Editor’s picks: The best things we ate in 2024

“I visited Seoul for the first time this year and had several delicious meals here, from a perfect scrambled egg sandwich at Eggdrop in a mall to the most delightful dinner at Ikseon Banju in Ikseong-dong. But my most memorable meal of the trip, nay, the year, was at Solbam. When I dined there at the end of March, Solbam had recently placed in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list and moved to its new location in Gangnam. Everything was what one would expect from a Michelin-starred spot, and more - from the precision of the cooking, plating, and sheer deliciousness to the warm service and thoughtful touches. My favourite dish of the night was the wet-aged Hanwoo beef served with salted fish and summer eggplants. Every bite was a revelation and exemplified Chef Eom Tae-jun's mastery in the kitchen.”

—Jenifer Choo, Tatler Homes Regional Managing Editor

“After some toiling as to what was my best meal eaten in 2024, I had a few contenders (after a long time shortlisting the best candidates), but the one I kept going back to was Padella's tiramisu. Last year was absolutely, without a doubt, the year of tiramisu for me, and Padella's was a large reason for that. The lady fingers are always perfectly soaked in delicious coffee, the mascarpone is sweet, light, and airy, and it comes covered with a generous layer of rich, dark cocoa powder—what more could you ask for? Not to mention, Blake Lively also mentioned that this was the best tiramisu in London!”

—Keandra H’ng, Tatler Dining Writer

“In a year filled with incredible dining experiences, the newly opened Oolam at The Five in Bukit Damansara stood out to me. Focusing on Southeast Asian flavours, the food served here is flavourful, familiar, and delicious. The most memorable dish for me was the crab curry—a spectacular medley of steamed, hand-peeled mud crabs bathed in a velvety red curry infused with coconut milk, lemon basil, and betel leaves. Bold yet perfectly balanced, it offered a spicy, savoury richness that’s not too overpowering and paired perfectly with rice.”

—Sim Wie Boon, Print Editor

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“My first time in Vienna, my lovely host took me to Café Central. It’s established since 1876 and is the kind of storied institution where the very air hums with history and is filled with the faint aroma of caramelised sugar. Of course, I ordered the wiener schnitzel which lived up to expectations—a veal cutlet all golden and crisp on the outside, served with warm parsley potatoes, a squeeze of lemon, and cranberry sauce that was a perfect, sharp, sweet punctuation to the dish. And then came the Kaiserschmarrn, a torn, caramel-edged marvel of a pancake that was such a delight! Imagine buttery clouds paired with luscious stewed plums. Very decadent and very memorable.”

—Lynette Ow, Editor in Chief

“I'm not much of a gourmand, despite the array of delicious selections in this country, but I definitely lean more towards being a tippler. That being said, I couldn't pass up a chance to attend Penang Cocktail Week 2024 where I had the opportunity to sample the food at chef Su Kim Hock's Shokudō Niban during their Fun Brunch cocktail pairing. 

The four-course saw Japanese-inspired bites such as nanban chicken and heartier mains of "Kani Nabe", crab fat claypot rice with drunken crab, but I especially enjoyed the koebi karaage and light poached okra. I admit to having initially attended for cocktails, but I definitely stayed (and would revisit!) for the food. With dishes like that, who knows? I might even convert to a foodie in 2025.”

—Quinny Tan, Senior Social Media Editor

“It's hard to imagine how my best meal of the year was, in fact, made entirely of leftovers. But life is unpredictable and so are my epicurean adventures. In November, I joined a friend to try out a unique dining concept by Knowhere Kitchen KL at Temu House. The two hour sit-down dinner featured a delicious three-course meal made entirely out of leftovers brought by each of the 12 guests in attendance. It sounds bizarre, but the dishes were really tasty and innovatively put together.

My leftover contribution was some Harriston dark chocolate - others brought an assortment of garden herbs, eggs, oat milk, and more.  I was thrilled and awed to see how all these random ingredients came together, and I spotted shaved bits of salted dark chocolate on my Paella-style 'Nasi Payah-lah' main course. A highlight of the dinner was the speaker for the evening, chef Sapna Nair, who shared her culinary adventures through India. I never thought a meal could be quite as entertaining and thought-provoking, and I'm glad I kept an open mind.”

—Tania Jaya, Front & Female Editor

“Although OGA Tea Dining's specialty is its wide range of Japanese tea and dessert served, their dining menu hits the spot too. I had their Australian beef don the last time I visited; fluffy rice with prime striploin beef steak cooked to a blushing pink medium done perfection, and topped with an oozing hot spring egg.”

—Celeste Goh, Senior Writer, Tatler Homes

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