Bangkok's Nahm Crowned Number One in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

Now in its second year, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna and organized by William Reed Business Media, announced the 2014 winners at an elegant awards ceremony at Capella Hotel, Singapore.

At Nahm, Australian-born chef David Thompson celebrates the bold flavors of authentic Thai cuisine by reviving and reinterpreting centuries-old recipes of former Thai matriarchs. Ranked No.3 at the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards last year, the restaurant gained global attention when it first appeared on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2012 at No.50, jumping to No.32 a year later.

Apart from Nahm, Thailand is also represented by returning Bangkok favorites Gaggan (No.3, leaping seven places from 2013), Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin (No.21), Bo.lan (No.28) and Eat Me (No.37).

The 2014 list welcomes 10 new entries, including Issaya Siamese Club in Bangkok debuting at No. 31, and first-time representation from restaurants in Korea (Jungsik, No.20), and Taiwan (Le Moût, No.24).

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.

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.

India is well represented on the list with six entries. Bukhara (No.27) leads the contingent, securing the title of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in India.

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 (No.47) The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Indonesia.

Chef Lanshu Chen of Le Moût in Taiwan has double reason 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:

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.

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 flavors.

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.

The winners’ circle also includes Ivan Li of Family Li Imperial Cuisine in Shanghai (No.46), who is the worthy recipient of The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award.

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