Foods I Recommend For Your Foodie Bucket List

One of my favorite things to do is search for my next adventurous meal. I relish trying foods from all cultures! It's my way of experiencing the world close to home. 

My intention is to be a student of food rather than a tourist. I do my best to research the history and traditions of each dish I come across. 

I am certainly not a food expert, but I thought I might share some of my favorite foodie experiences. My recommendations are not listed in any particular order except that I tried to group foods by general region.

At the end of this post let me know what you think I should try next!

KHAO SOI

I have liked Thai food for as long as I can remember but Khao Soi is on another level. 

Khao Soi came to be in Chang Mai, Thailand through spice trade with Chinese Muslim merchants. It's a Northern Thai dish of a rich coconut curry served with crispy noodles, lime, and usually some kind of meat. I asked for short ribs with mine which were perfectly tender. 

This is a meal I will think about for years to come. I found Khao Soi at Kin Sen Thai in Millcreek.  

MANGO STICKY RICE 

I know it’s basic, but it’s one of my favorite desserts of all time. It's both refreshing and rich without being heavy. If you haven’t had mango sticky rice yet, you are missing out. You can find great mango sticky rice at Tuk Tuk's in West Valley City.

Related Post: 

Cultural Restaurants In Salt Lake City: Part 1

KOBOCHA PUMPKIN

This is Japanese squash and may be my favorite squash ever. It's sweet and creamy with a nutty flavor and a velvety texture. I recommend kobocha pumpkin curry on a cold day also from Tuk Tuk's in West Valley. 

PANDAN

This aromatic grass is often used as flavoring in Southeast Asian desserts. Some say it resembles vanilla. For me, I but it has a more earthy, interesting taste than vanilla.  

My only taste of pandan so far was in a slice of crepe cake and I can't stop thinking about. I found this crepe cake at Doki Doki in downtown Salt Lake City. Sadly, they are closing in June 2026. I guess will have to buy my own pandan powder and make my own crepe cake. 

UBE

I loved these ube and passion fruit crepe cake slices from Doki Doki in Salt Lake City

This is another favorite in Southeast Asia but becoming more popular all over the world. Ube is a purple yam with a rich, nutty flavor. I love it in everything: donuts, ice cream, crepe cake, and my favorite pie ever was an ube pie in Hawaii. My favorite donut shop closed in November 2025, so now I get my ube fix from H Mart where I buy ube ice cream bars. 

TANTANMEN

This is my favorite ramen ever. It's inspired by Sichuan Dan Dan noodles, which I also love. Tantanmen is a creamy, spicy, flavorful soup with noodles of course. I love the spice level and flavor of the pork broth. It’s so good with steamed bok choy and a soft-boiled egg. Sub the ground meat with pork belly or, even better, chicken katsu and this dish is golden.  You can find it at Tonkatsu in West Valley City. 

WAGYU STEAK

It really as good as they say, so tender and perfectly marbled. I have never had a beef steak I enjoyed more than Wagyu. You can find a great wagyu steak at Back 40 in Heber or try wagyu sushi at Itto Sushi. 

BINGSU 

I can appreciate Hawaiian shave ice, but for me, Korean bingsu is where it’s at. I like it best when the frozen milk is fluffy as snow. It’s great with various fruits and topped with sweetened condensed milk. But my favorite is the more traditional patbingsu which is made with red bean paste, chewy rice cake pieces, and misutgaru (toasted multigrain flour).

I think the bingsu at Myung Ga in West Valley City is especially good and I prefer it to bingsu from Devil Angel Desserts. 

SAMGYEOPSAL

For me, this is the height of Korean barbeque. Samgyeopsal is pork belly cooked on a grill at a special barbecue table. 

It's mandatory to have lettuce, perilla leaves, various kinds of kimchi, samjang. Add whole garlic cloves to roast on the grill and you're set. You’re supposed to wrap some of the meat in lettuce with your choice of these additions and then shove the whole wrap in your mouth at once. Samgyeopsal tastes like happy memories for me. 

I haven't been yet, but Yummy's Korean BBQ & Sushi in Orem looks promising. They have multiple locations but only Orem does samgyeopsal. 

Related Post: 

Cultural Restaurants In Salt Lake City: Part 3

DAKGALBI 

I could go on forever about my favorite Korean dishes, but I promise, this is my last. For now. 

Dakgalbi is a stir fry type dish made with tender chicken, sweet potato (not yams), carrots, cabbage, onions, perilla leaves, chewy rice cake, and a gochujang-based sauce. The contrast of spicy, sweet, and umami flavors and the crunchy and chewy textures is truly delightful. 

Myung Ga has great quality dalkgalbi!

GULAB JAMUN

This is a super common Indian dessert. They’re a donut or fritter-like treat smothered in a sweet syrup usually made with rosewater.

KULFI 

Another famous Indian dessert, kulfi is ice cream often made with pistachios, cashews, and cardamom. It’s perfectly indulgent. I have enjoyed both gulab jamun and kulfi from Bombay Garden in West Jordan, Utah. 

INJERA & WOT

Injera, also known as budenaa, is a sourdough, spongy flatbread made of teff which is an East African, gluten free grain. Teff has been cultivated in the Ethiopian Highlands as far back as 6,000 years.  

When eating Ethiopian food, injera flatbread functions as both plate and utensil. It is topped with various kinds of stew called wot which is made with vegetables, meats, and cooked with a spice blend called berbere. You eat this by breaking pieces of injera to scoop up the food. 

If you're in the Salt Lake City area, you can find great Ethiopian food at Mahider. I plan to check out Oromian Restaurant next. 

SAFFRON

This saffron cardamom créme brûlée was phenomenal

This magical spice is more valuable than gold by weight. The thread-like stigmas are collected by hand from only female flowers of a specific kind of crocus flower. Crocus sativus is native to the Mediterranean and prefers this kind of climate. It is difficult to grow and difficult to harvest.  And it is indeed delicious. Saffron makes everything delicious from rice dishes to bouillabaisse to desserts like crème brûlée.

TRUFFLE

I have only had truffle infused olive oil used in several recipes, and some whole truffle in cheese. It’s strong flavor is unique and not something I can't easily describe. 

It's not entirely unlike a mushroom, but with an earthier umami type flavor. 

There is a clear difference in taste between summer black truffle and the coveted white winter truffle. It’s just better, though I can’t articulate the reason. 

You must try truffle at least once in your lifetime.

CRIOLLO CHOCOLATE

I paid $60 for a 2 oz bar of criollo chocolate and it was worth every penny! 

Criollo is the cacao variety that was held sacred in ancient Central and South America for generations. Criollo cacao beverages were made only for royalty and sacred ceremonies. Once believed to be extinct, natural growing criollo cacao has been discovered in Belize. 

It’s the most perfect, pure chocolate I have ever tasted. It’s not bitter or acidic at all, and I 100% understand why ancient peoples believed it is divine. You can order a bar of the best chocolate ever from Caputo's Deli & Marketplace or pick it up in person in Salt Lake City. 

BRAZILIAN LEMONADE

This is my favorite cool drink on a hot day. The name is a little misleading since it's actually made of whole limes, blended and mixed with water, ice, and sweetened condensed milk. It's creamy, frothy, and perfectly refreshing. I don't understand why Brazilian lemonade isn't more popular all over the world. It's so easy to make at home!

CHICHA MORADA

This is a traditional Peruvian beverage made primarily of purple corn. Then fruit and spices are added to it such as quince and cinnamon. Sometimes it is sweetened with panela (unrefined cane sugar). I like to drink it cold with a plate of Peruvian rotisserie chicken and ceviche at El Rocoto Peruvian Restaurant in West Valley City. 

CEVICHE

You're seriously missing out if you haven't had ceviche. It originated in Peru but is popular in Spain too. 

A common ceviche recipe includes fresh fish such as tilapia or shrimp, lime juice, onions, and spices. It is traditionally served with potatoes and corn but often served with tortilla chips instead. 

Fish in ceviche is not technically raw though it is not cooked using heat. The acidity in the lime juice causes the proteins in the fish to denature making it both tender and flavorful. 

 

ACKEE

I had the privilege of enjoying Jamaica's national fruit thanks to my neighbor who sent a plate of it to my house with fish and ox tails. 

Ackee is indigenous to West Africa, but is eaten in Jamaica more than anywhere else. The fruit is toxic when unripe so you have to wait for it to open and it has to be cooked. 

I thought it was scrambled eggs at first as the texture is similar, but the taste is entirely different. It's not sweet or savory but used like a vegetable in cooking.  

KOOL-AID PICKLES

I tried these on a burger in New Mexico at Indian Pueblo Kitchen. It's simply dill pickle chips marinated with Kool-Aid powder added to the jar. They are sometimes coated in a blue corn batter and deep fried for extra deliciousness. It may sound unusual, but don't knock until you try it. 

BISON BURGER

In my opinion, the best place to get yourself a bison burger is Boise Fry Company. I generally like bison burgers better than beef. The quality is just better, I guess because the bison are not farmed? Boise Fry Co. also serves some of the best fries!

ATCHAFALAYA 

This is fried or blackened fish, sometimes catfish sometimes red fish, smothered in crawfish étouffée (a tomato-based stew). I have had it once in Ackworth Georgia, and then again in New Orleans. 

Atchafalaya is definitely in my top ten favorite meals of my life. When I had it at Mahony's in NOLA, it was served with popcorn rice and corn maque choux on the side. Amazing! 

Unfortunately, I have yet to find great Creole food in Utah. I have been to The Bayou and Neutral Ground but left mostly disappointed. Please share if you know where to find good Creole food!

SHRIMP CREOLE

It's a shrimp stew with a Louisiana mirepoix base consisting of onions, celery, and bell peppers. It's a little creamy, a little spicy, and bursting with flavor. I like it as much as shrimp étouffée and seafood gumbo, though they are all unique dishes. Don't ask me to choose a favorite! 

BEIGNETS

Invented in New Orleans, LA. They are fluffy deep-fried dough pastries dusted in powdered sugar. It sounds simple, but this treat is famous for a reason! There is nothing quite like a piping hot beignet.

The best beignets in Utah that I have found so far are served at Sunday's Best in Sandy. They aren't quite as good as NOLA beignets, but they're close enough to satisfy my cravings. 

Related Post: 

A Self-Guided New Orleans Food Crawl

BOUILLABAISSE

This is another top ten favorite dish of mine. This famous French stew is made with saffron, mussels, shrimp, and fish. Bouillabaisse is magic. I have only ever had it once at a French restaurant in Chicago, but I wish for it all the time. 

PUTTANESCA

I never really liked pasta dishes growing up. I never got the hype over pasta until I realized I had only ever had cheap, over cooked pastas. But pasta made from scratch is truly a wonder. One of my favorites is fresh made ravioli with lemon, pistachios, and basil. 

The one pasta I keep thinking about, though, is puttanesca: house-made spaghetti smothered in a slightly spicy San Marzano tomato sauce with salmon, mussels, shrimp, capers, kalamata olives, and fresh basil. My mouth is watering as I write this. 

POTATOES PAVE

Why do so many people go crazy for mashed potatoes? Sure, I have had mashed potatoes that I like, but nothing compares to layers of crispy and tender potatoes in a perfect French pavé. Add a little truffle oil to this dish and I'm in heaven. 

PATATAS BRAVAS

Speaking of crispy potatoes. Patatas bravas is a delight! This Spanish side dish translates to "fierce potatoes." the fierce part is in reference to the spicy tomato-based sauce.  Finca in Salt Lake City serves delightful patatas bravas. They have great ceviche too!

Related Post:

Cultural Restaurants In Salt Lake City: Part 4

MEDOVIK

This is also called Russian honey cake. It's made of eight or twelve thin layers of honey infused biscuit-like cake. Between these layers is a filling consisting of sweetened cream, sour cream, and sometimes condensed milk.

Medovik can be hard to make because it is easy to over-bake the thin honey cake layers resulting in a dry dessert. It's not that honey cake is one of my favorite desserts. I simply like its uniqueness and it's fun to eat!  

PRINSESSTARTA

Swedish Princess Cake is a sponge cake layered with jam and custard then covered with light green marzipan. The traditional recipe is difficult to make because only eggs are used to make it rise. Maybe it's the one third part Swede in me, or maybe it's just my affinity for marzipan, but I love Princesstarta.  

LINGONBERRIES

Swedes say lingonberries are what cranberries wish they were. The flavor is, indeed a lot like cranberries, but lingonberries are naturally sweet. 

I have only ever had lingonberry preserves on crepes and pancakes, but I dream of picking wild lingonberries in the woods in Sweden someday.  

AVGOLEMONO

This is chicken and rice soup made with egg and lemon to thicken for a creamy texture. The literal translation of this soup's name is "egg lemon." 

If you didn't know better, you would never guess this soup is non-dairy. It's easy to make at home and is way better than chicken noodle soup!  

Which of these foods have you had before? What is one food on your foodie bucket list?

I would love to get to know you! Share your thoughts in a comment below!

 Hi, I'm Kaitlyn and I'm so glad you're here. Get to know me and more about my blog