Celebrity Life

Due to recent travel restrictions happening around the world, the eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was not held in the Saga Prefecture of Japan, where the awards were originally to be hosted.

Instead, they were announced virtually on Facebook. The virtual edition of the prestigious awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was the first of its kind in the history of 50 Best and as always, were put forward to recognise the achievements of chefs and their teams over the last 12 months.

This year, 7 new entries and 1 re-entry appeared on the list and awarded restaurants across 10 countries. Here in Hong Kong, 8 restaurants were awarded a place on Asia's 50 Best list, while 2 restaurants from Macau were recognised as well. At the top of the list and awarded both Singapore's and Asia's Best Restaurant for a second year is Odette. Helmed by Chef-Owner Julien Royer, the modern French restaurant, inspired by his grandmother, won the hearts of many once more.

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Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Cantonese restaurant The Chairman jumped from 11th place to 2nd place -- taking the award for the best restaurant in China. The restaurant, loved by many in this city, takes on the traditional flavours of Chinese cuisine and celebrates it simply yet gloriously. Here, Chef-Owner Danny Yip looks to local suppliers and fishermen for their ingredients while ensuring as much organic produce as possible.

[caption id="attachment_199192" align="alignnone" width="938"] Flower Crab, The Chairman[/caption]

Other Hong Kong restaurants on the list include neo-Parisian bistro Belon which, under the culinary direction of Chef Daniel Calvert, jumped from 15th to 4th place; modern Asian-inspired French restaurant VEA, helmed by Chef Vicky Cheng, also made a giant leap taking them from 34th to 12th on the list;  David Lai's Neighborhood climbed up to 19th place; while Chinese restaurants Seventh Son and Lung King Heen, and Chef Umberto Bombana's 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana were amongst the top 50 restaurants, too.

A special sustainable mention was given to Amber which, thanks to Chef Richard Ekkebus' innovative culinary endeavours, presented them with the Sustainable Restaurant Award this year. Having reopened in May 2019 after a four-month hiatus, Ekkebus took out the heft in fine dining and replaced dairy, while cutting down on sugar and salt, with seasonal, sustainable produce and clean cooking.

[caption id="attachment_199210" align="alignnone" width="1140"] Kombu-cured horse mackerel with celtuce, seaweed, cucumber and wheatgrass sauce, Amber[/caption]

Additional awards featured the Miele One to Watch, which was presented to Chef Prateek Sadh of Masque in Mumbai, India. Considered the country's most experimental kitchen, Masque is changing the perception of Indian food, plate by plate; The American Express Icon award was deservedly presented to famed kaiseki chef and author Yoshihiro Murata of Kikunoi Restaurant in Gion, Kyoto; The Inedit Damm Chef's Choice award was voted by his peers and presented to Yusuke Takada of Osaka's La Cime for all his good work; Asia's Best Pastry Chef crowned the lovely Natsuko Shoji of Été who continues to create her sweet cakes inspired by the world of fashion; and Asia's Best Female Chef spotlighted Cho Hee-sook of Seoul's Hansikgonggan for all her work in preserving traditional Korean cuisine.

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The full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2020:

1. Odette -- Singapore (Best Restaurant in Singapore and Asia)
2. The Chairman -- Hong Kong (Best Restaurant in China)
3. Den - Tokyo, Japan (Best Restaurant in Japan)
4. Belon -- Hong Kong
5. Burnt Ends -- Singapore
6. Sühring -- Bangkok, Thailand (Best restaurant in Thailand)
7. Florilege -- Tokyo, Japan
8. Le Du -- Bangkok, Thailand
9. Narisawa -- Tokyo, Japan
10. La Cime -- Osaka, Japan
11. Les Amis -- Singapore (Gin Mare's Art of Hospitality Award)
12. VEA -- Hong Kong
13. Indian Accent -- New Delhi, India (Best Restaurant in India)
14. Mingles -- Seoul, South Korea (Best Restaurant in Korea)
15. Gaa -- Bangkok, Thailand
16. Sorn -- Bangkok, Thailand (Highest Climber Award)
17. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin – Tokyo, Japan
18. Mume -- Taipei, Taiwan
19. Neighborhood -- Hong Kong
20. Fu He Hui -- Shanghai, China
21. Jaan by Kirk Westaway -- Singapore
22. Wing Lei Palace -- Macau
23. Sichuan Moon -- Macau (Highest New Entry)
24. Nihonryori RyuGin -- Tokyo, Japan
25. Seventh Son -- Hong Kong
26. JL Studio -- Taichung, Taiwan (New Entry)
27. TocToc -- Seoul, South Korea
28. Zén -- Singapore (New Entry)
29. Sazenka -- Tokyo, Japan
30. Ministry of Crab -- Colombo, Sri Lanka
31. Amber -- Hong Kong
32. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Hong Kong
33. Lung King Heen -- Hong Kong
34. Hansikgonggan -- Seoul, South Korea (New Entry)
35. Ode -- Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
36. Raw -- Taipei, Taiwan
37. Locavore -- Bali, Indonesia (Best Restaurant in Indonesia)
38. Paste -- Bangkok, Thailand
39. Bo.Lan -- Bangkok, Thailand
40. La Maison de la Nature Goh -- Fukuoka, Japan
41. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet -- Shanghai, China
42. Corner House -- Singapore
43. Shoun RyuGin -- Taipei, Taiwan
44. Toyo Eatery -- Manila, Philippines (Best Restaurant in Philippines)
45. Bukhara -- New Delhi, India (Re-entry)
46. Sushi Saito -- Tokyo, Japan
47. 80/20 -- Bangkok, Thailand (New Entry)
48.  L'Effervescence -- Tokyo, Japan
49. Inua -- Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
50. Nouri -- Singapore

The post Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2020: The Results Are In appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

With the recent release of a global Michelin guide devoted entirely to Cantonese cuisine – the first publication by the famed foodies’ bible, in fact, that’s dedicated to a single school of cookery – we decided it was high time for us to revisit a handful of Hong Kong’s dining institutions that have elevated the food of southeast China to a fine art.

Yan Toh Heen

[caption id="attachment_148288" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Chef's dim sum selection at Yan Toh Heen[/caption]

Yan Toh Heen, Lower Level, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisburuy Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2313 2323

Lung King Heen

[caption id="attachment_148289" align="alignnone" width="853"] Lung King Heen Executive Chef Chan Yan Tak[/caption]

Known for exceptional dim sum and Cantonese “masterpieces”, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is the first Chinese restaurant in the world to be awarded the Michelin three-star rating and the only Cantonese restaurant in town to receive the accolade – and for an impressive 10 consecutive years.
Executive chef Chan Yan Tak was born and raised here, and serves as an inspiration for other local chefs – his success has proven they don’t have to travel abroad to become culinary stars. “I’ve been amazed at the response from people around the world,” Chan says.

[inline-quote author="Executive Chef Chan Yan Tak"]"“I just carry on doing what I do and what I enjoy, and that’s cooking good food for people.”"[/inline-quote]
What Chan means by that includes signature dishes such as steamed lobster with scalloped dumpling, wok-fried prawns with organic black garlic and dried chili, and, to celebrate this month’s Dragon Boat Festival, organic glutinous rice dumplings with abalone and conpoy, osmanthus and chestnut, or termite mushrooms, crabmeat and red beans.
For the boy from Kowloon, all the Michelin stars in the world can’t beat the sense of community among his team and the city at large. “When I go to the wet market to buy some fish or vegetables,” he says, “I know I’ll always see the same faces and be served by the same people who’ve worked there for 20 or 30 years.”

[caption id="attachment_148287" align="alignnone" width="1710"] Chan's crispy scallops with fresh pear, shrimp paste and Yunnan ham[/caption]

Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central +852 3196 8880 

Seventh Son

[caption id="attachment_148290" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Seventh Son's famous crispy chicken[/caption]

Named for Chui Wai Kwan – the seventh son of Chui Fok Chuen, founder of the Chinese restaurant group Fook Lam Moon – Seventh Son is a story of family and tradition.
“I’ll always remember my roots and be grateful for his teachings,” chef and Seventh Son founder Chui says of his famous father. “I try to maintain the quality of the food in the restaurant by adhering to my father’s techniques and to the high quality of ingredients he used.”
Chui started as an apprentice cook at Fook Lam Moon at the age of 14 and within six years took over the position of head chef, before eventually establishing Seventh Son in 2013. His most popular dishes include such traditional Cantonese favourites as crispy chicken, barbecue suckling pig and bird’s-nest broth with fresh crabmeat.

[inline-quote author="Founder Chui Wai Kwan"]"“Seeing my employees working hard and customers coming back are what I enjoy.”"[/inline-quote]
Despite his restaurant being included in the Michelin guide and having received one star for its Shanghai branch, Chui values the recognition from his customers even more. “Their satisfaction and recognition is the most crucial thing for me,” he says.
Chui also hopes that the rest of the world will come to appreciate his style of food. “I think the future of Cantonese cuisine will develop towards Guangzhou,” he says, “as more new talented chefs come from the area.”

Seventh Son, 3/F, The Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57 - 73 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai; +852 2892 2888

Lei Garden

[caption id="attachment_148291" align="alignnone" width="853"] Seafood soup with deep-fried rice and minced meat[/caption]

Founded in 1973, Lei Garden has grown into one of the largest Cantonese restaurant groups in Asia, with 25 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and Singapore.
Founder and chairman Chan Shu Kit is dedicated to delivering a seamless Cantonese dining experience. Over the decades, his chefs have invented thousands of new dishes and recipes. Most notable among them is XO sauce, first created by Lei Garden in 1983 with a blend of conpoy, ham and shrimp roe, and its world-famous chilled mango pudding, created in 1987 and featuring grapefruit and sago.
Of its 11 branches in Hong Kong, seven are featured in the Michelin guide with the original Mong Kok location and Kwun Tong earning a coveted star for “Cantonese fare reliably cooked with fresh ingredients” and recommended dishes such as double-boiled teal with Cordyceps militaris and fish maw.
Chan works tirelessly to ensure that all of his restaurants focus on the customer first and foremost. “Setting noble goals, studying hard, being a good person and doing good deeds” – this is the motto Chan learned from his father and that he’s ingrained in everyone who works for him.

Lei Garden; multiple locations.

T'ang Court

[caption id="attachment_148295" align="alignnone" width="853"] T'ang Court Executive Chef Wong Chi Fai[/caption]

Wong Chi Fai started cooking for a simple yet wonderfully obvious reason – his love of eating. Despite the long hours and harsh conditions of working in a Chinese kitchen, his efforts quickly paid off with recognition from diners and industry peers alike.
“When I first joined T’ang Court, I soaked the sea cucumber for too long and it turned to jelly,” the executive chef says, laughing. “Luckily, Chef Kwong, the head chef at the time, taught me and made sure I did it right the next time. He once said that a small improvement in your dishes every day is already way better than no improvement at all. This is also my motto when it comes to the milestones I’ve achieved through the years.”
Those milestones include three Michelin stars and a Hong Kong’s Best of the Best Culinary Award. At T’ang Court, Wong focuses on authentic Cantonese cuisine, such as sweet and sour pork with fresh fruit, and braised sliced pork with preserved vegetables.
“Unlike other Cantonese restaurants that emphasise fusion and presentation, we focus on the aroma and the taste of the food,” he says. “In traditional Cantonese cooking, we use the maximum heat to cook ingredients in a limited time. That’s why it’s extremely difficult to control the degree of doneness of the food. You need to be very experienced in order to get the hang of it.”

T'ang Court, 1/F The Langham Hong Kong, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +2132 7898

The Chairman

[caption id="attachment_148294" align="alignnone" width="853"] The entrance to The Chairman[/caption]

Tucked away on a side street in Central, The Chairman has quickly moved up the rankings of the region’s best restaurants since its opening 10 years ago, including the 11th spot on this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Chef Kwok Keung Tung, whose signature dish is steamed flowery crab in aged Shaoxing wine and chicken oil with flat rice noodles, believes that the simplest food demands the highest level of culinary skill.
He and his team also pride themselves on sourcing all ingredients locally, whether hand-picking seafood at Aberdeen Fish Market each morning, growing vegetables at their organic farm in Sheung Shui or buying pork and chicken from suppliers in the New Territories. As legendary chef Ferran Adrià once described it, this is “the future of Chinese food”.

The Chairman, 18 Kau U Fong, Central; +852 2555 2202

The post Hong Kong’s Finest Cantonese Restaurants appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

For the seventh edition of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, the prestigious awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, returned to Macau for a second year, bringing together the region’s leading chefs, restauranteurs and culinary elite at Wynn Palace once more. 

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Finally knocking chef Gaggan Anand off the top of the list is Singapore's Odette, with Chef Julien Royer at the helm claiming the titles for The Best Restaurant in Asia and The Best Restaurant in Singapore with his Asian-inspired, contemporary French cuisine. Located within the National Gallery of Singapore, Odette is recognised for its artisanal approach -- a reflection of the art housed within the iconic location -- and their impeccably executed cuisine.

Gaggan won Asia's Best Restaurant for four consecutive years from 2015 to 2018 for his eponymous Indian restaurant in Bangkok, and told Prestige how he was “ready to lose” last year. The chef claims second place for the restaurant but is now preparing to close it in 2020. He will be opening a new restaurant called GohGan, a collaboration with chef Takeshi “Goh” Fukuyama, in Fukuoka in 2021.

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Hong Kong claimed nine spots on the list; The Chairman climbed up from No. 22 to No. 11, whilst first-time entrants VEA, helmed by chef Vicky Cheng, and Seventh Son took home No. 34 and No. 44, respectively. Most impressive, however, with this year's Highest Climber award, is popular modern French bistro Belon, jumping an incredible 25 places to No. 15. Meanwhile in Macau, Jade Dragon rose eight places to No. 27, and Wing Lei Palace made its debut at No. 36.

Other movements in Hong Kong to note: 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana rose one spot to No. 12, Richard Ekkebus’ Amber (which is currently closed for renovation) slipped from No. 7 to No. 21, Ta Vie from No. 16 to No. 50, fine-dining Cantonese restaurant Lung King Heen from No. 24 to No. 38, and David Lai's Neighborhood fell slightly from No.32 to No.37. Ronin and Caprice, unfortunately, dropped off the list altogether.

Ahead of the ceremony, three awards outside of the ‘50 Best’ list were announced including Miele One to Watch, which was presented to Singaporean chef Jimmy Lim of JL Studio in Taiwan. Only two years after opening, Lim has become one of Asia’s rising stars and continues to wow diners with his mod-Sin (or modern Singaporean) fare. Garima Arora of Gaa in Bangkok, one of Gaggan’s pupils, took the Highest New Entry at No.16 and won the elit™ Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef award. Japanese chef Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo was awarded the American Express Icon Award for his vision in progressive Japanese kaiseki cuisine.

Other winners included the Valrhona award for Asia's Best Pastry Chef, which went to Fabrizio Fiorani from Il Ristorante Luca Fantin in Tokyo. The Most Sustainable Restaurant Award in Asia was presented to Locavore in Bali, Indonesia, and the Art of Hospitality Award crowned Hong Kong's 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana the leader in the industry.

To create the list, a poll is collected from a group of 318 experts (made up of highly regarded food writers, critics, chefs and restaurateurs) across Asia who cast ten votes, in order of preference, for the restaurants they have had their best dining experience at in the last 18 months. At least four of those votes must be for restaurants outside of their home country.

Here's the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019:

1. Odette - Singapore (The Best Restaurant in Singapore and Asia)
2. Gaggan - Bangkok, Thailand (The Best Restaurant in Thailand)
3. Den - Tokyo, Japan (The Best Restaurant in Japan)
4. Sühring - Bangkok, Thailand
5. Florilège - Tokyo, Japan
6. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet - Shanghai, China (The Best Restaurant in China)
7. Mume - Taipei, Taiwan (The Best Restaurant in Taiwan)
8. Narisawa - Tokyo, Japan
9. Nihonryori RyuGin - Tokyo, Japan
10. Burnt Ends - Singapore
11. The Chairman - Hong Kong
12. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana - Hong Kong
13. Mingles - Seoul, Korea (The Best Restaurant in Korea)
14. La Cime - Osaka, Japan
15. Belon - Hong Kong (Highest Climber)
16. Gaa - Bangkok, Thailand (Highest New Entry)
17. Indian Accent - New Delhi, India (The Best Restaurant in India)
18. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin - Tokyo, Japan
19. Bo.Lan - Bangkok, Thailand
20. Le Du - Bangkok, Thailand
21. Amber - Hong Kong
22. Nahm - Bangkok, Thailand
23. Sazenka - Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
24. La Maison de la Nature Goh - Fukuoka, Japan
25. Sushi Saito - Tokyo, Japan
26. L'Effervescence - Tokyo, Japan
27. Jade Dragon - Macau
28. Paste - Bangkok, Thailand
29. Fu He Hui - Shanghai, China
30. Raw - Taipei, Taiwan
31. Shoun RyuGin - Taipei, Taiwan
32. Jaan - Singapore
33. Les Amis - Singapore
34. VEA - Hong Kong (New Entry)
35. Ministry of Crab - Colombo, Sri Lanka (The Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka)
36. Wing Lei Palace - Macau, China (New Entry)
37. Neighborhood - Hong Kong
38. Lung King Heen - Hong Kong
39. Nouri - Singapore (New Entry)
40. Waku Gin - Singapore
41. TocToc - Seoul, Korea
42. Locavore - Bali, Indonesia (The Best Restaurant in Indonesia)
43. Toyo Eatery - Manila, Philippines (The Best Restaurant in Philippines/New Entry)
44. Seventh Son - Hong Kong
45. Quintessence - Tokyo, Japan
46. Dewakan - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (The Best Restaurant in Malaysia/New Entry)
47. Sugalabo - Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
48. Sorn - Bangkok, Thailand (New Entry)
49. Corner House - Singapore
50. Ta Vie - Hong Kong

For more information, visit Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.

The post Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019: Singapore’s Odette Takes the Top Spot appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.