Asia’s Top 50 Best Restaurants 2022 Unveiled

The top 50 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 were announced at events held simultaneously in Bangkok, Macau and Tokyo on 29 March. The announcement comes a week after the release of Asia’s best restaurants ranked 51-100.

Tokyo-based restaurant Den was adjudged Asia’s best restaurant. This is only the second time ever that a restaurant from Japan took the top spot.

The 10th edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, which focuses on the best places to experience the continent’s fine dining and hospitality, was hosted by William Drew, Director of Content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Hong Kong actor Marcus Kwok.

While Drew announced the winners of the special prizes, Kwok revealed the list of the 50 best restaurants in Asia.

The event was aired live on the social media handles of 50 Best, which is headed by William Reed Business Media. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, it was open to in-person attendance at three locations — Pullman in Bangkok, Wynn in Macau and Palace Hotel Tokyo.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants: Winners of special awards

Natsuko Shoji, who previously won the Best Pastry Chef Award, was named the Best Female Chef. The owner of Été, a restaurant she opened at the age of 24 in 2014, became the first chef ever to win both the honours in the history of 50 Best.

Shoji is one of the handful of high-profile female chefs in Japan and sees food as objects of art.

Following her 2022 win, she said, “The reason why I call each dish or dessert a curation or collection is because I want it to be seen as a work of art. Through awards like this, I hope that we can make the fashion community  become more aware of what’s going on in the food industry.”

South Korea’s Jeong Kwan was the winner of the prestigious Icon Award. A practising female Buddhist nun and the Master of Chunjinam Hermitage at Baekyangsa Temple, Kwan is known as a legend in Korean temple cuisine, which she perfected over 40 years.

Eat and Cook from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was among the other winners. The restaurant won the One to Watch Award. Earlier ranked No.81 on the list of 51-100, it is a newcomer on Asia’s 50 Best.

Maira Yeo of Cloudstreet, Singapore, was named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, while the Chefs’ Choice Award went to David Lai from Hong Kong who is known for his sustainable cooking techniques.

Taipei-based iconic restaurant Mume won the Sustainable Restaurant Award. In his address post the announcement of the award, Richie Lin, the renowned chef-owner of Mume, appealed to the world. He said, “Let’s make better choices together every day, on how we grow, cook, serve and eat. Let’s build a more sustainable restaurant industry together.”

Villa Aida located in rural Wakayama of Japan was named the winner of the Highest New Entry Award. For rising 14 places to No.13 on the 2022 list, Ode in Tokyo won the Highest Climber Award.

The Art of Hospitality Award went to Singapore’s Odette.

The best restaurants in their respective countries

Sorn was named the best restaurant in Thailand. Hong Kong’s The Chairman, a former topper of Asia’s 50 Best, was named the finest in China. Mingles in South Korea, Ministry of Crab in Sri Lanka, Dewakan in Malaysia, Masque in India, Logy in Taiwan and Odette in Singapore were named the best in their respective countries.

On the other hand, Bangkok-based Sühring, at No.7 in 2022, maintained its dominance in the top 10 for the fifth straight year.

Asia’s 50 Best restaurants 1-50

No.50 —

Dewakan

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

No.49 —

Megu

Location: New Delhi, India

No.48 —

Otto E Mezzo Bombana

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.47 —

Wing Lei Palace

Location: Macau, China

No.46 —

Raan Jay Fai

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.45 —

JL Studio

Location: Taichung, Taiwan

No.44 —

Cloudstreet

Location: Singapore

No.43 —

Cenci

Location: Kyoto, Japan

No.42 —

Été

Location: Tokyo, Japan

No.41 —

Burnt Ends

Location: Singapore

No.40 —

Labyrinth

Location: Singapore

No.39 —

Ultraviolet By Paul Pairet

Location: Shanghai, China

No.38 —

Logy

Location: Taipei, Taiwan

No.37 —

Zén

Location: Singapore

No.36 —

La Maison De La Nature Goh

Location: Fukuoka, Japan

 No.35 —

Ministry of Crab

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

No.34 —

Wing

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.33 —

Gaa

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.32 —

Mono

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.31 —

Samrub Samrub Thai

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.30 —

Onjium

Location: Seoul, South Korea

No.29 —

Sushi Masato

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.28 —

Da Vittorio

Location: Shanghai, China

No.27 —

Mosu

Location: Seoul, South Korea

No.26 —

7th Door

Location: Seoul, South Korea

No.25 —

Blue by Alain Ducase

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.24 —

Caprice

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.23 —

Les Amis

Location: Singapore

No.22 —

Indian Accent

Location: New Delhi, India

No.21 —

Masque

Location: Mumbai, India

No.20 —

Meta

Location: Singapore

No.19 —

Ensue

Location: Shenzhen, China

No.18 —

Joo Ok

Location:  Seoul, South Korea

No.17 —

SÉZANNE

Location: Tokyo, Japan

No.16 —

Mingles

Location: Seoul, South Korea

No.15 —

Narisawa

Location:  Tokyo, Japan

No.14 —

Villa Aida

Location: Wakayama, Japan

No.13 —

Ode

Location: Tokyo, Japan

No.12 —

Fu He Hui

Location: Shanghai, China

No.11 —

Sazenka

Location: Tokyo, Japan

No.10 —

Nusara

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.9 —

Neighborhood

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.8 —

Odette

Location: Singapore

No.7 —

Sühring

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.6 —

La Cime

Location: Osaka, Japan

No.5 —

The Chairman

Location: Hong Kong, China

No.4 —

Le Du

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.3 —

Florilège

Location: Tokyo, Japan

No.2 —

Sorn

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

No.1 —

Den

Location: Tokyo, Japan

(Main and Featured images: Den)