Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam, hands the award to the winners of Best Restaurant in Thailand, Gaggan
The list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 was unveiled this evening (March 26) in Macao at a gala event at Wynn Palace. Top chefs and restaurateurs from across Asia witnessed in the city the announcement of the highly anticipated annual ranking of the fifty most influential restaurants in Asia along with the presentation of several individual awards. Organized with the support of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Macao hosted the world famous gourmet awards for the second consecutive year as part of its efforts to develop as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Alexis Tam, was among the guests of honor attending the occasion that saw the countdown from 50 to number 1 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019, which crowned Odette, in Singapore, led by chef Julien Royer, “The Best Restaurant in Asia 2019.” Two restaurants from Macao (Jade Dragon and Wing Lei Palace) were included on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019, one more than last year, in a list that fully displayed the multicultural and multinational talent of the dining industry in Asia.
The evening also saw the announcement of several individual country awards selected among those ranked on the list, with Alexis Tam handing the award to the Best Restaurant in Thailand, Gaggan, also number two on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list. Other nine individual awards were also handed at the occasion, in categories such as Sustainable Restaurant Award, Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, Miele One to Watch Award, among others.
Top culinary event brings Macao to the limelight
MGTO Director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, commented about the event: “These two years have offered a wonderful journey to Macao. Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list and awards ceremony has brought our city to the limelight of the gastronomy community in the region and we appreciate this opportunity to showcase our destination to chefs and restaurateurs from across the region.” Adding that, “Today Macao is a tourism city aiming to transform itself into a world centre of tourism and leisure. The growing gastronomy segment has become one of Macao’s greatest assets. From the dynamics unfolding in Macao, our dining sector is set to continue to grow and see new developments come along.”
The Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, William Drew, said: “We are delighted to return to Macao for the seventh edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. After a strong start in 2018, aided by our strong partnership with Macao Government Tourism Office, we believe the 2019 programme has been even more impactful, exciting and diverse. Chefs, journalists, influencers and gourmets from across Asia and the world are learning more and more about Macao’s culture, its history and its cuisine, and enjoying its varied and high-quality restaurant scene.”
String of gastronomy related events conducted in the city
The hosting of the prestigious awards ceremony provided once again the opportunity for Macao to interact with some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the region. During their stay in the city, several celebrated chefs talked at a culinary conference, 50BestTalks, which focused on sustainable practices and the key elements for a successful restaurant, under the theme of “Vital Ingredients”. Food and Beverage Management students of Macau University of Science and Technology also had the chance to learn from one of the best in the field in an educational session.
In addition, a Chefs’ Feast was held at Pousada de Coloane for chefs to mingle among themselves and with their local counterparts. Visiting chefs were invited to make some of Macao’s popular pastries in workshops to prepare almond cookies and Portuguese egg tarts and visit nearby gastronomic attractions in Taipa Village. Throughout the days leading up to the awards ceremony and until the end of this week, several gastronomic dining and other related events are also being held at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace featuring visiting star chefs plus Macao chefs, including celebrated chefs from Wynn and invited Macanese chefs.
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is the regional version of the famous list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, published by William Reed Business Media since 2002. Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is voted by a 300-plus-member committee, whose members include restaurant experts, namely food writers, chefs, restaurateurs and gourmets from across the region. Members base their decisions upon their dining experiences of the past 18 months to list their favorite restaurants.
Since the launch of the Asian regional version of the 50 Best list in 2013, Macao has had one restaurant in the final list in the first four years (Robuchon au Dôme), while in 2017 two more restaurants were added to the list (Robuchon au Dôme, plus Jade Dragon and The Tasting Room), with one restaurant (Jade Dragon) making the list in 2018.
Last year, when Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was first held in Macao the event attracted the highest number of attendees in the event’s history, with chefs and restaurateurs from over 90 per cent of the restaurants on the list attending the ceremony. Prior to Macao, the awards presentation ceremony had been held in Singapore (2013-2015) and Bangkok (2016-2017).
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019 full list of awardees is available at: www.theworlds50best.com/asia
