Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants: Odette knocks Gaggan off the top spot
The restaurant, number five last year, knocked Bangkok’s Gaggan in to second place after four years at the top.
Odette, named after chef Julien Royer's grandmother, serves Asian-inspired modern French cuisine. Royer’s CV includes time working for Michel Bras in France and Antonin Bonnet in London, and his regularly-changing menu features the likes of pigeon ‘beak to tail’ with Jerusalem artichoke and kampot pepper from Cambodia; and yuzu tartare with sake and basil.
Odette was also named Best Restaurant in Singapore, after debuting on the overall World’s 50 Best list at 28 last year.
Gaggan slipped to second place ahead of its planned closure in 2020, with chef Gaggan Anand looking to start a new venture in Japan.
Japan held 12 spots on the 2019 list, the most of any country, with two Tokyo restaurants in the top five. Den dropped from second to third place but held its title as the Best Restaurant in Japan, while French-inspired Florilège came in fifth.
The top five was completed by Sühring in Bangkok, which ranked fourth.
Gaa in Bangkok was the highest new entry at 16, while its executive chef Garima Arora was named elit Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef 2019. Dewakan in Shah Alam also became the first Malaysian restaurant to enter the list, at 46.
The ranking is based on the votes of over 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia.
“Now in its seventh year, the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list continues to evolve, inspire and showcase emerging talent,” says William Drew, group editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
“The 2019 list welcomes 10 new restaurants, including a first-time entry from Malaysia, and celebrates the ongoing culinary innovation in the region."
To see the full top 50 list click here.
The overall World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2019 will be announced at a ceremony in Singapore on 25 June.
