For the best dining experience, consider the top 10 restaurants in Asia, according to Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants for 2014.
Most of these top-rated establishments are located in Thailand, Japan, China, or Singapore. The top 10 list features two restaurants from Bangkok, two from Tokyo, three from Hong Kong, and two from Singapore:
- Nahm, in Bangkok, Thailand, is known for its guinea fowl curry with shampoo ginger and holy basil. This restaurant held the third spot in 2013.
Narisawa, located in Tokyo, Japan, is highly regarded for its dish “inori”. Narisawa was ranked first in 2013.
Gaggan, in Bangkok, Thailand, offers Indian cuisine, and its papdi chaat 2050 is a must-try. Gaggan was ranked tenth the previous year.
Amber, situated in Hong Kong’s Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, is known for its Hokkaido sea urchin in lobster jelly, accompanied by cauliflower, caviar, and a crispy seaweed waffle. Amber maintained its fourth-place ranking from 2013.
Nihonryori Ryugin, a Tokyo-based establishment, secured the second position last year. Its charcoal-grilled sea perch, topped with roasted rice and a black vinegar glaze, is highly recommended. Chef Seiji Yamamoto received last year’s Chefs’ Choice award.
Restaurant Andre, a multi-award-winning restaurant in Singapore, is acclaimed for its dish “Memory,” featuring warm foie gras jelly with black truffle coulis. It ranked fifth in the previous year.
Waku Ghin, situated in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, is another multi-award-winning establishment where chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s marinated botan shrimps with sea urchin and Oscietre caviar is a standout dish. It previously held the eleventh spot.
Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, located in Shanghai, China, offers a noteworthy chocolate foie gras tartine. Its ranking remains unchanged from last year. Pairet also heads Mr & Mrs Bund, which ranked eleventh this year and seventh in 2013, also in Shanghai.
Lung King Heen, a Cantonese restaurant located in Hong Kong’s Four Seasons Hotel, is led by master chef Chan Yan Tak, whose sautéed lobster with vegetables in fermented bean sauce comes highly recommended. Lung King Heen was ranked thirteenth in the previous year.
8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana, an Italian restaurant in Hong Kong, is known for its ‘Fassone’ veal tenderloin served with fresh porcini mushroom and barley. It held the sixth spot in 2013.
Examining ranks 11 to 20 reveals that restaurants in the same cities continue to dominate, with the exception of Jungsik in Seoul, Korea, at number 19.
The trend of familiar cities persists in ranks 21 to 30, although three winners are from Delhi, India. Notably, at number 24, Le Moût Restaurant, a French establishment in Taichung, Taiwan, breaks the pattern of Taipei being the sole Taiwanese culinary destination.
Ranks 31 to 40 showcase greater diversity. 28 Hubin Road in Hangzhou, China, secures the 33rd spot, while Japanese restaurant Wasabi in Mumbai, India, places 36th. Robuchon Au Dôme at the Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau, China, claims the 39th spot.
Hajime, ranked 42nd, stands as the sole representative from Osaka, Japan. Meanwhile, Nihonbashi in Sri Lanka (ranked 44th) is the only Sri Lankan restaurant on the list. At number 47 is Sarong from Bali, Indonesia, and claiming the 49th spot is Karavalli from Bangalore, India.
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is a publication of William Reed Business Media, a family-owned company with offices in the UK, US, France, and Singapore.
*Images all from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants website