In this world of fundamental arguments and foundational disagreements, we ought to also be able to disagree about things that are completely subjective and trivial. After all, such things don't really matter but, at the same time, bring out the greatest amount of viciousness.

So with that in mind, and without further adoo, I hereby grant you access to the GOLL List of World Cuisines (Ranked):

1. Japanese: The Japanese do everything great. Sushi, ramen, donburri, teppanyaki. But if you want to see the peak of Japanese cuisine, then you need to have a real kaiseki experience. It just exceeds anything else in the world in the areas of technique, detail, and flavor profile and development. I love the French, but the Japanese do them one better.

2. French: Perhaps if you don't like butter, this is going to be a controversial slot. But if you do like butter (not to mention flavor and presentation), then you surely agree that French goes here.

3. Italian: Sorry to my Italian friends (inlcuding, but not limited to @texasdago ), but Italian slots in behind French. By the way--I do appreciate the regionality of Italian cuisine and that makes this real hard. IF we were going regions, it would drop pretty far down this list because Italian cuisine as a whole is, in my estimation, greater than the sum of its regional parts.

4. Indian: Speaking of the question of regionalism, I'm slotting in Indian here. There's not another cuisine in the world that is going to give the variety of spices and flavor profiles as Indian. Again, individual regional cuisines would rank lower--I happen to favor northern Indian over southern. But its the composite of all that puts Indian cuisine this high.

5. Texan: Ooooooh--now we're getting into controversy. Texan cuisine is unique because it blends so many different cultural and culinary traditions. Barbeque is every bit as much a Texan cuisine as is Tex-Mex, and those are every bit as Texan as black-eyed peas and greens. Being at the intersection of the American South and Mexico--and improving on both traditions--puts Texan cuisine up this high. Fucking come at me, haters.

6. Spanish: A bit of a dark horse here, which is probably an animal that the Spaniards would eat. Once again, there is a ton of regional variation here. But is there any cuisine that does both marine animals and terrestrial animals so well? It doesn't matter whether you dig on the pig or whether you dig on the octopus--the Spaniards got you covered.

7. Mexican: Ok--now some of you are going to come at me for granting Texan credit for what is largely indistinguishable from Norteno cuisine. And then you're going to bitch that not only did I do that, but then I put Spanish in between them as some sort of placeholder as though I'm some fucking Baylor coach trying to make sure it doesn't get into the BCS. And honestly, that's fair. Maybe Mexican should be higher. But I'm dinging it because their pastries are substandard. So deal.

8. Vietnamese: Vietnamese gets the nod here because of the addition of French technique. The French may have been horrid imperialists, but they are fantastic chefs.

9. Korean: And no--I'm not just filling in these slots with mid-century American military involvements. Perhaps it lacks some of the nuance and bredth of some of the ones ranked higher, but this shit is pretty good. The combination of spice and smoke and vinegar with so many of the dishes makes for a wonderful balance.

10. G . . . erman: Ha--you thought I was going to say Greek, didn't you? But let's be real honest--the Germans have appropriated the best thing about Eastern Mediterranean cuisine (i.e., the Doner Kebap) and made it their own. And that is on top of a pretty damned good lineup of food, which deals heavily in slow cooking and restraint. I dare you to go to the Augustinerkeller across from the Frauenkirche, order the Schweinshaxe with a side of spaetzle, and tell me that German cuisine doesn't belong in the Top 10.

    You want to fight me and say that Indonesian belongs? I mean, ok. You're wrong. But ok.

    Does someone want to speak up for Californian? I would love to hear this.

    Nope--this is definitive. I will brook no disagreement.

14 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

In this world of fundamental arguments and foundational disagreements, we ought to also be able to disagree about things that are completely subjective and trivial. After all, such things don't really matter but, at the same time, bring out the greatest amount of viciousness.

So with that in mind, and without further adoo, I hereby grant you access to the GOLL List of World Cuisines (Ranked):

1. Japanese: The Japanese do everything great. Sushi, ramen, donburri, teppanyaki. But if you want to see the peak of Japanese cuisine, then you need to have a real kaiseki experience. It just exceeds anything else in the world in the areas of technique, detail, and flavor profile and development. I love the French, but the Japanese do them one better.

2. French: Perhaps if you don't like butter, this is going to be a controversial slot. But if you do like butter (not to mention flavor and presentation), then you surely agree that French goes here.

3. Italian: Sorry to my Italian friends (inlcuding, but not limited to @texasdago ), but Italian slots in behind French. By the way--I do appreciate the regionality of Italian cuisine and that makes this real hard. IF we were going regions, it would drop pretty far down this list because Italian cuisine as a whole is, in my estimation, greater than the sum of its regional parts.

4. Indian: Speaking of the question of regionalism, I'm slotting in Indian here. There's not another cuisine in the world that is going to give the variety of spices and flavor profiles as Indian. Again, individual regional cuisines would rank lower--I happen to favor northern Indian over southern. But its the composite of all that puts Indian cuisine this high.

5. Texan: Ooooooh--now we're getting into controversy. Texan cuisine is unique because it blends so many different cultural and culinary traditions. Barbeque is every bit as much a Texan cuisine as is Tex-Mex, and those are every bit as Texan as black-eyed peas and greens. Being at the intersection of the American South and Mexico--and improving on both traditions--puts Texan cuisine up this high. Fucking come at me, haters.

6. Spanish: A bit of a dark horse here, which is probably an animal that the Spaniards would eat. Once again, there is a ton of regional variation here. But is there any cuisine that does both marine animals and terrestrial animals so well? It doesn't matter whether you dig on the pig or whether you dig on the octopus--the Spaniards got you covered.

7. Mexican: Ok--now some of you are going to come at me for granting Texan credit for what is largely indistinguishable from Norteno cuisine. And then you're going to bitch that not only did I do that, but then I put Spanish in between them as some sort of placeholder as though I'm some fucking Baylor coach trying to make sure it doesn't get into the BCS. And honestly, that's fair. Maybe Mexican should be higher. But I'm dinging it because their pastries are substandard. So deal.

8. Vietnamese: Vietnamese gets the nod here because of the addition of French technique. The French may have been horrid imperialists, but they are fantastic chefs.

9. Korean: And no--I'm not just filling in these slots with mid-century American military involvements. Perhaps it lacks some of the nuance and bredth of some of the ones ranked higher, but this shit is pretty good. The combination of spice and smoke and vinegar with so many of the dishes makes for a wonderful balance.

10. G . . . erman: Ha--you thought I was going to say Greek, didn't you? But let's be real honest--the Germans have appropriated the best thing about Eastern Mediterranean cuisine (i.e., the Doner Kebap) and made it their own. And that is on top of a pretty damned good lineup of food, which deals heavily in slow cooking and restraint. I dare you to go to the Augustinerkeller across from the Frauenkirche, order the Schweinshaxe with a side of spaetzle, and tell me that German cuisine doesn't belong in the Top 10.

    You want to fight me and say that Indonesian belongs? I mean, ok. You're wrong. But ok.

    Does someone want to speak up for Californian? I would love to hear this.

    Nope--this is definitive. I will brook no disagreement.

I can't speak to kaiseki, but overall the list is solid. I might argue French/Italian is 2a/2b and boost Mexico over Spain just because my experience level with the former is more extensive than the latter, not to mention that there surely are as many regional variances among all of the Mexican dishes. Germany making the cut is a bold and correct choice.

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Germany making the cut is a bold and correct choice.

Thank you for knowing that.

How come I can't get no Thai 'round here?

I am pretty good with the order, although “Texan” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in scope.

I think I would group Southeast Asia into a group and then rank it pretty high (or just use Singapore as a melting pot for SE Asia)

23 minutes ago, SizzleChest said:

How come I can't get no Thai 'round here?

This. Thai is in a separate bracket just so these other cuisines have a chance to compete.

I'm good with Texan and Mexican being two categories!

Are you doing like favorite cuisines to eat or just what you think is objectively the best? If the latter then it's hard to argue against French and Japanese but I don't regularly eat a lot of high end French and Japanese food.

Day-to-day eating and cooking it's Mexican for me in a landslide followed by Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, Greek/Eastern Mediterranean, Cajun in some order. Maybe throw good Chinese in there.

I wouldn't know how or where to rank standard American/Southern comfort fare.

I think most Japanese food is overrated.

Just now, ztejas said:

I think most Japanese food is overrated.

I'll go on record right here and right now and say that ramen fucking sucks. Yes, I have had "good" ramen not that shit we existed on in college. It sucks.

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Are you doing like favorite cuisines to eat or just what you think is objectively the best? If the latter then it's hard to argue against French and Japanese but I don't regularly eat a lot of high end French and Japanese food.

Day-to-day eating and cooking it's Mexican for me in a landslide followed by Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, Greek/Eastern Mediterranean, Cajun in some order. Maybe throw good Chinese in there.

I wouldn't know how or where to rank standard American/Southern comfort fare.

I think most Japanese food is overrated.

I’m doing the objectively best cuisines based on technique, breadth/depth of ingredients and flavor profile, and just bottom-line appeal.

There is a “favorite” aspect to it. The question of what would I want to eat in any given night will change from night to night. But if you tell me (or anyone who likes to eat) that I can only have one cuisine from this day forward, these are the top 10 choices.

And I omitted Thai precisely because of the breadth/depth issue. I like it. It’s great. But it lacks the variation that you get with French or Mexican cuisine.

French is severely overrated, African is underrated

2 hours ago, SizzleChest said:

How come I can't get no Thai 'round here?

no fucking shit. judging is clearly rigged.

Unpopular opinion: French food sucks

Second unpopular opinion: German food is bland

Unpopular opinion: French food sucks
Second unpopular opinion: German food is bland

Este.

Hey, can I get a giant ball of boiled dough to go with my meal?

I guess Chicken Fried Steak is a secret weapon... because it damn sure matters.

I would raise Thai and lower French. So would the Thais.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by Iceman

OP’s post has glaring omission of Lebanese.

10 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

And I omitted Thai precisely because of the breadth/depth issue. I like it. It’s great. But it lacks the variation that you get with French or Mexican cuisine.

Actual laugh out loud at this. American Thai sorely lacks in depth and breadth, but actual Thai is so much more developed and complex than anything French. Ingredients, methods, techniques, all are objectively more diverse.

There is Spanish Mediterranean and there is Basque. To say they are even remotely similar is a disservice to Basque. Basque fucks.

38 minutes ago, Sam Lin said:

Actual laugh out loud at this. American Thai sorely lacks in depth and breadth, but actual Thai is so much more developed and complex than anything French. Ingredients, methods, techniques, all are objectively more diverse.

Well, I'm an American who hasn't spent much time in Thailand. My lack of perspective and information render my opinion objectively correct, and other opinions based on actual facts and evidence should be rejected.

I'm pretty sure that's how America in 2026 works now. Sorry your opinion is wrong.

The omission of Minnesota cuisine from this list is borderline criminal.

40 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Well, I'm an American who hasn't spent much time in Thailand. My lack of perspective and information render my opinion objectively correct, and other opinions based on actual facts and evidence should be rejected.

I'm pretty sure that's how America in 2026 works now. Sorry your opinion is wrong.

Goddammit why do you have to be right.

1. Indian

2. Mexican

3. Vietnamese

4. Texan

5. Thai

6. Italian

7. Chinese

8. Californian

9. Jamaican

10. African

I think both Japanese and French cuisine are boring AF.

13 hours ago, ztejas said:

Day-to-day eating and cooking it's Mexican for me in a landslide followed by Italian,

Same here. Mexican, Italian, then "Mediterranean" (yes I realize Italian qualifies, but I'm talking more about Greek, Turkish, North African etc. cuisines).

14 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

In this world of fundamental arguments and foundational disagreements, we ought to also be able to disagree about things that are completely subjective and trivial. After all, such things don't really matter but, at the same time, bring out the greatest amount of viciousness.

So with that in mind, and without further adoo, I hereby grant you access to the GOLL List of World Cuisines (Ranked):

1. Japanese: The Japanese do everything great. Sushi, ramen, donburri, teppanyaki. But if you want to see the peak of Japanese cuisine, then you need to have a real kaiseki experience. It just exceeds anything else in the world in the areas of technique, detail, and flavor profile and development. I love the French, but the Japanese do them one better.

2. French: Perhaps if you don't like butter, this is going to be a controversial slot. But if you do like butter (not to mention flavor and presentation), then you surely agree that French goes here.

3. Italian: Sorry to my Italian friends (inlcuding, but not limited to @texasdago ), but Italian slots in behind French. By the way--I do appreciate the regionality of Italian cuisine and that makes this real hard. IF we were going regions, it would drop pretty far down this list because Italian cuisine as a whole is, in my estimation, greater than the sum of its regional parts.

4. Indian: Speaking of the question of regionalism, I'm slotting in Indian here. There's not another cuisine in the world that is going to give the variety of spices and flavor profiles as Indian. Again, individual regional cuisines would rank lower--I happen to favor northern Indian over southern. But its the composite of all that puts Indian cuisine this high.

5. Texan: Ooooooh--now we're getting into controversy. Texan cuisine is unique because it blends so many different cultural and culinary traditions. Barbeque is every bit as much a Texan cuisine as is Tex-Mex, and those are every bit as Texan as black-eyed peas and greens. Being at the intersection of the American South and Mexico--and improving on both traditions--puts Texan cuisine up this high. Fucking come at me, haters.

6. Spanish: A bit of a dark horse here, which is probably an animal that the Spaniards would eat. Once again, there is a ton of regional variation here. But is there any cuisine that does both marine animals and terrestrial animals so well? It doesn't matter whether you dig on the pig or whether you dig on the octopus--the Spaniards got you covered.

7. Mexican: Ok--now some of you are going to come at me for granting Texan credit for what is largely indistinguishable from Norteno cuisine. And then you're going to bitch that not only did I do that, but then I put Spanish in between them as some sort of placeholder as though I'm some fucking Baylor coach trying to make sure it doesn't get into the BCS. And honestly, that's fair. Maybe Mexican should be higher. But I'm dinging it because their pastries are substandard. So deal.

8. Vietnamese: Vietnamese gets the nod here because of the addition of French technique. The French may have been horrid imperialists, but they are fantastic chefs.

9. Korean: And no--I'm not just filling in these slots with mid-century American military involvements. Perhaps it lacks some of the nuance and bredth of some of the ones ranked higher, but this shit is pretty good. The combination of spice and smoke and vinegar with so many of the dishes makes for a wonderful balance.

10. G . . . erman: Ha--you thought I was going to say Greek, didn't you? But let's be real honest--the Germans have appropriated the best thing about Eastern Mediterranean cuisine (i.e., the Doner Kebap) and made it their own. And that is on top of a pretty damned good lineup of food, which deals heavily in slow cooking and restraint. I dare you to go to the Augustinerkeller across from the Frauenkirche, order the Schweinshaxe with a side of spaetzle, and tell me that German cuisine doesn't belong in the Top 10.

    You want to fight me and say that Indonesian belongs? I mean, ok. You're wrong. But ok.

    Does someone want to speak up for Californian? I would love to hear this.

    Nope--this is definitive. I will brook no disagreement.

As you and I have discussed this extensively, you know that we have much agreement, but some disagreement.

Japanese: I love Japanese food, but not having traveled there, I simply do not have sufficient breadth of exposure to rank it. But, its inclusion, as well as the inclusion of Korean, raise the challenge of how to deal with Asian cuisines. You mentioned Thai, and I love Thai....but I also tend to stay in narrow lanes when eating Thai, so again, I can't comment on the breadth.

But your omission of Chinese is a failure. I DID grow up eating a broad spectrum of Chinese (growing up in SW Houston). Our family's go-to restaurant for years was owned by a great guy from Hong Kong, we were eating Dim Sum before most non-chinese folks, love Sichuan grub. Chinese food is such a broad and amazing cuisine (not even considering "American Chinese" food, cuz dammit, I also like some General Tso's chicken every now and then) that it deserves a place on the list, probably in the top 5.

As Texas-provincial as I am, I disagree with "Texas" as a category. Yes, we have some great intersections -- southern, southwestern, mexican, tex-mex, cajun....but honestly, I think we have to address all of those cuisines by region. It's like declaring "American food" as a great cuisine (and if you did so, you'd be right....because "American food" INCLUDES cajun, and CFS, and tex-mex, and american-italian, southern, etc. etc.).

Which gets me to the too-low ranking of Mexican. As someone who grew up eating a LOT of mexican food, mostly norteno (we were a ranching family) and tex-mex (we are a Texas family), but who has also eaten the broader more regional cuisines of Mexico (moles, oaxacan fare, seafood, etc.), Mexican is a sneaky contestant that could claim a spot in the top 5.

To solve your Greek problem, and the omission of Lebanese mentioned above, I think that "Mediterranean" as a cuisine could resolve that conundrum. Sure, it can end up looping in southern italian, turkish, even some african, but it captures the Greek and Turkish and Balkan core that most people think of, and that IS a great world cuisine. Mediterranean makes a top 10 list.

Oh, and good point made by someone as to African cuisine as being underrated. And again, it's a BIG scope. Morrocan, west african, Ethiopian - all African, all really different, and all VERY good. The question of whether the whole continent should be considered together is pending. If you do so, it makes the top 10. If you don't, then you're stuck with regional cuisines that are very good, but not broad enough to make a top 10.

But on one thing, we definitely agree: French cuisine is at the top. Again, I can't offer a good comparison with Japanese, so French is my #1. It's what cooking and cuisine should be: an emphasis on ingredients, classic techniques, and gustatory pleasure. The French fucking know what they are doing. Plus, they invented that whole menage a trois thing, so they know what's up.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by Brisketexan

Southern cuisine

15 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Mexican: But I'm dinging it because their pastries are substandard.

This whole thread is Scottish erasure. Nothing compares to a fried pizza and chips when you're hammered at 2AM on the streets of Glasgow hanging out with people who have lost mutual intelligibility with English.


Haggis is just a fake creation to have a laugh at the expensive of the English who visit.

3 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

OP’s post has glaring omission of Lebanese.

I would say Levantine overall, but this. I would certainly put it above Indian, but maybe even Italian (to be fair, it also draws in inspiration from both east and west).

Minority opinion, but I think anyone as well traveled as @Ghost of LL who is rating Mexican so low needs to spend less time in Europe and more time exploring regional Mexican cuisine.

I’d also not include Texan but omit Creole/Cajun. I’d far rather spend a weekend getting fat in New Orleans than in Seoul.

11 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Southern cuisine

Southern is broader than Texas, and has a similar mish-mash of all sort of influences. There's French, particularly Cajun and Creole, Caribbean and African, and it's own regional BBQ (and I really don't know the cultural or ethnic origins of BBQ in the South). So like Texas, it's hard for me to put that on this kind of list because it includes a lot of other categories and influences outside the region.

"Italian: Sorry to my Italian friends (inlcuding, but not limited to @texasdago ), but Italian slots in behind French. By the way--I do appreciate the regionality of Italian cuisine and that makes this real hard. IF we were going regions, it would drop pretty far down this list because Italian cuisine as a whole is, in my estimation, greater than the sum of its regional parts."

I do really like French food but I would slot Italian above because Italian truly does have drastically different variations depending on where you are. Personally, I would move Mexican ahead of Texan. I also would say that tacos (not Tex-Mex gringo tacos, of course) are one of the perfect foods... almost almost as perfect as Pizza or Pasta @Ghost of LL

Now... I am going to say something maybe maybe controversial but I think Europeans (I use Europeans because this applies to experiences in Austria, Italy, France, etc.) excel at making French fries... better than the US. Mussels with frites in the Netherlands or Belgium are next level. Consistently excellent across different countries.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by texasdago

Correct - European fries beat American fries. Belgian and French frittes are glorious. And don’t forget a proper, perfect British chip. Crispy, fluffy, great.

We do, however, bring tator tots to the table, so that’s important.

5 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Now... I am going to say something maybe maybe controversial but I think Europeans (I use Europeans because this applies to experiences in Austria, Italy, France, etc.) excel at making French fries... better than the US. Mussels with frites in the Netherlands or Belgium are next level. Consistently excellent across different countries.

Not controversial at all. Frittes at a French restaurant consistently kick ass. And yeah, I'll dip that shit in aioli over ketchup any day.

3 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

OP’s post has glaring omission of Lebanese.

Peru needs a mention.

5 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Not controversial at all. Frittes at a French restaurant consistently kick ass. And yeah, I'll dip that shit in aioli over ketchup any day.

...and I will kick half of you to eat Tiroler Gröstl slopeside with an egg on top

https://www.tasteatlas.com/tiroler-grostl

Edited February 3Feb 3 by texasdago

5 minutes ago, Woland said:

Peru needs a mention.

I Thought this was power ranking lean cuisines

16 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

In this world of fundamental arguments and foundational disagreements, we ought to also be able to disagree about things that are completely subjective and trivial. After all, such things don't really matter but, at the same time, bring out the greatest amount of viciousness.

So with that in mind, and without further adoo, I hereby grant you access to the GOLL List of World Cuisines (Ranked):

1. Japanese: The Japanese do everything great. Sushi, ramen, donburri, teppanyaki. But if you want to see the peak of Japanese cuisine, then you need to have a real kaiseki experience. It just exceeds anything else in the world in the areas of technique, detail, and flavor profile and development. I love the French, but the Japanese do them one better.

2. French: Perhaps if you don't like butter, this is going to be a controversial slot. But if you do like butter (not to mention flavor and presentation), then you surely agree that French goes here.

3. Italian: Sorry to my Italian friends (inlcuding, but not limited to @texasdago ), but Italian slots in behind French. By the way--I do appreciate the regionality of Italian cuisine and that makes this real hard. IF we were going regions, it would drop pretty far down this list because Italian cuisine as a whole is, in my estimation, greater than the sum of its regional parts.

4. Indian: Speaking of the question of regionalism, I'm slotting in Indian here. There's not another cuisine in the world that is going to give the variety of spices and flavor profiles as Indian. Again, individual regional cuisines would rank lower--I happen to favor northern Indian over southern. But its the composite of all that puts Indian cuisine this high.

5. Texan: Ooooooh--now we're getting into controversy. Texan cuisine is unique because it blends so many different cultural and culinary traditions. Barbeque is every bit as much a Texan cuisine as is Tex-Mex, and those are every bit as Texan as black-eyed peas and greens. Being at the intersection of the American South and Mexico--and improving on both traditions--puts Texan cuisine up this high. Fucking come at me, haters.

6. Spanish: A bit of a dark horse here, which is probably an animal that the Spaniards would eat. Once again, there is a ton of regional variation here. But is there any cuisine that does both marine animals and terrestrial animals so well? It doesn't matter whether you dig on the pig or whether you dig on the octopus--the Spaniards got you covered.

7. Mexican: Ok--now some of you are going to come at me for granting Texan credit for what is largely indistinguishable from Norteno cuisine. And then you're going to bitch that not only did I do that, but then I put Spanish in between them as some sort of placeholder as though I'm some fucking Baylor coach trying to make sure it doesn't get into the BCS. And honestly, that's fair. Maybe Mexican should be higher. But I'm dinging it because their pastries are substandard. So deal.

8. Vietnamese: Vietnamese gets the nod here because of the addition of French technique. The French may have been horrid imperialists, but they are fantastic chefs.

9. Korean: And no--I'm not just filling in these slots with mid-century American military involvements. Perhaps it lacks some of the nuance and bredth of some of the ones ranked higher, but this shit is pretty good. The combination of spice and smoke and vinegar with so many of the dishes makes for a wonderful balance.

10. G . . . erman: Ha--you thought I was going to say Greek, didn't you? But let's be real honest--the Germans have appropriated the best thing about Eastern Mediterranean cuisine (i.e., the Doner Kebap) and made it their own. And that is on top of a pretty damned good lineup of food, which deals heavily in slow cooking and restraint. I dare you to go to the Augustinerkeller across from the Frauenkirche, order the Schweinshaxe with a side of spaetzle, and tell me that German cuisine doesn't belong in the Top 10.

    You want to fight me and say that Indonesian belongs? I mean, ok. You're wrong. But ok.

    Does someone want to speak up for Californian? I would love to hear this.

    Nope--this is definitive. I will brook no disagreement.

I was going to put Japanese at the top, too. First thing I thought of seeing the thread title; I've never had anything other than amazing food in Japan or in Japanese restaurants.

I think a LOT of these, though, you gotta split by region. Northern Italian and Southern Italian cuisine are VASTLY different. I'm not sure there even IS a single "California" cuisine; the only thing I can think of that's really uniquely California is Baja Mexican, and that's taking the peninsula south of the border into account and ENDING around North County San Diego (Carlsbad).

Los Angeles in particular; if you want to try the different flavors of the world, you just drive around to different neighborhoods; LA's Chinese food is so competitive that you get better food there than in most places in China, unless you, say, married someone whose best friend is a high-ranking government official.* Or ate fish in Qingdao a few decades ago before the pollution levels literally broke the scales and they had to revise them.

Where was I? Oh. Right.

I think a strong argument can be made for BBQ being on the list, but not specifically Texan, just because once you leave the boundaries of BBQ states the insistence upon using particular cuts of particular animals and particular styles of sauce becomes less important compared with, "My God I just need to get some kind of flesh slow smoked until it melts with some kind of sticky sauce on it in my mouth right now or I'm going to grab a knife and start stabbing."

bbq withdrawal is tough

*Said hypothetical person would currently be in political prison for being part of the previous regime after Pooh Bear took over. Apparently he's been doing lots of reading and working out.

37 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Southern is broader than Texas, and has a similar mish-mash of all sort of influences. There's French, particularly Cajun and Creole, Caribbean and African, and it's own regional BBQ (and I really don't know the cultural or ethnic origins of BBQ in the South). So like Texas, it's hard for me to put that on this kind of list because it includes a lot of other categories and influences outside the region.

You're over thinking it. I'm talking fried possum... in 8lbs of lard and butter, stewed squirrel.

i guess los angles also has that "diner" culture thing that i don't see anywhere else but there, but nobody is doing to claim that the best cuisine in the world is Denny's no matter how good the one in Merced is

Where does Taco Bell (California) vs. Taco Bueno (Abilene) vs. Taco Casa (Garland) fit in this battle of Global cuisines?

7 minutes ago, orange dream said:

Where does Taco Bell (California) vs. Taco Bueno (Abilene) vs. Taco Casa (Garland) fit in this battle of Global cuisines?

Taco Bueno tostadas are elite.

13 hours ago, royiv said:

Second unpopular opinion: German food is bland

I don't think there's anything unpopular about this take. German food has no spice. It's not until the Germans came to Texas and discovered spices that German food became great.

11 minutes ago, orange dream said:

Where does Taco Bell (California) vs. Taco Bueno (Abilene) vs. Taco Casa (Garland) fit in this battle of Global cuisines?

Those are in the Steel Shank category, just outside the Top 10.

Ccould eat 80% of my meals the rest of my life from this part of the globe and be happy:

Laos has breakfast covered and lunch and dinner can come from anywhere.

Eh, I've had a few kaiseki experiences and it's super fun, but I didn't find everything that tasty despite the hyper attention to seasonality and freshness.

I'm biased (ethnically Chinese but born in India) but I would put Chinese and Indian as 1a and 1b. The breadth of cuisines is amazing and I'm sad that most Americans won't ever know about it or have access to them.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by YChang

14 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

And I omitted Thai precisely because of the breadth/depth issue. I like it. It’s great. But it lacks the variation that you get with French or Mexican cuisine.

@Brisketexan mentioned Sichuan and it needs to be brought up again

Chongqing Chicken is possibly the best single dish on the planet.

Photo: Mala Sichuan in Houston

You have to get steamed rice with it and let the oil seep into the rice for the full flavor experience.

My favorite two in the state are Mala Sichuan in Houston (all the locations make it well) and the China Family on Airport in Austin. Whenever I'm in Houston or Austin I load up with about 5 orders and freeze the rest for a week of numbing goodness.

LOVE chongquing chicken. If it’s on a menu, my wife and I get it.

Actually had some at Wu Chow recently that was good. Fat Dragon was amazing, but they’ve fallen off.

Just now, Brisketexan said:

LOVE chongquing chicken. If it’s on a menu, my wife and I get it.

Actually had some at Wu Chow recently that was good. Fat Dragon was amazing, but they’ve fallen off.

I'm pretty obsessed and tried it at both Best Sichuan on 47th and Ollie's on W42st in Manhattan in November thinking they'd have amazing Chongqing Chicken with so many Chinese in NYC. I loved both, but I left both thinking that China Family was better which really surprised me.

Wu Chow's looks good, I need to add it to the list.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by SimonBolivar

5 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

I'm pretty obsessed and tried it at both Best Sichuan on 47th and Ollie's on W42st in Manhattan in November thinking they'd have amazing Chongqing Chicken with so many Chinese in NYC. I loved both, but I left both thinking that China Family was better which really surprised me.

Wu Chow's looks good, I need to add it to the list.

Have you tried Mala Chili up by Hmart? I hear good things.