A big bite of Asia

Thailand’s restaurant industry has plenty to celebrate these days having secured a record nine entries at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, with Gaggan claiming the number one spot for the third consecutive year.
On Tuesday night, before an audience of the region’s most celebrated chefs, industry VIPs and international media, the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & AcquaPanna, was revealed in an awards ceremony at the W Hotel Bangkok.
    Thailand tied with China, Japan and Singapore with nine restaurants on the list, while Bangkok’s top Indian restaurant, Gaggan, retained its the dual titles of Best Restaurant in Asia, and the Best Restaurant in Thailand.

For the third consecutive year, chef Gaggan Anand, second left, of Gaggan in Bangkok receives the dual awards for the Best Restaurant in Asia and the Best Restaurant in Thailand.
The 2017 list welcomed 10 new entries, including four from Thailand: German restaurant Suhring at number 13, modern Asian restaurant The Dining Room at The House on Sathorn at number 36, Thai-inspired cuisine Le Du at number 37 and the traditional French L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok at number 40. Also representing Thailand were Nahm at number 5, Issaya Siamese Club at number 21, Eat Me at number 31 and Bo.Lan, which made a return to the list at number 19.
    Other award winners announced included the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Mekhong that went to Odette in Singapore. Launched in November 2015, chef and owner Julien Royer’s restaurant at the iconic National Gallery Singapore debuts at number 9, the highest new entry in the history of the list. Serving Asian-inspired modern French cuisine, each dish at Odette is presented with impeccable style and characteristic perfection.
    This year’s Asia’s Best Pastry Chef award went to Kazutoshi Narita in Tokyo. Narita began his career alongside the ‘Picasso of Pastries' Pierre Herme – currently The World’s Best Pastry Chef Award holder – before honing his skills at Joel Robuchon restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Tokyo. At Esquisse and the recently opened Esquisse Cinq, both in Tokyo, the award-winning pastry specialist combines the delicate artistry of Japanese cuisine with the nuances and creative flair of French patisserie.
    Sponsored by Peroni, the Chefs’ Choice Award went to Dave Pynt in Singapore. An apprenticeship at Asador Etxebarri in Spain helped spark Australian-born Pynt’s passion for playing with fire. Since 2013, Pynt has been turning up the heat at Burnt Ends, a gourmet barbecue restaurant in Singapore. Pynt’s mastery of various cooking techniques – from smoking and slow-roasting to grilling – has earned him the respect of his regional peers. Burnt Ends debuted on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2015 at number 30.
    Excelling in service, the Art of Hospitality award went to Den in Tokyo. Rising 26 places to number 11, Den delights in surprising and entertaining its guests, making it a worthy recipient of the inaugural Art of Hospitality Award in Asia. The approach is playful, personable and inventive, reflecting the personality of Den’s chef and owner, Zaiyu Hasegawa.
    Celebrating Balinese culture and using only sustainably sourced local ingredients, Locavore rose 27places to number 22, earning the title of the Best Restaurant in Indonesia as well as Highest Climber Award. TocToc in Seoul earned the Miele One To Watch Award for its creative use of seasonal Korean ingredients and refined French-influenced menu. Celebrated Italian chef Umberto Bombana of Otto e Mezzo Bombana was this year’s recipient of the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award.
 

Locavore in Bali has double reason to celebrate at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony. As well as retaining the Best Restaurant in Indonesia title, the restaurant rises 27 places to earn the Highest Climber Award.
    Another award honouree was Canadian-born, Hong Kong-based chef and restaurateur May Chow of Little Bao in Hong Kong and Bangkok, who was named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2017.  

    Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and not academically driven, Chow found comfort in literally everything about food at a very young age. She trained and cooked for only four years before opening up her own business.
“When you’re a worker in a restaurant, they don’t want to you to have your own ideas,” the young chef told XP prior to the award ceremony. “You’re not a sous chef or an executive chef. You’re just chopping vegetables. I had too many ideas way too early and I was obsessed by all the things that I wanted to do. I’m not a good chef for other people. I can’t work for anyone so I needed to do my own thing.”
    In 2012, Chow opened the first Little Bao in Hong Kong, followed by the Bangkok restaurant in 2016 at 72 Courtyard on Thonglor. Chow revamps the traditional bao, or Chinese steamed bun, into food that’s creative, fun and yet simple without adding fluffy, fancy ingredients. Warm, welcoming and casual, Little Bao has ’60s diner flair and aims to offer great food along with highest quality service in an engaging setting where chefs and diners can easily interact.

May Chow of Little Bao, Hong Kong and Bangkok, is named Asia’s Best Female Chef at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony.
    “I’ve never had the experience of winning, so winning this award felt weird to me. It comes with a sense of responsibility, and I need to work harder. But I like hardship. I like it when life gets hard and you have to make decisions,” Chow told XP.
    “As an Asian and as a woman, I hope that my personal happiness and achievement helps other people. I told my staff that life is going get big because of the success of the restaurant and now with this award, I want them to grow with me. How much they grow with me is up to them. I will train them as much as I can. I brought over chefs from other countries to train my staff because I don’t have the technical skills to train them myself. I want to use this award to give my staff more money, more education, more opportunity and help them see how we can move forward and grow together. I want to see an expanding pool of educated, skilled local chefs,” she continued.
    “My advice to those wanting to open a restaurant: build the business from your own character. Don’t be satisfied with your current status. You can learn things also outside of your job now that knowledge is free. Most successful chefs are not successful just because they cook really well. That is expected. If you don’t live an interesting life, you will not have a story for yourself or for your brand.”
    Continuing to influence Hong Kong’s dining scene, last year saw the launch of Chow’s Second Draft, a Chinese gastropub. In a few weeks, Chow is also unveiling her new spot, Happy Paradise in Hong Kong where progressive Cantonese food, creative cocktails, parties, cool music and a loud interior are rolled into one.
    William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said, “Each year the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list welcomes a host of new entries and 2017 is no exception. In its fifth year, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is proud to showcase the region’s diverse cuisines, introduce gourmets to innovative dining concepts and celebrate Asia’s emerging talent at our events in Thailand. All 50 restaurants on the 2017 list, along with the individual award winners, strive for excellence and we are thrilled to honour this exceptional community of culinary innovators.”
   The list is created from the votes of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of more than 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene. The panel in each region is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded gastronomes. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months. There is no pre-determined check-list of criteria, but there are strict voting rules.
    For the 2017 edition, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is once again working with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner. The adjudication by Deloitte ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50Best Restaurants are protected.

>> For more details on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants visit www.TheWorlds50Best.com/Asia.

(IMAGES: COURTESY OF Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & AcquaPanna)