This is the highest ranking that any Filipino restaurant has achieved on the annual list
Daniel Calvert’s Sézanne in Tokyo is this year’s Best Restaurant in Asia after being crowned at the live awards ceremony for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.
It debuted on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No. 17 in 2022, rose 15 spots to No. 2 last year, before finally holding the top spot this year. “Its impeccable cuisine, hospitality, and innovative approach has resulted in the restaurant becoming a must-visit destination,” says William Drew, director of content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Located on the seventh floor of Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, the restaurant seriously knows how to bring the best of two worlds—doing neo-French cuisine while embracing Japanese ingredients. The Sézanne experience features rare champagne bottles (it is inspired after all by the eponymous commune in northeastern France), artisanal sparkling wines, and vintage cuvées.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the immense support we receive here in Tokyo and from our supporters around the world,” they wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Toyo Eatery remains the Philippines’ best restaurant as it ascended 18 spots from last year’s No. 42 ranking to No. 24. This is the highest ranking that any Filipino restaurant has achieved on the annual list. Last year, the chic Filipino-first restaurant run by the talented tandem of Jordy and May Navarra received the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award for their consistent commitment to emphasize “Filipino produce and people, fostering long-term relationships with local farmers and artisans” in their work.
“Sustainability for us at Toyo Eatery is cultivating the relationships we have with the people that nurture our country,” said Jordy in a previous event. “It’s really finding inspiration in traditions and refining our processes and being more responsible with waste and how we use products, finding creativity through what’s around us.”
Notable achievements at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 abound, too.
Singapore’s Seroja is the highest new entry at No. 31. Led by Port Klang-born chef Kevin Wong, the sophisticated restaurant is an homage to the cuisine of the Malay archipelago seen through its multi-course tasting menus. Singapore-based Filipino chef and former Asia’s Best Female Chef awardee Johanne Siy’s Lolla also came in at No. 43.
Bangkok chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, who last month was awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024, was honored at the event together with a No. 17 spot for her restaurant Potong.
Host city Seoul secured four spots on the list, led by the seasonality-driven Korean restaurant Mingles at No. 13. 7th Door re-entered the list at No. 18 followed by Onjium at No. 21 and finally Mosu at No. 41.
“It is truly uplifting to witness such a rich array of exceptional dining establishments spanning 19 cities in Asia, including eight exciting newcomers,” says Drew. “We extend our sincere congratulations to the esteemed restaurants featured on this year’s ranking—a true example of the vibrancy and diversity of Asia’s culinary landscape.”
The ceremony was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The list is compiled from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a gender-balanced group of 318 experts made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and regional culinary leaders, this year’s list includes restaurants from 19 cities across the region and eight new entries.
See the full list here:
1. Sézanne, Tokyo
2. Florilège, Tokyo
3. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok
4. The Chairman, Hong Kong
5. Wing, Hong Kong
6. Nusara, Bangkok
7. Sühring, Bangkok
8. Den, Tokyo
9. La Cime, Osaka
10. Odette, Singapore
11. Sorn, Bangkok
12. Le Du, Bangkok
13. Mingles, Seoul
14. Narisawa, Tokyo
15. Burnt Ends, Singapore
16. Neighborhood, Hong Kong
17. Potong, Bangkok
18. 7th Door, Seoul
19. Fu He Hui, Shanghai
20. Euphoria, Singapore
21. Onjium, Seoul
22. Logy, Taipei
23. Masque, Mumbai
24. Toyo Eatery, Manila
25. Born, Singapore
26. Indian Accent, New Delhi
27. Mono, Hong Kong
28. Meta, Singapore
29. Samrub Samrub Thai, Bangkok
30. Labyrinth, Singapore
31. Seroja, Singapore
32. Caprice, Hong Kong
33. JL Studio, Taichung
34. Mume, Taipei
35. Villa Aida, Wakayama
36. Ling Long, Shanghai
37. Ando, Hong Kong
38. Les Amis, Singapore
39. Sazenka, Tokyo
40. 102 House, Shanghai
41. Mosu, Seoul
42. Baan Tepa, Bangkok
43. Lolla, Singapore
44. Avartana, Chennai
45. Goh, Fukuoka
46. August, Jakarta
47. Cenci, Kyoto
48. Anan Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City
49. Chef Tam’s Seasons, Macau
50. Meet the Bund, Shanghai