The panel responsible for the World’s 50 Best have just put out their region-specific list for Asia, once again trying to discern the best restaurants across the continent with the usual suspects of Tokyo and Bangkok emerging as the clear winners. And with Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ranked for 2023, it appears we have a new culinary king leaping from fourth to first place, knocking last year’s winner – Tokyo’s famed Den – down a few notches.
Le Du in Bangkok, helmed by Chef Thitid Tassanakajohn, is – as far as this list goes – the best restaurant across all of Asia for 2023. The kitchen, known for its refined Thai cooking, not only managed to beat the likes of neighbours Nusara, Gaggan Anand and Sorn to the top spot but it also marks the very first time in the list’s history that a Thai chef has taken the crown.
Previous Bangkok “winners” have been Gaggan (2015-2018) and Nahm (2014) but neither kitchen is helmed by a Thai national.
Although the list’s most impressive climb has been for Sezanne in Tokyo. Chef Daniel Calvert’s French restaurant, located in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo, debuted on the list at #17 last year and has already risen to second place. There is, of course, always going to be an element of politics to lists like this but this is still a strong stamp of approval for Calvert’s cooking, especially since Sezanne is placed ahead of local institutions like the legendary Den and the long-admired Narisawa.
As with all these lists, there are likely going to be variables that affect the rankings that we as consumers aren’t privy to. Regardless, the numerous rankings that come out of the World’s 50 Best each year are generally held in high regard, especially for travellers who need to sift through a mountain of bad-faith listicles to decide where to spend their hard-earned money.
For 2023, more than 300 chefs, critics, food writers, restaurateurs and “trusted and well-travelled gourmands” were asked to each vote for a total of eight restaurants. Six restaurants could be in the voters’ home country and two from the rest of Asia, for those who were able to travel over the past year. Notably, prior to the pandemic, voters were asked to pick 10 spots and four of those had to be outside of their home country, so it’s hard to ignore Covid’s influence on a list like this.
That could be why Hong Kong, which only recently opened its borders, isn’t as present on this “Best Restaurants in Asia” list as it usually is. The highest-ranking kitchen in the city is The Chairman (#13), which once upon a time was considered the single best restaurant across the continent.
In total, Bangkok has nine entries on the list while Tokyo has seven. However, Japan in general has ten with La Cime in Osaka coming in at #8, Villa Aisa in Wakayama at #14 and Kyoto’s popular Cenci coming in at #32. Meanwhile, Singapore ties Bangkok with nine entries while Hong Kong has five and Seoul comes through with four restaurants on the list.
Something to keep in mind when you are planning on where to travel in 2023.
See below for the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023.
The 50 Best Restaurants In Asia 2023
1. Le Du, Bangkok
2. Sezanne, Tokyo
3. Nusara, Bangkok
4. Den, Tokyo
5. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok
6. Odette, Singapore
7. Florilege, Tokyo
8. La Cime, Osaka
9. Sorn, Bangkok
10. Narisawa, Tokyo
11. Labyrinth, Singapore
12. Sazenka, Tokyo
13. The Chairman, Hong Kong
14. Villa Aida, Wakayama, Japan
15. Mosu, Seoul
16. Masque, Mumbai
17. Meta, Singapore
18. Fu He Hui, Shanghai
19. Indian Accent, New Delhi
20. Ode, Tokyo
21. Zen, Singapore
22. Suhring, Bangkok
23. Onjium, Seoul
24. Burnt Ends, Singapore
25. Euphoria, Singapore
26. Cloudstreet, Singapore
27. Les Amis, Singapore
28. Mingles, Seoul
29. Neighborhood, Hong Kong
30. Avartana, Chennai
31. Ensue, Shenzhen
32. Cenci, Kyoto
33. Ms.Maria and Mr.Singh, Bangkok
34. Da Vittorio, Shanghai
35. Potong, Bangkok
36. Born, Singapore
37. Wing, Hong Kong
38. Raan Jay Fai, Bangkok
39. Wing Lei Palace, Macau
40. Anan Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City
41. Mono, Hong Kong
42. Toyo Eatery, Manila
43. Sichuan Moon, Macau
44. L’Effervesence, Tokyo
45. Mume, Taipei
46. Baan tepa, Bangkok
47. Born & Bred, Seoul
48. Metiz, Makati
49. Caprice, Hong Kong
50. Refer, Beijing
