Chelo Manzanarez brings the taste of coastal Guerrero and Acapulco to Philly with a menu that can go toe-to-toe with any fine-dining Mexican restaurant. His standout dishes include guajillo risotto and grilled pulpo zarandeado.

Thanh Nguyen creates vividly flavored regional specialties (water fern dumplings, sizzling catfish) while leading the way for a new guard of Vietnamese restaurateurs in Philly. And she has a killer soup cocktail.

This New Jersey food truck specializes in authentic thick and flaky meat pies from the Land Down Under. Need proof? Eagles center — and born-and-bred Aussie — Jordan Mailata is a big fan.

Pronounced Jill-dah, this Portuguese café with Brian Mattera at the helm can’t stop going viral for two reasons: ooey-gooey breakfast sandwiches and creamy, custardy pasteis de natas that sell out almost daily.

The latest joint from CookNSolo (Zahav, Laser Wolf) puts an Israeli spin on the Philadelphia oyster house. It boasts a menu brimming with tastes of the Mediterranean, from zhoug-topped claims to a muhammara-inspired tuna tartare.

Ange Branca’s fast-casual spot puts a global spin on jacket potatoes, the cheeky British comfort food, piling the steamy spuds high with toppings galore — like Indonesian beef rendeng or a heap of chicken tikka masala.

Down North Pizza owner Muhammad Abdul-Hadi’s community-driven halal café isn’t afraid to experiment with breakfast, bringing the flavors of Korea and North Africa to chicken sausage or lamb scrapple, egg, and cheese sandwiches.

Paffuto means “chubby” or “plump” in Italian, and it’s a good way to describe the packed breakfast sandwiches, maritozzi, and panzerotti that have made this new-school café stand out among South Philly’s classic Italian restaurants.

At culinary power couple Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp’s newest restaurant, Jonathan Rodriguez is bringing a refined eye to diner-style comfort foods, like turkey clubs with maple bacon and wings bathed in brown butter hot sauce.

Rachel and Phila Lorn’s oyster bar brings the same high-voltage, no-rules, pan-Asian cooking that propelled their first restaurant, Mawn, into the national spotlight and earned Phila a 2025 James Beard Award. Raw seafood and a playful approach to cooked dishes are the emphasis at Sao — one of the toughest reservations in town.

The menu at Sophia Neth’s South Philly BYOB shines with traditional Cambodian favorites — like finger-licking good curry-glazed wings — that Inquirer critic Craig LaBan called a “non-negotiable” intro to the country’s vibrant flavors.

The sundaes from this ice cream parlor are “downright lustful,” raves Inquirer social video host Ariane Datil. They come topped with decadent finishes, like a spoonful of caviar or caramelized sweet plantains. Talk about luxurious.