"Away From The Tourist Traps, The Food Was Just Off The Charts": Gordon Ramsay Shared His Favorite 3 Countries To Visit For The Best Food
"I get to challenge my palate by traveling all over the world and finding the best locations."
Recently, while on a trip to Seoul to visit his new pizza restaurant, Street Pizza, Gordon Ramsay stopped to chat with YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon.
![screencap of interview with Cho Seung-yeon and Gordon Ramsay](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/1854a3e3d2bb/sub-buzz-2937-1670874080-15.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
In an interview titled "Gordon Ramsay on UK food's terrible reputation" (lol), the two talked about everything from the obsession around celebrity chefs to his tips for finding good food in London.
![Gordon Ramsay on the red carpet](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/3427e8fc6805/sub-buzz-2333-1670874106-13.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
At one point, Cho asked Ramsay, "Where would you say is the No. 1 food destination?" And Ramsay, who has won a total of 18 Michelin Stars throughout his career, named three countries (well, two countries and one city):
Destination No. 1: Laos. "I recently came out of Laos," he said. "Going back to the provinces and spending time in the countryside, away from the tourist traps, the food was just off the charts."
![Aerial photograph of UNESCO heritage town of Luang Prabang in Laos, southeast Asia](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/1854a3e3d2bb/sub-buzz-2941-1670874217-10.jpg)
Destination No. 2: Vietnam. "Extraordinary melting pot of great food. I fell in love. Such a humble approach to eating incredible food," he said.
![Beautiful sunset of Saigon skyline, aerial view of Business and Administrative District](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/02ee823cd8d4/sub-buzz-3443-1670874241-15.jpg)
Destination No. 3: Spain. Or, more specifically, Madrid. "There's so many exciting things going on in Madrid as well," he said.
![Social gathering in Madrid center with the views of the business district of Madrid, Spain](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/3427e8fc6805/sub-buzz-2329-1670874260-16.jpg)
"I get to challenge my palate by traveling all over the world and finding the best locations," Ramsay added to Cho. "But, yeah, Laos. Beautiful."
![screencap of interview with Cho Seung-yeon and Gordon Ramsay](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/02ee823cd8d4/sub-buzz-3466-1670874442-1.jpg)
Laos — a country in Southeast Asia that borders Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and China — is maybe best known for larb (alternatively spelled "laap," a meat salad), tam muk muang (a green papaya salad), and sticky rice.
![plate of larb salad on table in Laos](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2022-12/12/19/asset/ca080e2c362a/sub-buzz-5941-1670874288-18.jpg)