Prior to its 10th annual awards ceremony next week, the reputable Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants just announced its 2022 list of the region’s finest dining establishments ranked from 51 to 100. Three respected names from the Philippines are on the list: the inventive, upscale Filipino restaurant Toyo Eatery, the Tagaytay destination restaurant Antonio’s, and Gallery by Chele which is run by the Spanish chef Chele Gonzales and his Filipino team.
This is the second year Asia’s 50 Best has announced its 51-100 rankings, an effort of the awards group to give recognition and promote more dining establishments that need all the boost during the pandemic. In this new list, Antonio’s is at 74, climbing 10 spots from last year’s rank of 84, and Gallery by Chele is ranked at 69, a huge leap from last year’s 90th spot.
Meanwhile, Toyo Eatery, part of the elite first 50 last year at number 49 finds itself stepping down 45 spots and settles for No. 94 this year, ending a streak of being on the 50 Best List for three straight years.
Created from the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants voting process, this year’s 51-100 list welcomes 25 new entries. Which means, if you ask William Drew, Director of Content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, the spotlight is on the region’s emerging talent. “We’re thrilled to share this list to showcase the breadth and diversity of Asia’s gastronomic scene as well as new culinary trends,” he says.
Among the 25 new entries on this year’s list, six are from Hong Kong. Japanese restaurant Godenya claims the highest ranking among Hong Kong’s newcomers at No.64 followed by Xin Rong Ji (No.77), French eateries Bâtard (No.82) and L’Envol (No.88) as well as Chaat (No.96) and Sushi Hare (No.98).
The restaurants in the 51-100 ranking come from 12 countries and territories. Greater China maintains a strong presence on the list, with Hong Kong claiming 10 places, while Mainland China scores six restaurants, Taiwan counts five, and Macau boasts three. Rising an impressive 38 places to No.51, Jin Sha in Hangzhou, China, edged closest to the coveted 50 Best list.
Eat and Cook in Kuala Lumpur, the 2022 recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award, enters the list at No.81. Meanwhile, debuting at No.52, the intimate Adachi Sushi in Taipei is this year’s new entry that snagged the highest spot. India is represented by seven restaurants as Singapore claims five places on the list. Thailand has four restaurants, including first-time entries Pru (No.61) and Lerdtip Wanghin (No.87). Malaysia, like the Philippines is represented by three restaurants.
Several well-established names make their debut on the list: Singapore’s ever-popular Lolla earns a No.75 ranking, while in India, longtime favourites Comorin (No.69), Americano (No.80) and The Table (No.85) are all first-time entries. Cambodia makes a welcome return to the list with fine-dining institution Topaz landing at No.90.
The much-anticipated 2022 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants will be revealed via an online awards ceremony telecast globally on Tuesday, 29th March from 5pm HK/SG (6pm JPN) via Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Facebook and the 50 Best Restaurants TV YouTube channel.