Last night, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 released its list of the top restaurants on the continent at the Wynn Palace in Macau. The buzzy awards ceremony has evolved into one to watch over the years, and this year finally rewarded us with some controversy.
Nine Hong Kong restaurants landed on the 2019 list, although none cracked the top 10. Retro-chic Cantonese restaurant The Chairman (11) was Hong Kong’s highest performer, followed by awards-show mainstay 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana (12).
Despite no one walking away with top honours, Hong Kong restaurants still made a nice showing. Neo-Parisian restaurant Belon was the highest climber of the year, rocketing up to number 15 from 40 last year. And we put a new name on the list: VEA (34), which also happens to be one of Hong Kong’s best bars.
The big news of the night, though? Gaggan was finally dethroned. And the restaurant that took the top spot, Singapore’s Odette, is run by Julian Royer, who has just announced he is opening a new French restaurant in PMQ this spring. So better secure your booking now.
Other local restaurants to get on this year's list include Ta Vie (50), Seventh Son (44), Lung King Heen (38), Neighbourhood (37) and Amber (21).
Here's a look at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019:
50 Ta Vie
49 Corner House
48 Sorn
47 Sugalabo
46 Dewakan (best restaurant in Malaysia)
45 Quintessence
44 Seventh Son
43 Toyo Eatery (best restaurant in the Philippines)
42 Locavore (best restaurant in Indonesia, winner of sustainable restaurant award)
41 Toctoc
40 Waku Ghin
39 Nouri
36 Wing Lei Palace
35 Ministry of Crab
34 VEA (new entry for Hong Kong)
33 Les Amis
32 Jaan
31 Shoun Ryugin
30 RAW
29 Fu He Hui
28 Paste
27 Jade Dragon
26 L’Effervescence
25 Sushi Saito
24 La Maison De La Nature Goh
23 Sazenka
22 Nahm
21 Amber
20 Le Du
19 Bo.Lan
18 Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin
17 Indian Accent (best restaurant in India)
16 Gaa (Elite Vodka Best Female Chef, highest new entry)
15 Belon (Highest climber)
14 La Cime
13 Mingles
11 The Chairman
10 Burnt Ends
9 Ryugin (American Express Icon Award)
8 Narisawa
7 Mume
6 Ultraviolet
5 Florilège
4 Sühring
3 Den
2 Gaggan
1 Odette