Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants celebrated its 10th anniversary this year with an awards ceremony that was live-streamed on YouTube and at in-person events in Bangkok, Macau and Tokyo. Hong Kong claimed six spots on the list (down from 11 in 2021 ), with 2021’s number-one restaurant – Hong Kong’s very own The Chairman, a “modern classic” Cantonese restaurant in Central – falling to fifth place. Taking the top spot this year was Den in Tokyo, Japan, which has been moving up ever since its debut on the list at number 37 in 2016. Head chef Zaiyu Hasegawa offers a playful, innovative take on kaiseki, allowing Japan to take the top spot on the list for the second time in 10 years. Japan as a whole won big this year, with 11 restaurants making the list, up from nine in 2021. Thailand followed close behind, with nine restaurants on the list and Sorn, in Bangkok, taking second place. Singapore claimed seven spots on the list, with fine-dining French restaurant Odette, which dropped six spots from second to eighth, taking home the Art of Hospitality Award. In addition to Odette, which ranked top in 2020, chef Julien Royer also runs Louise at PMQ in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s Neighborhood is another that has steadily climbed the ranks over the years, and this year cracked the top 10, jumping from 17th spot to 9th. Chef David Lai was also awarded the Chefs’ Choice Award – voted on by all the head chefs on the list – for his sustainable and creative dishes. While Hong Kong’s VEA, a “Chinese x French” restaurant in Central, dropped from 16th spot in 2021 to out of the top 50, chef Vicky Cheng’s other restaurant, Wing, made its debut on this year’s list at number 34. Opened in 2021, Wing is situated directly below VEA but places the spotlight fully on Cheng’s interpretation of the “eight great Chinese cuisines”. Three other Hong Kong restaurants made the list this year. Caprice, helmed by chef Guillaume Galliot at the Four Seasons, jumped four spots to number 24. Latin American restaurant Mono, which debuted on the list in 2021 at number 44, rose to 32. Meanwhile, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana dropped from number 33 in 2021 to 48. Back in Singapore, Meta was a new entry at number 20, while Les Amis dropped from 13th spot in 2021 to 23rd. Zen, Labyrinth and Burnt Ends were awarded 37th, 40th and 41st place, respectively. Cloudstreet ranked at number 44, with pastry chef Maira Yeo named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef. Wing Lei Palace in Macau jumped three spots from number 50 to 47. Fu He Hui, which was mainland China’s only restaurant on the list in 2021, jumped from number 22 to 12. This year, it was joined by Ensue, in Shenzhen, Da Vittorio, in Shanghai, and Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, also in Shanghai, at 19th, 28th and 39th places, respectively. Ensue and Da Vittorio were new entries on the list, while Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet returned after falling out of the top 50 in 2021. Several other chefs also received special awards, including Natsuko Shoji of Été, in Tokyo, who was named Asia’s Best Female Chef. The Icon Award went to Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun and chef who lives at the Baegyangsa temple in South Korea. While she does not own a restaurant, she’s known for intertwining food with her spiritual practice. The Highest Climber Award went to Ode in Tokyo, which rose 14 places to number 13. The Highest New Entry Award was given to Villa Aida in Wakayama, Japan, which debuted at number 14. Why cooking Chinese food is like doing kung fu: Michelin-star chef The Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Mume in Taipei, Taiwan, while the One To Watch Award went to Eat and Cook in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is voted on by over 300 experts spread across the continent, with this year’s voting process adjusted in consideration of pandemic restrictions. The list is run by William Reed business media, and is an offshoot of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which began its list in 2002. The full list: 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. 7th 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