Street food is often praised as the soul of a city's cuisine, but is the hype around night markets actually justified, or are we romanticizing overpriced skewers and crowded alleys? I've eaten my way through Bangkok, Tokyo, and Mexico City, and while some stalls blow my mind, others are clearly tourist traps serving reheated leftovers. How do you separate genuine culinary gems from the Instagram-bait spots that charge double for the same noodles you'd get down a side street? Maybe the real question is whether the experience of eating elbow-to-elbow with strangers adds value, or if a sit-down restaurant with the same dish would satisfy just as much. I'm leaning toward a mixed answer, because I've had both transcendent and forgettable meals in the same market circuit. What's your take on the street food vs. restaurant debate when it comes to authenticity and taste?