3 PHL restaurants make the top 100 best list
THREE restaurants from the Philippines cracked the Top 100 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2022. Taking the top spot for the country is Gallery by Chele at #69 (sharing the spot with India’s Comorin). Antonio’s in Tagaytay also carved a spot at #74, while Toyo Eatery sits at #94.
Antonio’s in Tagaytay, helmed by Tonyboy Escalante, was the first restaurant in the Philippines to get a spot in the list back in 2015 at #48 (it was ranked #84 last year). Gallery by Chele’s namesake Chele Gonzalez’s previous restaurant, Gallery Vask sat in the 30s in 2016 and 2017, and Gallery by Chele itself took the 90th spot last year. Toyo Eatery, headed by Jordy Navarra, made it to the list at #43 back in 2019, and has been placing in the 40s since.
The list, first created in 2013 by William Reed Business Media, had also honored chef Margarita Forés in 2016 by naming her Asia’s Best Female Chef for that year.
This year, Tokyo’s Den made it to the top spot, presented in an awards ceremony earlier this week streamed on YouTube and other online channels, as well as some live events in Bangkok, Macau, and Tokyo.
The list says about Den, “(Chef Haiyu) Hasegawa’s ever-creative take on the elevated cuisine of his homeland is innovative, at times humorous, and always satisfying. But what makes Den so unique among Japanese restaurants — and so popular — is how relaxed and welcoming it feels.”
Den is only the second Japanese restaurant to make it to the top spot since the list’s creation; the first one being Narisawa during the list’s first iteration in 2013.
“While firmly rooted in the framework of kaiseki, Japan’s hyper-seasonal dining tradition, Hasegawa’s menus draw inspiration from all quarters. Expect foie gras in the savory monaka appetizers, an ant or two in the classic 20-ingredient Den salad, and all kinds of surprises in his now-signature Dentucky Fried Chicken wings,” said the restaurant’s profile in Asia’s 50 Best. — JLG
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants are:
1. Den, Tokyo, Japan
2. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand
3. Florilège, Tokyo, Japan
4. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand
5. The Chairman, Hong Kong, China
6. La Cime, Osaka, Japan
7. Sühring, Bangkok, Thailand
8. Odette, Singapore
9. Neighborhood, Hong Kong, China
10. Nusara, Bangkok, Thailand
11. Sazenka, Tokyo, Japan
12. Fu He Hui, Shanghai, China
13. Ode, Tokyo, Japan
14. Villa Aida, Wakayama, Japan
15. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
16. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea
17. Sézanne, Tokyo, Japan
18. Joo Ok, Seoul, South Korea
19. Ensue, Shenzhen, China
20. Meta, Singapore
21. Masque, Mumbai, India
22. Indian Accent, New Delhi, India
23. Les Amis, Singapore
24. Caprice, Hong Kong, China
25. Blue by Alain Ducasse, Bangkok, Thailand
26. 7tth Door, Seoul, South Korea
27. Mosu, Seoul, South Korea
28. Da Vittorio, Shanghai, China
29. Sushi Masato, Bangkok, Thailand
30. Onjium, Seoul, South Korea
31. Samrub Samrub Thai, Bangkok, Thailand
32. Mono, Hong Kong, China
33. Gaa, Bangkok, Thailand
34. Wing, Hong Kong, China
35. Ministry of Crab, Colombo, Sri Lanka
36. La Maison de la Nature Goh, Fukuoka, Japan
37. Zén, Singapore
38. Logy, Taipei, Taiwan
39. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
40. Labyrinth, Singapore
41. Burnt Ends, Singapore
42. Été, Tokyo, Japan
43. Cenci, Kyoto, Japan
44. Cloudstreet, Singapore
45. JL Studio, Taichung, Taiwan
46. Raan Jay Fai, Bangkok, Thailand
47. Wing Lei Palace, Macau, China
48. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China
49. Megu, New Delhi, India
50. Dewakan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
