Singapore chilli crab ranked 17th, Malaysia's 'curry laksa' 2nd on Lonely Planet's list of best food experiences

Singapore's well-loved chilli crab has been ranked 17th in a league table of the world's 500 best gustatory experiences, with Malaysia coming in a lofty second with its curry laksa.

The global list of 500 food experiences was revealed in the pages of Ultimate Eatlist, a new book by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet.

Top of the list was pintxos - Spanish small snacks typically eaten in bars - from the Basque coastal city of San Sebastián.

Other Asian delicacies beating the local crustacean dish were sushi from Tokyo (third), som tum (papaya salad) from Bangkok (fifth), bibimbap (a mixed rice dish) from Seoul (eighth), and Hong Kong's dim sum (10th).

The culinary recommendations in the book came from experts including world-renowned chefs like Elena Arzak and Eric Ripert, television chef Andrew Zimmern, and BBC MasterChef judge Monica Galetti.

Staff and contributors around the world were also asked to nominate their favourite food experiences. The list was then narrowed down to 500 by Lonely Planet's food editors, with the help of Australian celebrity chef Adam Liaw and food blogger Leyla Kazim.

Lonely Planet destinations editor Matt Phillips said that the book was more than just about the best dishes, CNN reported on Tuesday (Aug 14).

"When you have a salad Nicoise in New York, you might think, oh this is nice. When you have it where it came about (in Nice, France) you realise why these ingredients are together," Mr Phillips said.

"I get it in this place. It's the perfect dish on this hot day. The dish goes with the environment you're in," he added.

While the Lonely Planet website only featured the top 10, CNN reported a list of the top 20:

1. Pintxos in San Sebastián, Spain

2. Curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3. Sushi in Tokyo, Japan

4. Beef brisket in Texas, USA

5. Som tum in Bangkok, Thailand

6. Smørrebrød in Copenhagen, Denmark

7. Crayfish in Kaikoura, New Zealand

8. Bibimbap in Seoul, South Korea

9. Pizza margherita in Naples, Italy

10. Dim sum in Hong Kong

11. Ceviche in Peru

12. Pastéis de nata in Lisbon, Portugal

13. Oysters in Freycinet, Australia

14. Cheese experiences in France

15. Jerk chicken in Jamaica

16. Lamb tagine in Marrakech, Morocco

17. Chilli crab in Singapore

18. Moules frites in Brussels, Belgium

19. Peking duck in Beijing

20. Pho on the Hau River, Vietnam

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.