Street food is often celebrated as the heart of a city's culinary identity, but I've started to wonder if the hype around it overshadows actual food safety and hygiene standards. In Bangkok, where I lived for two years, I had incredible meals from vendors whose stalls looked questionable, yet I never got sick—but I also saw tourists suffer from food poisoning after eating at popular night markets. Does the authentic experience justify the potential health risks, or should we prioritize regulated restaurants over street vendors? I'm genuinely torn because the flavors are unmatched, but so is the uncertainty about how the food is handled behind the cart.