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World’s Best Street Food
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World’s Best Street Food
Street cooks are magicians: With little more than a cart and a griddle, mortar, or deep-fryer, they conjure up not just a delicious snack or meal but the very essence of a place. Bite into a banh mi—the classic Vietnamese sandwich of grilled pork and pickled vegetables encased in a French baguette—and you taste Saigon: traditional Asia tinged with European colonialism. What better proves the culinary genius of Tuscany than the elevation of a humble ingredient like tripe into a swoon-worthy snack? To sample merguez sausage in Marrakesh’s central square is to join a daily ritual that has persisted for centuries.
Sadly, street food has acquired a reputation as a potential trip-wrecker, which means too many travelers leave, say, Singapore without having a steaming bowl of fish head curry or a few skewers of saté. No one wants to get sick, but avoiding street food means denying yourself an essential part of the travel experience. So peruse our list of some of the world’s best street food vendors, and don’t be afraid to try something new. But pack a little Pepto—just in case.
The dish: Banh mi
Where to find the best: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Word on the street: It takes almost no time for the peddler who sets up her tiny cart and knee-high charcoal brazier every weekday at 5 pm at 37 Nguyen Trai Street (in District 1) to turn you into a banh mi lover. As soon as you order, she swiftly assembles a sandwich that, despite its colonial French exterior (a stubby baguettelike loaf), is Vietnamese through and through. Peel back the newspaper wrapper and bite: Your teeth crash through the bread (a touch of rice flour makes it exceptionally crispy) and into still-warm morsels of grilled pork, a crunchy spear of cucumber, sweet-tangy shreds of pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and a smear of Vietnamese mayo. Add a squirt of hot sauce, and this might be the best sandwich you’ve ever had. Or at least the best one you’ve ever had for 30 cents.
The dish: Tacos
Where to find the best: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Word on the street: The taco is made for snackers on the move, the invention, supposedly, of itinerant Mexican cowboys who relished the convenience of an edible plate. Given its modest origins, it’s no surprise that when connoisseurs nominate their favorite taco spots, they’re more likely to name street corners than proper restaurants. This is especially true in San Miguel de Allende, an artsy colonial city about four hours north of the capital. At night, when the expats and tourists are headed home from their fancy dinners, street vendors are just warming up their griddles. The best taco peddler sets up on the corner of Calle de Mesones and Pepe Llanos, just a short walk from the main square (look for the floodlights illuminating a mass of happy people gathered around a cart). Order up a few tacos al pastor, and watch as one of the cooks carves off some hunks from a block of red-tinged pork cooking on a vertical spit, presses them into a double layer of delicate corn tortillas—each no larger than a CD—and splashes it with an exhilaratingly tart and salty pineapple salsa. Just a few bites obliterate each taco, leaving behind a slick of sauce and grease on your hands and lips. Pity the sleeping gringos.
The dish: Tripe sandwiches
Where to find the best: Florence, Italy
Word on the street: Florentines adore their traditional peasant dishes, shining examples of how Tuscan ingenuity can transform even the humblest ingredients into the sublime. Take tripe, for instance: Even if you’re not an avid consumer of cow stomach, when you’re in Florence we urge you to close your eyes, take a bite, and become a convert. Florentines stew their tripe with garlic and aromatics until meltingly tender, then tuck it into a crusty roll and enliven it with either chile-laced red sauce or a zippy salsa verde made with capers, parsley, and anchovies. Everyone has a favorite spot, such as Civiltà della Trippa, a stand in the northwest part of Florence, or the cart in the Piazzale di Porta Romana run by a seasonally inclined fellow who adds artichokes to his sandwiches during the spring. Before you know it, you’ll be ordering yours bagnato—dipped in the tripe’s cooking liquid—as many locals do.
The dish: Green papaya salad
Where to find the best: Bangkok, Thailand
Word on the street: It’s a siren song for most Thais, the pop-pop-pop of shredded green papaya being bruised by a stone pestle. The sound signals the presence of som tam, a salad that showcases the quartet of flavors—salty, sweet, sour, and spicy—that epitomize Thai cuisine. Som tam is a tangle of crisp, unripe papaya, peanuts, and dried shrimp, tossed in a lip-tingling dressing of fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice, then crammed, to-go style, into a plastic bag. You’ll find it all over Bangkok, but the quintessential version is found just off Phaholyothin Soi 7, a busy street in the Soi Ari neighborhood packed with vendors—seek out the cart whose window flaunts stacks of shredded papaya and tomatoes, plus a coiling bunch of long beans. More daring chowhounds should seek out the style of som tam popular in Isaan, Thailand’s Northeastern region, where many think the dish originated. Stop by the open-air haunt called Foon Talop, in the Chatuchak Weekend Market, where the salad is made with pla ra, a supremely funky, murky fish sauce whose flavor you won’t soon forget.
The dish: Currywurst
Where to find the best: Berlin, Germany
Word on the street: Germany has perhaps as many sausages as France has cheeses, so naturally, Berlin’s favorite street treat involves Wurst. But currywurst is no New York–style hot dog: A dense, juicy 13″ sausage cut into chunks, it lounges in a puddle of ketchup spiked with curry powder and paprika. The lovably odd, decidedly local snack was the creation, legend has it, of a clumsy Wurst peddler who dropped the containers of ketchup and curry powder that she was carrying and licked the fortuitously tasty spillage from her fingers. In any case, the snack mirrors modern Berlin: traditional yet cosmopolitan, and perfect for a long night of carousing. The best of the Wurst spots make their own sauce, including the exalted Krasselt’s in the Steglitz area and Konnopke’s in Prenzlauer Berg. But wherever you end up ordering it, wash it down with a cold pint of Warsteiner.
The dish: Just about any Asian food you can imagine
Where to find the best: Singapore
Word on the street: Singapore is Asia’s melting pot, populated by Chinese, Indonesians, Indians, and Malays—a culinary dream team that makes Singaporean street food the most diverse and celebrated on earth. And the safest: All sidewalk chefs here work in “hawker centers,” little open-air venues where the government enforces its strict health codes. At the Old Airport Road Food Centre, you’ll find Indian-style fish head curry bubbling away at one stand and Hainanese chicken rice—stuffed with scallions and ginger, poached, and served with sticky rice—at the next. The Matter Road Seafood Barbecue stall specializes in Singapore’s celebrated chile crabs, which come slathered in a garlicky, fiery, prepare-to-get-messy paste. Toa Payoh Rojak deals only in rojak, an inspired salad of pineapple, cucumber, and other fruits and vegetables dressed in a bracing syrup made with tamarind and shrimp paste. Naturally, the plethora of options has inspired some serious connoisseurs, most famously K.F. Seetoh, whose Makansutra site is a well-respected guide to Singapore’s best vendors.
The dish: Bhel puri
Where to find the best: Mumbai, India
Word on the street: It only makes sense that India, a continent-size country with five major religions and 16 official languages, would have countless beloved snacks. But the chaat (as they’re known) of choice in the food-crazy city of Mumbai is bhel puri, a deceptively simple jumble of puffed rice, sev (tiny fried noodles), potato, red onion, and cilantro. Just before serving, the puri is ignited by a spicy tamarind chutney that not only rouses the palate but moistens the rice and sev to a texture that teeters between crunchy and soft. Chowpatty Beach, in Back Bay, is Mumbai’s street food mecca and where you’ll spoon up the city’s best bhel puri to the soundtrack of wallahs loudly advertising their edible wares. They may tempt you to also try pav bhaji (Portuguese-style bread served with a butter-bombed mash of vegetables cooked in tomato paste) or kulfi, India’s famous dense ice cream. Go for it—but be aware that Chowpatty is also known for being one of the less pristine spots in Mumbai. So for a taste of chaat with less risk of gastrointestinal distress, head about a mile north to the well-loved restaurant Swati Snacks, opposite Bhatia Hospital, which uses filtered water.
The dish: Frites
Where to find the best: Brussels, Belgium
Word on the street: Don’t blame us when Brussels destroys your tolerance for soggy, limp, or otherwise lacking French fries. Fried potatoes here are no sidekick to a burger—they’re the main event, sold in paper cones with a dollop of mayonnaise at little kiosks all over the city. Belgium claims—much to the frustration of the French—to have invented what we know as the French fry. The best frites stands, such as Frit’ Flagey (in Place Flagey) or Maison Friterie Antoine (in Place Jourdan), use only Bintje potatoes—a local variety that seems born for the deep-fryer—and cook them twice in clean peanut oil or beef fat (horse fat, thankfully, is no longer used). The result is a batch of impossibly airy, crisp, surprisingly greaseless fries that—whether crowned with mayo, tartar sauce, pineapple-spiked ketchup, or any of the other ten or so sauces offered—will ruin you for the inadequate kind waiting for you back home.
The dish: Arepas
Where to find the best: Cartagena, Colombia
Word on the street: Colombia might be the only Latin American country where rice is more important than corn. But Colombians have a special place in their heart for the cornmeal cakes they call arepas. If you’ve never had the pleasure, imagine corn bread with a more delicate crumb that’s been flattened into a pancake, filled with cheese or egg, and griddled or fried to form a brown, crispy crust. Each bite sends butter streaking down your chin and, for Colombians, inspires memories of abuela at the stove. For the best, fly down to Cartegena and seek out the Restaurante Club De Pesca in the Manga neighborhood. But you won’t find them on the menu there—it’s one of the fanciest places in town. Instead, head to the nearby soccer field, where a gaggle of ladies sell carimañolas (yuca fritters filled with ground beef), empanadas, and most importantly, those fabulous arepas.
The dish: Jerk pork and jerk chicken
Where to find the best: Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Word on the street: Jerk has changed quite a bit since its invention in the 17th century by the escaped slaves known as Maroons. These freedom fighters (and early gourmets) subsisted on wild boar while they were fighting the British, and to preserve the meat they rubbed it with a mixture of spices. Today, the aromatic blend has developed to include allspice, nutmeg, thyme, and Scotch bonnet chiles. But you see chicken more often than pork, and grills made from oil drums instead of traditional wood fires. That’s why anyone visiting the North Coast resort town of Ocho Rios should take the quick 12-mile trip to the valley of Faith’s Pen (about 12 miles south on Highway A3, just past the little town of St. Faith). Dozens of roadside stalls here serve perfect renditions of jerk pork loin (and chicken, if you insist). Smoke from the pimento wood intensifies the already-energetic spices and creates a tasty crust surrounding the juicy flesh. And you thought you’d find heaven on Jamaica’s beaches!
The dish: Sheep’s head
Where to find the best: Marrakesh, Morocco
Word on the street: During the day, Jemaa el-Fna, the main square of Marrakesh’s medina, is flanked by juice carts and filled with covered stalls selling lamps, bags, and other crafts. But as the sun begins to set and the oppressive Saharan heat abates, these wares give way to edibles. Almost 100 open kitchens take over, their proprietors setting up lights and tables, and a haze of smoke hangs above the vast square. What’s on the menu? Grilled merguez sausage, meat and vegetable brochettes of every variety, and pots of harira, the hearty lentil, chickpea, and vegetable soup that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan. But the street-food-lover’s holy grail is the luscious meat scraped from a whole sheep’s head and served with crusty Moroccan bread and sprinkled with a mixture of cumin and salt. It’s a dish almost as thrilling as the surrounding scene, a stage crowded with busy cooks and happy diners as well as acrobats, snake charmers, and mystical musicians.
from: concierge.com
The electric vehicle market is growing rapidly. 2018 saw record numbers of new registrations in December alone, with over 65,000 EV’s purchased. We normally associate electric vehicles with mid-range manufacturers such as Nissan, but luxury manufacturers are now entering the market themselves. Grange vehicles, who offer the stunning Jaguar E-Pace, are taking a look at five of the best luxury electric cars on the market today.
1) Tesla Model S
Tesla is a household name when it comes to EV’s and the Model S is world famous. According to Tesla’s official site, the company is ‘accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. The Model S offers a hugely impressive 370-miles range and its Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive makes it a perfect drive in all weather conditions. Filled with an abundance of cutting-edge technology and an extremely spacious seating plan, this vehicle is the epitome of luxury.
2) Jaguar I-Pace
The Jaguar logo is instantly recognizable all over the world. Synonymous with great design, Jaguar is a brand that commands respect. Known for its power, the Jaguar may not be the first to roll off the tongue when you think about electric vehicles. However, the Jaguar I-Pace offers a superb 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds and offers up to 292 miles WLTP cycle. With amazing weight distribution, its electric motors deliver 696Nm of instant torque and sports car agility. The multi-award-winning model was named 2019 World Green Car and 2019 World Car Design of the Year at this year’s World Car Awards. You can build the car to your own spec, or if you want a more budget-friendly model, a used Jaguar may be the better option.
3) Aston Martin Rapide E
The battery-powered Aston Martin Rapide E is perfect (if you have a spare £250,000)! Replacing the 552bhp 6.0-litre, V12 found in the engine bay of the Rapide S is a battery packing 800 volts and a 65khw capacity which will allow the equivalent of 602bhp. With a range of up to 310 miles, this car won’t see you stuck as is so often the presumption (albeit it an archaic presumption). It will feature two electric motors which will drive a rear wheel each via an Xtract-developed transmission.
4) Range Rover P400e
Although the P400e isn’t fully electric, the hybrid offers all of the benefits of an EV combined with the off-road abilities of Range Rover. It was first unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year. It can be driven in parallel hybrid mode, which combines both petrol and electric and is the default driving mode, or EV mode, which is perfect for zero emission journeys. It symbolizes the shift from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric, with Jaguar Land Rover to offer an electrified option by next year.
5) Porsche Taycan
In 2015, Porsche revealed it’s first electric car concept, the Mission E but now the full production version has hit the dealerships. The Taycan is set to be a highly premium electric car that’s set to rival Tesla’s Model S. It’s set to be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and is to lead the way for Porsche’s attack on the electric vehicle sector, with the likes of the Macan to be transformed into a fully electric offering.
The Taycan’s capabilities will see it able to reach 62mph in under 3.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 155mph. The move won’t allow Porsche to lose its roots however, according to Oliver Blume, chairman of the Porsche executive board. He said: “We are resolutely taking on the challenge of electric mobility. Even with solely battery-powered sports cars, Porsche is remaining true to its philosophy and offering our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment.” The success of the electric vehicle market will undoubtedly revolutionize the automotive industry as a whole. Additionally, an increase in related services such as EV charging from suppliers such as Northern Powergrid has meant that the market can continue to grow. It’s clear that all car manufacturers, no matter what their status, have electric vehicles firmly in their sights. As the concept becomes more popular, prices will likely decrease and technology will continue to improve.
Businesses now use 3D printers and 3d printing services to bring product prototypes to life and present ideas in a visual manner. However, as the technology becomes more accessible, consumers are also beginning to purchase the item. 3D printers, along with drones, are among the most desired gadgets. Some experts believe that each household will own one. The possibility that these printers provide is limited only by one’s imagination.
Smartphone Accessories
Many 3D printer enthusiasts use the device to create their accessories for smartphones or tablets. Although the process may require learning some design techniques, people can download a template design or modify existing ideas to create something unique and personalized. The items for smartphones do not end in just cases. If you can think it and draw it, you can create and print it, including items such as tripods, phone stands, hands-free devices for cars, accessories to hide the phone cables, macro lenses, and much more.
Model Cars
Another idea is to print model cars and start a 3D printed collection. Car manufacturers are starting to allow the filtering of 3D technology into their production process. For example, Ford fanatics can download files from an authorized online store and print a 3D model version. The Ford Motor Company recently launched an online store specializing in images and files associated with 3D printing that provided enthusiasts with access to create models of a Ford Mustang GT350R, among other car models.
3D printing does raise questions about the ethics and legality of printing replicated and patent-protected items. For example, is it legal or ethical to print a Mickey Mouse figurine for your kids to play with without Disney’s consent? Some companies such as Honda decided to embrace the technology and move past the problems by taking the initiative of allowing enthusiasts access to printing such items. The Honda 3D website is not just limited to cars. The site includes the ability for site visitors to print items including anime-like Puyo and Fuya-jo designs.
Movie Props
Another cool idea is to print props from your favorite movies. A great example of a massive cult-like following is Star Wars and the possibility of printing a Stormtrooper helmet or other movie props. The helmet from Episode VII is available for download, and these Stormtrooper or imperial soldier designs keep an original feel while also providing one’s own personality to be incorporated into the design. The options also include the Crossguard Lightsaber shown in the latest movie, Master Yoda, and even the Death Star. The level of personalization and customization is just not possible without the advent of 3D printing technology. Also, the printing of accessories can add details for any custom-made costume.
The growing popularity of 3D printers and 3d printing services creates scenarios where these types of projects are more common. Therefore, companies need to revisit their idea on patents and strike a balance between protecting their intellectual property and providing the marketplace with what consumers want. As printing popularity grows, different industries and categories of products will emerge. One of these is sustainable 3D printing and the use of environmentally-friendly components. Those who are interested in such type of products can look toward the Q1 2018 Sustainable Funds Review, as these types of investments in alternatives will help create new emerging markets. The future is green, and 3D printing can be part of it.
An aquarium would make a valuable addition to any household, big or small; however, they can be a daunting task for anyone who is new to the wonderful world of tropical & coldwater fish. For any fish beginners, an ideal starting point would be a simple 10 gallon aquarium with a few goldfish and the odd plastic plant and tank decoration thrown in for good measure. There is a wide range of beginners guides to owning an aquarium available on Amazon; online aquarium supply companies, such as Joes Aquatic World, will provide you with everything you need to create your ideal aquatic environment for your tropical & coldwater friends.
As time goes by, you will find yourself wanting to gradually improve your aquarium by either adding more fish or increasing the size of your aquarium. If you are in need of some ideas about how far you can push the boundaries of your aquarium, then look no further because we have compiled a list of some of the most extreme aquariums known to man.
THE LABYRINTH AQUARIUM
 
Somewhat reminiscent of a gerbil cage, this aptly-titled Labyrinth Aquarium has 6 individual globes that are all connected by tubes. It also has its own ambient lighting to create the perfect glow for your aquarium. Be warned, it will set you back a little over £6,000!
JELLYFISH AQUARIUM
 
This desktop jellyfish aquarium is highly unconventional, primarily because keeping jellyfish as a pet is incredibly difficult. This is mainly a result of the inherent fragility of jellyfish, which are at risk of being killed by incorrect filtration equipment. The unique design of this aquarium ensures that jellyfish are kept in the centre of the tank and safely away from water inlets, which makes it the perfect desktop accessory.
AQUARIUM COFFEE TABLE
 
This innovative and eye-catching aquarium-coffee-table hybrid is guaranteed to catch the eye of anyone that comes across it.  It is available in four different colours- beech, rosewood, silver, and black, and it is sure to give pleasure to both you and your aquarium inhabitants.
AQUADOM, BERLIN RADISSON BLU HOTEL
 
Although you could never hope of owning this magnificent aquarium for yourself, you can certainly sit back and admire its sheer opulence and beauty. The AquaDom is a living-art installation that is located within the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin, Germany. It features a 1 million gallon aquatic cylinder, which contains an elevator made of pure glass! This will allow you to truly immerse yourself in an aquatic environment that would only be possible at home if you jumped in the bath with your troupe of goldfish
Betting is now a major pastime; whether its passing a few spare minutes or sitting down to a poker game, and with so many online casinos offering dizzying welcome bonuses, what is there to stop you?
There are all sorts of novelty bets out there – you just need to ask your local bookie. It can be whether your kid will be a footballer, who will win the next election or how many days the latest fad celeb marriage will last. It’s all worked out on probability statistics, so essentially you can bet on anything. After wading through some of the most unusual bets in history we’ve come up with our favourite three.
A Welshmans Accumulator
In 1989 an anonymous Welshman placed an accumulator bet at his local bookies on three different situations. He was offered odds of 6479/1 that they would all come true, promptly paid in £30 (£10 to each situation) and went on his way.
The novelty bets he placed were these: that Cliff Richard would be knighted before the year 2000, that U2 would stay together past the year 2000 and that Eastenders and Neighbours would stay on the BBC until at least 2000. After 11 years he wandered back into the bookies with a faded betting slip asking that he could collect his winnings they came to £194,400, the largest ever payout on a novelty bet.
Iowa Bet
Renowned high-stakes gambler John Hennigan is known just as much for his betting ability as he is for his infamous night life in Vegas. After some particularly hair-raising shenanigans, friends bet him $100,000 that he could live in Des Moines, Iowa; the place they considered the most boring ever. The bet was duly accepted with the usual macho pride and this will be easy attitude, but after just 2 days Hennigan returned to Vegas with his tail between his legs and paid out his bet to his friends.
Life Savings Bet
You’d have to be crazy to sell everything and bet your entire lifes worth, right? Well Kent resident Ashley Revell, aged 32, bet his life savings in 2004 on a single turn of the roulette wheel. Placing £76,840 that the ball would land on red in a Vegas casino he won a cool £153,680.
Casinos like spinit casino can definitely be lucky for some, but we certainly wouldn’t suggest betting your life if not for the sole fact that your wife might not be too happy. What are the weirdest bets you’ve ever placed?
Performance artist Nate Hill is at it again with his Punch Me Panda project. In this community service experiment, Nate travels around New York City, offering strangers the chance to hit him for a penny as a way for them to release pent up emotions.
The Wall Street Journal has a fantastic photo essay and article at the link below.
Wall Street Journal: “Punch Me Pandaâ€
Nate Hill has reincarnated! Earlier this year, the artist had himself a Manhattan walkabout (and Tweetfest) as a masked, 100% white-clad Mr. Dropout, “detachment walking†through the city in his “cocoon,†meditating and kind of resembling this LES character. Then he went “missing.†And now, he’s back as Punch Me Panda. It’s a panda. You can punch it.
It will cost you a penny per punch. Servicing Brooklyn this November, Punch Me Panda (a homeless Bronx Zoo escapee) will virtually become your anger outlet. He’ll come to your house by appointment when New York is getting you down and you can punch at it with boxing gloves. Sounds like a socially beneficial and potentially life-threatening endeavor. Unlike Death Bear that mostly attracted girls, this is more “man friendly.†Let the unisex rage expulsion begin!
You are here: Home / Cool Stories / Stats should find Grand National winner
Stats should find Grand National winner
We’re just two weeks away from the world’s greatest horse race – one in which the inhabitants of the UK gamble somewhere between £150m and £200m each year!
Most people simply pick out a name they like and cheer their selection on in front of the TV; it’s a British tradition. This is partly because the race is traditionally seen as one that pretty much any hose can win. And when you consider the enormous fences that have to be jumped over four and a half miles of turf, with 40 horses in the race each year – it’s easy to see where that belief comes from. And there have been plenty of very long-shot winners over the years.
But actually, if you analyse the statistics of the winners of the race – you can narrow the field down quite markedly yet still retain a few long-shot bets.
For example, over the last three decades, 80% of winners have been aged 9, 10 or 11 and the average weight carried by the winner over that period is 10st-08¾lbs. Yet still some of the closest-priced favourites have well over 11stones.
Then when you consider that four out of every five winners during recent years had run over hurdles in the season in which they won the Grand National, that all the last ten winners of the race had previously won a race worth £17k or more, and had run over fences at least ten times and that they’d all previously won over at least three miles – it narrows the field right down.
This takes a bit of work, but is well worth the effort if you’re planning to have a bet on the Grand National.
And if you are planning to, it’s also worth doing so early. This means placing an ante-post bet which also means you run the risk of losing your stake entirely should you selection not take part in the race for any reason. But the prices of the leading contenders tend to get marked right down on the day with the bookmakers – so it’s often worth the risk.
It’s also worth considering making your bet on an exchange, like Betfair, for example. Here, there is no traditional bookmaker – it’s simply an exchange; a market of buyers and sellers like any other and the odds generally tend to be better (but not always so it’s worth double-checking this information first).