After revealing Asia's 50 Best Restaurants back in March this year, the organisers have now named the world's 50 best restaurants at a lavish event in Singapore on June 25. Two Tokyo restaurants clinched a spot each: Den was the highest ranking restaurant from Japan on the list, coming in at No. 11, while Narisawa sits at No. 22.
Photo: fb.com/narisawapress
Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa had trained at some of Europe's top kitchens, including those of the late Joël Robuchon, before opening his eponymous restaurant back in Tokyo in Minami-Aoyama. Narisawa's seasonal omakase menu features some of Japan's most unique ingredients and is driven by a minimal waste philosophy – so much so that it won the inaugural Sustainable Restaurant Award at 2013's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.
Photo: Den
Led by Zaiyu Hasegawa, Den, on the other hand, is known for its fun and exciting take on Japan's traditional kaiseki cuisine, which is often bound by rules and formality. The menu makes the most of fish and vegetables, and the dishes pair perfectly with sake. Den's warm and impeccable service is exemplary and the panel at World's 50 Best seems to agree as the restaurant was also honoured with the Art of Hospitality Award 2019.
Like most, if not all, awards, the World's 50 Best Restaurants list is not without controversy. For years, it has been criticised for its lack of diversity, in terms of cuisine, geography and even gender. Earlier this year, the organisers announced that restaurants which have made it to the No. 1 spot will be taken out of consideration for subsequent years and instead be inaugurated into a 'Best of the Best' hall of fame. The official rationale behind this decision is to enable a more diverse selection in the upper echelons of the list.
However, according to a report by Time, published just a few days before the grand ceremony, this decision may not be driven solely by the need for diversity. The article revealed that this new move was actually proposed by a group of high-ranking chefs, some of them have previously taken the top spot on the list – and that the move was also driven by an effort to 'avoid the decline in reputation that some notable chefs have suffered once they fell from first place'.
Nevertheless, this year, Mirazur from France has risen from its No. 3 spot last year to clinch the title of 2019's World's Best Restaurant. After reopening in a new space following a short hiatus and a much-lauded stint in Mexico, Noma returns to the list, debuted at No. 2, making it the highest ever new entry. For the full list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, check the official site here.