Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list has been a controversial list ever since it started in 2013. There’s a perception that only the restaurants with the best PR and marketing machinery are included in the list (even if their food isn’t good).
The 2015 list is awesome, however, because only the people based in Asia were allowed to vote. It has also broken the notion that only high-priced restaurants are deserving to be part of the list.
Filipinos will be proud to know that Antonio’s Restaurant in Tagaytay has been recognized as the Best Restaurant in the Philippines and awarded the #48 spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2015!
Here are 8 Awesome Things about the 3rd Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna…
1. ANTONIO’S – Best Restaurant in the Philippines and #48 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants!
We all love Antonio’s! It’s been highly regarded as the Best Restaurant in the Philippines ever since it opened.
Related Blog Posts:
- OAP | ANTONIO’S TAGAYTAY: Celebrating Your Best Moments in the Best Restaurant in the Philippines 🙂
- OAP | BREAKFAST at ANTONIO’S: Welcoming 2013 with a Yummy Bang along the Ridge!
Watch the excitement from the Philippine contingent when Antonio’s was announced in the #48 spot!
Congratulations to Tony Boy Escalante for making the Philippines proud!
2. GAGGAN – Deserving Asia’s #1 Best Restaurant in 2015!
Everybody was excited about Gaggan winning the top spot for Best Restaurant in Asia!
Related Post: CNN | Gaggan in Bangkok named Asia’s best restaurant
Every Filipino media representative I’ve talked to who has tried Gaggan in Bangkok agrees that the restaurant deserved the #1 spot.
I was personally impressed when I heard his philosophy on food and his restaurant. Watch this behind-the-scenes Interview with Gaggan.
3. VICKY LAU – Most Beautiful Chef in Asia (Tate Dining Room, Hong Kong)
Vicky Lau isn’t only Asia’s Best Female Chef but also the most beautiful! Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong is now included in my #BestMealEver bucket list.
4. BURNT ENDS – Exciting 10 NEW Restaurants in the Asia’s 50 Best List
It was exciting to see these 10 new additions to the 2015 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list…
- #19 FU HE HUI, Shanghai, China
- #27 RYUNIQUE, Seoul, Korea
- #30 BURNT ENDS, Singapore
- #35 THE CHAIRMAN, Hong Kong, China
- #38 LA YEON, Seoul, South Korea
- #43 MINISTRY OF CRAB, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- #45 OSTERIA MOZZA, Singapore
- #46 HAKKASAN, Shanghai, China
- #48 ANTONIO’S, Tagaytay, Philippines
- #50 CUISINE WAT DAMNAK, Siem Reap, Cambodia
5. Falling Out of the 50 Best List
Nahm fell down from its #1 spot last year to #7 this year. Here are the 10 restaurants that were removed from this year’s list…
- #16 ISHIKAWA, Tokyo, Japan
- #21 SRA BUA by Kiin Kiin, Bangkok, Thailand
- #30 DUM PUKHT, New Delhi, India
- #32 VARG, New Delhi, India
- #41 SAWADA, Tokyo, Japan
- #45 YARD BIRD, Hong Kong, China
- #46 FAMILY LI IMPERIAL CUISINE, Shanghai, China
- #47 SARONG, Bali, Indonesia
- #48 FRANCK BISTRO, Shanghai, China
- #49 KARAVALLI, Bangalore India
6. Must Try Japanese Restaurants in Asia!
NARISAWA is well-regarded as the Best Restaurant in Japan. Some even contest that it should have been the #1 Restaurant in Asia (and not just #2).
HAJIME is the best restaurant in Osaka and #14 in Asia.
HIDEMI SUGINO is Asia’s Best Pastry Chef for 2015!
TETSUYA WAKUDA was awarded The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award and got a standing ovation from the community.
7. Well Organized Asia’s 50 Best Awards Night!
I was impressed with the homey, warm feel of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards night at Capella Singapore.
It was well-organized, with a friendly atmosphere, and started on time.
You can feel the prestige of the event in the way they treated the chefs, VIP, and media in attendance.
The pacing of the announcement of winners was snappy but not too rushed.
You get to meet the chefs who are regarded as celebrities.
8. Awesome Food Discoveries!
The best food for the night was the freshly baked naan with seafood and curry sauce!
I’ve officially tasted the Best Sake Ever–ISOJIMAN M for Waku Ghin!
Best dessert for the night were these Hazelnut Pralines from Cacao Barry.
About Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna)
How the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant List is Compiled
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list features the restaurants in Asia that have received the most votes from The Diners Club® Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The Academy is divided into six voting regions:
- India & Subcontinent;
- South-East Asia – South;
- South-East Asia – North;
- Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau;
- Mainland China & Korea; and
- Japan.
Each region has its own panel of 53 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘foodies’. Each panellist has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognise restaurants outside of the voter’s home country.
The divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene as fairly as possible at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs.
The lists of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (and the award ceremonies organised to celebrate their annual unveiling) are organised and compiled by William Reed Media. None of the employees of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, including the main sponsor, votes or has any influence over the results.
The main rules of voting are:
-
Voting is strictly confidential before the awards’ announcement
-
Panellists vote for 7 restaurants, at least 3 must be outside their home country
-
Voters must have eaten in the restaurants they nominate in the last 18 months
-
Voters are not permitted to vote for restaurants they own or have an interest in
-
Nominations must be made for the restaurant, not for the restaurateur or the chef
-
Panellists submit their 7 choices in order of preference (this information is used to decide on positions in the event of a tie)
-
Other than this there are “no rules“.
These criteria are designed to allow our panellists to vote far and wide. They could vote for a small, unknown restaurant in a secluded region, or select the best-known restaurants in their region – it is their opinion and the experiences they have had that matters.
This method means that restaurants cannot apply to be on the list, and cannot be nominated, and no external influences (from Restaurant magazine, William Reed or our sponsors) can influence the list. It also means that every restaurant in the world is eligible, unless the restaurant is closed at the time that the lists are announced, or we receive notice that it will be closing in the near future after the results are published.
There are no criteria that a restaurant has to meet. They certainly do not have to sell a certain product. They do not need to have been open a certain number of years and they do not need to have won any other culinary accolades.
ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
Contact: Paul Calder or Michelle Lee at CatchOn & Company
Email: asias50best@catchonco.com
Telephone: +852 2566 8988
Twitter: @Asias50Best and #Asias50best
Facebook: Asias50BestRestaurants
Weibo: Asias50Best
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We got media passes to attend Asia’s 50 Best Awards Night. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. I’ve only eaten in 1 out of the 50–Antonio’s. But I can’t wait to try Gaggan and Burnt Ends!
P.P.S. Australia-based restaurants are not part of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards.