On 26th March 2024, the award ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants occurred. During the ceremony, Sézanne in Tokyo was named The Best Restaurant in Asia, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The prestigious event was held in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants is created from the votes of an influential and gender-balanced group of 318 experts, known as the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The group comprises food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs, and regional culinary leaders. This year's list includes eight new entries and restaurants from nineteen regional cities.
Chef Daniel Calvert leads Sézanne, which offers neo-French cuisine with a modern twist, featuring high-quality Japanese ingredients. The restaurant is situated on the seventh floor of Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi and is inspired by the eponymous town in France's Champagne region. The dining experience includes an extensive selection of rare champagne bottlings, artisanal sparkling wines, and vintage cuvées.
Sézanne debuted at No. 17 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022, then climbed 15 spots to No.2 the following year. Finally, it achieved the coveted top spot and earned the title of The Best Restaurant in Asia.
Singapore has nine restaurants on the list, with Odette leading at No.10. Odette, helmed by chef Julien Royer, offers timeless French fine dining and top-notch hospitality and has consistently been among the top 10 since 2017. Burnt Ends, chef Dave Pynt's modern barbeque restaurant, has moved up nine spots to No.15. In contrast, Euphoria, headed by chef Jason Tan and offering gastro botanica cuisine, has made its debut at No.20. Born, which features innovative contemporary French-Chinese cuisine, has climbed five places to No.25.
Seroja is a new entry at No.31 and has also received the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Nongshim. Chef Kevin Wong, who hails from Port Klang, pays homage to the cuisine of the Malay Archipelago at Seroja through multi-course tasting menus. Meta secures the No.28 spot, followed by Labyrinth at No.30, and Les Amis at No.38. Lolla, a newcomer led by former Asia's Best Female Chef awardee Johanne Siy, concludes Singapore's presence on the list at No.43.
Bangkok has a total of eight restaurants on the list, with Gaggan Anand's eponymously named 14-seater chef's table experience leading the way at No.3. Nusara by Chef Ton comes in at No.6 and has received this year's Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award. They are closely followed by Sühring at No.7, which has climbed an impressive 15 spots. Sorn is at No.11, followed by former No.1 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Le Du, at No.12.
Potong climbs up eighteen spots to No.17, with chef-owner Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij claiming the title of Asia's Best Female Chef 2024. Thai omakase-style restaurant Samrub Samrub Thai re-enters the rankings at No.29. Baan Tepa, the experiential restaurant set in chef-owner Chudaree' Tam' Debhakam's family home, is placed at No.42.
Hong Kong has six restaurants on the list, with The Chairman maintaining its leading position in the city at No.4. Chef and owner Danny Yip has been honoured with the Icon Award for his dedication to championing Cantonese cuisine on the global stage. Wing, Vicky Cheng's Chinese restaurant, follows closely at No.5 and secures the Highest Climber Award 2024, sponsored by Korean Air, for its impressive ascent of 32 places. The remaining Hong Kong entries also see significant movements, with Neighborhood rising 13 places to No.16, Mono advancing 14 spots to No.27, and Caprice climbing by 17 to No.32. Ando, a newcomer debuting at No.37, is where Argentinian-born chef Agustin Balbi presents a menu blending Japanese and Spanish influences.
Aside from Sézanne (No.1), crowned The Best Restaurant in Asia, Tokyo boasts four additional restaurants on the list. This includes Florilège, at No.2, a restaurant known for its exceptional French-Japanese cuisine. Chef Hiroyasu Kawate is the mastermind behind the delicious and unique dishes served at this restaurant. Returning favourites Den hold the No.8 spot, Narisawa sits at No.14, and Sazenka completes Tokyo's representation at No.39.
The host city, Seoul, secures four spots on the list, led by the seasonality-driven Korean restaurant Mingles at No.13. 7th Door re-enters the rankings at No.18, followed by Onjium at No.21. Mosu wraps up Seoul's representation at No.41. At the same time, chef-owner Sung Anh receives the peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs' Choice Award.
Shanghai is well-represented in the latest ranking of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Four establishments from the city have made it to the list, led by Fu He Hui at No. 19. Three new entries are joining the list for the first time. These include Ling Long, a newly opened restaurant ranked at No. 36, Jason Liu's Cantonese banquet cuisine restaurant 102 House at No. 40, and Meet The Bund at No. 50, which offers Southern Fujianese cuisine in the bustling Bund Finance Center.
From Taipei, Logy re-enters the rankings at No.22, and Kevin Lu wins Beronia Asia's Best Sommelier Award for his impressively curated wine programme. At the same time, Mume climbs 11 spots to No.34. Meanwhile, JL Studio from Taichung re-enters the list at No.33.
Four Japanese cities have restaurants on the list. La Cime from Osaka ranks 9th, Villa Aida from Wakayama is 35th, Fukuoka introduces a new entrant, Goh, at 45th, and Cenci from Kyoto is 47th.
On the list, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai each have one restaurant represented. Masque at No.23, Indian Accent at No.26, and Avartana from Chennai at No.44. Jakarta's August has made it into the top 50 rankings at No.46 after winning last year's One To Watch Award. Anan Saigon (No.48) represents Ho Chi Minh City on the list. Meanwhile, Toyo Eatery from Manila has climbed 18 spots to No.24. Macau's newcomer Chef Tam's Seasons has snagged one spot at No.49.
The live awards ceremony also announced a list of special award winners. Haoma from Bangkok is the recipient of the Sustainable Restaurant Award and is also a new entry on the extended 51-100 list at No.90. Led by Deepanker Khosla, one of the first winners of the Champions of Change awards as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021, the restaurant is a strong advocate for farm-to-table and zero-waste cooking, producing its ingredients using hydroponics and sourcing locally from organic farms.
The coveted title of Asia's Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona, is awarded Mineko Kato from Tokyo's Faro. The Italian-trained chef believes in creating a harmonious co-existence between humanity and nature through food.
The 2024 list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants was revealed on 26 March at a live awards ceremony held at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Seoul, South Korea. The awards ceremony was preceded by #50BestTalks, a thought-leadership forum titled, Food of the People; the 50 Best Signature Sessions, a series of sold-out collaborative dining events which saw 50 Best chefs cooking alongside renowned local talent in Seoul; a Chefs' Feast showcasing the finest cooking and ingredients that South Korea is celebrated for; and a Meet the Chefs media roundtable.
Comments