It is expected that the award with further boost Thailand’s growing strong presence in the Asian dining scene.
by Rich Kantita.
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in Thailand for the first time next year, the organizers announced recently. The annual award ceremony has been held in Singapore in the last three years. The fourth edition of the awards–expected to attract legions of the best chefs in the region’s leading restaurants, international media, and other distinguished personalities and food aficionados—will be co-sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the main sponsors of the award.
“Thailand is becoming one of Asia’s key gastronomic hubs,” says William Drew, group of editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. “With its rich resources for authentic ingredients, the country is the new playground for things gourmet and culinary.”
Many industry observers indeed see the move from Singapore to Thailand as a tacit affirmation of Thailand’s growing reputation as an emerging gourmet destination hub. Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards is one of the most prestigious honors that restaurants and restaurateurs can receive.
Two Thai restaurants have made it to the top spot in the past two years. In 2014, the top spot went to David Thompson’s Nahm Restaurant at Metropolitan Hotel. In 2015, Gaggan Anand’s restaurant, Gaggan secured the most-coveted No. 1 spot, earning both the titles of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia and The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand.
Chef Gaggan opened his eponymous Bangkok restaurant in 2010 with a vision to reinvigorate Indian cuisine by incorporating modernist cooking techniques. His passion, energy, and creativity are evident in every aspect of the dining experience, from the colonial-style setting to the molecular twists added to traditional Indian dishes, according to the judges last year. Gaggan debuted on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2014 at No.17.
Other Thai-based restaurants such as with Eat Me, Bo.lan, and Issaya Siamese Club, have also figured prominently in the regions 50 best restaurants in the last four years. This year, another top Thai bet for an Asian 50 Best Restaurants award emerges: Paste, which specializes in artisanal Thai cuisine.
Thailand continues to be a strong presence in the Asian dining scene, and it is expected that holding the awards here next year will further boost it.
