The best restaurant in Asia is Den in Tokyo; Asia's 50 best restaurants list

Sorn in Bangkok was ranked number two, and Tokyo’s Florilege was third. Three restaurants from Japan were in the Top 10 and four from Bangkok.

Den’s chef Zaiyu Hasegawa is known for his irreverent kaiseki menus—one of his most famous dishes is his version of fried chicken served in a box that mimics KFC, that he calls ‘Dentucky Fried Chicken.’ The restaurant was named Number 1 by Asia’s 50 Best, on March 29. Last year, Den was Number 3. (Also read: 7 best North Indian restaurants in Bengaluru)

It was the second time a Japanese venue claimed the top spot.

Sorn in Bangkok was ranked number two, and Tokyo’s Florilege was third. Three restaurants from Japan were in the Top 10 and four from Bangkok.

The list was affected by varying pandemic-related travel restrictions across Asia, according to William Drew, the director of content for 50 Best.

“We can’t get away from that,” Drew said in an interview. “It means this is more of a local vote, perhaps, than ever,” as people dined out in their own areas during Covid times. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is owned by William Reed Business Media Ltd.

Last year, Hong Kong’s The Chairman was the region’s No. 1 restaurant. This year it fell to Number 5.

The awards were presented in an in-person event in Bangkok as well as by video, with separate gatherings in places like Hong Kong where Covid-related rules would make travel to the event more difficult or time-consuming. In March 2020, the ceremony took place despite the pandemic, which closed many of the winning dining rooms, at least temporarily. The decision to go forward with the event drew criticism on social media—and a few days after, the organizers cancelled its international 2020 rankings. Last year’s event was virtual.

The list of restaurants ranked 51 to 100 was released several days earlier, featuring 10 names from Hong Kong, six from mainland China, seven from India and three each from Malaysia and the Philippines. It also showed some drops: L’Effervescence in Tokyo fell to 71 from 19 last year and Mume in Taipei slid to 54 from 15, while Hong Kong’s Amber declined to 83 from 37. Singapore’s Jaan by Kirk Westaway and Euphoria, 42 and 41 respectively last year, are now ranked 55th and 56th.

The Chef’s Choice Award is David Lai from Neighborhood in Hong Kong. Maira Yeo from Rishi Naleendra’s Cloudstreet in Singapore won the Asia’s Best Pastry Chef award. The Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Mume in Taipei. The Asia’s Best Female Chef award, from Ete in Tokyo, is Natsuko Shoji, and the Icon Award went to Jeong Kwan, who is a Buddhist nun. The Art of Hospitality award went to Odette in Singapore.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is selected and voted on by a panel of more than 350 food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and food aficionados. The awards are held and published each year since 2013 by William Reed Business Media.

1. Den — Tokyo

2. Sorn — Bangkok

3. Florilege — Tokyo

4. Le Du — Bangkok

5. The Chairman — Hong Kong

6. La Cime — Osaka, Japan

7. Suhring — Bangkok

8. Odette — Singapore

9. Neighborhood — Hong Kong

10. Nusara — Bangkok

11. Sazenka — Tokyo

12. Fu He Hui — Shanghai

13. Ode — Tokyo (Highest Climber Award)

14. Villa Aida — Wakayama, Japan (Highest New Entry Award)

15. Narisawa — Tokyo

16. Mingles — Seoul

17. Sezanne — Tokyo

18. Joo Ok — Seoul

19. Ensue — Shenzhen

20. Meta — Singapore

21. Masque — Mumbai

22. Indian Accent — New Delhi

23. Les Amis — Singapore

24. Caprice — Hong Kong

25. Blue by Alain Ducasse — Bangkok

26. Seventh Door — Seoul

27. Mosu — Seoul

28. Da Vittorio — Shanghai

29. Sushi Masato — Bangkok

30. Onjium — Seoul

31. Samrub Samrub Thai — Bangkok

32. Mono — Hong Kong

33. Gaa — Bangkok

34. Wing — Hong Kong

35. Ministry of Crab — Colombo, Sri Lanka

36. La Maison de la Nature Goh — Fukuoka, Japan

37. Zen — Singapore

38. Logy — Taipei

39. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet — Shanghai

40. Labyrinth — Singapore

41. Burnt Ends — Singapore

42. Ete — Tokyo

43. Cenci — Kyoto, Japan

44. Cloudstreet — Singapore

45. JL Studio — Taichung, Taiwan

46. Raan Jay Fai — Bangkok

47. Wing Lei Palace — Macau

48. Otto e Mezzo Bombana — Hong Kong

49. Megu — New Delhi

50. Dewakan — Kuala Lumpur