Everyone I know keeps a roster of the places they'd most like to travel to, and last month I was fortunate enough to knock off some of my most anticipated destinations in one fell swoop. My dad and I spent almost three weeks crisscrossing Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, and Thailand, taking in 14 airplane rides, eight cities, thousands of frequent flyer miles, and bite after bite of foods—both familiar and exotic—that utterly dazzled us.

Check out these photos of the best food I ate in Chengdu, Shanghai, and Hong Kong including noodle soup breakfasts, pungent chili pastes, and sweet-tangy mangosteens. My hunger pangs are settling in pretty good right about now. And the jetlag? Totally worth it.

See the snapshots in the slideshow >>

Stay tuned for Snapshots from Vietnam and Thailand in the coming weeks.

All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.