Den in Tokyo secured the coveted No.1 spot at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The prestigious list was revealed at three simultaneous events across Asia, gathering chefs, restaurateurs, industry VIPs and media in person in Bangkok, Macau and Tokyo. As official venue partner for one of the multi-city events for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, Wynn Macau hosted the online 2022 Awards Ceremony.
Now in its 10th year, the 2022 list welcomes a record 16 new entries. Japan leads with 11 entries on the list, including four newcomers, followed by Thailand with nine and Singapore with seven.
Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa – Den
In claiming the No.1 spot, Den earns the dual titles of The Best Restaurant in Asia, and – for a fifth successive year – The Best Restaurant in Japan. Opened in 2007, Den reflects the personality of its chef-owner, Zaiyu Hasegawa. Taking a playful, personal approach to kaiseki cuisine, Hasegawa and his team delight diners with creative presentations and surprising twists on traditional dishes. After entering Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016 at No.37, Den first appeared on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list the following year, rising to No.11 in 2021.
William Drew, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “In its 10th year, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants proudly continues the tradition of rewarding culinary excellence and guiding diners to the most unique gastronomic experiences across the continent. This year, Den has been crowned No.1 in Asia in recognition of its unique blend of tradition, innovation, flavour, hospitality and playfulness. We are delighted to celebrate Zaiyu-san and the Den team, as well as showcasing all the restaurants on the 2022 list and the individual award winners, who inspire us with their creativity, resilience and skill.”
Mainland China counts four restaurants in the ranking, including two new entries. Chef Christopher Kostow’s Shenzhen restaurant Ensue makes an impressive debut at No.19 while fellow newcomer Da Vittorio comes in at No.28. In Shanghai, Fu He Hui climbs 10 places to No.12 while Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet makes a welcome return to the list at No.39.
After taking the No.1 spot in 2021, The Chairman in Hong Kong moves to No.5, retaining the title of The Best Restaurant in China for a third year. Chef Vicky Cheng’s latest restaurant, Wing, debuts on the list at No.34 while two Hong Kong favourites, Caprice (No.24) and Mono (No.32), rise in the rankings.
Wing Lei Palace, the Cantonese restaurant at Wynn Palace is once again the only restaurant in Macau to rank on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, coming in at number 47.
“We are honored that our restaurants have been selected as the best in Macau. This recognition is not only a reflection of Wynn’s commitment to delivering consistently high standards of service for our guests, it also reaffirms how Wynn upholds tradition and innovation in the creation of Chinese dishes. Our goal is for Chinese cuisine to gain greater attention on a global level, and further build on Macau’s international reputation as a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’”, comments Kristoffer Luczak, Executive Vice President of Food & Beverage for Wynn Macau Limited.
Chef Tam Kwok Fung
At the helm of Wing Lei Palace, which has ranked on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for four consecutive years, is Cantonese Executive Chef Tam Kwok Fung – a master at creating beautiful works of art on a plate that are boldly innovative, yet honor the traditions of Cantonese cooking.
In addition to Den’s win, Japanese chefs and restaurants were recognised in several individual award categories. Rising 14 places to No.13, Ode in Tokyo is this year’s winner of the Highest Climber Award. Villa Aida in Wakayama makes a remarkable debut on the list at No.14 to earn the Highest New Entry Award. Chef-owner Kanji Kobayashi sources seasonal ingredients from his family farm to present dishes of impeccable style with a light Italian accent.
Natsuko Shoji
Été in Tokyo has double reason to celebrate. As well as entering the list at No.42, the restaurant’s chef-owner, Natsuko Shoji, is this year’s recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award. Other newcomers to the 2022 list include Sézanne (No.17) in Tokyo, led by chef Daniel Calvert, and the Italian-inspired Cenci (No.43) in Kyoto.
This year the awards also included a 51-100 list, which included a number of Macau restaurants such as Golden Flower at Wynn Macau (No.84), Jade Dragon at City of Dreams (No. 89) and The Eight at Grand Lisboa Palace (No. 97).
www.theworlds50best.com/asia
