BUKHARA NAMED S.PELLEGRINO BEST RESTAURANT IN INDIA AT ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS AWARDS
Nahm, Bangkok, crowned The S.Pellegrino Asia’s Best Restaurant
India secures six entries at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 awards in Singapore. Bukhara (No.27) leads the contingent, earning the title of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in India.
Bukhara in New Delhi celebrates the regional cuisine from the north-west reaches of the Indian subcontinent. Embracing traditional cooking methods, meats are cooked in a clay tandoor oven while the various platters encourage communal sharing.
Nahm in Bangkok takes the much-coveted No.1 spot. Honouring the bold flavours of authentic Thai cuisine, Nahm earns the dual titles of The S.Pellegrino Asia’s Best Restaurant and The S. Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand.
India is also represented by returning New Delhi favourites Indian Accent (No. 29), Dum Pukht (No. 30) and Varq (No.32). Wasabi by Morimoto in Mumbai (No.36) and Karavalli in Bangalore (No.49) are also honoured.
Now in its second year, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna and organised by William Reed Business Media, announced the 2014 winners at an elegant awards ceremony at Capella Hotel, Singapore.
China leads Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 with 16 establishments ranked on the list, followed by Japan and Singapore landing 10 and eight restaurants respectively. The 2014 list welcomes 10 new entries, including first-time representation from restaurants in Korea (Jungsik, No.20), and Taiwan (Le Moût, No.24).
Individual Country Awards:
Amber (No.4) in Hong Kong earns the title of The S. Pellegrino Best Restaurant in China. New additions to China’s rankings include Family Li Imperial Cuisine (No.46) in Shanghai and Tenku RyuGin (No.50) in Hong Kong.
Narisawa (No.2), the inaugural winner of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013, takes the title of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Japan for a second year. Japan boasts the most new entries with three Tokyo restaurants making their debut, namely L’Effervescence (No.25), Sukiyabashi Jiro (No.38) and Sawada (No.41).
Singapore confirms its position as a leader in Asia’s dining scene with eight entries, including the new addition of Tippling Club at No.23. Securing the No.6 position on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Restaurant André is named The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Singapore for the second consecutive year. Chef-owner André Chiang also picks up the respected Chefs’ Choice Award, voted for by his peers on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Recognising the region’s culinary diversity, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants also awards Nihonbashi in Colombo (No.44) The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka and Sarong in Bali The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Indonesia.
The winners’ circle also includes Ivan Li of Family Li Imperial Cuisine in Shanghai (No.46), who is the worthy recipient of TheDiners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award. Chef Lanshu Chen of Le Moût in Taiwan has twice as many reasons to celebrate: aside from Le Moût entering the list at No.24 and securing the title of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Taiwan, Lanshu is named Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef.
Other award winners announced include:
Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Cacao Barry: Janice Wong
For a second consecutive year, Janice Wong is the recipient of this prestigious award. Owner of 2am: dessertbar in Singapore, Janice draws inspiration from her travels in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, presenting impeccably-styled desserts and artfully combining unexpected flavours.
Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by LesConcierges: Jungsik
Among the vanguard of young chefs redefining Korea’s fine dining scene, Jungsik Yim combines traditional Korean ingredients with modern cooking techniques. Entering Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No.20, Jungsik Yim’s flagship Seoul restaurant earned the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by LesConcierges, as well as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Korea.
One To Watch, sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro: Tenku RyuGin
While Tokyo’s Nihonryori RyuGin ranks No.5, its satellite Hong Kong restaurant, Tenku RyuGin, makes its debut on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No.50. Opened in 2012, Tenku RyuGin continues chef Seiji Yamamoto’s tradition of serving time-honoured Japanese dishes with a hearty dose of modern style and impeccable Japanese hospitality.
Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Zacapa Rum: Fook Lam Moon
A Hong Kong institution, the family-run Fook Lam Moon rose 29 places, from No.48 in 2013 to its current standing at No.19. Serving traditional Cantonese dishes with a deep respect for authentic flavours and ingredients, Fook Lam Moon continues to attract international gourmands and local residents alike.
William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants continues to evolve and grow, as evidenced by the addition of 10 new restaurants to the list. These new entries highlight the creativity, variety and sophistication of Asia’s ever-changing culinary scene.”
How Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is created from The Diners Club® World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 900 international leaders in the restaurant industry, each selected for their expert opinion of the international restaurant scene. The Academy comprises 26 separate regions around the world. Each region has its own panel of 36 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘foodies’, each of whom has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognize restaurants outside of each voter’s region. At least ten panelists from each region change each year. None of the employees of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, including the main sponsor, votes or has any influence over the results.
Votes for restaurants in the following countries in Asia, cast during the voting period for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, will result in the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants: Bangladesh, Burma/ Myanmar, Brunei, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, the Maldives, Micronesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
The full list of award winners is available at www.theworlds50best.com/asia