New list of The World’s Best Restaurants for Asia is out – I dined at 5 of them:

In 2002, a new list of best restaurants was brought to life, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. And it was a successful launch! Soon it established itself as major player in the culinary scene. It also became a serious opponent to restaurant guides such as the Michelin Guide or the Gault Millau Guide. Since 2013, there also have been published two regional lists, one for Asia and the other for Latin America. And recently, the 2021 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has come out.

When I noticed that I had already dined at the restaurant that tops the list, I took the opportunity to look back at all my dining experiences at establishments appearing here. There are five of them, and I want to briefly showcase what you can expect when dining at those.

Before doing so, some words to the main list, The World’s Best Restaurants.

The World’s Best Restaurants list

This is the original list and at the same time the more significant one. The first winner ever was El Bulli in Spain in 2002. Unfortunately, I had never the chance to eat here before its closure in 2011. Yet, I was lucky enough to have a dinner at the informal tapas place of Tickets in Barcelona, run by the same pair of brothers as El Bulli, Albert and Ferran Adrià.

It was one hell of a meal, consisting of 25 courses,

back in 2012, one year after its opening. By the way, it ranks at number 20 in the current list.

The latest restaurant topping the World’s Best Restaurants list was Mirazur in Menton/France in 2019. The year before it used to be Osteria Francescana in Modena/Italy. And in 2017, Eleven Madison Park

in New York took the first position. Here I was fortunate enough to dine in 2018 before it had to close in March 2020 due to the Corona pandemic. And it still is so, sadly. The absolutely fabulous meal my husband and I had here will always stay in my memory! And I dearly hope that my compatriot Daniel Humm will be able to continue the glorious story of this gourmet temple!

Now to my culinary adventures at establishments of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Asia’s Best Restaurants list 2021

As I already let you know, I have been at five eateries listed on Asia’s Best Restaurants 2021. They are the following: The Chairman in Hong Kong (#1), La Cime in Osaka (#8), Les Amis in Singapore (#13), Vea in Hong Kong (#16) and Indian Accent in Delhi (#18).

1. The Chairman Hong Kong (#1 / 1 star Michelin)

I like to remember my visit to The Chairman as it has been one of the few places ever where I really enjoyed Chinese fare. The eatery is tucked away in a quiet street in an old area of Hong Kong’s Central District.

When my husband and I entered the premises, we immediately realized that this in not just another of those nondescript Chinese restaurants but a place oozing tradition and character. On offer here is typical Cantonese cuisine made with the best local ingredients, and this with a twist. Staff was friendly and accommodative and helped us westerners to make the right choices from the a la carte menu.

While my husband and I liked what we got, we never would have thought that The Chairman would once become the number one of all restaurants in Asia. Please understand me right – it was a fine meal yet far from being cutting edge gastronomy. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any pictures – at the time I rarely did any food shots. For more information, have a look at my blogpost where to dine in style in Hong Kong.

2. La Cime Osaka (#8 / 2 star Michelin)

This was the first restaurant I booked for our 2019 Japan trip. At the same time, it also was the one I was most looking forward to. And it truly was a highlight – although we had quite a number of such places in the Country of the Rising Sun. Here is my blogpost about dining in Japan.

The elegant and contemporary restaurant is set in Osaka’s downtown.

You find here a marble counter where the chef appears from time to time to do some finishes on the dishes.

There is a set menu only with twelve courses featuring an extraordinary Japanese-French cuisine.

It was a culinary firework, from the first to the last minute.

Staff was pleasant and unobtrusive. Before the dinner started, we were told that a TV team from a local station was present to do a reportage on La Cime. They assured as that we would not be bothered by them. Funnily enough, the TV reporters were interested to ask us some questions about our motivation to dine here – we were the only westerners present. Of course, we said yes. And we felt like celebrities when doing so!

3. Les Amis Singapore (#13 / 3 star Michelin)

My husband and I together with our adult son chose Les Amis for a special occasion. And it turned out to be a good choice for that. It is an elegant and sophisticated restaurant with a fine white-glove service.

But all this without being stiff or overly formal.

When my husband passed the wine cellar, the gracious server even let him have a look into it – and the wine collection was truly impressive!

As to the food, classic French cuisine is served here, immaculately prepared and presented. Each dish provided plenty excitement to our tastebuds. We were raving about this feast for days, if not weeks! And it is not that place where you get these minuscule portions but reasonable serving sizes!

Prices here are high yet you get something for it. Apparently, many of the ingredients are from France and their quality is first-rate. If you plan a Singapore stay, check out my blogpost about great restaurants picks here.

4. Vea Hong Kong (#16 / 1 star Michelin)

Actually, I have not eaten at chef Vicky Cheng’s current restaurant Vea in Hong Kong but at Liberty Private Works, where he worked before. I vividly remember my visit here back in 2015 as it was a completely new type of restaurant to me at the time. You sat on a bar stool at a counter and are served a no-choice menu by chefs working in front of you in an open kitchen.

Find here only a small excerpt of the whole menu consisting of about ten courses.

I was wooed by the carefully prepared creations with flavor combinations that worked well! The chef really has a knack for marrying Chinese food with modern French techniques. From what I understand, he continued this kind of cooking at Vea where he is co-owner.

Just to remind you, I did a blogpost about where to go in Hong Kong for gourmet dining.

5. Indian Accent (#18)

When browsing Asia’s Best Restaurants 2018, I noticed that a restaurant on the list (#19) was in walking distance to our hotel in Delhi that we had booked for our upcoming north Indian journey in 2018.

And without further ado, I made a booking here. Indian Accent is located at The Lodhi, a high-end hotel, and is a glamorous place indeed, laid out around a pond.

The food, a modern take on Indian food, was excellent! My husband and I ordered from the à la carte menu yet there are also menu options.

And the staff is hospitable and informative. If you happen to be in in New York, you can also dine at the Indian Accent branch there, as we did.

It was just as good, yet different from the ambiance (modern urban). If you go to Delhi, here is my blogpost about Indian Accent. In case you head to New York, here are four tips for upscale fusion cuisine in this metropolis.

Date of visits: The Chairman 2015, La Cime 2019, Les Amis 2019, Vea 2015, Indian Accent 2018

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