No Surprises Here: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Ignores Beijing Again

Michael Wester | Mar 24, 2020 10:12 pm | Add a comment | 502 reads

While its in-person event was sidelined by COVID-19, the annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards took place online this evening... and once again ignored Beijing.

This is nothing new for this vote that has been taking place since 2013 which tallies the opinions of their 300+ person voting panel made up of chefs, regional food critics, and well-traveled foodies.

Our opinion is that most of this academy doesn't seem to make it to Beijing all that often, as we think our many of our homegrown gems are worthy of accolades on lists such as this.

Tokyo is recognized most frequently on the list, with 10 of the 50 slots located in the Japanese capital. Hong Kong is second with eight places, and Bangkok and Singapore have seven each. Taipei is next with three.

The mainland portion of the PRC has but two representatives, both in Shanghai: fungi fanatics Fu He Hui at #20 and Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet at #41.

Here are the cities that did get awards, in order of the amount of praise heaped upon them:

  • Tokyo (10)
  • Hong Kong (8)
  • Bangkok (7)
  • Singapore (7)
  • Taipei (3)
  • Macau (2)
  • New Delhi (2)
  • Seoul (2)
  • Shanghai (2)
  • Taichung (2)
  • Bali (1)
  • Columbo (1)
  • Fukuoka (1)
  • Manila (1)
  • Osaka (1)

William Drew, director of content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said they considered canceling this year's awards due to the unprecedented crisis presented by COVID-19, but continued anyhow after consulting chefs, restaurateurs and other experts in the field. "At this time, more than ever, the restaurant sector needs support: recognizing the hard work and talent of teams and individuals remains valid," he said.

"The list and awards aim to offer some small rays of positivity even in these dark days. So let’s keep our community connected, united and prepared for eventual recovery once the situation improves."

Looking for some Beijing restaurants to impress? You could start with the list of 23 Beijing spots that were awarded stars by the feted Michelin Guide last November, or Dianping's Black Pearl Guide here. Or head straight to the Beijing restaurant that Trip Advisor named the Best on Planet Earth and feast to your heart's content.

READ: 23 Restaurants Receive Michelin Stars in First-Ever Beijing Guide

Image: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants