How to eat like a local

How to eat like a local.

1 | Follow the steak-loving locals in Buenos Aires.

Parrilla Peña is a simple eatery in the heart of Recoleta where you’ll dine on fantastic cuts for half the price of anywhere else. Locals flood here for the parrilla completa, a medley of Argentinian grilled meats all on one plate. Then there’s Don Niceto in Palermo. Distinctly no thrills — the TV on the wall is circa 1992, but the steak will melt in your mouth. A genuine family-run establishment, copy the locals and order the house special, cuadril (rump steak).

2 | Try Vietnamese street food.

You don’t need a lot of dong to dine like a deity in Vietnam. In Hoi An, cross the small lantern-lit bridge and turn left onto Bach Dang Street for cheap street food. Quality still costs cents over this way, but the views looking back across the township are priceless. Just 40 minutes by car from Hoi An there’s also ‘Danang Seafood Trail’. A fully guided night tour, dipping into local hangouts for delicacies, and seafood so fresh it’s barely left the net.

3 | Book a cooking class

Book a cooking class.Eating like a local needn’t be a holiday fling. Once home, swap your weekly spag bol for a bowl of Kokoda, or a spicy Okra Curry. These classic Fijian dishes are taught as part of a half day cooking class at Flavours of Fiji in Denarau. Or perhaps a two-hour barbecue class in Melbourne’s historic Queen Victoria Market might frill your grill better? Learn how to smoke meats, prepare your cuts and whip up a mean marinade. All washed down with a beer.

4 | Experience an Italian agriturismo stay.

Enjoy a unique, firsthand experience in rural Italy with an agriturismo stay. Bringing together “agriculture” and “tourism” it allows working farms to welcome guests for overnight stays. You’ll also be privy to generations of culinary know-how. The perfect way to experience authentic Italy.

5 | Travel with Trafalgar

Enjoy authentic local food experiences with Trafalgar. The holiday group has partnered with a food app which digitally consolidates lots of locallyhosted culinary experiences into one easy mobile app. Foodie ventures include meals at a host’s home, market visits and feasts prepared by professional chefs, and those who travel with Trafalgar gain access to it all.

6 | Save money on Michelin fine dining.

The French eat well. They also know how to eat well without breaking the bank. There are Michelin starred restaurants in Paris which serve gourmet ‘prix fixe’ lunches for half the price of dinner. One-star establishments such as L’Agapé serve a set four course lunch for €44pp, and even the three-star Astrance (considered one of the world’s best restaurants) dishes out a “surprise lunch menu” for €70 per head. ■

“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn.”

American chef and traveller, Anthony Bourdain