What to Know When Looking for Restaurants Abroad
One of the reasons why I love to travel is because I get to try new foods. I’m a huge
foodie, and planning where I’m going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (without
forgetting snacks, desserts, and drinks, of course) is the highlight of my intense itinerary
planning. Landing at your destination with a full day packed of activities, sight-seeing,
and eating is what makes traveling fun.
So, imagine my disappointment when I planned a full day of travel based on the
restaurants I was going to visit, and either the food wasn’t to my liking or the
establishment was closed. This is why doing your research is important. If, like me, food
is the most important part of your trip, here is my guide to finding restaurants abroad.
Become a Local
Every country has their preferred method of online researching. Whether it be a different
search engine, review app, social media, or community forum, chances are, the locals
have their way of looking for restaurants. The best first step to finding your next dinner
reservation is to become a local. Research what kind of online websites, apps, and
forums the locals use to get the best insight on where to go.
For instance, I’m American and typically rely on the Google search engine to look up
restaurants near me. I also use the food review app, Yelp, to find restaurant ratings and
reviews, as well as the social media platform Reddit to read community posts about
eateries I want to visit.
Doing your research online to find these platforms and educating yourself on the
different types of sources you can use will serve as a huge benefit in making sure you’re
finding legitimate restaurants. In our current day and age, social media is another great
option to use when looking for local resources. Or, if you know anyone that’s visited the
place you’re planning on traveling to, reaching out to those experts can give you
real-time help.
The first step to finding restaurants and eateries abroad is to learn about the area and
become a local.
Language Barriers
Oftentimes when you’re traveling abroad, you face troubling language barriers that
prevent you from finding the appropriate information you need. Navigating language
barriers is something that most travelers face, and you’re not alone. If some of the apps
and online resources you’ve found through your local transformation are only accessible
in a different language, the best thing to do as a tourist is familiarizing yourself with
translation apps.
As I mentioned above, each country uses different websites and platforms. For
example, when Google Translate is lacking, Naver Papago serves as South Korea’s
main translation service. For English-to-Korean translations, using Papago would be
your best bet to getting the most accurate translations and communication service.
Researching which translation machine to use and using it to translate certain
webpages will help you navigate online language complications.
Another trick I like to do is translating the page fully to find keywords, reverting the page
back to its original language, and copy-and-pasting the keyword separately into my
search engine. This allows you to access more specific information on the key terms
you’re looking for. Although this can get tedious, as an international traveler, it’s up to
you to make sure you know what to look for.
Reviews and Scams
No one likes to get scammed, and some reviews don’t always lead you to the right
place. Avoiding scams is a tricky topic for another time, but making sure you know what
information to have can help.
Every culture is different; writing reviews is approached differently in every culture, too.
In Japan, many restaurants will have low ratings, not for the food quality, but for the
cleanliness and service. You don’t need to sit there and translate every single review to
know if the food you’re about to eat will be good or bad, but you’ll notice, after
translating a few, that many food reviews in Japan focus on the environment of the
eatery. These cultural differences are important to note when looking for your next meal
abroad.
Scams work differently in every country, too, and just being informed by doing your
research is the best way to know what to do and what to look for.
Tips and Tricks
My biggest tips and tricks for people looking for restaurants abroad is to immerse
yourself in that area’s culture, whether global or national. Do your research, read
reviews, and think critically about what’s being said.
Have fun finding food abroad, and learn more about cultural food education here!