12 favorite restaurant empires

When you think of a chain, you think of mass production, and that can’t be good, right? The best restaurants are always those little holes in the walls, where a grandmother has been cooking in the kitchen herself with her family recipe for a hundred years. Authenticity at its finest. Or is it? There are plenty of restaurant empires we’re more than happy to visit and even fly around the world for. These are our favorites.

Din Tai Fung

The restaurant, originally from Taiwan, is world-famous for its specialty: xiao long bao. Soup dumplings in everyday parlance. The ultimate bite of happiness, where you accept a burnt tongue as part of the deal. Besides the pork-filled dumplings, be sure to order the dumplings in chili oil and black vinegar. They also have a fantastic selection of noodles with the most delicious sauces.

You can find DTF in many Asian countries, but these days even in the US and Canada. When I was traveling through Asia, I booked my return flight with a long layover in Kuala Lumpur, during mealtime, so I could be sure my last Asian dinner would be at Din Tai Fung. Says enough, right?

Leon

England in particular is crawling with Leons, the first location and many subsequent ones being based in London. You can also get your fix of healthier fast food at Schiphol and in Utrecht. Porridge, yogurt or bread for breakfast, and for the rest of the day you can choose from salads, curries, wraps and (vegetarian) burgers. And fine, if you do want fries, that’s an option too.

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Spaghetteria

Perfect for a quick bite if you have plans afterward, but it can just as easily happen that after countless sgroppinos you accidentally end up being the last person left in the always-cozy restaurant. We can certainly understand why the number of locations (in Amsterdam and Utrecht) of this pasta bar continues to grow at such a rapid pace. We find all the pastas equally delicious, and the piece of bread you get to mop up the sauce is the very best way to finish the meal. Oh no, that’s the amazing tiramisu, whose recipe we once again fail to pry out of them.

Big Mamma

Wherever you are in Paris, there is always a Big Mamma Group restaurant nearby, all serving delicious Italian fare. Head to East Mamma or Pink Mamma, for example, for fantastic pasta and pizza, but you can also go there for antipasti or a large piece of meat. No Entry and Other Mamma are exceptions: they serve cocktails only. Not exactly a punishment either.

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Shake shack

Where you once had to stand in line for hours at the adorable kiosk on Madison Square in New York, you can now find this burger chain all across the States and even around the world. From Turkey to China, you can enjoy the simple but perfect burgers, hot dogs and signature crinkle-cut fries everywhere. Sadly, not in the Netherlands yet, but we pray every day.

Dishoom

With five locations in London and one in Edinburgh, this Indian restaurant certainly qualifies as a small empire in our book. The queues outside don’t lie: this is one of the most popular spots for curries, garlic naan and other spicy dishes. Whatever you do, always order the black dahl. Another nice touch: you can have breakfast there. Maybe not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian food, but just wait until you taste their bacon & egg naan roll or Bombay omelet.

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Momofuku

You can’t visit any culinary corner of the internet without running into David Chang. I’ll admit it, we’re guilty of it too. But then again, what do you expect from someone who put pork buns and ramen on the map for the general public? His restaurant group Momofuku caters to every taste and every budget. Ramen at Noodle Bar, slow-cooked pork at Ssäm Bar, pasta at Nishi, divine fried chicken sandwiches at Fuku, and dessert at Milk Bar. We can’t choose between crack pie, compost cookies and cereal milk ice cream, so we just get everything. If you’ve saved up a lot, you can also stop by Ko for a fancy $255-per-person menu.

Whatever option you prefer, unfortunately you’ll have to fly to New York or the West Coast for it. You can always dream, right?

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Xi’an Famous Foods

If you love noodles and dumplings, this absolutely belongs on your must-eat list when visiting the Big Apple. With more than ten locations, luckily there’s always one nearby. We’ve been drooling over this restaurant’s Instagram account for years; it specializes in food from the Chinese city of Xi’an. What does that mean? The hand-pulled noodles with lamb and cumin are the specialty here, as are the “burger” with braised pork and the spicy & sour dumplings.

McDonald’s

The chain of chains. Name one country where you won’t find the golden arches. Wherever you are, the Big Mac never disappoints. Say what you want about Mickey D’s, their products contain the perfect combination of fat, salt and sugar that gets everyone hooked. The only downside to visiting McDonald’s abroad is that they don’t have fries sauce. Scandalous! Fortunately, you can always make up for it with a local special such as the Angus burger in Australia or the teriyaki burger in Japan.

IJscuypje/Stamppotje

In summer, you go there for ice cream; in winter, for stamppot. We couldn’t have come up with a smarter idea ourselves; both versions are a hit and always busy. Amsterdam has plenty of locations, but you can also visit them in Amstelveen and Wormerveer.

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Le comptoir libanais

For all your Lebanese cravings. Think truly delicious mezze: hummus, muhammara and fattoush, lamb kibbeh and falafel. But also burgers with lamb and halloumi, salads and tagines. You used to have to travel to the UK for this Lebanese food fest; recently, a location opened at Utrecht station. A layover has never been so delicious.

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Cinnabon

Cinnabon never disappoints when you’re craving a gooey, sugary cinnamon roll. You can go for the caramel pecan, but the classic remains our favorite. You no longer have to get on a plane for this one either: Utrecht, Rotterdam and Amsterdam are blessed with a location.