Creative dishes like the Mexican-Indian burritos at Chula Fused Foods or takoyaki, Japanese deep fried octopus dumplings at Yumi Takoyaki Co, are made by friendly vendors always happy to chat while they cook.

BBC: Gourmet street food in London

Here flickering candles and often live klezmer set the scene for solid home cooking such as garlicky borscht (beetroot and onion soup), pierogi (filled dumplings fried in butter) and honey-roasted lamb.

BBC: A taste of Krakow

Fried squid, shrimp dumplings, spring rolls -- each delicious.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Around our house, when not infected by the Birdseye plague, real food often meant chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and cream gravy, sugar peas, field peas, black-eyed peas, lima beans, green beans, all greens, ambrosia, okra, corn, tomato aspic, squash casseroles, pot roast, fried fish, chicken and dumplings, hot rolls, biscuits, cornbread, cakes, pies, fudge, divinity and Mama's homemade vegetable soup, which was world famous in our family.

NPR: Linda Ellerbee, Taking 'Big Bites'

Ramen noodle dishes such as tan tan men (whole-wheat egg noodles and spicy miso with pork and spicy homemade sausage), dumplings and hot tapas (locals line up for the duck-fat fried chicken) are local favorites.

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