Oh, THE PLACES WE'LL GO!

We may be grounded right now, but that doesn't mean there’s no escape. The TASTE team has been dreaming about the cities that found their way into our hearts (via our stomachs). If they’re not already on your post-lockdown list, this is why they should be

BANGKOK

I’d do almost anything to jump on a plane for another taste of the Thai capital. It’s been too long since I explored its streetfood and restaurants – from the iconic Nahm to the Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant and Cooking School – with TASTE food director Abigail Donnelly. I couldn’t stop taking photos of the stalls and the city’s famous markets. And I’ll always remember the elderly woman who cooked us an out-of-this-world meal of sour curry with acacia leaves and shrimp salad with lemongrass and sawtooth coriander from her tiny kitchen at Krua Sam Hom. Followed by the famous coconut-and-mango ice cream we ordered at Nuttaporn, this is right up there as one of the best food experiences of my life. – Jan Ras, photographer

TOKYO, PARIS & LONDON

At the end of my first day in Tokyo in 2017, I wondered why I had waited so long to book a trip to Japan. From the moment I arrived, I knew that it would be one of the most inspiring places I had ever travelled. I don’t think I’ve ever returned home with so many wonderful finds in my luggage, from matcha and senbei (savoury and sweet crackers) to ramen noodles and mochi traditional sweets. I loved their stand-up steakhouses where you can quickly stop off to have your favourite steak, and of course I ate my body weight in ramen and chicken katsu – I’ve never been able to resist crispy crumbed chicken.