Gaggan, the “progressive Indian cuisine” establishment in Bangkok by chef Gaggan Anand, was finally toppled from the No 1 spot it has held for the past four years on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, run by William Reed Business Media. It came in at No 2, it was announced at an awards ceremony held at the Wynn Palace in Macau on Tuesday. Taking Gaggan’s place at the top of the list is Odette, a fine-dining French establishment in Singapore by chef Julien Royer from Auvergne, France, which has rocketed up the A50 Best list since it made its debut in 2017 at No 7. It climbed to No 5 on last year's list, before landing in the top spot this year. 4 restaurants in Hong Kong where design tops the menu Hongkongers will soon have the chance to taste Royer’s cuisine without having to travel to Singapore, as the chef told the South China Morning Post that he would be opening an establishment in PMQ in Central, in the spot that currently houses Aberdeen Street Social. “When I saw the space I just loved it,” said Royer, whose partners will be the Singapore-based Lo & Behold and the JIA Group in Hong Kong. He plans to open the new establishment, Louise, around June, and says it’s named after his paternal grandmother, Jean Louise, while Odette was named after his maternal grandmother. “Louise evokes warmth and femininity,” he said. “It's engaging and comfortable. The food will be simple French fare that people can eat two or three times a week if they want.” “One dish will be truffade which is something you can't find outside my region in France,” Royer added. “It’s potatoes cooked in pork fat, seasoned with garlic and cantal cheese. It's simple and tasty. We will serve simple dishes and lots of cheese and charcuterie from my region.” Anand, who will close his Michelin two-star restaurant in Bangkok in 2020 to concentrate on a new venture in Japan, said about his drop in the ratings: “No 2 is still incredible. We need to give space to other restaurants [to share the number one spot]. You can't be on top all the time. Now Julien has the curse because when you are No 1 everyone shoots bullets at you and asks if you're good enough.” Hong Kong restaurants had an excellent showing at this year’s A50 Best awards. Although two restaurants, Ronin and Caprice, fell off the list, there were two additions: the classic Cantonese Seventh Son at No 44, and VEA by Hong Kong-born Vicky Cheng, who is making Chinese-influenced French cuisine, at No 34. Belon, the French restaurant on Elgin Street helmed by British chef Daniel Calvert, won the award of highest climber, going from last year's No 40 to this year’s 15. Gluten-free dining: 5 ways to improve the restaurant experience 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo by Bombana rose one place from 13 to 12, and also won the Art of Hospitality. The Chairman was the highest winner in Hong Kong, coming in at No 11 – rising 11 places from last year. The Japanese-French restaurant Ta Vie fell from No 16 to 50, Amber from seven to 21 and Neighborhood from 32 to 37. Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons also fell, from 24 to 38. Other awards given on Tuesday night were Elit Vodka’s Best Female Chef to Garima Arora, whose Gaa restaurant in Bangkok was highest new entry, coming in at No 16; the Miele One to Watch to JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan, by Singaporean chef Jimmy Lim; and the American Express Icon Award to Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo.