Advertisement
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021: 11 from Hong Kong make list, The Chairman named No 1 – a first for city, and for a Chinese-cuisine restaurant
- Mono in Central makes its debut on the list, Ta Vie and Caprice return, and Neighborhood climbs higher in the annual rankings
- Singapore claims eight spots, led by Julien Royer’s Odette, in second place; six Hong Kong restaurants make new Essence of Asia list, including Kau Kee
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The small, socially distanced group of staff, regular guests and supporters watching the big screen in the downstairs dining room at The Chairman, a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong’s Central district, waited breathlessly, then screamed with joy.
Advertisement
On a live stream from London, the master of ceremonies had just announced the restaurant in second place on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (A50 Best) list for 2021: Odette, in Singapore.
This meant only one thing: that The Chairman, a “modern classic” Cantonese restaurant in Kau U Fong, had taken the No 1 spot – the first time since A50Best was started in 2013 that the top spot had gone to a Hong Kong restaurant, and to a Chinese-cuisine restaurant.
It swapped places with last year’s number one, Odette, the fine-dining French establishment led by Julien Royer, who also has Louise restaurant at PMQ in Hong Kong.
Before the awards ceremony began, Danny Yip, owner of The Chairman, said he didn’t think the restaurant had a chance at getting up to number one. “People haven’t been travelling to Hong Kong, so there’s no hope,” he said.
Advertisement
Advertisement