Asia's 50 Best Restaurants - 2015

An elite group of the world’s most influential chefs, discerning diners and enthusiastic foodies gathered to unveil the third edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants at a ceremony in Capella, Singapore. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is published by William Reed Business Media, which also publishes The World's 50 Best Restaurants. The list is drawn out by over 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia. This panel of experts constitutes of food writers, critics, chefs and restaurateurs. Each panelist has seven votes, out of which, at least three must be allocated to restaurants outside of their home country. Some restaurants have retained their same spot, while some have elevated. Restaurants from Philippines and Cambodia have made it to this list for the first time. Out of the six Indian restaurants that were featured last year only three have made it to this year's best list. Bukhara which secured the 27th place last year has slipped from its spot. Here’s the complete list of winners -
50. Cuisine Wat Damnak - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Frenchman Joannès Rivière showcases Cambodia’s indigenous pantry Style of food: New Cambodian
Standout dish: Pan-fried sanday fish with tiger eggplant, caramelised palm sugar, fresh peppercorn and green mango Aims to introduce diners to indigenous, often rare ingredients, some of which you may never even have heard of, let alone tasted. It has also won the Best Restaurant in Cambodia. 49. Quintessence - Tokyo, Japan
Refined French cooking from Barbot disciple Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: Goat milk bavarois with lily bulb, sea salt and olive oil 48. Antonio's - Tagaytay, Philippines
Idyllic surroundings with a menu to match Style of food: Modern European with Philippine influences
Standout dish: Lechón de leche – slow-roasted suckling pig rubbed with herbs and spices It has also won the Best Restaurant in Philippines. 47. Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck - Singapore
A shrine to perfect Peking duck Style of food: Cantonese barbecue
Standout dish: Peking duckImage: Andre Frois for inSing.com's HungryGoWhere 46. Hakkasan - Shanghai, China
Hakkasan finally introduces ‘Chinoise chic’ to Shanghai Style of food: Modern Cantonese
Standout dish: Crispy duck with caviar 45. Osteria Mozza - Singapore
Celebrity chefs bring Italian style to Singapore Style of food: Italian
Standout dish: Burrata with California Sterling Royal caviar, red onion, egg and chive At the heart of the restaurant is a free-standing mozzarella bar, serving dishes made with 16 different types of imported cheese. 44. Sukiyabashi Jiro- Tokyo, Japan
Sample the planet’s finest sushi served by the venerable master Jiro Ono Style of food: Traditional sushi
Standout dish: Kohada (gizzard shad) nigiri 43. Ministry of Crab-Colombo, Sri Lanka
A celebration of Sri Lanka's lagoon crab Style of food: Sri Lankan seafood
Standout dish: Chilli crab 42. Caprice - Hong Kong, Japan
Refined French food from the Côte d’Azur via Morocco Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: Caramelised pigeon breast, Moroccan spices and ras el- hanout-flavoured cous cous The chef brought a distinct cooking style, melding traditional French cuisine with Moroccan flare and ingredients. 41. Bukhara - New Delhi, India
Unchanged and unmatched tandoor-based cooking Style of food: Traditional north-west frontier Indian
Standout dish: Sikandari raan 40. Sushi Saito – Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo sushi maestro goes from strength to strength Style of food: Japanese
Standout dish: O-toro nigiri 39.  Issaya Siamese Club – Bangkok, Thailand
Celebrity chef presents colourful modern Thai dishes using home-grown ingredients Style of food: Modern Thai
Standout dish: Banana blossom and heart of palm salad with crispy shallots and roasted peanuts in chilli jam dressing Images: Somjit Jaichuen, Zuphachai Laokunrak, Paulatip Theerataluangsuk 38. La Yeon – Seoul, South Korea
Talented chef takes Korean dining to new heights at sky-scraping Seoul hotel Style of food: Korean haute cuisine
Standout dish: 10 Korean flavors made with the best seasonal ingredients 37. Bo. Lan – Bangkok, Thailand
East meets west at stylish new setting in the heart of Bangkok Style of food: Authentic Thai cuisine
Standout dish: Free-range Cha Cheong Sao duck salad 36. Tipping Club, Singapore
Experimental cuisine with equal attention to food and drink Style of food: Modern, global avant-garde with cocktail pairings
Standout dish: Razor clam, parsley, sea rosemary, pink garlic 35. The Chairman – Hong Kong, China
Peerless local produce gets the Cantonese treatment Style of food: Cantonese
Standout dish: Steamed fresh flowery crab with aged ShaoXing wine, fragrant chicken oil & flat rice noodles
34. 24 HuBin Road – Hangzhou, China
An ode to Hangzhou's regional cuisine Style of food: Traditional Hangzhou
Standout dish: Braised traditional style dongpo pork, chestnut pancakes 33. Takazawa - Tokyo, Japan
Tirelessly creative modern cooking in a pocket-sized Roppongi room Style of food: Japanese-French fusion
Standout dish: Snapping turtle soup and purple asparagus Restaurant only has ten seats. The chef prepares intricate seasonal dishes that cleverly and playfully fuse Japanese and French culinary ideas. 32. Shinji by Kanesaka, Singapore
Tokyo master brings sushi skills to Singapore Style of food: Japanese
Standout dish: Five-hour steamed Hokkaido abalone 31. Nihonbashi - Columbo, Srilanka
A slice of Japan in Colombo Style of food: Japanese
Standout dish: N’ Sashimi (Yet to be named Sashimi) – raw sea bream with ground sesame, leeks and soy sauce
30. Burnt Ends, Singapore
Barbecue restaurant turns up the heat in Singapore Style of food: Barbecue
Standout dish: Pulled pork shoulder in home-made brioche bun with slaw and chipotle mayonnaise
29. Wasabi by Morimoto – Mumbai, India
Authentic Japanese flavours in Mumbai's landmark hotel Style of food: Contemporary Japanese
Standout dish: Black cod miso Here, ingredients are flown in from Japan regularly to ensure authenticity 28. Bo Innovation – Hong Kong, China
A molecular take on Chinese cooking from the self-styled ‘demon chef’ Style of food: Ultra-modern Chinese
Standout dish: Hairy crab with aged chinkiang vinegar
27. Ryunique – Seoul, South Korea
Young chef brings fusion food to Seoul Style of food: Modern fusion
Standout dish: Seared duck breast with smoked leak and orange miso jus The Chef spent eight years traveling the world and immersing himself in different food cultures and cookery techniques before setting up his restaurant. 26. Le Mout – Taichung, Taiwan
Stylish French cuisine from one of Asia's leading chefs Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: Pigeon in Oriental fragrance, black truffle barley ragoût and mustard green
25. Eat Me – Bangkok, Thailand
Late-night dining and creative cocktails for Bangkok’s trendy set Style of food: Modern international cuisine
Standout dish: Seared foie gras with mango chilli compôte and crispy puffed rice
 
24. Tenku RyuGin – Hong Kong, China
Memorable modern kaiseki cuisine in Hong Kong Style of food: Modern Japanese
Standout dish: Poached Gillardeau oyster wrapped with shyabu-shyabu wagyu beef and grated celeriac jelly
23. Robuchon au Dome – Macau, China
Ravishing views and luxurious cooking Style of food: Contemporary French with Asian influences
Standout dish: Seared Kagoshima beef with asparagus, black truffles and soufflé potatoes Robuchon au Dôme's back-lit cellar contains more than 14,500 labels and is claimed to be the most extensive collection in the whole of Asia. 22. Indian Accent – New Delhi, India
Adventurous modernity from a bright star in India’s culinary firmament Style of food: Modern Indian
Standout dish: Black pepper prawn with kundru bhaji and sago papad Chefs cooking is an eclectic marriage of world food and Indian culinary philosophies that results in wacky-sounding but sublime, intelligent dishes. It was also awarded as the best restaurant in India. 21. Mr and Mrs Bund – Shanghai, China
Democratic French dining uniquely interpreted by chef-patron Paul Pairet Style of food: Alternative French bistro cooking
Standout dish: Lemon & lemon tart PP 20. Lung King Heen – Hong Kong, China
A Cantonese banquet at the world’s first three-starred Chinese restaurant Style of food: Dim sum and modern Cantonese
Standout dish: Birds’ nest soup with shredded chicken and Yunnan ham 19. Fu He Hui – Shanghai, China
Meat-free mastery from the latest addition to the Fu family Style of food: Vegetarian Shanghainese
Standout dish: Lotus seed, honey pea, black fungus Fu He Hui has made an impressive debut by winning the award for being the Highest New Entry. 18. Iggy’s – Singapore
Fresh flavours and the finest wine from a Singapore heavyweight Style of food: Global eclectic using Japanese ingredients
Standout dish: Capellini with sakura ebi, konbu and shellfish oil
17. L’ Atelier De Joul Robuchon – Hong Kong, China
Luxury small-plate dining at the kitchen counter Style of food: Modern French, small plates
Standout dish: Free-range quail with foie gras, served with mashed potato.
  16. Fu1015 - Shanghai, China
A peerless taste of traditional Shanghai cuisine Style of food: Shanghainese
Standout dish: Marinated hairy crab with yellow rice wine Fu1015 is famous for its abalone tarts and sea cucumber, while visitors between October and December are able to try Lu’s renowned hairy crab dishes.
15. Fook Lam Moon-Hong Kong, China
Pitch perfect Cantonese cooking in Wan Chai Style of food: Classic Cantonese
Standout dish: Steamed buns with lotus paste and salty egg yolk 14. Hajime - Osaka, Japan
Creative and philosophical chef serves art on a plate in bustling Osaka Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: Chikyu (Planet Earth) Chikyu, a signature dish meaning planet Earth, comprises as many as 110 different vegetables, grains and herbs arranged around a shellfish foam and it represents concepts as wide-ranging as destruction, hope and the irreversibility of time. It has also won the The Highest Climber Award. Images: Copyright©2010 Hajime&Artistes.Inc   13. Les Amis - Singapore
A neighbourhood gem that has earned iconic status Style of food: Modern European
Standout dish: Caviar on petals of potato salad with herbs
12. L'Effervescence -Tokyo, Japan
European technique plus Japanese ingredients equals exceptional food Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: Whole cooked turnip and parsley oil emulsion, Kintoa Basque ham and brioche 11. Jaan - Singapore
Beautiful presentation and exquisite French flavours from Julien Royer Style of food: Modern French
Standout dish: 55° organic egg, smoked potato, chorizo Ibérico and buckwheat
Photo Credit: Swissôtel The Stamford 10. Jungsik-Seoul, Korea
Molecular mastery from the king of new Korean cuisine Style of food: Molecular Korean
Standout dish: Pork belly It has also won the Best Restaurant in South Korea. 9. Waku Ghin - Singapore
Intimate dining courtesy of inimitable chef Style of food: Modern Japanese
Standout dish: Marinated botan ebi, uni and Oscietra caviar Guests are invited to retire to a separate room following the eighth course for some sweet treats, including the delectable Ghin cheese cake. Also, winner of The Lifetime Achievement Award. 8.  8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana - Hong Kong, China
Elegant dining from Italy’s chief culinary ambassador to Hong Kong Style of food: Contemporary Italian
Standout dish: Short rib and beef tenderloin 7. Nahm- Bangkok, Thailand
A temple to Thai gastronomy Style of food:  Authentic Thai cuisine
Standout dish: Sour pomfret curry with garlic and coriander This was voted as the Best Restaurant in Asia last year. Nahm’s position has dropped this year. 6. Amber - Hong Kong, China
Ambitious, highly polished gastronomy from a Dutch master Style of food: Classic French with subtle Hong Kong influences
Standout dish: Normandy diver scallop seared with maco artichokes, tête de veau, black autumn truffle and Italian parsley bouillon 5. Restaurant André - Singapore
André Chiang’s very personal culinary tour de force Style of food: Southern French nouvelle cuisine reinterprete
Standout dish: Memory – warm foie gras jelly with black truffle coulis Winner of the Best Restaurant in Singapore.
4. Nihonryori RyuGin - Tokyo, Japan
A philosophical journey through Japan’s seasons and cooking heritage Style of food: Modern Japanese
Standout dish: Octopus with cod roe, kinome leaves and white miso broth 3. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet - Shanghai, China
Immersive multi-sensory dining courtesy of culinary provocateur Style of food: Experimental comfort food
Standout dish: Truffle burnt soup bread Also, awarded as the Best Restaurant in China. In its secretly located, purpose-built space in Shanghai, 10 diners per night are treated to a 20-course menu. Photo Credit: Scott Wright, Limelight Studio 2. Narisawa - Tokyo, Japan
Innovative fine dining in Tokyo with a focus on nature Style of food: French cooking using Japanese ingredients
Standout dish: Satoyama scenery Also, winner of the Best Restaurant in Japan. Bringing best practice from his training in France, the chef employs classical French cooking techniques but uses the finest Japanese ingredients. 1.  Gaggan- Bangkok, Thailand
An unexpected taste of India in colonial surrounds Style of food: Progressive Indian cuisine
Standout dish: Chargrilled Indian cottage cheese sandwich and chutney bubbles
  Photo Credit: Allwecandid, Varavudh Lattanand   © All photos and information - Asia's 50 Best Restaurants sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Singapore, March 2015