Gaggan is No. 1 again; Toyo retains spot in top 50 list

TWO FILIPINO RESTAURANTS and a famous late Filipina chef were honored at this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Toyo Eatery, helmed by Jordy Navarra (and his wife May), dropped from its No. 24 spot but keeps its place in the 50 list at No. 42. It is the only Filipino entry in the 50 Best list this year.

The restaurant won the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2025, making it the Best Restaurant in the Philippines for 2025. Gallery by Chele, helmed by chefs Chele Gonzalez and Carlos Villaflor stays on the 51-100 list at No. 72.

Finally, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list honored late chef Margarita Forés with its Icon Award for 2025 (sponsored by Woodford Reserve), the first time the award was given posthumously.

While the list of the top 51 to 100 best restaurants was announced earlier this month — thus Gallery by Chele’s place was already known — the ceremony and the awarding for the Top 50 took place on March 25 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. William Drew, director of content for 50 Best, said, “We are here of course to recognize the best restaurants and the best chefs from across the Asian continent, and in the process, to continue to shine the spotlight on this region, its cuisines, and its cultures.”

MARGARITA FORÉS
Mr. Drew went back onstage to bestow the award upon the late Ms. Forés. “Margarita’s death is a tragic loss — most of all, for her family — but also for her many, many friends and colleagues across the world, including all those in the culinary community of which she was such a vibrant part.” Ms. Forés passed away earlier this year at the age of 65 in Hong Kong. Asia’s 50 Best had named her Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2016. (Related story: https://tinyurl.com/mpkwk7a5)

“Margarita was such an iconic figure throughout Asia, and across the globe. She was a true champion: a champion of her nation, of her country’s cuisine, of female chefs, of her family, of the power of food to cross borders and cultures. A champion of life, who lived her own life to the full,” said Mr. Drew.

The award was accepted by her son, restaurateur Amado Forés. In a speech, he said, “She truly cherished these gatherings: sharing meals, celebrating your successes, and being surrounded by those who shared her passion.”

“Some of my best memories are from traveling with her, visiting your wonderful restaurants, and delivering those jars of Philippine crab fat talangka and mango pastries she loved sharing with all of you,” he told the gathered crowd of restauranteurs and chefs. “I’ve come to realize that the true power of 50 Best lies in its ability to inspire, bridge cultures, and create lasting memories and friendships.

“My mom always said her life’s purpose was simple: to make the world more beautiful and delicious for others. I’m grateful to 50 Best and this community for giving her a larger platform to do that.”

BEST FOR 2025
As for Manila’s Best Restaurant this year, Toyo Eatery’s entry for the list reads: “The restaurant prioritizes Filipino produce and people, fostering long-term relationships with local farmers and artisans,” and mentions its Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2023, as well as Mr. Navarra’s background working at The Fat Duck (a former winner of the World’s Best Restaurant award) and Asia’s 50 Best regular Bo Innovation in Hong Kong. While the restaurant was founded in 2016, it quickly gained recognition in the list as One to Watch in 2018, before joining the list itself in 2019.

Meanwhile, Bangkok is on a roll in the world of fine dining as one of its most famous restaurants, Gaggan, has been crowned the No. 1 restaurant in the region for the fifth time, having first taken to top slot in 2015. Helmed by Gaggan Anand, its entry in the list says, “Music, colors and creativity combine on the menu, which is anchored in progressive Indian cuisine with a fine-dining twist, with French, Thai, and Japanese influences. From using emojis to represent each of the courses to pushing diners to eat with their hands or even lick the plate, Anand wants to disrupt and reinvent the fine-dining experience.”

Mr. Anand’s storied spot is known for its wildly innovative dining experience, which spans 22 courses and features an Indian-accented cuisine. The multisensory meal — Mr. Anand incorporates music and imagery — goes for 16,000 Thai baht (about $473) and features dishes like a reimagined yogurt and chutney snack.

Mr. Anand’s winning night didn’t stop at the No. 1 spot. His year-old dining room Gaggan at Louis Vuitton came in at No. 31.

The restaurant, in the luxury retailer’s Bangkok store, also marks Louis Vuitton’s expanding presence in the realm of top-ranked restaurants; it also operates the three-star Michelin dining room, Plenitude, at the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris. In yet another win for LVMH, Gaggan at Louis Vuitton’s Dej Kewkacha scored the Best Pastry Chef title.

In his first interview after winning, Mr. Anand told Bloomberg what it meant to win. “I come from extreme poverty, where I didn’t know what I was eating tomorrow, and I am living a luxurious life,” said the chef, who was born in Kolkata, India. “I am the first chef in Southeast Asia to open a fine dining restaurant with Louis Vuitton in Bangkok — and not being French. These are landmarks.”

The No. 2 restaurant on the list was the Chairman in Hong Kong, which was No. 1 in 2021. Last year it came in fourth.

The highest climber on the list was Chef Tam’s Seasons in Macao, which shot up 40 spots, to No. 9, from 49. The restaurant is on a hot streak — it recently garnered a second Michelin star.

Last year’s No. 1 restaurant, Sézanne in Tokyo, dropped to fourth. The Japanese capital had the most entries in the top 50 with nine; Hong Kong had seven spots on the list. Singapore saw its fortunes drop — it fell from nine spots in the top 50 in 2024 to seven this year, and saw some notable dining rooms drop off the list, including Born.

For the second year in a row, the awards were announced in Seoul. The host city also saw its fortunes rise this year — Mingles, the highest-ranked Korean restaurant, broke into the top 10, coming in at No. 5. (Last year it was 13.) And the list’s top new entry was the city’s Eatanic Garden, at No. 25.

The ceremony took place on Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. More than 700 people attended the event in Seoul’s upscale Hannam district. The hotel was filled with guests in tuxedos and long dresses and 100 or so chefs wearing signature red scarves around their necks. The attendees snacked on Iberico ham and Hanwoo beef and drank Suntory whiskey ahead of the announcement.

More than 350 anonymous voters determine the list for the region. The Asia 50 Best guide, an offshoot of the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, has been published since 2013 by the UK-based William Reed Ltd.

The 50 Best is in the midst of a slow-rolling expansion — unlike The Michelin Guide, which announces stars in cities almost weekly at this point. Later this year will come the North America list, covering the US, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean (Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic are considered to be the purview of the Latin American 50 Best list). Mr. Drew said North America had been in the works for several years. Expect more ranked lists in the future: “50 Best Hotels has the potential for regional growth,” he says.

On March 12, Asia’s 51-100 rankings were announced. Seoul had six spots in the second tier — tied for the most with Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Farmlore in Bengaluru (No. 68) earned the American Express One to Watch Award; it’s set on the 37-acre farm that provides most of its ingredients. — Joseph L. Garcia with a report from Bloomberg

View the complete list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants at https://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/list/1-50.

FILIPINO FOOD MONTH, celebrated each April — due to Proclamation No. 469, which in 2018 designated the month for the celebration — will kick off on April 4 and will feature a variety of activities.

This year’s theme is “Sarap ng Pagkaing Pilipino, Yaman ng Ating Kasaysayan, Kultura, at Pagkatao” (which roughly translates to “The taste of Filipino food; the wealth of history, culture and self”), was announced at a press conference on March 21 at the Manila Prince Hotel. The new logo for Filipino Food Month was also unveiled, featuring figures of meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables. According to a statement by the Department of Agriculture (DA; one of the agencies in charge of the celebration) says that the new logo “embodies the rich agricultural and culinary heritage of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao by showcasing key agricultural products from each major island group. It is also inspired by the colors of the Philippine flag, symbolizing unity, pride, and resilience in preserving and promoting Filipino cuisine.”

Its partner agencies include the Department of Tourism, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and the non-government organization, the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM).

Kickoff ceremonies will commence on April 4 at the Quezon Provincial Capitol Grounds.

“This year, we’re going down south to Quezon because we also have major food hubs in Quezon,” said DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra during the press conference. “Not many people know that most of our vegetables, especially here in Metro Manila — we think it’s coming from the north, no — most of them are coming from Quezon… that’s what we want to highlight.”

She talked about the tangible effects the festival has had on the food industry since debuting in 2019. “This is a form of market linkage, and right after we do this. We (look) for partners.”

“We look at it as a form of opening the market and telling them that you can get ingredients here, better, or more premium, ingredients that they can also promote. That’s one gauge for us. That’s also giving our farmers better income and better opportunities for them to be able to sell their produce,” said Ms. Velicaria-Guevarra.

“For our farmers to continue planting, we have to show them that (there is a) market.”

PCHM Founder and President Jose Antonio Miguel Melchor, meanwhile, said that one of the food month’s highlight events, the KAINCON Filipino Food Conference, continues to attract academic papers from here and abroad, saying that there were 60 submissions this year.

The month-long celebration will feature various activities including an official opening ceremony at the DA Central Office and Mines Elementary School in Quezon City on April 7; the Department of Trade and Industry’s National Food Fair: Philippine Cuisine and Ingredients Show at SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall on April 9; the KAINCON Filipino Food Conference on April 12, and the AngSarap! Philippine Food Festival from April 25 to 27 at Ayala Malls. — Joseph L. Garcia