The ninth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards was announced via a virtual ceremony to global audiences on March 25, 2021. Part of the iconic World’s 50 Best Restaurants portfolio, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants highlights the broad culinary scene across Asia and highlights the chefs, restaurants and teams that make up the heart and soul of the gastronomic world in the region. Aspire Lifestyles is proud to serve as the Official Concierge Sponsor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The coveted awards, generally announced via a large-scale in-person ceremony previously held in places like Singapore and Bangkok, were announced virtually in 2021 due to the impacts of the pandemic, with small celebrations at victorious restaurants around the region.

Individual awards, such as “Best Female Chef”, awarded to DeAllie Tam, Executive Chef of Obscura in Shanghai and the 2021 “Icon Award”, awarded to legendary Bangkok Chef Jay Fai were announced in advance of the ceremony, driving global excitement for the coveted awards.

New to this year’s programming was the introduction of the Essence of Asia collection – a group of unranked restaurants and establishments across Asia that contribute to the heart and soul of the culinary landscape and are important parts of their local scene. This group of restaurants and establishments, generally more casual in nature, are known to honor their local cuisine and traditions and are an integral part of their communities.

The 2021 Asia’s 50 Best Awards, the most coveted awards in the culinary world, held a number of exciting surprises and special accolades in addition to the traditional rankings. Most notable, the 2021 “Highest New Entry Award” sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles, which was awarded to acclaimed chef Gaggan Anand for his newly opened namesake restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, which entered the list at #5.

The 2021 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants coveted #1 spot was awarded to The Chairman in Hong Kong, China, led by Owner Danny Yip and Chef Kwok Keung Tung.

For a complete list of the 2021 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, as well as ranked restaurants 51-100, visit the official Asia’s 50 Best website here.