The votes have been counted and the brand new list is ready to be unveiled, so save the date: Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be announced at an awards ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday 21st February 2017.
Here are a few of our highlights from 2016:
1. The House on Sathorn
Beautiful colonial House on Sathorn will be home to the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants reception and party for a second year, with the adjoining W Bangkok hosting the awards ceremony.
2. #50BestTalks
Speakers at last year's #50BestTalks: the art of storytelling event included Asia's Best Female Chef Margarita Forés and Ultraviolet chef-owner Paul Pairet (both left). Guests in attendance included 50 Best Tastemaker Cheryl Tiu (second from right) and Academy Chair Evelyn Chen (right).
3. The Art of Storytelling
Chef Paul Pairet gave a spellbinding talk on how he uses sound and images to accompany the dishes at his Shanghai restaurant, Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet.
Watch the video: #50BestTalks: the art of storytelling
4. The Chefs' Feast
Our annual banquet exclusively for the chefs and restaurateurs of Asia's 50 Best was held last year at The Never Ending Summer, a perfect location within the riverside Jam Factory complex.
5. Thai spices
Sharing platters at the Chefs' Feast included this vegetarian winged bean salad, as well as turmeric curry with chicken and fried salted threadfin and stir-fried local abalone with finger roots. All dishes were suitably spicy.
6. Team Japan
Japanese chefs posed with our Academy Chair Takanori Nakamura (left) at the Chefs' Feast, the night before finding out their positions on the list.
7. Thai bream
The chefs at the Feast enjoyed a main course of Thai bream in broth, followed by deep-fried chocolate dessert.
8. Awards ceremony
After a warm reception at The House on Sathorn, the chefs headed inside the W Bangkok to find out their place on the list at the annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony.
9. Thai chefs
Thailand's top restaurateurs welcomed their fellow chefs from all across Asia. (From left to right, Gaggan Anand, Gaggan; Ian Kittichai, Issaya Siamese Club; David Thompson, Nahm; Tim Butler, Eat Me; Prin Polsuk, Nahm)
10. Thai cocktail
Guests were greeted with a host of Thai snacks and drinks, including cha nom yean, a delicious combo of milk, Thai tea and black grass jelly.
11. Red carpet chefs on the list
Clockwise from left: Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah from Locavore in Bali; Maxime Gilbert and Richard Ekkebus from Amber in Hong Kong with Dave Pynt of Burnt Ends in Singapore; Zaiyu Hasegawa and the team from Den in Tokyo.
Who will be on the 2017 list?
12. #Winning
André Chiang strikes a pose during the awards ceremony – his Restaurant André was voted No.3 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants as well as The Best Restaurant in Singapore, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
13. Team Gaggan
Gaggan Anand and his dream team held the top spot for a second year, this time taking the prize in their home country.
14. And the No.1 is...
Chef Gaggan walked away with not one but two trophies – for The Best Restaurant in Asia, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and The Best Restaurant in Thailand.
15. After the after party
Chefs partied under the stars at The House on Sathorn then went on to a star-studded after party chez Gaggan, where the No.1 chef himself cooked a traditional Indian curry, with No.2 chef Yoshihiro Narisawa serving up the naan breads. It doesn't get much more exclusive than that.
