Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Unveiled for 2023: 3 Restaurants from India made the cut

The first Asia edition took place in Singapore in 2013, and revisited to the city state for its tenth anniversary. The winners have conventionally been broadcasted at a live ceremony in a host city ever year, with the 2020 to 2022 editions taking place virtually owing to the pandemic.

A job in the gastronomic industry can be exhausting, comprising long hours and physical work. That's why it comforts that each year, the restaurant industry comes collected to appreciate and to applaud those who work hard to carry the best and most pleasurable experiences to diners. I am talking about the yearly Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list that's a finale of votes from a cluster of 300 trade leaders. The board is made up of the most significant food critics and writers, restaurateurs, chefs and provincial gastronomic specialists in the region.

ASIA'S BEST RESTAURANT

Rupali & Akanksha Dean with the Suhring twins Thomas & Mathias

2023�s list features restaurants from nineteen cities and comprises seven new entries as well as eight re-entries. Le Du from Bangkok lifted the upper spot as The Best Restaurant in Asia. Le Du, which has steadily been featured on the list, is glorified for its distinguished take on Thai food that�s inferred with French cooking lens. It�s also known to advocate local ingredients and produce. The news was revealed on Tuesday night (March 28) in a live ritual at Singapore�s Resorts World Sentosa.

THREE INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN THE LIST

Left: Chef Nikhil Nagpal from Avartana at ITC GRAND CHOLA CHENNAI, Top Right: Aditya, Rohit Khattar, Chef Manish Mehrotra and Aditi Dugar at the awards, Bottom Right: Ministry of Crab Team, Chef Dharshan Munidasa and Ramit Mittal

Three Indian restaurants starred. Mumbai�s Masque also as the �Best Restaurant in India�, Indian Accent from New Delhi, and ITC Grand Chola Chennai�s Avartana came in at No. 16, 19, and 30 respectively. Avartana at No.30 was one of the new entries. Apart from Avartana, there were five other new entrants. The Chennai restaurant was joined by Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh (No.33) and Potong from Bangkok (No.35), Singapore�s Born (No.36), Metiz in Makati (No.48), and Refer in Beijing (No.50).

SINGAPORE WINS 9 SPOTS

Nine Singapore restaurants received a spot amongst the creme de la creme of Asia which tied them with Bangkok for the greatest number of admissions on the list. Contemporary French outfit Odette, was bestowed Singapore�s best restaurant at No. 6. Odette�s pastry chef Louisa Lim was conferred the Asia�s Best Pastry Chef award. At No. 11 is Labyrinth, a restaurant dedicated on creatively rendering home-grown flavours. Labyrinth also received the Highest Climber award for hopping an amazing 29 spots. Modern-Korean restaurant Meta, found itself at No. 17, trailed by luxe neo-Nordic model Zen, also receiving the Art of Hospitality award at No. 21. The next four places are taken up by acquainted local names: Elevated smokehouse Burnt Ends (No.24), contemporary-French hideout Euphoria (No.25), eclectic fusion concept Cloudstreet (No.26,) and classic-French heavyweight Les Amis (No.27). Rounding up the Singapore picture in the standings is Born, a recently opened French-Chinese fusion fine-dining restaurant along Neil Road that made a stunning launching at No.36.

(Awarded the "Best food writer in the country" by the Indian culinary forum, WACS and the ministry of Tourism, Rupali Dean writes on food and travel.)