12 Food Destinations That Left A Mark On Gordon Ramsay

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Gordon Ramsay has made his name through his fiery on screen persona, but beyond all that is someone who truly loves food and cooking. Alongside fan favorites like "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen," Ramsay has appeared in food-focused travel shows like "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" and "Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip." What we learned from Gordon Ramsay's Netflix documentary is that he both loves and hates his jet-setting lifestyle, but it puts him in contact with a huge amount of global cuisine. And the food in some parts of the world left a mark on him.

Whether it's the bright, fresh flavors of Vietnamese cuisine or something closer to home, Ramsay has been amazed and inspired by a range of global cuisines. As a chef with many restaurants worldwide, finding new food inspiration is always a bonus. But, beyond this, it seems Ramsay is interested in getting to know the flavors and ingredients and experiencing food made by local people. Whether it's a curry in a London suburb, tapas in a Spanish taberna, or a Cubano in Miami, he seems to appreciate many types of food and embraces the global influences that come from migration and cultural melting pots.

We've scoured dozens of interviews with the TV chef to find out which food destinations left the biggest mark on Gordon Ramsay and hear what he has to say about them. These inspirations are bound to show up in his cooking, but it's also about what he eats when he's on his travels.

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Gordon Ramsay has traveled to a huge number of amazing food destinations, but some of his favorites are close to home. In an interview with Condé Nast Traveler, he talked about the food culture in the United Kingdom, saying that "some of the best food in the world now is coming out of the U.K."

One of the types of food he mentioned particularly is Indian curry. This might not seem like a particularly British food from afar, but in actual fact, Indian food is huge in the U.K., ultimately as a result of British colonialism and waves of immigration to the island nation. "I think this country now has some of the best Indian restaurants anywhere in the world," Ramsay remarked, mentioning that the country has some curry houses with two Michelin stars.

So, where would he go for a great curry in the U.K.? "I'm a big, big, big fan of Brick Lane," he told Condé Nast Traveler, referring to the East London neighborhood known for its amazing curry houses. However, Ramsay doesn't have the best reputation for cooking curries himself, so he's probably best off sticking with food from the experts at Brick Lane. Ramsay's butter chicken recipe was received with skepticism from folks online, for instance.

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Spanish cuisine is among Gordon Ramsay's favorites, and it is a big inspiration for him. "I've had a great respect for Spanish cuisine for a long time," he told Spanish Esquire. He remarked that his fascination with the nation's cuisine started in the early 1990s, when he was still starting out as a chef, and it has continued from there.

He particularly loves El Bulli, Barcelona, and Madrid, and says he fell in love with tapas. "For me, it's a cuisine as important as French cuisine, but without the arrogance," he said to Esquire. "Spain is more content with itself and more understated about its success." He also talked about the exciting activity happening in Spanish cuisine, saying that he works with Spanish chefs in many of his London restaurants.

Speaking to Condé Nast Traveler, he noted that the Gothia region of Spain has extraordinary seafood and he first tried sea barnacles in this area. He also remarked on some of his favorite aspects of Spanish dining from "the tiny little tapas bars in the old town of Barcelona to some of the Michelin star restaurants in Madrid." Ultimately, he said that Spain is one of his top five culinary destinations in the world.

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Laotian cuisine doesn't get mentioned as much as other food from a similar region, but it's one of Gordon Ramsay's favorites. Tucked in between Thailand and Vietnam, it's no surprise that the country's food is worth exploring — which is something he did in his "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" food travel show.

When asked in a YouTube interview with Cho Seung-yeon where the number one foodie destination was, he named Laos. "The food was just off the charts," he said. He described his recent trip, saying "I'm going back to the provinces and spending time in the countryside, away from the tourist traps." As with many locations, this is where you end up with the best food.

If you're interested in the major differences between Thai and Laotian food, food in Laos tends to have a quicker preparation time. Rather than long simmering times, dishes come together more quickly, which can result in a fresher flavor. Common Laotian dishes include a meat salad called larb and a coconut noodle soup called khao poon nam gai.

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Gordon Ramsay cut his teeth cooking in France. In his Condé Nast Traveler interview, he talks about moving to Paris at age 22 to work in one of the world's most prestigious restaurants. This undoubtedly shaped his approach to food and cooking, as well as giving him a lifelong appreciation of French cuisine.

He mentioned how good the produce is in France. "I would be in the middle of service as a 22-year-old cook and we'd run out of asparagus and I'd get sent to the market in front of the restaurant to handpick this incredible asparagus," he said. What's remarkable about that to Ramsay is that produce in France is as good for local people as it is for restaurants, whereas in the U.K., chefs have access to better ingredients.

Ramsay learned important lessons cooking in Paris, picking up techniques that would guide him for the rest of his career to date. He also talked about the delights of regional French cuisine, not just what you find in Paris. "Whether you're in the Basque or the Loire Valley, whether you're in Burgundy or whether you're in Brittany, there is something magical that comes from France every time you visit it."

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Visiting Vietnam as part of "Gordon Ramsay: Gordon's Great Escape" left a lasting impression on the chef. To this day, it's among his favorite food locations. "I love Vietnam," he said in an interview with Cho Seung-yeon. He describes the country as an "extraordinary melting pot of great food."

He also waxed lyrical about the country and its cuisine to Condé Nast Traveler, saying that he had tears in his eyes when he left the country because he didn't want to leave. "I was fortunate enough to float down the Mekong Delta with a family that was harvesting crocodiles," he told the publication. He also raved about the quality of the markets and the fact that local folks would head to them twice a day to get fresh ingredients for their meals.

He appreciated that food in Vietnam was grown locally and sourced locally, and hadn't been spoiled by any major outside influences. "Vietnamese cuisine stands alone and it's freaking iconic," he said. If you're inspired by Ramsay, there are some Vietnamese dishes you have to try at least once, including a sweetcorn pudding called chè bắp and bánh xèo, a savory pancake that's among my personal favorites.

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"The Australian dining scene, for me, is one of the most exciting on Earth because of the ingredients," Gordon Ramsay said in an interview with Delicious. "Good ingredients are in abundance, which is so nice." He compared the bounty of Australia to the produce and overfished waters in Europe, and was impressed with what the Antipodean country had to offer. He believes that the quality of the ingredients make creating seasonal restaurant dishes much easier and is particularly complementary of the quality of Tasmania's produce.

He also praised the multicultural aspects of the restaurant scene in Australia. "Australia's restaurants don't have that rigid European style," he remarked. "Instead, it's got this lovely blend of multiple cultures," though still noting that it can stand on its own as a cuisine. He also said that it's "so wonderful to see Indigenous ingredients crossing into the modern food culture here."

It's not just the general food culture that Ramsay appreciates, he has some favorite restaurants Down Under. He listed Lee Ho Fook in Melbourne among his favorites, saying that he loved the eggplant fritters so much that he asked the chef for the recipe. He said that, although it's a small restaurant, "it's on par with any two- or three-starred Michelin restaurant in Europe, and delivered with such perfection." He also praises Serai in Melbourne, for its fire-cooked Filipino food.

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Talking of Filipino food, the Philippines is another food destination that left a mark on Gordon Ramsay. "Filipino cuisine has been on my radar for many years," he told the Manila Bulletin. "It's got this dynamic excitement to it," he added.

Ramsay appreciates the balance found in Filipino cooking: "The flavors — the sourness, the umami, the richness, the spice, the paste, the sweetness — it's pretty incredible." He remarked that food from the Philippines isn't as widely known around the world as it should be, but it's starting to become more widespread and getting the appreciation it deserves, noting that there are some Filipino chefs in New York going for Michelin stars. Ramsay is also a fan of the traditional Filipino dessert halo-halo. "It reminds me of the rice pudding we made growing up with evaporated milk," he said.

Filipino food has clearly made an impression on Ramsay, whether he's enjoying it in the Philippines or in other Filipino joints around the world. The nation might be known for dishes like adobe and ingredients like ube, which gives Filipino ube macapuno cake its iconic purple hue, but it has so much more than that to offer.

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India has a rich and varied culinary history that's inspiring to Gordon Ramsay. He revealed he has spent time cooking in the country and picked things up that he wouldn't have anywhere else. "There's just something magnetizing walking the streets of Mumbai and the hustle and the bustle," he told Condé Nast Traveler.

He now has a restaurant in India and spent time there researching the cuisine. He sampled amazing street food in Mumbai and went away with a love of dosas. He also learned a thing or two about meat-free cooking on his travels. "I perfected my vegetarian cuisine after my time in India because the ashram I went to live in and work in was some of the best vegetarian food I've ever eaten in my entire life and they took the humble chickpea to a whole new level," he said.

If you want to know more about the country's cooking, there are some adapted Indian dishes you won't find in India. Many countries have their own spin on Indian food. For instance, although you could order a korma in India, it might be quite different from one found in an Indian restaurant in the United States.

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Gordon Ramsay has traveled to many countries in search of great food, but Greece is one that has definitely stuck with him. His travel series "Gordon, Gino and Fred Go Greek" took him around Crete, Santorini, and Athens, and those episodes are full of moments where he slows down, tries Greek dishes, and learns from local cooks. While he hasn't directly mentioned Greece in any interviews, it's clear from the show that he learned a lot and enjoyed the cuisine.

That affection even spilled into a cheeky on-camera verdict. Sailing with fellow chefs on the show, Ramsay surprised Italian co-presenter Gino D'Acampo when he declared, "Honestly, I think Greek cuisine is better than Italian cuisine." The line made for great TV and, whether or not you agree with the sentiment, it shows how much Ramsay likes the country's food.

Of course, not every dish is as good as the next. These are some of the foods you should order at a Greek restaurant, if you're looking for inspiration. You don't have to go all the way to Greece to get amazing Greek food, but you should know the best dishes to order.

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Morocco is another destination that's given Gordon Ramsay culinary inspiration and left a lasting impression on him. He told Condé Nast Traveler that Moroccan food was some of the best in the world. And there's certainly a lot to love about it, whether familiar dishes like tagine or something you haven't tried yet.

One of the things that Ramsay loves about Morocco are the food markets. He says that they have an energy about them that left a mark on the chef. There's certainly an abundance of amazing ingredients that you can pick up at these markets. He particularly mentions the use of spices in Moroccan dishes and what cooks from the region do with them, as well as the use of open fires for cooking.

He's also eaten some dishes that are more unusual in the U.K. and the U.S. while in the country: "I never had tasted camel before going to Morocco and I was a little bit skeptical because of the amount of times I've ridden a camel." But he says that he ended up having an amazing braised dish with camel meat.

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In the U.S., Miami is among Gordon Ramsay's favorite food destinations. He owns restaurants there and said was inspired to open them up because of the amazing food scene in the city. "When I first visited Bradley Kilgore's Alter, which was producing exceptional food in Wynwood, I knew then Miami's food scene was definitely on the rise," he told the Miami Herald in an interview. "And since that visit, it's got better and better."

From a chef's point of view, he finds Miami particularly appealing. "The ingredients are incredible, and the food scene is so, so hot right now," he said. He's also a fan of the city's art scene and the climate, but it's the food that has really left a mark. Talking to Time Out, he also mentioned his love of the Cuban food in the city, saying that he always eats a Cubano and some Cuban coffee when visiting.

In his Time Out interview he also talked about how Miami is a cultural melting pot and that this is part of why the food is so great. It has influences from Latin America and also draws in people from Europe and other parts of the U.S., so it has a varied culinary scene. He has some particular favorite restaurants, including KYU in Wynwood and iconic Cuban restaurant, Versailles.

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Mexico is another country Gordon Ramsay has visited for his TV shows, and it's one that has made it onto his list of favorites. "I was blown away when I went to spend some time in Oaxaca," he said in an interview with Condé Nast Traveler. "I love Mexican cuisine, I love what it stands for," he added.

The unfussy style of Mexican cuisine is one of the things he appreciates. But, of course, that doesn't say anything about the amount of effort that goes into making certain dishes. He recounts how he thought he knew how to make mole but was set right while he was out there filming. "Honestly, I got absolutely torn apart," he said. Previously, he had been spending something like four or five hours making mole, but when he was shown the proper way to do it in Oaxaca, it was more like an 11-hour process.

Still, that doesn't mean he's perfected Mexican cuisine, even after learning more. His attempts at making tlayuda were questioned by people from the region, saying he got crucial things wrong, such as adding sour cream and cilantro.