Ever wanted to know what travel tips food people have up their sleeves? The beautiful and talented Nina Karnikowski interviewed a host of chefs and food people including Christine Manfield, Sepia's Martin Benn and Saskia Beer...oh and me! For our top tips on eating well on the road.

MELISSA LEONG FOOD WRITER AND HOST OF SBS THE CHEF'S LINE

FOOD AND TRAVEL GO PERFECTLY TOGETHER BECAUSE…

Food is the easiest way to dip a toe in the proverbial water when experiencing a new place. It's a historical, emotional connection to the place you're in and it has a great capacity to bring back memories long after you've returned home.

MY LAST GREAT FOOD AND TRAVEL EXPERIENCE WAS…

My elopement and honeymoon in the US earlier this year, which included eating the best tacos of my life in the back of a Mexican supermarket in the Yucca Valley in California, swilling too many Negronis at a dive bar in LA, and trying turtle Bolognaise in New Orleans.

MY GREATEST EVER FOOD AND TRAVEL EXPERIENCE WAS…

My first trip to Sri Lanka several years ago. I spent two-and-a-half weeks travelling the island, eating string hoppers and seeni sambol for breakfast, crab curry at sunset in Galle, learning about Ayurvedic food-as-medicine in the jungle, and cooking grilled meats over coconut charcoal.

MY NEXT FOOD AND TRAVEL TRIP IS TO...

Singapore. My family and heritage is there, but more importantly, so is some of the most exciting food happening in the world right now.

I KNOW THIS AMAZING LITTLE PLACE IN...

Rural Tasmania where you can get the best sushi and sashimi. Chef Masaaki at Masaaki's Sushi moved from Japan to Geeveston (about 90 minutes south of Hobart) – he's an avid surfer and fisherman, is always cheerful, and his food is always clean and ocean fresh. Worth the pilgrimage.

THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD FOR FOOD IS...

A hotly contentious subject! If I had to answer (in no particular order) Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Australia, Singapore and the US.

THE BEST CITY IN THE WORLD FOR FOOD IS...

New York. You could eat too many meals a day for decades and never be able to eat everywhere. The sheer diversity and breadth of cuisine, calibre and genre is mind blowing.

AIRLINE FOOD IS...Fantastic at the pointy end of the plane, but is always better across the board in Asia.
Read more: http://www.traveller.com.au/the-hot-food-list-2017-qa-gzbopq#ixzz53DenRW9V
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