The highly-anticipated list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday 28th March.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this year’s ranking features restaurants from 19 different cities in 11 countries and seven new entries. Explore this year’s list to find out which venue has been named The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023
No.50 Refer – NEW ENTRY
Beijing
@refer_beijing
This bold and modern restaurant helmed by Canadian head chef Talib Hudda brings an immersive and innovative take on Chinese cuisine. Dishes here, such as the fried crayfish with rice cake are masterful and elevated renditions of the country’s classic food.
No.49 Caprice
Hong Kong
@capricehongkong
Classic French meets touches of modern Asia in this glistening temple to luxurious gastronomy. Masterminded by chef Guillaume Galliot, courses across its refined menu lean into the restaurant’s opulent aura, offering plates of mashed potato with champagne and caviar sauce, layered with indulgent volumes of butter.
No.48 Metiz – NEW ENTRY
Makati
@metizresto
This Makati restaurant by native chef Stephan Duhesme pools from the diverse influences and cultures across The Philippines’ rich history. Fermentation and spotlighting lesser-known ingredients reign supreme across Metiz’s eight-course tasting menu, boasting dishes such as aged tanigue (mackerel) with fermented rice and mushroom.
No.47 Born & Bred – RE-ENTRY
Seoul
@bornandbredkorea
You’ve probably heard of wagyu, but how about hanwoo? This three-storey shrine to Korean speciality beef offers a unique 15-18 step tasting menu demonstrating the plethora of ways to prepare the produce, ranging from picture-perfected fat-marbled cuts fired over charcoal to a delicate and complex beef pho.
No.46 Baan Tepa – NEW ENTRY
Bangkok
@baantepabkk
At Baan Tepa, chef Tam Chudaree Debhakam has created a garden paradise devoted to honouring local produce and Thai biodiversity. Its nine-course tasting menu takes its guests on a gastronomic tour of the country, offering dishes of black squid ink with lemongrass alongside lamb curry with pickled condiments.
No.45 Mume – RE-ENTRY
Taipei
@mume_taiwan
Named after Taiwan’s famous flower the plum blossom, Mume champions the very best of the island’s terroir. In the kitchen, chef Richie Lin uses modern European techniques to platform exemplary Taiwanese ingredients, such as the mahi mahi fish with salted kombu and crème fraîche.
No.44 L'Effervescence – RE-ENTRY
Tokyo
@Leffervescence
Created by culinary pioneer Shinobu Namae, L'Effervescence has become a bastion of sustainably-driven, creative cooking in Japan. Dishes change frequently and draw inspiration from nature, with just one dish, named Fixed Point, remaining on its menu since opening in 2010. Namae was recognised for his vision and creativity with the Icon Award for 2023.
No.43 Sichuan Moon – RE-ENTRY
Macau
Wynnpalace.com
Hot, numbing, spicy and sour notes take centre stage in this glamorous homage to Sichuanese cooking by renowned chef André Chiang. Expect snacks of pickled vegetables, followed by duck tongue in Sichuan red oil and steaming bowls of dan dan noodles, paired with an astute range of teas and infusions.
No.42 Toyo Eatery – RE-ENTRY
Manila
@toyoeatery
From victor of the One To Watch Award in 2019 to the winner of the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2023, Toyo Eatery has been on a meteoric rise to stardom through its platforming of its country’s produce and people. Its signature dish, the Bahay Kubo, is an 18-vegetable salad named after a popular Tagalog children’s folk song.
No.41 Mono
Hong Kong
mono.hk
One of the few South American restaurants located in Hong Kong, Mono is Ricardo Chaneton’s love letter to his homeland. Dishes across its menu explore cuisines from across the chef’s home continent, offering courses of Venezuelan corn cachapas (pancakes) with caviar and murupi chillies as well as an Andean vegetable salad.
No.40 Anan Saigon – RE-ENTRY
Ho Chi Minh City
@anansaigon
Having trained at world-famous restaurants including Caprice in Hong Kong and Alinea in Chicago, chef Peter Cuong Franklin’s Anan Saigon brings together his street food past with his modern inventive fine dining prowess. Dishes such as the Caviar Bánh Nhúng exemplify his fusionist cooking philosophy.
No.39 Wing Lei Palace
Macau
wynnpalace.com
Located inside the extravagant Wynn Palace Complex in Macau, Wing Lei Palace serves up a masterclass in Cantonese cooking. Its signature dishes, such as the crispy sea cucumber filled with minced shrimp and roasted goose with plum sauce, are fit to match its bejewelled interior.
No.38 Raan Jay Fai
Bangkok
@jayfaibangkok
This international street food sensation has become a stalwart of Bangkok’s dining scene, evolving from a hawker stall into a seven-table restaurant which sees eager guests queuing around the block from sunrise. Visit and witness chef Supinya ‘Jay Fai’ Junsuta create her legendary crab omelette over a roaring work fire in her signature heat-proof goggles.
No.37 Wing
Hong Kong
@wingrestaurant_hk
Vicky Cheng’s flagship restaurant pulls no punches in its modern and elegant take on traditional Cantonese cuisine. Its seasonal tasting menu, which boasts plates such as delicate and bouncy rolls of Alaskan king crab cheung fun, depends entirely on the market’s best produce of the day, which Cheng himself visits every morning.
No.36 Born – NEW ENTRY
Singapore
@restaurantborn
Opened by a former protégé of the legendary Andre Chiang, Born is result of chef Zor Tan’s many experiences and influences. The result? A blend of Chinese and French culinary traditionalism. Courses such as the aged wagyu tartare with oyster in a fried bao have quickly becoming crowd-pleasers.
No.35 Potong – NEW ENTRY
Bangkok
@restaurant.potong
Pichaya ‘Pam’ Utharntharm, better known as Chef Pam, is one of Thailand’s most exciting culinary talents. At Potong, she masterfully melds Thai and Chinese flavours. Its duck leg, set alight by fiery Sichuan peppercorns flavour and soothed by a silky chawanmushi (Japanese savoury custard), demonstrate Pam’s mastery of culinary balance.
No.34 Da Vittorio
Shanghai
Davittorio.com
The Shanghai offshoot of this legendary Italian eatery follows closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, offering adept Mediterranean-inspired plates. The restaurant’s signature dish sees East meet West, creating a linguine “amatripesce” using aged Chinese fish maw to mimic cod belly found in the dish invented by the brothers behind the original location in Bergamo, Italy.
No.33 Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh – NEW ENTRY
Bangkok
@mariaandsingh
Part Mexican, part Indian, this gastronomic outpost founded in 2020 by renowned chef Gaggan Anand offers a fun and refined fusion of Latin American and south Asian cuisines. Dishes, such as the pulled pork vindaloo taco on a flour tortilla, celebrate the culinary commonalities between the two nations.
No.32 Cenci
Kyoto
@cenci.kyoto
In the heart of Kyoto, chef-patron Ken Sakamoto’s Cenci offers modern Japanese produce-driven cooking influenced by touches of Italy. Within its highly seasonal tasting menu, expect a showcase of refined technique and local produce via dishes of tomato with new ginger and coriander, alongside green asparagus with round barley and big fin reef squid.
No.31 Ensue
Shenzhen
@ensue_sz
Founded in 2019, Ensue offers a taste of traditional Chinese cooking accented by breezy Californian culinary philosophy. Its signature dish, a 120-day-old Qingyuan chicken baked in sourdough with sea conch and leg meat stuffed between the chicken skin, is pure artistry. It also boasts an astute range of vintage wines, with Della Tang being named Beronia Asia’s Best Sommelier for 2023.
No.30 Avartana – NEW ENTRY
Chennai
Itchotels.com
Inside the opulent ITC Grand Chola Hotel, Avartana showcases the food of southern India enhanced by flourishes of molecular gastronomy. Small bites across its menus, such as cuttlefish with black garlic and chargrilled pork belly with steamed tapioca, have catapulted its reputation to new heights, earning the restaurant the Highest New Entry Award 2023, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles.
No.29 Neighborhood
Hong Kong
Hidden down an unassuming alleyway with no social media, website or online presence, Neighborhood is still able to fill its tables weeks in advance. Chef David Lai’s French-inspired cooking is hearty and comforting, with his signature salt-baked chicken served with rice in a creamy yellow wine and morel mushroom sauce, a particular highlight.
No.28 Mingles
Seoul
@mingles_restaurant
Opened in 2014 in Seoul’s buzzing Cheongdam-dong district, Mingles has impressed local and international diners alike with its modern take on traditional Korean cuisine. Ferments and vinegars are central to its offering, transforming local produce into symphonious ensembles, such as its ‘mingling pot’ of simmered morels, beef tendon, abalone and cabbage ssam.
No.27 Les Amis
Singapore
@lesamisrestaurant
Les Amis been a landmark restaurant in Singapore’s fine dining scene since opening in 1994, through its provision of sophisticated French cuisine. Courses of roasted wild turbot from the port of Île d'Yeu with printanière sauce have kept this restaurant in the highest echelons of the city state’s restaurants.
No.26 Cloudstreet
Singapore
@cloudstreet.sg
This modern eatery by a husband-and-wife team has won Singapore over for its inventive fusion of Australian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Its signature dish, Australian marron served in a pool of Sri Lankan yellow curry with millets, celery and fennel, is just one of the many masterful meeting points of the two cultures.
No.25 Euphoria – RE-ENTRY
Singapore
@restauranteuphoria
Famed for its ‘Gastro-Botanica’ cuisine style, coined by chef Jason Tan, Euphoria is a celebration of vegetables in all their forms. Its ‘Oignon Jamboree’ with Cévennes parfait, pickled pearl onions, yellow onion purée, charred onion and kombu broth finished with Oscietra caviar, is one of restaurant’s the many transformative creations.
No.24 Burnt Ends
Singapore
@burntends.sg
Aussie chef Dave Pynt’s temple to fire and smoke is deeply beloved in Singapore and beyond for good reason. After moving location in 2021, many of the restaurant’s classics have remained on the menu, such as the Burnt Ends Sanger, Pynt’s elevated take on a pulled pork roll.
No.23 Onjium
Seoul
@onijium_restaurant
Located in Seoul’s Jongno District, Onjium is a celebration of Korean heritage through its art, culture and cooking. The kitchen, led by chefs Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae, utilises seasonal ingredients to create dishes that have been mastered through years’ meticulous research.
No.22 Sühring
Bangkok
@restaurant_suhring
Twins Thomas and Mathias Sühring opened their eponymous restaurant to great fanfare in 2016, offering a refined take on traditional German cuisine supercharged by Thai local produce. Its seasonal menu changes every two to three months, with its winter Wildscheinpastete, a spectacular wild boar pie, marking a true a standout dish.
No.21 Zén
Singapore
@restaurantzen.sgp
Dining at Zén is an experience that transcends conventional meals. A theatrical event of three acts, dinner here sees diners move around its three-storey building, each area curated to match its dishes. For its unmatched service and offering, Zen was named the winner of the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award for 2023.
No.20 Ode
Tokyo
restaurant-ode.com
Polished, creative and always accessible, Ode’s fourth year of existence has cemented its place as one of Tokyo’s best. Offering neo-French cuisine injected with pop-culture flair, chef Yusuke Namai delivers courses greater than the sum of their parts, such as his signature sardines with an anchovy meringue.
No.19 Indian Accent
New Delhi
@indianaccent
A stalwart of Delhi’s dining scene, Indian Accent impresses with its modern interpretation and navigation of Indian gastronomy. Famed for its small bites across its tasting menu, including pao bhaji and more, its bread basket of 11 different varieties is worth the visit alone.
No.18 Fu He Hui
Shanghai
@fuhehui
Nestled in Shanghai’s former French concession, Fu He Hui is approaching its decadal anniversary and shows little sign of slowing down. Chef Tony Lu, a native and veteran of the city’s restaurant scene, utilises his fine dining pedigree here to craft inventive vegetarian Chinese dishes.
No.17 Meta
Singapore
@metasingapore
Meta offers a fusion of Eastern and Western cuisines executed with an unmatched level of finesse. Chef Sun Kim’s seasonal menu changes every four months, but certain staples, such as Jeju Island grilled abalone on a bed of risotto made from Korean short grain rice, have earned their position as the restaurant’s signatures.
No.16 Masque
Mumbai
@masquerestaurant
Innovative Indian gastronomy is the name of the game at Masque, where chef Varun Totlani serves his fantastically creative ten-course tasting menu in a converted Mumbai textile mill. Its Kashmiri morels with patra (colocasia leaves) stuffed with either peas or barbecued pork, are one of the many dishes that earned its crown as The Best Restaurant in India 2023.
No.15 Mosu
Seoul
@mosuseoul
Mosu began its life in San Francisco before packing its bags after just one year and reopening in the packed Yongsan District of Seoul in 2017. Now The Best Restaurant in Korea, Mosu celebrates the country’s diverse and varied palate, elevating everyday foods into skilful creations, such as his ssam-inspired signature abalone taco.
No.14 Villa Aida
Wakayama
Villa-aida.jp
Located deep in rural Wakayama, Villa Aida is perhaps not the location you’d expect to be serving exemplary Italian-inspired plates. However, chef Kanji Kobayashi’s love of European cooking blends seamlessly with his Japanese farming background, where the restaurant now grows and uses over 100 varieties of vegetables across its ten-course tasting menu.
No.13 The Chairman
Hong Kong
@thechairmanrestauranthk
Famed in Hong Kong for its unmatched Cantonese cuisine, The Chairman, now located in a new premises within the city, is as commendable as ever. Head chef Kwok Keung Tung’s signature flowery crab, steamed in 15-year-old Chinese wine, chicken fat and clam juice, remains one of the city’s best bites.
No.12 Sazenka
Tokyo
sazenka.com
Chef Tomoya Kawada brings China and Japan together over their shared love of tea at his neo-fusion Tokyo restaurant. Its Young Pigeon Cooked Two Ways, is emblematic of the restaurant’s philosophy, utilising Chinese cooking techniques for the legs while its breast meat is grilled over Japanese charcoal.
No.11 Labyrinth
Singapore
@restaurantlabyrinth
You may know Singaporean food, but probably not like this. At Labyrinth, beloved regional staples are metamorphosed and modernised into grandiose iterations of themselves from chef Han Liguang rule supreme. Its inventive navigation of the familiar via the unknown earned it the Highest Climber Award 2023.
No.10 Narisawa
Tokyo
@restaurantnarisawa
After two decades at the top of Tokyo’s fine dining scene, chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s eponymous restaurant needs little introduction. Here, traditional farming, foraging and cultivation methods of pre-modern Japan inspire and populate its menu, resulting in dishes such as Soup of the Soil, Bread of the Forest and more.
No.9 Sorn
Bangkok
@sornfinesouthern
Sorn is allegedly one of the hardest restaurants to book in Thailand and with good reason. Impeccable service, unbounded creativity and unmatched attention to detail keep this restaurant at the precipice of modern gastronomy. Heavily spiced southern Thai dishes take the limelight across its menu, with its take on Kan Chu Piang marking an unmissable experience.
No.8 La Cime
Osaka
la-cime.com
Located in Osaka’s business district, La Cime is a neo-French restaurant by a chef with serious credentials. Having trained in fine dining kitchens across France, expect exemplary takes on French gastronomic staples by chef Yusuke Takada, who repeatedly crafts elegant European plates made with Japanese ingredients.
No.7 Florilège
Tokyo
Aoyama-florilege.jp
Chef Hiroyasu Kawate has been cooking up a storm at Florilège since he first set up shop in 2009. Its sustainably minded French fare is best seen through dishes like its mature beef, utilising 13-year-old cows that would have otherwise been discarded. For his unending dedication to the craft and uplifting spirit, Kawate-san was named winner of the Inedit Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2023.
No.6 Odette
Singapore
odetterestaurant.com
Having previously topped the Asia’s 50 Best list in both 2019 and 2020, this Singaporean gastronomic tour de force has continued to push boundaries with its showstopping French plates. Its Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg and Heirloom Beetroot Variations are two must orders for a first-timer. Finish the meal with desserts by Louisa Lim, Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2023, sponsored by Valrhona.
No.5 Gaggan Anand – RE-ENTRY
Bangkok
@gaggan_anand
Back with a bang: legendary chef Gaggan Anand’s eponymous restaurant has returned after a temporary closure to continue its quest of breaking the limits of modern Indian gastronomy. Small bites, such as the Flower Power, featuring a goat’s brain mousse, are mind-bending and moreish.
No.4 Den
Tokyo
jimbochoden.com
Zaiyu Hasegawa’s iconic restaurant is unlike any other in Japan. Offering a creative, contemporary and accessible take on kaiseki cuisine, his multi-course tasting menus pools inspiration from inside and outside of Japan, featuring hors d'oeuvres of foie gras monaka wafers and plates of his classic “DFC” – Den Fried Chicken.
No.3 Nusara
Bangkok
@nusarabkk
The younger sibling of the high-flying Le Du, Nusara has taken on a stellar reputation of its own since it opened in 2020, offering an homage to family-inspired Thai cooking. Expect a 12-course tasting menu that navigates the culinary expanses of Thailand, including snacks of mackerel with coconut and cucumber, and its signature crab curry.
No.2 Sézanne
Tokyo
@sezannetokyo
Located on the 7th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Tokyo, dinner at Sézanne is a truly special experience, set to the stunning backdrop of the city’s glowing skyline. Chef Daniel Calvert’s modern French menu is elegant and refined, boasting courses of foie gras with duck confit and Madeira jelly alongside Shiranuka venison with Kagoshima sweet potatoes.
No.1 Le Du
Bangkok
@ledubkk
Offering a unique and flawless take on modern Thai dining, Le Du’s short but sweet tasting menu showcases the very best of the country’s gastronomic output, inspired by the nation’s extraordinary agricultural heritage and age-old culinary techniques. Its khao kluk kapi of river prawn on a bed of brown rice risotto, enhanced by umami-rich shrimp paste, is a beloved staple that has kept diners returning.
Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn’s flagship has been a staple of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings since it first entered the list in 2017. Now crowned as The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Le Du has rightfully earned its place at the very top.
Now recap the list with a video:
The list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced on 28th March 2023 at an awards ceremony in Singapore. To stay up to date with the latest news, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
