Mark Wiens ā Food Creator on YouTube
@MarkWiens ā Bangkok, Thailand ā 10.2M subscribers
Hey, I'm Mark Wiens - a full time eater! š¶ The best street food and most unique eating experiences around the world. Let's go eat! šŗ Two videos per week, subscribe now!
Restaurant Reviews by Mark Wiens
Traditional mountain restaurant (name not specified)
Livigno, Italy, Italy ā Italian/Alpine
The reviewer visited a traditional mountain restaurant in Livigno, Italy during the Winter Olympics 2026 and thoroughly enjoyed multiple dishes including buckwheat pasta, marinated deer, and grilled beef wrapped around a stick. The food was described as delicious with great flavors and memorable presentation.
Abu Hamza
Baghdad, Kadhimiya, Iraq ā Iraqi
Abu Hamza is a traditional homestyle Iraqi restaurant located in the Kadhimiya bazaar serving multiple stews, rice varieties, and meat dishes. The reviewer highly praised the ultra-tender chicken and lamb, flavorful biryani rice, and various stews like sabzi and white beans, calling it comfort food that is nourishing and hearty. All dishes were rated equally as favorites, with particular enthusiasm for the lamb with white beans.
Multiple establishments (Kuba Sarai restaurant, Shabandar Cafe, Street stall with turnips/chickpeas, Borek shop, Hajis Bal juice shop, Iraqi Gus/Shawarma restaurant)
Baghdad, Iraq, Iraq ā Iraqi
Mark Wiens explores Baghdad's authentic food scene, visiting legendary establishments serving iconic Iraqi dishes like Kuba Sarai, Borek, and Gus shawarma. He praises the historical significance, generational traditions, hospitality, and complex flavors of each dish while highlighting the welcoming culture and vibrant tea house scene.
Adele's Famous Halal Cart
New York City, United States ā Halal
Mark Wiens visits the famous Adele's Halal Cart in New York City, where massive lines form daily for their signature halal plate. The cart serves a perfectly layered creation with lamb and chicken over rice, topped with multiple house sauces and crispy fries. The reviewer is thoroughly impressed with the seasoning, sauce combinations, and overall quality that makes this a must-try NYC street food destination.
La Piran
Bronx, United States ā Puerto Rican
La Piran in the South Bronx serves exceptional Puerto Rican lechon that attracts crowds every weekend. The crispy, juicy pork is paired with shrimp, octopus, rice, and plantains all drenched in incredible garlic and hot sauce. The reviewer praises the sensational shrimp and the perfectly balanced texture of the lechon.
Lahim Bajin Bakery
Mosul, Iraq ā Iraqi, Middle Eastern
The reviewer visits a traditional lahim bajin bakery in Mosul and samples the iconic local breakfast dish of thin, crispy flatbread topped with minced meat and egg. The bread is incredibly thin and absorbs the flavorful meat mixture perfectly, with a crispy exterior and gooey center. The experience showcases the warmth of local hospitality and the centuries-old culinary traditions of this ancient city.
Paya Street Food Stall, Lahore
Lahore, Pakistan ā Pakistani
Mark Wiens explores a buzzing 4 a.m. breakfast spot in Lahore, Pakistan that specializes in paya, a traditional dish of braised goat feet in a flavorful, spiced gravy. The experience includes fresh kulcha bread made on-site and an authentic Pakistani street food breakfast that left him extremely satisfied and hungry for more.
Durumchu Musta
Istanbul, Turkey ā Turkish
Located outside the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Durumchu Musta serves exceptional Turkish kebabs with lightning-fast service. The chicken kebab is expertly grilled over an open flame, assembled with fresh ingredients, and seasoned perfectly with sumac and cumin for a sensational result.
Kureshi Kebab
Delhi, India ā Indian, Kebabs
Mark Wiens visits Kureshi Kebab in Old Delhi to try their famous seekh kebabs, prepared using traditional methods with spiced meat grilled over blazing hot fire and drizzled with generous amounts of melted butter. Both the mutton and buffalo kebab varieties are incredibly flavorful, juicy, and moist, with the buffalo kebabs standing out as particularly exceptional.
Karim's
Delhi, India ā Mughlai Indian
Karim's is a legendary 110-year-old institution in Old Delhi serving exceptional Mughlai cuisine, particularly renowned for their mutton specialties. Mark Wiens tried their signature dishes including perfectly tender mutton brain curry, mutton ka, and chicken ishtew, all featuring rich, spiced gravies and melting textures. The restaurant's historical significance and consistently high-quality food make it a must-visit destination.
Pinkerton's Barbecue
Houston, United States ā Barbecue
Pinkerton's Barbecue is an exceptional Houston barbecue destination featuring craft-style smoking on old-school pits with meats that are incredibly moist and deeply infused with smoke flavor. The brisket is a standout with perfect tenderness, while the massive beef ribs live up to their 'meat pillow' description. Owner Grant Pinkerton's attention to detail in preparation, seasoning, and long resting periods results in some of the best barbecue in Texas.
Castnet Seafood
New Orleans, United States ā Louisiana Creole and Cajun Seafood
Mark Wiens experiences an exceptional Louisiana seafood boil at Castnet Seafood, a premier seafood market and restaurant in New Orleans. He witnesses the entire process from crawfish washing and cleaning to boiling with fresh lemon, celery, garlic, and house spice blend, then enjoys 8 lbs of crawfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, gumbo, and their famous fried shrimp poboy. Every dish showcases incredible freshness and authentic Louisiana flavors.
Mango Stand in Lahore
Lahore, Pakistan ā Pakistani street food
A late-night visit to a legendary mango stand in Lahore featuring expertly sliced chowsa mangoes that are incredibly juicy and sweet with honey-like aromatics. The vendor demonstrates impressive knife skills, chilling the mangoes in ice water before serving them alongside a traditional salty lassi for a perfect flavor pairing.
Banks Meat Market
New Orleans, United States ā New Orleans Creole/Cajun
Banks Meat Market at a gas station in New Orleans serves an impressively sized 32-inch hot sausage poboy that requires two people to carry. The sandwich features chewy, quality bread with a crispy crust, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and well-seasoned hot sausage that delivers savory, salty flavors. It's a legendary New Orleans classic that represents authentic local food culture.
Muhammad Hussain
Delhi, India ā Indian fried chicken
Muhammad Hussain in Old Delhi serves India's most famous fried chicken, featuring a signature triple-frying technique that creates an exceptionally crispy exterior. The chicken is marinated in thick masala, fried three times with joint dislocation between fries, then coated in a secret masala spice blend and served with chutney and onions. The reviewer was thoroughly impressed with the crispy texture and bold flavors.
Baghdadi Restaurant
Baghdad, Iraq ā Iraqi
Mark Wiens visits Baghdadi Restaurant in Baghdad to experience masgouf, Iraq's national dish of grilled freshwater fish. Using an ancient Sumerian technique, the chefs butterfly fresh carp from their aquarium, season it simply with salt, and roast it vertically over live fire for about an hour before giving it a final char on hot coals and topping it with a glowing coal to render the belly fat. The result is an extraordinarily juicy and crispy fish that Mark describes as potentially the best grilled freshwater fish on earth.
Cleburn Cafeteria
Houston, United States ā Southern homestyle, American comfort food
Cleburn Cafeteria is a legendary Houston institution established in 1941 serving authentic southern homestyle cooking in a classic cafeteria format. The restaurant offers an overwhelming abundance of fresh, quality dishes from organic kale salad to signature turkey and dressing served daily, making it feel like Thanksgiving year-round. Family-owned since 1952, this historic spot delivers impressive comfort food with meticulous attention to ingredient quality and preparation.
Beera Chicken House
Amritsar, India ā Punjabi
Beera Chicken House is a legendary 50-year-old restaurant in Amritsar famous for its tandoori chicken and keema naan. The chicken is grilled over an incredibly hot open fire with traditional masala, while the keema naan features an impossible amount of ground meat stuffed inside and finished with pure ghee. A must-visit destination that even hosted Anthony Bourdain.
Golden Temple Langar (Harmandir Sahib)
Amritsar, India ā Punjabi
Mark Wiens visits the Golden Temple's langar in Amritsar, the world's largest community kitchen serving over 100,000 free meals daily. He explores the massive kitchen operations that prepare 200,000 rotis and 2-3 tons of dal per day, all run 95% by volunteers. The experience beautifully demonstrates Sikh principles of equality, with people from all backgrounds sitting together to share a delicious, nourishing traditional meal.
Kahi Geymar
Baghdad, Iraq ā Iraqi
Mark Wiens visits a legendary Baghdad breakfast spot serving Kahi Geymar, a crispy layered pastry drenched in sweet syrup and topped with rich buffalo cream, pistachios, and honey. The dish lives up to its reputation as some of the greatest Iraqi breakfast on earth, with incredible texture and flavor combinations that impressed the reviewer.
Ashok Mit Dhaba
Delhi, India ā Indian
Ashok Mit Dhaba is a legendary Old Delhi institution opened in 1984 by two friends named Ashok who shared a love of meat curry. Open only 2-3 hours daily for lunch, this standing-room-only dhaba serves some of the greatest chicken and mutton curries in India, made with 16 spices and generous ghee, then reheated over charcoal for maximum flavor. The reviewer called it one of the greatest curries ever experienced.
Pelawan Kulcha
Amritsar, India ā Indian street food
Mark Wiens visits the legendary Pelawan Kulcha shop in Amritsar, India, a 70-year-old establishment famous for its Amritsari kulcha. The kulcha features a potato and onion filling, is cooked in a tandoor with generous ghee coating, and is served with chickpea gravy and tamarind chutney. Wiens describes it as life-changing and one of the greatest baked goods he has ever had.
Rock and Soul Place
London, United Kingdom ā British - Fish and Chips
Rock and Soul Place, London's oldest continuously operating fish and chips shop since 1871, delivers exceptional traditional fish and chips. The reviewer tried multiple fish varieties including cod, rock, and haddock, all perfectly battered and fried with an incredible contrast between crispy exterior and tender, flaky fish inside. The thick-cut chips and quality sauces complete a historically significant and delicious dining experience.