Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna

After three years in Singapore and two in Bangkok, the region’s most respected chefs and restaurateurs are poised to swap their chef whites for their best suits to travel to Macao for the 2018 and 2019 editions of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

The 2018 list was revealed on March 27th at Macao’s Wynn Palace Cotai, with Wynn as the official venue partner. Macao makes for a vibrant destination with an array of cultural and culinary influences, from China to Portugal and India, reflected in its eclectic food culture.

Within a three-mile radius, Macao’s restaurant concentration is impressive, from Italian to Cantonese eateries and classic steakhouses. In 2017, it was home to two of the restaurants in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list: Jade Dragon at No.32 and The Tasting Room at No.39.

The new destination for the sixth and seventh editions of the awards was revealed at a media conference hosted at Wynn Palace by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Macao Government Tourism Office, with over 120 guests. Chefs present included Richard Ekkebus of Amber and Shinobu Namae of L’Effervescence, No.3 and No.12 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, as well as May Chow, Asia’s Best Female Chef 2017. The guests then headed to the celebratory lunch, a culinary experience focused on the finest ingredients curated by chefs from Wynn’s several restaurants.

2018 ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS AWARDS

GAGGAN IN BANGKOK SECURES NO.1 SPOT AT ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS AWARDS
• 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). Tokyo based 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.

Other award winners announced include:
Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Valrhona: Nicolas Lambert, Caprice, Hong Kong Hailing from a family of patissiers, Nicolas Lambert honed his skills training alongside world-acclaimed French pastry chefs, including Christophe Michalak at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. Since joining Caprice in Hong Kong in 2015, the French chef’s delicate creations and artful plating have earned him a devoted following. His signature ‘La Framboise Reconstituée’ reveals his technical skills as well as his ability to push
creative boundaries.
The Art of Hospitality Award: Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
Consistently within the top 10 of Asia’s 50 Best, Ultraviolet is an immersive, multi-sensory dining experience that combines gastronomic mastery and theatrical wizardry. Transported to a mystery purpose-built venue, guests are served a tasting menu in which each course is accompanied by bespoke lighting, visual effects and other senses-stimulating cues.
Other award recipients include Toyo Eatery in Manila earning the Miele One To Watch Award for its modern interpretations of Filipino culinary traditions. Celebrated chef André Chiang, of Raw in Taipei and formerly of Restaurant André in Singapore, is this year’s deserving recipient of The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award.
William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list welcomes eight new entries in 2018, reflecting the ongoing culinary innovation happening in this region. In its sixth year, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants continues to recognise new talents, identify industry trends and celebrate excellence. We are thrilled to honour the 50 restaurants on the 2018 list, as well as the individual
award winners, who inspire us with their singular visions and remarkable achievements.”

How Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled
The list is created from the votes of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene. The panel in each region is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘gastronomes’. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant
experiences of the previous 18 months. There is no pre-determined check-list of criteria, but there are strict voting rules.
For the 2018 edition, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is once again working with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner. The adjudication by Deloitte ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants are protected. To see more details on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants voting process, visit
http://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/our-manifesto.html

Main Sponsor:

S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna are the main sponsors of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna are the
leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being.

Other Partners:
Wynn Resorts Macau – Official Venue Partner
Miele – Premium Partner, Official Kitchen Appliance Partner , Presenting Partner of #50BestTalks and sponsor of the ‘Miele One To Watch Award’
elit® Vodka – Official Premium Vodka Partner and sponsor of the ‘elit® Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef Award’
Diners Club International® – Official Credit Card Partner and sponsor of the ‘Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award’
Estrella Damm – Official Beer Partner and sponsor of the ‘Chefs’ Choice Award’
Valrhona – Official Chocolate Partner and sponsor of the ‘Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award’
Lavazza – Official Coffee Partner
Douro Boys – Official Wine Partner
Champagne Delamotte – Official Champagne Partner
Frontier Tojo – Official Sake Partner
Gin Mare – Official Gin Partner
Seedlip – Official Premium Non-Alcoholic Spirit Partner
Cinco Jotas – Official Ibérico Ham Partner
Calia – Official Specialty Grocer Partner
Aspire Lifestyles – Official Concierge Partner and sponsor of the ‘Highest New Entry Award’
Taipa Village – Official Cultural Partner
Sustainable Restaurant Association – Sustainability Audit Partner

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants – social media
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The awards will also be streamed live courtesy of the main sponsor, S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, via its content hub
http://www.finedininglovers.com and on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page.