Eat like a chef overseas: Top picks and tips

• Inspiration seekers: chefs on tour

Talk to anyone who's been overseas recently and they'll gush about life-changing attractions, luxury accommodation and how they partied until they lost their passport. But chat with a travelling food lover and you'll receive an insight into a foreign culture. Hold on to this collection of chefs' favourite places to eat overseas for future use – or just say "Phuket" and book a trip now.

Benjamin Cooper – Singapore

The Chinatown Complex Food Centre (335 Smith Street, Chinatown Complex) has a couple of little craft beer stands inside the market and most of the food stands have been run by the same family for decades.

Must try: An oyster omelette – because eggs plus oysters plus chilli sauce have no right to taste that good.

Travel tip: If you're going to go somewhere that has a cuisine that you've not really experienced much before, try and find restaurants at home that serve it before you go.

Neil Perry – San Sebastian

Etxebarri I think is my favourite restaurant in the world (Plaza de San Juan, 1 48291 Atxondo, Biscay). It's essentially an old farmhouse that they've jazzed up over the years with breath-taking cooking.

Must try: The smoked triple zero beluga caviar, if it's there. The first time we visited 14 years ago we said, "who would cook caviar?" It was just mind blowing.

Travel tip: Find some bloggers that you like, see what they think about the restaurants you're interested in and then make the most of those like-minded people.

Scott Pickett – New York

I would go to The NoMad (1170 Broadway). It's the sister restaurant to the hotel part of Eleven Madison Park. The food's spectacular, the service is great and it's not that expensive. It's just quintessential New York.

Must try: They do a seafood platter on an afternoon tea stand and you get all of this produce that you can't get in Australia.

Travel tip: Don't just go for the most expensive restaurants – price point doesn't always equate to quality.

Christine Manfield – Turkey

Limon Cafe (Yalı Mevkii no. 1) is in a town called Gumusluk Bay on the Bodrum Peninsula and it's just phenomenal. It's set in a wild garden that cascades across the hill looking straight out at the ocean. They do the most sublime organic breakfasts, lunches and sunset cocktails looking straight out to Kalymnos, the Greek island.

Must try: The Turkish breakfast plate. It's all the classics like white cheese, cucumber and tomatoes unlike anything you can get here.

Travel tip: Be really prudent with what you take and always leave space in case you find something you want to bring home.

Jerry Mai – Vietnam

There's a place I go to in Vietnam every year and it gets bigger and bigger each time. It's full of locals drinking away and there's food everywhere. A local recommended it to me about four or five years ago. I'm going to regret sharing this one day, but it's called Lang Nuong Nam Bo, District 10 in Ho Chi Minh City (283-285/145 Cach Mang Thang 8).

Must try: The best suckling pig I've ever had in my life.

Travel tip: If you go a couple of laneways away from a city's main street, you'll find some of the best local food ever.

Vicki Wild – Tokyo

The chef at Jimbocho Den is amazing (2-2-32 Kanda-Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku). His name is Zaiyu Hasegawa, and he's actually coming out to cook with us early next year. He does a really left-of-centre, kaiseki-style menu but it's very hard to get a booking.

Must try: We love the ikura, the salmon roe.

Travel tip: Book in advance. Especially in Japan, if you leave it until you get there, you'll miss out. Even if you're staying at a hotel, get the concierge to book for you.

Lance Rosen – Texas

There's a place in Belton called Miller's Smokehouse – completely off the beaten track (208 N Penelope Street). The brisket was as good as the famous Franklin Barbecue and Mama Miller makes desserts. They even loaded us up with peach cobbler and pie for the road because we had a long drive ahead – real southern hospitality.

Must try: They do this dish called Fire in the Bowl. It's home-made sausage piled with pulled pork, brisket, beans and then they put Frito chips on it, some buttery potatoes done in the smoker, pickles, onions, jalapenos and then they serve it with tortillas on the side.

Travel tip: Plan ahead. Map out your trip with Google Maps so you're not wasting your time.

Jesse Gerner – Spain

I love all the smaller classic places, like Casa Manteca in Cadiz (Calle del Corralon de los Carros, 66), which translates to the House of Fat. It's quite cheffy and blokey and the guy who owns it hangs out with bullfighters but it's always heaving.

Must try: The crackling is amazing but it's a total heart stopper.

Travel tip: Speak with someone on the ground. Things change so quickly in different cities. You need a local.

Dan Hong – Singapore

I really love this place called Sin Huat Eating House (659 Geylang Road). It's a restaurant in Geylang, an area where all the prostitutes and stuff hang out. This one guy takes your order and cooks your food. You might wait half an hour between courses but he cooks the best live seafood in Singapore.

Must try: He's famous for crab bee hoon, mud crab stir fried with rice vermicelli.

Travel tip: It's really important that you really research where you want to go so you lessen the chances of having a bad meal.