Tzatziki (Yogurt-Cucumber Dip)
A cool, tangy Greek yogurt dip of strained yogurt with cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and herbs. No cooking and ready in 10 minutes — scoop with pita and vegetables, or spoon over kebabs and grilled meat. Squeeze the cucumber dry and it's foolproof.
Guacamole (Avocado Dip)
Mexico's classic dip — ripe avocado mashed with lime, onion, cilantro, and chili. No cooking and ready in 10 minutes. Scoop it with tortilla chips or pile it on tacos and nachos; with good ingredients, anyone can make it.
Xiaolongbao (Shanghai Soup Dumplings)
Shanghai-style soup dumplings — a thin wrapper enclosing pork filling and a 'stock jelly' that melts into hot broth as they steam. Bite in and the soup bursts out, which is why they're called soup dumplings. Eaten with slivered ginger and black vinegar.
Empanada (Stuffed Pastry)
A stuffed pastry of dough folded around minced beef, onion, egg, and olives, then baked (or fried). Rooted in Spain but most famous as Argentina's national snack. The hand-twisted edge ('repulgue') is its signature, and the crimp pattern marks the filling.
Hummus (Middle Eastern Chickpea Dip)
A classic Middle Eastern dip of chickpeas blended smooth with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Creamy, nutty, and tangy, it's drizzled with olive oil and scooped up with pita. A mezze staple loved across Lebanon and the wider Middle East and Mediterranean.
Ceviche (Lime-Cured Fish)
Peru's national dish — fresh white fish 'cooked' in lime juice and tossed with onion, chili, and cilantro. A bright, clean plate now on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. It lives or dies by fresh fish, lime, and the punchy 'leche de tigre'.
Falafel (Middle Eastern Chickpea Fritters)
Crispy deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas (or fava beans) seasoned with herbs and spices — the Middle East's beloved vegetarian street food. It began as Egypt's ta'amiya and spread across the region. Great in pita or on a mezze platter with hummus.
Mandu (Dumplings)
Korean dumplings — a seasoned filling of pork, tofu, bean sprouts, and kimchi folded into wrappers, then steamed, pan-fried, or boiled. Dipped in soy-vinegar; a family favorite for holidays and any day.
Kimchijeon (Kimchi Pancake)
Korean kimchi pancake — well-fermented kimchi chopped into a batter and pan-fried crisp. The classic rainy-day dish with makgeolli, and the tastiest way to use up sour kimchi.
Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)
A classic Spanish tapa — shrimp sizzled in olive oil infused with sliced garlic and dried chili. The real treat is mopping up the leftover garlic oil with baguette; perfect with a glass of wine.
Karaage (Fried Chicken)
Japanese fried chicken — thigh marinated in soy, garlic, and ginger, dredged in potato starch, and double-fried. Light and crisp outside, juicy inside; an izakaya favorite finished with a squeeze of lemon.
Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)
A crispy Korean pancake — a bed of scallions loaded with squid and shrimp in a golden batter, crisp at the edges and tender inside. The classic rainy-day dish to share with makgeolli.