Food & Dining

World travellers and culinary connoisseurs rejoice – Restaurant magazine has once again released their World’s Best Restaurants list for the year, with a few Southeast Asian restaurants making the cut. Thailand can be proud of their two contributions while Singapore’s Odette is a newcomer to the list.

Sorry I just woke up and heard it’s #worldidlyday on 30th March but why ??? Anyone with a clue ?? For those who didn’t eat at Gaggan this is still in our menu from 2015 .. one of the few of the old dishes that still continues and the emoji is 🍚. It’s a South Indian breakfast but u can eat anytime of the day lunch evening dinner supper .. rice and lentil cakes that we cook in 45 secs – progressive Indian cooking !!! My mom used to always seek for the lightest idly and keep altering recipes and now we have made it air light !!! #gaggan #worldidlyday #asia50best #worlds50best #michelinbkk2018

A post shared by Gaggan (@gaggan_anand) on Mar 31, 2018 at 7:44am PDT

5. Gaggan, Bangkok (also the best restaurant in Asia)
Helmed by chef Gaggan Anand, Gaggan brings progressive Indian fine dining to the fore with its dishes boasting exquisite and often thematically rooted decor. Anand’s food fuses the cuisine of his Indian heritage with deconstructive techniques, but nonetheless, you can eat 95% of his menu with your hands.

Hand Dived Scallop Au Naturel, delicately dressed with dill and horseradish #odetterestaurant @lobeholdgroup #chefstalk #theartofplating #lesgrandestablesdumonde #asias50best #worlds50best #michelin

A post shared by Odette Restaurant (@odetterestaurant) on Jun 13, 2018 at 6:02am PDT

28. Odette, Singapore
A tribute to his grandmother of the same name, head chef Julien Royer serves up timeless French fine dining at Odette, where the beauty in the simplicity of food really shines. Royer’s philosophy and approach to food was influenced strongly by his upbringing in Cantal in the south of France, where his maternal grandmother taught him that “you could cook something very good from the simplest of ingredients.”

Tamarind and chili relish with grilled catfish and neem leaves from #Nahm in #Bangkok. #Foodandtravelbkk #Foodandtravelbangkok

A post shared by Gloria Chung (@foodandtravelhk) on Feb 4, 2016 at 6:54am PST

49. Nahm, Bangkok
Serving up fine Thai cuisine is Nahm, now led by Thai chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who already has one Michelin star under her belt for her work at Kin Khao, her Thai restaurant in San Francisco. Originally led by Australian chef David Thompson, Techamuanvivit took the reins in April this year and will continue Nahm’s legacy of plating up Thai delicacies that feature rare ingredients from all over Thailand.

Other restaurants in Asia that made it to the list:

17. Den, Tokyo (highest climber, from the 45th spot the previous year)
22. Narisawa, Tokyo
24. Ultraviolet, Shanghai
41. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo

Big wins for the Japanese, but then again, it’s no surprise to us that here in Southeast Asia, we have some of the best food on the planet, Michelin stars or otherwise.

Source: CNN-Wire, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

Related: Gaggan is Asia’s Best Restaurant for 4th Consecutive Year