What is the best meal you have every eaten?

[Shookethtothecore]

Just that really, either home cooked, restaurant or food hut- anywhere in the world. What’s the best thing you have ever eaten?

I’m sad I can’t have a Katz deli Rueben sandwich everyday and it’s too far for me to go to just for one (New York) although my waist line is probably greatfull

I have had a handful of really expensive "tasting menu" type meals at very high end restaurants (typically you pay more than £100 per head for the food and at least £60 per head for the accompanying wine flight and get circa 7 courses each of only a few mouthfuls of exquisitely prepared taste-sensations). My tastebuds can remember some of the mindblowingly amazing tastes but I would find it hard to put the memories into words and my brain has long-since forgotten the actual names or ingredients of the dishes. I think one of them was aubergine-based and cooked with some kind of technique that combined it with a smokey-sweet nutty-caramel but savoury-unami combination that totally blew my mind. I know I will never taste that exact flavour again but I will certainly do more tasting-menu meals in future and will experience similar levels of deliciousness with new combinations.

Oh also, an honourable mention for some salted caramel ice-cream I once had at the lido in Bristol.

Oh and KihoBebiluPute just reminded me of an amazing meal we had at Coast in Saundersfoot. The standout was an aubergine sambal and then a divine sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

How strange. Reading this thread reminded me of my perfect meal. Travelling in Tanzania and I stopped at a tiny shack restaurant. I was the only customer and the owner asked what I wanted, no menu. He made me a tomato soup on his charcoal burner. The best meal I’ve had!

Honestly it’s probably not the best meal I’ve ever eaten but it’s a meal I could really eat right now - my mums creamy tomato pasta 😂

Flew to Beirut for a long weekend with friends in May 2019 (live in the region so a quick hop) and went to an out of the way Lebanese restaurant for lunch. The fresh grills, salads, hummus, tabouleh, breads and olive oil with bottles of the local Ksara rose wine, in a sunny courtyard shaded by leaves and gardenia flowers, chatting nonsense with nowhere to be, will always be a stand out.

We were convinced the only other people there, a couple, tucked away in the corner, were having a secret rendezvous! Sadly, don't know if it exists anymore after last year's blast and with the pandemic, it feels like a very long time ago now.

The seafood soup at l’ami Jean in Paris followed by a steak with rosemary burnt over the top.

Place marking to read all this later!!

River Cottage canteen in Bath when it was there. I had tomato and basil soup, my friend had a lovely salad and we shared a chocolate and beetroot brownie. My sister had tea and scones as she’s a bit of a selective eater, but enjoyed them.

When I was 21 my grandpa took me to a special dinner at his club (he's quite well-off). It was about 8-10 courses, something bonkers like that, and they were all amazing, but the best was a little fillet steak. I literally didn't know anything could taste that good. Still the best thing I've ever eaten.

My exBIL’s amazing bouillabaisse. He was French, and lived on the coast. I miss him!

Duck rillettes on fresh bread outside at a restaurant in the Dordogne

My grandma's Sunday dinner I miss it so much.

A fancy meal though that was amazing was at Le Manoir restaurant for a special occasion, will never be able to afford it again 🤣 but the flavours were just mind blowing.

Canadian poutine, on the ski slopes at Whistler, about 10am in the morning and slightly hungover. Chips, cheese & gravy, made like only the Canadian can, definitely set me up for a day on the slopes!

I don't think I'm that into food.

Coz honestly plain cucumber can taste divine if you're hungry enough. The best meal of my life was sometime when I was extremely hungry. I can't remember the food, only how wonderful it was to have it.

Weston super mare beach. Fresh cockles black pepper and vinegar sat on the beach. Divine.

@lljkk

I don't think I'm that into food.

Coz honestly plain cucumber can taste divine if you're hungry enough. The best meal of my life was sometime when I was extremely hungry. I can't remember the food, only how wonderful it was to have it.

I can get that tbh. I'm remembering the lunch in hospital they gave me after DD was born. It was baby pasta in clear broth (Italian hospitals give everybody this and it's what babies are weaned on) Fuck me it was good. I didn't realise till I started slurping it how hungry I was.

@Kinsters, the best ice-cream I've ever tasted was from a van in Buckingham palace gardens No ice-cream I have ever had here (don't tell them) has ever come close. It was blackberry and iirc clotted cream. Expensive and worth three times as much again.

No idea of the actual name of the dish but squid tubes stuffed with spicy minced pork at a restaurant in Thailand. Just delicious!

Crab claws at Catch in NYC, tasted amazing and were as big as a baby's arm

Fish and chips, well salted and vinegar'd, between two thick slices of bread and butter, in Glasgow police cell when I was 15. I'd run away from home and was caught. When it was time for me to be picked up (by angry Dad), I had to leave a third of it behind, always regretted that. I can taste and smell it to this day.

Thick white sliced buttery toast, strong tea and sugar and a side order of newborn. Served by a midwife at Barnsley hospital, nearly 13 years ago. So good I went back again 3 years later.