Whilst the rest of the world was idly flicking through the Oscar results, in Singapore, gourmet lovers were gathered for the announcement of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, at a swanky ceremony sponsored by Italian water bottler S.Pellegrino. Selected by a system of anonymous voting from critics, foodies, chefs, and restaurateurs, who were allowed to nominate places outside their own business interests that they had dined at in the past 18 months, the awards were in theory supposed to highlight lesser known as well as more famous spots.
Michelen star capital of the world Tokyo was always a forerunner for the coveted number one spot, and sure enough, Narisara, a French influenced Japanese eatery Narawasa was crowned the ultimate gastro hub in Asia. Neighbouring spot, Nihonryori Ryugin came in second, followed by Bankok’s premier Thai spot, Nahm.
Overall, French inspired cuisine was a hit with the panel, with Hong Kong’s Amber and Sinapore’s Restaurant Andre taking fourth and fifth place respectively.
Whilst most top establishments were in the more well-trodden foodie hubs in Asia, China and India threw up some interesting surprises, reflecting the growth of gourmet culture in these regions. Interestingly, inspite of the growing global fad for Korean cuisine, no establishments from the country made it on the list.
The full list, as nominated by Asia’s top food snobs is as follows. How many have you been to?
1. Narisara, Tokyo
2. Nihon Ryugin, Tokyo
3. Nahm, Bangkok
4. Amber, Hong Kong
5. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
6. 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong
7. Mr and Mrs Bund, Shanghai
8. Ultra Violet, Shanghai
9. Iggy’s, Singapore.
10. Gaggan, Bangkok
11. Waku Ghin, Singapore
12. Caprice, Hong Kong
13.Lung King Heen, Hong Kong
14. Les Amis, Singapore
15.Bo Innovation, Hong Kong
16. Qunitessence, Tokyo
17. Dum Pukht, New Delhi
18. The Chairman, Hong Kong
19. Eat Me, Bangkok
20. Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai
21. Hajime Restaurant, Osaka
22. Jaan, Singapore
23. L’atelier De Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong
24.L’atelier De Joel Robuchon, Singapore
25. 28 Hubin Road, Hangzhou
26. Bukhara, New Delhi
27. Sushi Mizutani, Tokyo
28.Indigo, Mumbai
29. Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, Bangkok
30.Varq, New Delhi
31. Aronia De Takazawa, Tokyo
32. Shinji By Kanesaka, Singapore
33. Kahala, Osaka
34. Franck Bistro, Shanghai
35. Osteria Mozza, Singapore
36. Bo Lan, Bangkokl
37. Robuchon Au Dome, Macau
38. Nihonbashi, Colombo
39. Sushi Saito, Tokyo
40. Fu1015, Shanghai
41. Indian Accent, New Delhi
42. Ishikawa, Tokyo
43. Gunther’s, Singapore
44. Karavalli, Bangalore
45. Uade On 36, Shanghai
46. Yardbird, Hong Kong
47. Don’s, Hanoi
48. Fook Lam Moon, Hong Kong
49. Imperial Treasure, Singapore
50. Mozaic, Bali
