7 Singapore restaurants make the cut for this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards

On Tuesday evening in Macao, some of the most influential, innovative and masterful chefs from across Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, gathered to hear who among them would take the top spots on the annual restaurant ranking.

As the countdown continued with the conspicuous absence of chef Gaggan Anand's name, it became clear that the group's favorite chef had secured his title against the competition.

Aside from Gaggan, the city of Tokyo also emerged a big winner this year, landing four spots on the top 10 list, and 11 restaurants on the ranking overall.

Rounding out the podium are Den and Florilège, both in Tokyo.

(Related: Manhattan bar in Regent Hotel is no. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list)

Organizers credit Anand's "fertile imagination" and "culinary wit" for endearing him to the judges again this year.

At Gaggan, which serves progressive Indian cuisine, the 25-course menu is written entirely in emojis, setting the tone for the rest of the meal: playful and modern.

One of Anand's signature dishes, "Lick it up," for instance, is an amusing take on the Kiss song of the same name and is meant to be licked directly from the plate. Layers of green peas, fenugreek mushroom and tomato are placed in exactly the same spots on the tongue's taste receptors.

The ranking is based on the votes of 300 food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs, and "gastronomes" in the region.

Other big winners of the night include chef Yoshihiro Narisawa, who took home the Chefs' Choice Award; Nicolas Lambert from Caprice in Hong Kong who was named Asia's Best Pastry Chef; and Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai for the Art of Hospitality Award.

Chef André Chiang accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award and Bee Satongun of Paste in Bangkok also accepted her award for Asia's Best Female Chef, both of which were previously announced ahead of the event.

The full list: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2018

1. Gaggan, Bangkok

2. Den, Tokyo

3. Florilège, Tokyo

4. Suhring, Bangkok

5. Odette, Singapore

(Related: Julien Royer tells all about Odette)

6. Narisawa,Tokyo

7. Amber, Hong Kong

8. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai

9. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo

10. Nahm, Bangkok

11. Mingles, Seoul

12. Burnt Ends, Singapore

13. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo, Hong Kong

14. Le Du, Bangkok

15. RAW, Taipei

16. Ta Vie, Hong Kong

17. La Cime, Osaka, Japan

18. Mume, Taipei

19. Indian Accent, India

20. L'Effervescence, Tokyo

21. Locavore, Bali

22. The Chairman, Hong Kong

23. Waku Ghin, Singapore

(Related: A day in the life of Waku Ghin's Tetsuya Wakuda)

24. Lung King Heen, Hong Kong

25. Ministry of Crab, Sri Lanka

26. Jungsik, Seoul

27. Sushi Saito, Tokyo

28. Il Ristorante -- Luca Fantin, Tokyo

29. Les Amis, Singapore

(Related: Faultless service and fine French cuisine at Les Amis)

30. Fu He Hui, Shanghai

31. Paste, Bangkok

32. Neighborhood, Hong Kong

33. Eat Me, Bangkok

34. Hajime, Osaka

35. Jade Dragon, Macau

36. Corner House, Singapore

(Related: Restaurant review of Corner House)

37. Bo.lan, Bangkok

38. Quintessence, Tokyo

39. Issaya Siamese Club, Bangkok

40. Belon, Hong Kong

41. Ronin, Hong Kong

42. TocToc, Seoul (new entry)

43. The Dining Room at the House on Sathorn, Bangkok

44. Jaan, Singapore

(Related: Restaurant review of Jaan)

45. Nihonbashi, Sri Lanka

46. Caprice, Hong Kong

47. Shoun Ryugin, Taipei (new entry)

48. La Maison de La Nature Goh, Japan

49. Wasabi By Morimoto, Mumbai, India

50. Whitegrass, Singapore

(Related: Why Whitegrass was The Peak's 2017 Restaurant of The Year)

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