Overlook how risky street food can be sometimes. I got violently sick from a "real" meal once and ruined two days of a trip. A clean restaurant might cost more but avoids that mess.
Remember eating grilled corn from a little cart in Hanoi, the smoke and the chatter all around. That simple snack, wrapped in old newspaper, stuck with me more than any fancy dinner. It just feels more real and connected to the place.