The festivities around the revelation of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, took place in Singapore from 25-28 March. Dive into everything that happened at the events with these photo highlights
1. Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 lands in Singapore 
After hosting its events virtually in 2020 and 2021, then organising separate celebrations in Bangkok, Macau and Tokyo in 2022 while travel restrictions remained in effect, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants finally returned to a full in-person gathering of the gastronomic community in 2023, choosing the Lion City as the host destination for a week of unforgettable celebrations.
2. The region’s best chefs collaborate at the 50 Best Signature Sessions
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Singapore delivered to the foodie community in style. From award-winning street food to some of the world’s most exclusive dinner reservations, the city-state had something for everyone – including a unique series of dinner collaborations called the 50 Best Signature Sessions, which saw chefs such as Thailand’s Pam Pichaya and Japan’s Yusuke Takada collaborate with local restaurants to create once-in-a-lifetime culinary experiences.
3. The Welcome Event goes underwater 
50 Best’s traditional Welcome Event, an occasion for key partners to reunite at the start of the events programme, was hosted in the immersive Ocean Restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa, where guests dined to the impressive backdrop of 40,000 aquatic creatures swimming across the dining room’s windows.
4. Asia’s best bartenders pep things up 
The team from Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, which was named The Best Bar in Asia 2020, provided a series of delicious tipples at the Welcome Event, including a smooth and velvety Espresso Martini featuring Grey Goose Vodka and Lavazza coffee.
5. The World’s Best Pastry Chef pushes the limits
Collaborating with Ocean Restaurant’s chef de cuisine Olivier Bellin, René Frank of Coda – voted The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2022 – helped curate a unique menu for the curtain-raising dinner featuring techniques that defy the boundaries between sweet and savoury. Frank’s caviar popsicle, marrying the famous fish eggs with artichoke and vanilla ice cream, was just one of the showstoppers.
6. Wine and sake prove the perfect accompaniments 
The mouth-watering seven-course meal curated by Frank and Bellin was complemented by a selection of international drinks, including Beronia’s selected wines from La Rioja in Spain as well as a selection of award-winning sakes by Japan’s Dassai.
7. The best cooks in the continent converge at the Chefs’ Feast
Representatives from nearly all 100 venues voted into Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and its associated 51-100 list gathered at Resorts World Sentosa’s Malaysian Food Street for an invite-only night of delicious cuisine, camaraderie and connection.
8. Stiff drinks keep the party flowing
From an ice-cold Inedit Damm beer to a smoky Leather Jacket conceived by the team from Singapore’s Manhattan bar with Flor de Caña premium Nicaraguan rum, via an Old Fashioned featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon and a citrusy ‘Benicillin’ cocktail with Benriach scotch and lemon juice, guests at the Chefs’ Feast were treated to a wide selection of delicious libations.
9. Chefs celebrate their reunion
After several years apart due to the pandemic, Asia’s culinary masters were keen to reconnect in person. Joyous times were had by all, including a sizeable contingent of chefs from Japan: spot Villa Aida’s Kanji and Yumi Kobayashi or Den’s Zaiyu Hasegawa in this photo, among many others.
10. Singapore’s best hawkers cook up a storm 
Leaving their usual posts in Singapore’s hawker centres for one night only, some of the best street food vendors in the city-state set up shop to cook for the Asia’s 50 Best community at the Chefs’ Feast. Guests enjoyed iconic dishes such as satay, laksa and roti.
11. The red carpet is alight with excitement 
Korea was among the destinations with a strong showing at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards ceremony and the region’s chefs couldn’t miss a chance to snap a photo on the media wall with their signature red scarves.
12. The reception lifts spirits up 
Resorts World Sentosa’s expansive ballroom hosted the drinks reception preceding the awards – an occasion for guests to taste exquisite food and drinks by Asia’s 50 Best partners.
13. Guests sample delicious produce 
Amid avid speculation as to 'who will be this year’s No.1?' the drinks reception preceding the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony had something for everyone, from a refreshing sip of S.Pellegrino water to Gin Mare’s Mediterranean-inspired gin and tonic cocktail with orange and rosemary, or Valrhona’s single-origin Peruvian chocolates.
14. August receives the American Express One To Watch Award 2023
Chef Hans Christian and restaurateur Budi Cahyadi accepted the trophy for the continent’s most exciting up-and-coming restaurant on behalf of their Jakarta venue, August.
15. The Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023 goes to the Philippines
It was the team of Manila’s Toyo Eatery – led by Jordy and May Navarra – who climbed onto the stage to receive the top accolade for a restaurant impressing the experts not only for its food offer, but also its commitment to the environment and the community.
16. The first individual award goes to Odette’s Louisa Lim
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ individual awards recognise people’s personal achievements rather than those of their restaurants, and the first prize of the night went to Louisa Lim, an integral part of restaurant Odette’s success since she joined in 2019. She picked up the Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award 2023, sponsored by Valrhona.
17. Avartana makes a strong debut 
Chennai’s Avartana restaurant, which honours and showcases southern Indian cooking, picked up the Highest New Entry Award 2023, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles, thanks to its debut at No.30 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 – the highest of all the seven first-time appearances.
18. A young Chinese wine expert is crowned 
Della Tang, the sommelier of restaurant Ensue in Shenzhen, was voted by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 300-strong Academy as the winner of the inaugural Beronia Asia’s Best Sommelier Award 2023 – the new top prize in the field.
19. The best hospitality in Asia for 2023 is in Singapore 
Nordic-Japanese restaurant Zén in Singapore, offering a dining experience that takes guests through three different spaces in the former shophouse it occupies, was recognised with the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2023. Diners and voters highlighted the team’s masterful ability to make them feel at home: comfortable yet also spoiled.
20. Johanne Siy moves the audience to tears 
The chef of Lolla in Singapore, Johanne Siy was announced as the winner of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award 2023 in February, but received her trophy on stage at the awards ceremony from last year’s winner of the same title, Natsuko Shoji. Siy’s powerful video, in which she states that she hopes to make the award obsolete within her lifetime, drew cheers from the crowd.
21. Labyrinth climbs 29 places up the list 
Neo-Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth, led by chef Han Liguang, was the recipient of the Highest Climber Award 2023: from No.40 in 2022 it ascended to No.11 in 2023, a reflection of the increasing respect and admiration of the gastronomic community.
22. The Icon Award goes to a Japanese role model 
Chef Shinobu Namae of Tokyo’s L’Effervescence received the Icon Award 2023 at the awards ceremony for his sustained efforts to create a more conscious and ethical gastronomic model.
23. Hiroyasu Kawate receives the ultimate peer-voted accolade
Admired across the industry for his humble nature and undeniable culinary skills, the chef behind Florilège in Tokyo was voted by his peers in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list to receive the Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award 2023. He was handed his trophy by renowned chef Andreas Caminada of Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland.
24. Le Du reaches the No.1 ranking 
Chef Tithid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn accepted not one but two trophies on behalf of his team at Le Du in Bangkok, the modern Thai eatery that was voted as The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, as well as The Best Restaurant in Thailand 2023.
25. See you next year! 
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 provided the ultimate reunion for the region’s culinary community and the awards programme will return in 2024 for a new edition. Stay tuned for the updates!
Experience the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 events in the 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.
