The highest ranked Singapore restaurant on the 51 to 100 list is Thevar, which serves contemporary Indian cuisine.
by Kenneth SZ Goh / March 16, 2023
Singapore has shown that it is a gastronomic force to be reckoned with by having the second highest number of restaurants on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 Long List, which ranks restaurants from the 51st to 100th position. It ties with Bangkok for this feat.
Six restaurants from the Republic cracked into the closely-watched list of acclaimed restaurants.
Contemporary and innovative restaurants dominate the Singapore entrants. They are contemporary Indian restaurant Thevar (No. 56), innovative Mediterranean restaurant Lolla (No. 63), modern Korean restaurant Nae:um (No. 83), contemporary British restaurant Jaan by Kirk Westaway (No. 84), neo-French brasserie Claudine (No. 85), and Cantonese restaurant Summer Pavilion (No. 86).
Nae:um and Claudine, which have been open for less than a year, made their debut on the long list, while stalwart Cantonese restaurant Summer Pavilion is a surprising newcomer.
Most of the Singapore restaurants have also improved their showing on the list. Thevar moved 36 spots up from No. 92 last year, while Lolla climbed 12 spots up from its No. 75 debut last year.
Lolla, a homegrown independently-run restaurant in Ann Siang Hill, has another reason to celebrate this year — its head chef Johanne Siy was awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef 2023.
The unveiling of the long list comes ahead of the live awards ceremony in Resorts World Sentosa on 28 March, where the top 50 restaurants across the region will be revealed.
Hong Kong leads the long list, which spans 17 cities in Asia. New entrants from the Chinese city, which is regaining its footing as a dining capital after enduring some of the harshest COVID-19 lockdowns, include seafood-driven restaurant Yong Fu (No. 54), Japanese-Argentinian restaurant Ando (No. 61) and Neapolitan restaurant Estro (No. 62). French-Japanese restaurant Ta Vie (No. 53) is the best performing restaurant from Hong Kong on the list.
Tokyo also has a strong showing with six restaurants on the list including first-timers Esquisse (No. 67), The Pizza Bar on 38th (No. 80) and Hommage (No. 91). The list also expanded to Toyama, a prefecture in Central Japan, where L’évo (No. 60) is located.
William Drew, Director of Content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “It is really exciting to see the ever-expanding showcase of culinary excellence in Asia. With 17 new entries and spanning 17 cities, we hope the extended list provides added inspiration for gourmets around the world as they embark on their gastro-itineraries once more.”
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled by over 300 food and beverage industry professionals, including food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and regional culinary experts.
The full long list can be viewed here.
