• The 2018 list includes eight new entries and two re-entries
• Gaggan Anand’s Bangkok restaurant takes No.1 spot in annual ranking for fourth consecutive year
• Japan counts 11 restaurants on the list while Hong Kong and Thailand each claim nine
• La Cime, Osaka, wins the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles
• The Highest Climber Award is shared between Mume, Taipei, and The Chairman, Hong Kong, with both restaurants climbing 25 places
• Yoshihiro Narisawa wins the Chefs’ Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm
• Nicolas Lambert from Caprice, Hong Kong, is named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona
• L’Effervescence in Tokyo wins inaugural Sustainable Restaurant Award in Asia
• Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai wins the Art of Hospitality Award
• André Chiang is the 2018 recipient of The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award
• Bee Satongun of Paste, Bangkok, receives the elit® Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef trophy
• Toyo Eatery, Manila, is presented with the Miele One To Watch Award
The 2018 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced at an awards ceremony at Wynn Palace, Macao. Now in its sixth year, the 2018 list includes eight new entries, with Japan claiming 11 restaurants.
Gaggan in Bangkok claims the No.1 spot for a fourth consecutive year, retaining the dual titles of The Best Restaurant in Asia, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and The Best Restaurant in Thailand.
Gaggan Anand’s eponymous Bangkok restaurant debuted on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2014, rising to No.7 last year.
The 2018 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list boasts nine Thailand entries, including newcomer Paste (No.31), headed by Bongkoch ‘Bee’ Satongun, who is also named elit® Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef 2018. Other returning Bangkok favourites within the top 20 include Sühring (rising nine places to No.4), Nahm (No.10) and Le Du (rising 23 entries to No.14).
Individual Country Awards:
Japan
Den (No.2) rises nine places to earn the title of The Best Restaurant in Japan, replacing five-time title holder Narisawa (No.6). The top 10 also includes Florilège (No.3) and Nihonryori RyuGin (No.9). Tokyobased Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is a newcomer to the list, landing at No.28.
La Cime in Osaka makes its debut on the list at No.17, earning the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles. With a menu dedicated to modern French cuisine, Chef Yusuke Takada sources local, seasonal ingredients to present dishes of impeccable style and refinement.
Japanese chefs and restaurants were recognised in several individual award categories. Acclaimed chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is this year’s recipient of the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm. For two decades, Narisawa has earned the respect of his peers with his refined dishes and ability to blend French cooking techniques, employ sustainable practices and honour Japanese culinary traditions.
Ranked No.20 on the 2018 list, L’Effervescence in Tokyo has won the inaugural Sustainable Restaurant Award in Asia. The award is given to the restaurant with the highest environmental and social responsibility rating, as determined by audit partner the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Singapore
Rising four places to No.5, chef Julien Royer’s Odette claims the title of The Best Restaurant in Singapore. Singapore claims seven entries on the list, including Burnt Ends (No.12), Waku Ghin (No. 23), Les Amis (No.29), Corner House (No.36) and Jaan (No.44) as well as first-time entry Whitegrass (No.50).
China
Amber (No.7) in Hong Kong is named The Best Restaurant in China for a third successive year. The nine Hong Kong restaurants on the list include such perennials as 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana (No.13), Ta Vie (rising 17 places to No.16) and Lung King Heen (No.24), as well as two newcomers, Neighborhood (No.32) and Belon (No.40).
Hong Kong’s The Chairman (No.22) and Mume in Taipei (No.18) tie for the Highest Climber Award with both restaurants rising 25 places.
Macao is represented by Jade Dragon (No.35) while Mainland China counts Shanghai restaurants Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (No.8) and Fu He Hui (No.30).
South Korea
Mingles (No.11) in Seoul retains the title of The Best Restaurant in Korea. While Jungsik lands at No.26, TocToc, the 2017 recipient of the Miele One To Watch Award, enters the list at No.42.
Regional
Locavore (No.21) in Bali keeps The Best Restaurant in Indonesia honour while Indian Accent, rising 11 places to No. 19, is awarded The Best Restaurant in India for the fourth time. Other country winners include Raw (No.15), winning The Best Restaurant in Taiwan title for a second year, and Ministry of Crab in Colombo (No.25) securing honours as The Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka for a third successive time.
ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2018 - THE FULL LIST
1. GAGGAN - Bangkok, Thailand | Best Restaurant in Thailand and Best Restaurant in Asia
2. DEN - Tokyo, Japan | Best Restaurant in Japan
3. FLORILEGE - Tokyo, Japan
4. SUHRING – Bangkok, Thailand
5. ODETTE - Singapore | Best Restaurant in Singapore
6. NARISAWA - Tokyo, Japan
7. AMBER - Hong Kong, China | Best Restaurant in China (read our interview with Richard Ekkebus)
8. ULTRAVIOLET BY PAUL PAIRET - Shanghai, China | The Art of Hospitality Award
9. NIHONRYORI RYUGIN - Tokyo, Japan
10. NAHM - Bangkok, Thailand
11. MINGLES - Seoul, Korea | Best Restaurant in Korea
12. BURNT ENDS - Singapore
13. 8 1/2 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA - Hong Kong, China (read our interview with Umberto Bombana)
14. LE DU – Bangkok, Thailand
15. RAW - Taipei, Taiwan | Best Restaurant in Taiwan
16. TA VIE - Hong Kong, China
17. LA CIME - Osaka, Japan | HIGHEST NEW ENTRY
18. MUME – Taipei, Taiwan | HIGHEST CLIMBER
19. INDIAN ACCENT - New Delhi, India | Best Restaurant in India
20. L'EFFERVESCENCE - Tokyo, Japan | SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT AWARD
21. LOCAVORE - Bali, Indonesia | Best Restaurant in Indonesia
22. THE CHAIRMAN - Hong Kong, China | HIGHEST CLIMBER
23. WAKU GHIN - Singapore
24. LUNG KING HEEN - Hong Kong, China
25. MINISTRY OF CRAB - Colombo, Sri Lanka | Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka
26. JUNGSIK - Seoul, Korea
27. SUSHI SAITO - Tokyo, Japan
28.IL RISTORANTE LUCA FANTIN - Tokyo, Japan
29. LES AMIS - Singapore
30. FU HE HUI - Shanghai, China
31.PASTE - Bangkok, Thailand
32. NEIGHBORHOOD - Hong Kong, China
33. EAT ME - Bangkok, Thailand
34. HAJIME - Osaka, Japan
35. JADE DRAGON – Macau, China
36. CORNER HOUSE - Singapore
37. BO.LAN - Bangkok, Thailand
38. QUINTESSENCE - Tokyo, Japan
39. ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB - Bangkok, Thailand
40. Belon - Hong Kong
41. RONIN - Hong Kong, China
42. TOC TOC - Seoul, Korea
43. THE DINING ROOM AT THE HOUSE OF SATHORN – Bangkok, Thailand
44. JAAN* - Singapore
45. NIHONBASHI - Colombo, Sri Lanka
46. CAPRICE – Hong Kong, China
47. SHOUN RYUGIN - Taipei, Taiwan
48. LA MAISON DE LA NATURE GOH - Fukuoka, Japan
49. WASABI BY MORIMOTO - Mumbai, India
50. WHITEGRASS - Singapore