Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024: Singapore and Tokyo lead 51-100 ‘long list’ with 8 entries each

The ‘long list’ for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has been unveiled ahead of the official top 50 to be announced in Seoul on March 26; 12 are new entrants
16 cities are represented in the ranking of restaurants from 51 to 100; Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Hong Kong lead with the most entrants

Food and Drinks

Charmaine Mok

Published: 6:46pm, 14 Mar 2024

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Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants will announce its 2024 rankings at a ceremony in Seoul on March 26. Ahead of it, the organisation has released its ranking of restaurants that fell outside the top 50.

Of the restaurants ranked from 51 to 100, 12 are new entries; 16 cities are represented on this “long list”.

Singapore and Tokyo lead the way, with each having eight restaurants on the list. Bangkok is close behind with seven, followed by Hong Kong with six, and Seoul with five.

On the 2023 “long list” Hong Kong had the most restaurants – eight. However, having fewer on this year’s list is not necessarily a bad thing, as some restaurants may have moved up to the top 50.

Hong Kong restaurant Howard’s Gourmet makes its debut on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants “long list” of restaurants ranked from 51 to 100. Photo: Lai Sun Group

Hot and sour soup noodles at Howard’s Gourmet in Central. Photo: Bruce Yan

Debuting on the 2024 list in 100th position is high-end Chinese restaurant Howard’s Gourmet in Hong Kong’s Central district, which chef-restaurateur Howard Cai opened in 2015. It’s the only new entry from Hong Kong, which also boasts Godenya (re-entering the list at 88th), Estro (71st), Vea (68th), Ta Vie (55th) and Xin Rong Ji (which made an impressive leap from 99th to 52nd).

Ando and Yong Fu, both new entries in 2023, debuting in 61st and 54th place respectively, are conspicuously absent from this year’s rankings, which may suggest they have cracked the top 50.

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Chinese restaurants including Lamdre in Beijing, which serves vegetarian haute cuisine, and Singapore’s Peach Blossoms, headed by chef Edward Chong, were recognised on the long list, in 97th and 74th position respectively.

Lamdre also received the One to Watch Award, given to a restaurant that shows great potential to climb the ranks.

A quarter of this year’s newly ranked restaurants are in Seoul. They include contemporary Korean restaurants Solbam (65th) and Kwonsooksoo (89th) as well as Mediterranean-focused Alla Prima (91st).

Corn, Morel, Cactus, a dish at Lamdre in Beijing, a new entrant to the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants “long list”. Photo: Lamdre

Three new entries in Tokyo include Crony (58th), which serves highly seasonal tasting menus influenced by French, Scandinavian and North American cuisines. In a thank-you note, chef Michihiro Haruta paid tribute to the farmers and producers supplying his restaurant, as well as his family, team, and supporters.

Maz (69th), Virgilio Martinez’s two-Michelin-star Peruvian fine-dining restaurant, and Myoujyaku (76th), which serves vegetable-centric cuisine, also made their debuts on the 51-100 list.

India is represented by Mumbai’s The Bombay Canteen (70th), while Indian chef Deepanker Khosla flies the flag for his home country with Haoma – described as serving “sustainable fine-dining neo Indian cuisine” – in Bangkok, debuting in 90th place.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants also announced the recipients of its special awards.

Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij of Bangkok’s Michelin-star Potong received the Best Female Chef award, while Hong Kong’s Danny Yip of The Chairman received the Icon award. Both will be celebrated on stage, along with all the other award recipients, at the ceremony in Seoul on March 26.

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