Fresh out of the oven, Odette has been named The Best Restaurant in Singapore once again. Singapore displayed a strong showing with nine restaurants making the list. Most restaurants climbed up from their previous ranks and they are Labyrinth (#11), Meta (#17), Burnt Ends (#24) Euphoria (#25), Cloudstreet (#26), and Les Amis (#27). Singapore also sees a new entry Born (#36).
This is yet another affirmation that Singapore's food scene is as dynamic as it gets. "The diversity we’re seeing in 2023 is exciting, not just with fine dining, but also with Singapore street food," expressed chef LG Han of restaurant Labyrinth (#11) – winner of the Highest Climber Award 2023. "There’s a new generation of young hawkers coming up and they’re exploring their culinary roots and traditional flavours. And they’re changing the perception of hawker stalls and are willing to be more experimental."
As for how other countries fared, Bangkok reigns as champions with Le Du in first place and eight other Thai restaurants on the list. Japan ranks with 10 restaurant entries with Den still being the Best Restaurant in Japan.
Restaurants 51 to 100 were announced previously, including six restaurants from Singapore: Thevar (#56), Lolla (#63), Naeum (#83), Jaan by Kirk Westaway (#84), Claudine (#85) and Summer Pavilion (#86).
For other accolades brought in by our local restaurants, Lolla's chef Johanne Siy emerged as Asia’s Best Female Chef this year. "I am grateful for this platform that allows me to reach out to so many young chefs to hopefully inspire them to overcome barriers and push boundaries. I want to shine a spotlight on the work of remarkable women in our industry, in the hopes that one day we as a community can thrive and reach new heights by leveraging the symbiosis that a truly egalitarian workforce brings,” says the cerebral chef. She joins the ranks of recent previous winners: Shanghai-based DeAille Tam (2021); and Tokyo-based Japanese chef Natsuko Shoji (2022). In the pastry world, Chef Louisa Lim from Odette also bagged Asia's Best Pastry Chef Award.
This year also includes the presentation of the first-ever winner of Beronia Asia’s Best Sommelier Award. Making history is the young wine expert, Della Tang. Her studies brought her to the famous wine regions of France and now, she returns to Shenzhen and offers her exciting perspective at Ensue (#31).
It's no secret that Japanese restaurants on Asia's 50 Best Restaurant list are notoriously hard to book. Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den (#4), who placed first as The Best Restaurant in Asia last year, shares his best tips for getting a table. Aside from the typical website bookings – which are almost always fully booked –, all it takes is a spark of creativity. "We know people will try lots of ways to secure a booking. A couple of weeks ago, someone sent me a DM via Instagram with a picture of their pet chihuahua writing to my dog Puci (Den’s mascot and star chihuahua) asking for a reservation at my restaurant. That sort of original approach will always get my attention," shares Hasegawa. One to take note of if you're planning on getting a spot at any of these restaurants on the list.
Here’s the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023:
#50 Refer, China (New entry)
#49 Caprice, Hong Kong
#48 Metiz, Philippines (New entry)
#47 Born & Bred, South Korea
#46 Baan Tepa, Thailand
#45 Mume, Taiwan (The Best Restaurant in Taiwan)
#44 L'Effervecence, Japan
#43 Sichuan Moon, Macau
#42 Toyo Eatery, Philippines (Winner of Flor De Cana Sustainable Award and The Best Restaurant in the Philippines)
#41 Mono, Hong Kong
#40 Anan Saigon, Ho Chi Minh (The Best Restaurant in Vietnam)
#39 Wing Lei Palace, Macau (The Best Restaurant in Macau)
#38 Raan Jay Fai, Thailand
#37 Wing, Hong Kong
#36 Born, Singapore (New entry)
#35 Potong, Thailand (New entry)
#34 Da Vittorio, Shanghai
#33 Ms Maria & Mr Singh, Thailand (New entry)
#32 Cenci, Japan (New entry)
#31 Ensue, China
#30 Avartana, India (Highest New Entry Award)
#29 Neighborhood, Hong Kong
#28 Mingles, Korea
#27 Les Amis, Singapore
#26 Cloudstreet, Singapore
#25 Euphoria, Singapore
#24 Burnt Ends, Singapore
#23 Onjium, Korea
#22 Sühring, Thailand
#21 Zén, Singapore (Winner of Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award)
#20 Ode, Japan
#19 Indian Accent, India
#18 Fu He Hui, China (The Best Restaurant in Mainland China)
#17 Meta, Singapore
#16 Masque, India (The Best Restaurant in India)
#15 Mosu, South Korea (The Best Restaurant in Korea)
#14 Villa Aida, Japan
#13 The Chairman, Hong Kong (The Best Restaurant in Hong Kong)
#12 Sazenka, Japan
#11 Labyrinth, Singapore (Winner of the Highest Climber Award)
#10 Narisawa, Japan
#9 Sorn, Thailand
#8 Le Cime, Japan
#7 Florilège, Japan (Chef Hiroyasu Kawate, Inedit Damm Chef's Choice Award)
#6 Odette, Singapore (The Best Restaurant In Singapore)
#5 Gaggan Anand, Thailand
#4 Den, Japan
#3 Nusara, Thailand
#2 Sézanne, Japan (The Best Restaurant in Japan)
#1 Le Du, Thailand (The Best Restaurant in Thailand)
Watch the awards ceremony at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants on Facebook and Worlds 50 Best on Youtube, and follow @TheWorlds50Best on Instagram for more information.
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