(Mar 29): The chef who built a menu out of emojis has done it again.
Bangkok’s Gaggan restaurant has just topped the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for a fourth consecutive year.
The Indian eatery, renowned for its 25-course tasting menu illustrated only with emoji symbols, eclipsed stiff competition from Tokyo, with Den and Florilege, taking second and third spots respectively.
Den's garden salad with a single ant.Photographer: Shinichiro Fujii
The winners were announced at a ceremony at Wynn Palace in Macau. The list is chosen by a panel of more than 300 food writers, critics, chefs and restaurateurs spanning six geographical regions. Each expert picks 10 restaurants and lists them in order of preference. They must have eaten at every restaurant on their list within the previous 18 months.
Rounding out the top five were modern German spot Suhring in Bangkok and French restaurant Odette in Singapore.
In total Tokyo had four restaurants in the top 10, doubling its 2017 tally, with Narisawa coming in at number six and Nihonryori RyuGin at number nine. Bangkok had a respectable showing with Suhring (in fourth place) and Nahm (in 10th) joining Gaggan.
Things weren’t so rosy for Hong Kong, with Amber slipping from third to seventh, and 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana dropping from fourth to languish outside the top 10 at number 13.
Odette's Escargot Tart.Source: The Lo & Behold Group
Odette was Singapore’s highest ranked establishment, up four places on last year. Restaurant Andre, which bagged the number two spot last year, was a notable absence after chef-owner Andre Chiang closed the doors in February this year.
After his win last year, Gaggan Anand shocked the foodie world by announcing that he would shut down his award-winning restaurant in 2020. He told Bloomberg that he planned to move to Japan and open several new restaurants, drawing on Buddhist principles.
Chef Gaggan Anand.Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
“We have really worked hard, hard to be a stronger team,” he said today before learning he had won. “So whatever the result is today, we party hard and continue to make our guests lick the plates.”
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is published by William Reed Business Media. The World’s 50 Best will be revealed at a ceremony in Bilbao, Spain, in June.
The Winners
- Gaggan, Bangkok
- Den, Tokyo
- Florilege, Tokyo
- Suhring, Bangkok
- Odette, Singapore
- Narisawa, Tokyo
- Amber, Hong Kong
- Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai
- Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo
- Nahm, Bangkok
- Mingles, Seoul
- Burnt Ends, Singapore
- 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong
- Le Du, Bangkok
- Raw, Taipei
- Ta Vie, Hong Kong
- La Cime, Osaka
- Mume, Taipei
- Indian Accent, New Delhi
- L’Effervescence, Tokyo
- Locavore, Bali
- The Chairman, Hong Kong
- Waku Ghin, Singapore
- Lung King Heen, Hong Kong
- Minstry of Crab, Colombo
- Jungsik, Seoul
- Sushi Saito, Tokyo
- Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin, Tokyo
- Les Amis, Singapore
- Fu He Hui, Shanghai
- Paste, Bangkok
- Neighborhood, Hong Kong
- Eat Me, Bangkok
- Hajime, Osaka
- Jade Dragon, Macao
- Corner House, Singapore
- Bo Lan, Bangkok
- Quintessence, Tokyo
- Issaya Siamese Club, Bangkok
- Belon, Hong Kong
- Ronin, Hong Kong
- TocToc, Seoul
- The Dining Room at the House on Sathorn, Bangkok
- Jaan, Singapore
- Nihonbashi, Colombo
- Caprice, Hong Kong
- Shoun RyuGin, Taipei
- La Masion de la Nature Goh, Fukuoka, Japan
- Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai
- Whitegrass, Singapore
