SINGAPORE, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna and organised by William Reed Business Media, today announced the first ever list and individual award winners at a glittering awards ceremony at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
Restaurants in China dominated the list with 16 ranked within the top 50 restaurants in Asia. One of Hong Kong's most established restaurants, Amber, was named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in China and ranked no. 4 on the list.
Spanning cities in mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau, the listed restaurants have been voted for by peers and luminaries from the culinary profession. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants programme, recognises the region's growing culinary diversity and quality, in line with global culinary trends.
A number of restaurants in Shanghai are ranked on the list including Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Paul Pairet's Mr & Mrs Bund (no. 7); and Ultraviolet (no. 8); followed by Franck Bistro (no. 34); Fu1015 (no. 40); and Jade on 36 (no. 45). 28 Hubin Rd in Hangzhou is listed at no. 25.
In Hong Kong, joining Amber on the list are: 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana (no. 6); Caprice (no. 12); Lung King Heen (no. 13); Bo Innovation (no. 15); The Chairman (no. 18); L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Hong Kong (no. 23); Yardbird (no. 46); and Fook Lam Moon (no. 48). Robuchon au Dome in Macau is listed at no. 37.
Narisawa has secured the top spot and has been named The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia. The restaurant has also been named The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Japan.
Commenting on the success of the inaugural awards, William Drew of William Reed Business Media said: "We launched Asia's 50 Best Restaurants as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants program to recognise the region's growing restaurant industry and diverse gastronomic landscape. The list is a reflection of Asia's culinary talent and showcases individuals that share a passion for excellence.
"It is exciting to see so many innovative and creative chefs pushing Asia's culinary boundaries and supporting Asia's growing influence on the global culinary stage. There is no doubt that Asia provides the ideal ingredients to foster a rich and diverse list of culinary excellence, and an impressive exploration ground for food lovers."
Award winners also announced include:
Narisawa, The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia and Japan
Yoshihiro Narisawa's elegant, minimalist restaurant and suited staff serving delicate, nature-focused dishes using seasonal ingredients drawn from Japan's rich pantry are just some of the elements that have earned Narisawa his dedicated following and this accolade. But it's his wild imagination and sense of drama that have pushed this restaurant to the very top of the class.
A dedicated environmentalist and avid nature-lover, at his eponymous Tokyo restaurant chef Narisawa blends classical French cooking techniques with strong flora aesthetics. Overall, Narisawa delivers a sublime manifestation of the country's natural beauty and bounty.
Janice Wong, Asia's Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Cacao Barry
Janice Wong, owner of 2am: Dessert Bar in Singapore, has gained this prestigious recognition due to her creation and delivery of a multi-sensory experience for those who taste her desserts combined with her experimentation with sweet and savoury flavours, inspired from her childhood in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
JAAN, 'One To Watch', sponsored by LesConcierges
JAAN is an intimate, 40-seat restaurant dedicated to showcasing the finest in modern French cuisine in Singapore. The view from the 70th floor is jaw-dropping, matched only by the wittily presented and immaculately executed dishes emerging from the kitchen of Chef de Cuisine, Julien Royer. 'One To Watch' is awarded to an establishment within the inaugural Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list that the organisers believe has made a significant impact in a relatively short period and that has the potential to rise further up the rankings.
Seiji Yamamoto, The Chefs' Choice, sponsored by Silestone by Cosentino
Seiji Yamamoto has been recognised by his contemporaries in Asia's restaurant industry for innovating Japanese cuisine through the fusion of traditional and modern techniques, creating a new genre of Japanese food. Yamamoto creates dishes that push the boundaries of creativity, following his philosophy "to pursue every single possibility for Japanese cuisine in the future", a theme carried out at his restaurant Nihonryori RyuGin (no. 2) in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
Following China closely is Singapore with 10 restaurants on the list with Restaurant Andre (no. 5) as the winner of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Singapore. Chiang's Mediterranean-inspired menu exudes values synonymous with 'octaphilosophy', a term used by Chiang to characterise his culinary style: unique, texture, memory, pure, terroir, salt, south and artisan.
Restaurants in India made their mark on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants with 7 making the list. Dum Pukht in New Delhi (no. 17) was named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in India. Dum Pukht, explores the tradition of cooking kebabs, stews and biryani in a sealed clay pot over a slow fire. Native to the 18th-century Awadh Kingdom from Lucknow, clay pot cooking reaches new heights here.
Thailand continues to gain prominence in Asia's dining landscape as Duangporn 'Bo' Songvisava was the first recipient of the Veuve Clicquot Asia's Best Female Chef award and her restaurant, Bo lan. in Bangkok, has been ranked no. 36 on the list. Chef David Thompson's Nahm named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand, ranked at no. 3 on the list. Thompson serves up dishes bursting in flavour from recipes resurrected from old cookbooks of former Thai matriarchs, many of which haven't been seen in years such as southern-style grilled mussels smoked with coconut husks then cooked with curry-infused coconut cream.
Restaurants in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia also made their debut at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Nihonbashi in Colombo is ranked no. 38, followed by Don's in Hanoi at no. 47, and Mozaic in Bali at no. 50.
Nihonbashi, the brainchild of chef restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa, brings a high-end dining experience which majors in sushi and sashimi, among other disciplines from the Japanese culinary repertoire.
Don's serves classic and innovative international cuisine with a menu that covers practically all the gastronomic bases, from pasta and risotto to steaks and chops, soups and salads to Vietnamese and Asian favourites.
Half-French, half-American Mozaic Chef, Chris Salans and his Javanese wife combine classic French cooking techniques with Indonesia's rich variety of ingredients and flavours.
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants provides a credible and trusted list that is dedicated to the restaurant industry in Asia and voted for by peers and luminaries in the culinary profession. The results of the awards and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is available at www.theworlds50best.asia. There will be a standalone Asia's 50 Best Restaurants guide available from 26 February.
How the list is compiled:
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is created from The Diners Club® World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 900 international leaders in the restaurant industry, each selected for their expert opinion of the international restaurant scene. The Academy comprises 26 separate regions around the world. Each region has its own panel of 36 members including a chairperson. The panel is made up of food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded 'foodies', each of whom has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognise restaurants outside of the voters' region. At least 10 panellists from each region change each year. None of the employees of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, including the main sponsor, votes or has any influence over the results.
Votes for restaurants in the following countries in Asia, cast during the voting period for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, have resulted in the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Nauru, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
About William Reed Business Media:
William Reedhasbeen organisingThe World's 50 Best Restaurants list since 2002 and the awards since 2003. The company now launches Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, and is solely responsible for organising the awards, collating the votes, and producing the list.
Award sponsors:
S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna - Main Event Sponsor and Official Water Supplier
Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsor and Official Spirits Supplier
Veuve Clicquot - Asia's Best Female Chef Award Sponsor and Official Champagne Supplier
Cacao Barry - Asia's Best Pastry Chef Award Sponsor and Official Chocolate Supplier
LesConcierges - One to Watch Award Sponsor and Official Concierges Service Provider
Silestone by Cosentino - Chef's Choice Award Sponsor
Event sponsors:
Diners Club International® - Sponsor of The World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy
Nespresso - Official Coffee of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants
Robert Mondavi Winery - Official Wine Supplier to Asia's 50 Best Restaurants
About the main sponsor:
S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the main sponsors of the awards. S.Pellegrino and 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.
World's 50 Best Restaurants manifesto:
Organised by Restaurant magazine, part of William Reed Media, The World's 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 900 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes "best" is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets.
There is no pre-determined check-list of criteria; for example an interesting experience in a simple establishment, where exceptional innovation was discovered, could be judged better than a more opulent meal from a widely feted restaurant team. The results are a simple computation of votes. Given that this well-constructed list is based on personal experiences it can never be definitive, but we believe it is an honourable survey of current tastes and a credible indicator of the best places to eat around the globe.
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list features the restaurants in Asia that have received the most votes from The World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. Votes cast during voting for The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2013, for restaurants in Asia were counted and the computation of votes has resulted in the first list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be held in London on Monday 29 April 2013.
Source: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants