Last night, the second Chowzter World’s Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards took place at London’s L’Anima Cafe to announce the winners of the world’s very best dishes. It was revealed that a simple Ceviche dish from the tiny Chez Wong restaurant in Lima was the overall winner of ‘the tastiest item in the world’. Javier Wong’s tiny restaurant in one room of his house gets reserved months in advance for one of seven tables at Wong’s, this reservation only restaurant has no menu and serves ceviche only ever made from Pacific sole.
Bangkok was announced as the world’s foodiest city and fought off stiff competition from the shortlisted cities: London, Lima, Singapore and Vancouver. Winners from each main food categories (pizzas, seafood, noodles, rice, sandwiches, bird and baked item) spanned all corners of the globe, and winners included the Di Fara’s pizza slice from Brooklyn, Singaporean Chicken Rice dish and the fried jam croissant from London’s very own Albion cafe in East London. Awards were also awarded to the best dishes which represented four regions of the world: best in Europe; North America; Latin America and Asia. Winners were chosen by the Chowzter team and top food bloggers, the ‘Chief Chowzters’, who travelled the globe tasting and testing the entries, as well as the bloggers themselves who battled it out to argue the case for their personal favourites via online debate. The party was attended by an international audience of foodies and guests feasted on an array of delicious dishes including suckling pig devised by Francesca Mazzei’s soon to open L’Anima Cafe in the city.
THE CHOWZTER FAST FEAST WINNERS WINNER OF THE WORLD
Tastiest Item in the World – Lima – Cebiche @ Chez Wong Nominated by Nicholas Gill Ceviche is such a point of pride in Peru that it has its own national holiday, June 28. Javier Wong, the chef/owner of Chez Wong in Lima, is considered a master of ceviche (spelled cebiche in Peru). Wong works with Pacific sole only. That is the only fish you will ever see here. He gets the best pick from the market and is a master with the knife. He breaks down the entire fish at a small table at the head of the dining room and dices it up for a ceviche. He mixes it in a bowl right at the table with just the right amount of salt and lime. After the ceviche you can add a tiradito (a sashimi like cousin to ceviche) and/or a saltado (stir fry), which Wong prepares in the kitchen in a wok with a high flame. Everything is unbelievably simple, yet no one has been able to do it better.
Best Pizza in the World - Brooklyn – Pizza Slice @ Di Fara Pizza Nominated by Yvo Sin Domenico DeMarco, born into a family of master pizziaolos, emigrated from Italy to New York in 1959. Partnered with a gentleman named Farina, he opened a shop on Avenue J in Brooklyn. Every piece of dough is a blank canvas and DeMarco puts each ingredient on himself. His pizza is a New York City legend.
Best Seafood Dish - Vancouver – Alaskan King Crab 5 Ways @ Dynasty Nominated by Mijune Pak During Alaskan king crab season (February through April) tourists and locals flock to experience this famous Alaskan king crab dinner. In this must-try feast, the crab is prepared several ways including steamed garlic crab legs, deep-fried crab knuckles and baked Alaskan king crab fried rice with Portuguese curry sauce.
Best Vegetarian Dish - Paris - Falafel @ L'As du Falaffel Nominated by Mathilde DeWilde The lunchtime line often extends well into the street at L'As du Falaffel, a Kosher Middle Eastern restaurant on a back street in the heart of the Marais, the old Jewish quarter of Paris. Said to be a favorite of rock musician Lenny Kravitz, the “Ace of Falafel” bistro is home to a legendary vegetarian sandwich.
Best Noodles - Bangkok - Pad Thai @ Pad Thai Thip Samai Nominated by Mark Wiens Pad Thai Thip Samai serves this famoud dish from an unassuming storefront in the old district of Phra Nakorn. Chefs use high quality ingredients and still cook over high flaming charcoal to give it a lovely smoky flavor. Soft rice noodles cooked with fat, juicy prawns, bean sprouts and more are flash-wrapped in a paper-thin egg coating.
Best Rice Dish - Singapore – Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Tian Tian Nominated by Catherine Ling Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre has gained international acclaim for its chicken rice which won Anthony Bourdain's approval. The rice is cooked in chicken stock and fat, ginger, garlic and pandan leaves. This is accompanied by the infamous Tian Tian house made chill sauce - that fiery dip that will set your tongue ablaze and yet have you reaching for more. 
Best Sandwich - Seattle – Caribbean Roast Sandwich @ Paseo Nominated by Naomi Bishop
This tiny, cash-only Cuban restaurant is famous for its best seller, the famous No. 2 Caribbean Roast Sandwich. Hunks of succulent, spicy, tender braised pork sit in a crusty, chargrilled baguette, garnished with lashings of garlicky aioli, thick strands of smoky caramelized onions, fresh cilantro, pickled jalapenos and a crisp leaf of romaine.
Best Bird Dish - Hong Kong - Roast Goose @ Yat Lok Nominated by Juliana Loh Yat Lok, a small local shop on Stanley Street, is popular with locals and in-the-know foodies visiting Hong Kong. Anthony Bourdain stopped by in 2007 for his TV show "No Reservations" and gave its roast goose his highest ratings. More than 20 ingredients—brown sugar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, star anise, cloves and more — contribute to its sweet and salty flavors.
Best Bakery Dish- London – Fried Jam Croissant @ Albion Nominated by Niamh Shields This calorie bomb will take your breath away. Wave after wave of flavors hit you -- from the flaky croissant, the fruity jam, the crunch of crystalized sugar and what surely must be an entire stick of butter. As you plan your last meal on the planet, this over-the-top “croissant” should be part of your farewell menu.
REGIONAL WINNERS
Best in Europe - Pide Ustu Doner @ Karadeniz Pide Doner Salonu Nominated by Tuba Satana A carnivore's dream, thin layers of beef and lamb are layered on top of each other and cooked to perfection. Succulent, tender and a little fatty, the meat is shaved from its vertical spit, then served with the pide baked in- house, the pide sucking all the juices of the döner. Fans know to pair it with onions, pickles, tomatoes and peppers, and chasing the savory meat with a glass of ayran, a cold, tangy yogurt beverage.
Best in North America - Franks ‘n’ Dogs – Banh Mi – Chicago Nominated by Karen Valentine The Banh Mi features lemongrass and chicken sausage, pickled daikon and carrots, Sriracha mayo, jalapeno, cilantro and a spicy pickled duck egg. It’s all piled high in an award-winning New England style lobster roll. Made daily by a local baker, it is lightly buttered and toasted to perfection.
Best in Latin America - La Casita Poblano – Mole Poblana – Puebla Nominated by Rebecca Smith The mole cooked up by La Casita Poblana strikes the perfect balance between spicy and sweet. Order it served over chicken breast or thigh. This amazing treat is Chowzter's Tastiest Item in Latin America for 2014. 105 Mexican dollars or £4.50
Best in Asia - Manila – Stuffed Lechón @ Pepita's Kitchen Nominated by Anton Diaz At Pepita’s Kitchen, a dining experience in a private, Makati home, Pepita’s Stuffed Lechón is its shining star. The falling-off-the bone piglet is prepared with various stuffing, including a French stuffing with truffles, Thanh Long de Leche, and such Filipino favorites as Binagoongan and Laing. This amazing treat is Chowzter's Tastiest Item in Asia for 2014. The tasting menu including the lechon is £30.00 roughly
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