The verdict is out! The winners of this year’s 50 best restaurants in Asia have recently been released, so get your appetite and credit cards ready for a feast. Singapore took 10 of these coveted spots with old favourites like Iggy’s and Restaurant Andre maintaining strong positions.
About the voting process: “Each region has a chairperson appointed for their knowledge…These chairs each select a voting panel of 53, ensuring a balanced selection of chefs, restaurateurs, food/restaurant journalists and gourmets.”
A week has passed, and after some digging we’ve come up with some reasons why you should eat at each of these coveted restaurants. The following list is ranked as follows.
A modern Indian restaurant that blends traditional recipes with modern cooking techniques. The chef here dubs his food “Progressive Indian” as he bridges the two eras in delicious ways. He’s cooked for Bill Clinton himself so you know you’re in good hands. You’ll need to place your booking at least 2 months in advance!
Address: 68/1 Soi Langsuan, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Bangkok, 10330
Website
Chef Narisawa was trained in Europe before he returned to Japan. His ability to use classic French techniques on the best ingredients in Japan has earned himself a spot on the list. Having been under the tutelage of some of the best chefs in the world including the world renowned Paul Bocuse, be prepared to engage in a journey of gastronomic delight.
Address: Minami Ayoyama 2-6-15, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Website
In Ultraviolet, your meal extends beyond your dinner plate. Aside from some of the most creative modern dishes around, the restaurant also utilizes scents, sound and visual elements to enhance the meal and achieve the ultimate dining experience.
Address: c/o Bund 18, 6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai 20002
Website
Nihonryori RyuGin is famed for their use of kaiseki, a concept that showcases the seasons of Japan with different cooking techniques and ingredients fresh from the markets of Tokyo. Taste the seasons and the ultimate manifestation of skill and nature here.
Address: Ground Floor, 7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-0032
Website
A local favourite, Restaurant Andre serves nouvelle cuisine, French food with an emphasis on freshness, and natural flavours. Chef Andre has trained under some of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine, lending him an ability to create some truly great dishes.
Address: 41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089855
Website
A modern French restaurant helmed by a classically trained Dutch chef. The menu here has cool alterations to classic cuisines to suit Hong Kongers’ taste buds and hectic lifestyle. Their vicinity to Tokyo also means you can get fresh fish from Tsukiji here.
Address: 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
Website
One of the most popular restaurants in South East Asia, Chef David Thompson brings authentic Thai cuisine to modern tables with great success. But if you can’t find the time to travel to Bangkok for this, Chef Thompson’s latest venture Long Chim at Marina Bay Sands is set to officially open in the coming months.
Address: Metropolitan Hotel, 27 South Sathorn Road, Tungmahamek Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Website
This restaurant brings classic Italian cuisine to the next level with creative and modern use of ingredients from the east and west. Dishes like marinated tajima beef tenderloin blend two distinctly different worlds effortlessly.
Address: Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra, 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong
Website
Waku Ghin is a unique and stylish Japanese dining experience, the restaurant features a live teppanyaki grill where you can witness the expertise of the chef preparing your meal and interrogate him for more information on your favorite dishes.. Diners here have to be prepared to pay top dollar at one of Singapore’s most expensive restaurants.
Address: Level 2-01, Atrium 2, The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Website
The first restaurant to combine molecular gastronomy with Korean cuisine, and one the best. Jungsik presents a rare and fresh new take on Korean cuisine that has proved so popular chef Jung Sik Yim has opened a new restaurant in New York.
Address: 11 Seolleungro, 158 Gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Website
Another longstanding favourite in the local restaurant scene, Jaan takes seasonal ingredients to a new level with imaginative pairings and preparations that enthrall guests with flavour and aesthetics. It’s pricey, but diners swear by the quality of food here.
Address: Level 70, Equinox Complex, Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882
Website
Trained by 3 Michelin star chefs Heston Blumenthal and Michel Bras, Shinobu Namane brings the greatest and freshest Japanese ingredients into the playful world of molecular gastronomy with an emphasis on natural flavours.
Address: 2-26-4 Nishi-azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0031
Website
Les Amis brings the East and West onto the dinner table with some of the most creative and flavourful dishes on the island. Their extensive wine and cheese selection will also please any francophiles out there.
Address: 1 Scotts Road, 1-16 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208
Website
An engineer turned chef, Hajime Yoneda’s approach to fine dining is a refreshing and creative one with dishes reflecting artistic and flavour elements. His expert execution has brought the restaurant to number 14 and earned him the highest climber award in 2015.
Address: 1-9-11-1F, Edobori, Nishi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka 550 0002
Website
An institution for the rich and famous, Fook Lam Moon has been one of Hong Kong’s best spots for Cantonese cuisine since 1972. The exceptional quality of their dishes, gives this place quite a reputation locally.
Address: Shop 3, G/F, 35-45 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Website
A traditional Shanghainese restaurant with modern presentation, the restaurant is famed for their abalone tarts and hairy crab dishes in the winter.There is no set menu here – a budget is set and the chef brings you the best he has to offer.
Address: 1015 Yuyuan Road, Changning District, Shanghai
Website
A popular restaurant that serves exquisite French food in a less formal setting. The portion sizes here are tapas-sized and exquisitely crafted by chef David Alves and his team. The chic decor and popularity of this restaurant also makes it a great spot for celebrity hunting in Hong Kong.
Address: Shop 315, 334 & 401, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
Website
A dining institution since 2004, Iggy’s has been dishing out world class dishes for over a decade, and has remained one of Singapore’s top restaurants. The menu reflects the different tastes that have inspired owner Ignatius Chan during his gastronomically charged travels.
Address: Hilton Hotel, 581 Orchard Road, Level 3, Singapore 238883
Website
Delicious isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think about vegetarian dishes, but what I’ve heard of this place gives me second thoughts. Tony Lu helms this restaurant using traditional Shanghainese ingredients to breathe new life into vegetarian cuisine.
Address: 1037 Yuyuan Road, Changning District, Shanghai
Website
Considered one of the best Cantonese restaurants in the world, Lung King Heen defends its three Michelin star title with their extensive Dim Sum menu and breathtaking views of the Hong Kong skyline from the restaurant.
Address: Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
Website
A casual French bistro with a modern take is what best describes Mr & Mrs Bund. Chef Paul Pairet also helms Ultraviolet, the second runner up on this list. While Ultraviolet is leaps and bounds from what you might consider a traditional experience, Mr & Mrs Bund sticks closer to its roots to provide a more authentic, down to earth experience.
Address: Bund 18, 6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai 20002
Website
India’s best restaurant, Indian accent combines Indian cooking techniques with global ingredients. The restaurant’s dishes display creative use of ingredients and methods to achieve some truly mind-boggling but delicious creations.
Address: 77 Friends Colony (West), New Delhi 110065
Website
A paradise for the high rollers in the casinos of Macau, Robouchon Au Dôme is formal French dining at its finest. Robouchon Au Dôme’s offerings are luxurious and endlessly gratifying, with their extensive wine list reputed to be one of the best in Asia.
Address: Grand Lisboa Hotel, 43rd floor, Lisboa Tower, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macau
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An offshoot of Nihonruori Ryugin, chef Hideaki Sato brings traditional kaiseki closer to Singapore. Housed in the tallest building in Hong Kong, the restaurant also provides some of the best views of the city.
Address: 101st Floor, ICC, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Website
Eat Me is one of Bangkok’s hottest spots, combining a cocktail bar, restaurant and an art gallery. The food here is a creative combination of ingredients from the region to create refreshing takes on Asian cuisine.
Address: Soi Pipat 2 (20 metres off Convent Road), Silom, Bangkok 10500
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Trained by some of the best French chefs in the world including the renowned Thomas Keller, Lanshu Chen displays her expertise back home with flair. Her French take on local ingredients will have you looking at Taiwanese produce in a brand new light.
Address: 59 Cunzhong St, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Website
Chef Tae Hwan Ryu’s restaurant displays his knowledge gained from years of training in the finest establishments in Europe. Taste the world on a plate as he expertly blends his knowledge of multicultural cuisine to produce the most creative plates in Seoul.
Address: 40 Gangnam-daero 162-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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The demon chef himself, Alvin Cheung commands the kitchen here producing some of the best fusion plates Hong Kong has to offer. A typical dinner here boasts a whooping 15 courses so come with an empty stomach.
Address: Shop 13, 2/F, J Residence, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Website
Inspired by everyone’s favourite Iron Chef Morimoto, Wasabi brings classic Japanese dining to India. Ingredients are flown in regularly from Japan and the restaurant is housed in the historic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
Address: Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Apollo Bundar, Colaba, Mumbai 400001
Website
A new entry in the list, Burnt Ends is an Australian Grill house with passionate individuals smoking and barbecuing their way to culinary perfection. The restaurant features an open bar so you can watch as the chefs skillfully produce every plate.
Address: 20 Teck Lim Road, Singapore 088391
Website
Born to a Sri Lankan Father and Japanese mother, chef Dharshan Munidasa has brought Japanese fine dining to Sri Lanka for over 2 decades. The rich marine life around the country supply some of the freshest and delicious sashimi for the restaurant.
Address: 11 Galle Face Terrace, Colombo 3
Website
If you’re a hardcore fan of sushi, you’ve probably heard of Shinji. Chef Shinji Kanesaka’s restaurant is housed in the iconic Raffles Hotel and he brings with him the skills and techniques of his 2 Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo.
Address: Raffles Hotel, 2-20, 1 Beach Road (via Seah Street lobby), Singapore, 189673
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A little restaurant with only 10 seats and a wildly creative menu. The menu is always changing, but the influence of French and Japanese cuisine stays. The service floor is run solo by Akiko, Chef Takazawa’s wife.
Address: 2nd Floor, Sanyo Akasaka Bldg, 3-5-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052
Website
28 Hubin Road is a place of pilgrimage for fans of Hangzhou cuisine. The restaurant features rare dishes like Beggar’s Chicken and Dongbo Pork, pork belly stuffed into a pyramid mould, and filled with bamboo shoots and served with chestnut pancake.
Address: Hyatt Regency Hangzhou, 28 HuBin Road, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province
Website
If you’re squeamish about MSG, you won’t find any here – Chef Kwok bans the use of it in his popular restaurants and relies instead on the natural flavours of each dish with ingredients sourced from local organic farmers.
Address: 18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Website
If Einstein had a kitchen, it would look like the one in the Tippling Club. This local restaurant crafts some delicious plates with the help of state of the art equipment and technology. There’s even a dish made with soundwaves!
Address: 38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088461
Website
A restaurant that will garner respect from tree huggers, this contemporary Thai restaurant aims to have a zero-carbon footprint with green technology. The food is great too, bringing authenticity and modern polish to Thai dishes. Both the chef owners have had tutelage by the renowned David Thompson of Nahm.
Address: 24 Soi Sukhumvit 53, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana Bangkok 10110
Website
La Yeon represents some of the best in classical Korean cuisine. Their serious approach means you’ll only find the freshest and best ingredients here. The restaurant’s location on the 23rd floor provides breathtaking views of the city.
Address: Hotel Shilla, 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-856
Website
Chef Pongtawat Charlermkittichai lives a classic rags to riches life story with his humble beginnings as a pushcart vendor. Today, he is a highly regarded chef and makes regular appearances on television. His authentic Thai dishes feature some ingredients grown in the restaurant’s own garden.
Address: 4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Road, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Website
An intimate sushi restaurant with only 8 seats, Sushi Saito serves some of the most perfectly balanced sushi Japan has to offer. Their emphasis on smaller cuts of meat with more quality rice showcases a different approach in the world of Japanese sushi.
Address: 1st Floor, Ark Hills South Tower, 1-4-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Website
An ancient establishment with a history of 35 years, Bukhara is a testament to the quality and potential of indian cuisine. The restaurant has produced some of India’s best meals consistently for over 30 years.
Address: ITC Maurya Hotel, Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg, Chankyapuri, New Delhi, 110021
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Fabrice Vulin leads the kitchen at Caprice with his unique Moroccan and French inspired menu. Europe’s proximity to Morocco has married their respective culinary traditions for years, but a combination like this has me excited. Definately on my go to list the next time I’m in Hong Kong.
Address: Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
Website
Crab lovers grab your bibs! Well actually you can leave them at home, because this immensely popular restaurant supplies them for you along with some of the best local crabs Sri Lanka has to offer.
Address: Old Dutch Hospital, Colombo 1
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Yes this is the restaurant from Jiro Dreams of Sushi! Sushi fans need to no introduction to probably the most famous sushi restaurant in the world. A meal here will set you back over $300 for a basic set but it is here that you will understand what true sushi tastes like.
Address: Tsukamoto Sogya Building, Basement 1st Floor, 4-2-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104 0061
Website
If you like Italian wine and cheese, this place is for you. Opened by the world famous Croc-wearing Chef Mario Batali, Osteria Mozza brings a slice of Italy to our doorstep with some of his dishes that have won the world over.
Address: 2 Bayfront Avenue, B1 Galleria, Level 42-46, Singapore 018972
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A restaurant that’s changing up the meals I’ve had since I was a kid. Hakkasan is a modern Cantonese restaurant utilizing modern techniques to present classic Cantonese dishes.
Address: Bund 18, 5/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, Shanghai 200002
Website
One of the greatest Chinese restaurants in Singapore, the Peking Duck here is a sight to behold. Reservations must be placed for the duck and it is cut by the side of the table and neatly presented on the table. The remainder is used in the second course of fried noodles!
Address: Paragon, #05-42/45, 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859
Website
Tony Boy Escalante brings Filipino cuisine to the world stage with Antonio’s. The menu is greatly influenced by European cuisine, with local flavours incorporated to complement the dishes in interesting ways that showcase the potential of Filipino cuisine.
Address: Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay City, Batangas
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Chef Shuzo Kishida helms the kitchen of this contemporary french restaurant. With years of experience under 3 Michelin star chef Pascal Bardot, he has successfully cemented himself in the competitive arena of the Japanese dining scene.
Address: 141-0001 Shinagawa-Ku Kitashinagawa 6-7-29 Garden City Shinagawa Gotenyama 1F, Tokyo
Website
This Cambodian restaurant aims to bring Cambodian cuisine to the world stage with an impressive offering of modern local dishes. The ingredients used here are sourced locally and rarely heard of, which leads to some interesting flavours on the plates.
Address: Wat Damnak Village, Sala Kamreuk Commune, Siem Reap
Website
As you can probably imagine, it’s not going to be easy to get a table at any of these restaurants, be prepared to be put on a waiting list for months before getting a table. Some restaurants are so exclusive you might even need to know someone who knows someone to get in, or provide a write-up on why you want to dine there!
My advice would be to start small – the local restaurants are pricey, but getting tables shouldn’t be as crazy. For those of you who want a deal, restaurants in neighbouring countries may provide that thanks to the exchange rate, so do your research! For more information about the awards, you can check out their main page here.
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