A Food Lover's Guide to Milan, Tokyo & Seoul: What to Eat and Where

Some cities are as famous for their food as their skyline — and if you're planning a trip around eating well, Milan, Tokyo, and Seoul deserve a spot on the list. Each has a signature dish with centuries of history behind it, and each is best eaten close to where it was invented. Here's what to order, where to find it, and the story behind each plate.

Milan, Italy: Risotto alla Milanese

Milan's defining dish is a saffron-gold risotto alla Milanese, cooked slowly with Carnaroli rice, beef marrow, and just enough saffron to turn it a deep amber. Legend traces the colour to a 16th-century glassmaker working on the Duomo, who was teased for tinting everything — including, eventually, a wedding risotto — with saffron. Order it in the Brera district, ideally plated alongside osso buco, the braised veal shank it was designed to accompany. Go at lunch, when trattorias serve it fresh rather than reheated from a batch.

Tokyo, Japan: Tempura

Tempura looks simple — battered, fried seafood and vegetables — but the best versions in Tokyo are an exercise in precision, fried to order at a counter within seconds of being served. The technique itself arrived with Portuguese missionaries in the 1540s and was refined into a specialist craft during the Edo period, when tempura stalls lined the streets around what is now central Tokyo. Look for a tempura-ya near Tsukiji or Ginza that fries each piece individually rather than in batches — the difference in crispness is immediate.

Seoul, South Korea: Kimchi

No Korean meal arrives without kimchi in some form, and Seoul's markets are the best place to see just how many varieties exist — cabbage, radish, cucumber, and dozens of regional and seasonal versions beyond the familiar red side dish. Kimchi's roots go back some 3,000 years, though the chilli-forward version most travellers know only took shape after peppers reached Korea in the 17th century. Gwangjang Market is a good place to taste several types side by side, and to see fermentation jars (onggi) still used the traditional way.

Planning the Trip

All three cities work well as standalone food trips or as stops on a wider Asia–Europe itinerary. Use our flight comparison tool to price routes between them, and check our hotel search for stays near each city's best food neighbourhoods — Brera in Milan, Tsukiji or Ginza in Tokyo, and Jongno or Insadong in Seoul.