Asian fine dining reaches the world

Asian fine dining is reaching global stature, with more and more restaurants being honored, demonstrating the delicate blend of modern creativity and traditional identity.

14 Asian cuisine restaurants are listed in the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Pictured: A creatively presented dish at Le Du (Bangkok), the restaurant ranked 30th in the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025. (Source: World's 50 Best Restaurants)

Shining on the fine dining map

Recently, in Turin city, Piedmont region (Italy), the announcement ceremony of the 23rd World's 50 Best Restaurants turned this place into a gathering party for global gourmets.

While Europe still holds the center stage, this year the spotlight is on Asia. Young chefs and traditional cuisines have set a new record with 14 restaurants on the list. La Cime (Osaka, Japan) is ranked 44th; Le Du and Nusara (Bangkok, Thailand) are ranked 30th and 35th respectively. Notably, Sezanne (Tokyo) is in the top 10, affirming the power of Japanese cuisine on the international map.

Not only stopping at the rankings, some Asian representatives were also honored in their own awards. Wing (Hong Kong, China) stands out with its modern Chinese cuisine style, receiving the Gin Mare Hotel Art Award. Meanwhile, Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij made a big splash when Potong restaurant (Bangkok) won the Best Newcomer award, at the same time she became the first Asian female chef to be honored as the Best Female Chef in the World.

These results show that the rankings not only reflect trends, but also demonstrate the shift of the global culinary center – where Asia is increasingly asserting its position.

Southeast Asia's appeal

When it comes to Asia’s culinary hubs, Bangkok is a must-see. In 2025, the Thai capital made headlines by landing six restaurants in the top 50, more than any other city.

A colorful variation of Pad Thai at Potong, ranked 13th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. (Source: World's 50 Best Restaurants)

From being famous for its street food, in just a decade, the culinary landscape of Bangkok has changed dramatically. According to expert Samantha Proyruntong - founder of the Bangkok Foodies community, this development started from personal initiatives and then spread into a movement, in which the Michelin Guide appeared in 2018 as a turning point, promoting the explosion of Thai fine dining.

This progress is confirmed by the success of Sorn, a restaurant with a menu rich in southern Thai cuisine, becoming the first establishment to win three Michelin stars in 2025. This is proof that local cuisine can not only retain its identity but also reach international heights.

Another important factor is communication and networking. While Michelin relies on a team of expert judges, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking reflects the votes of a global network of experts and gourmets. Dynamic cities that know how to promote themselves on social media easily create a big attraction.

Not only Thailand, many other cuisines in the region are also making their mark.

In Vietnam, after Michelin officially appeared in 2023, the number of honored restaurants increased rapidly. In just two years, 9 establishments received Michelin stars, showing the strong rise of Vietnamese cuisine. Familiar dishes such as pho, bun cha or sophisticated variations have appeared on the menus of high-end restaurants but still retain the rustic soul.

In the Philippines, the first Michelin guide is expected to be released in 2026, featuring the cities of Manila and Cebu. This is considered an important milestone, opening up opportunities to bring the unique flavors of this island nation to the international community.

According to Ms. Pei Shyuan Yeo, founder of Everyday tour company (Singapore), who is also a chef and culinary consultant, the appeal of Southeast Asian restaurants lies in their ability to preserve their identity while still knowing how to innovate in preparation and presentation.

Japanese cuisine under pressure to innovate

While Southeast Asia is making a strong breakthrough with many representatives rising, Japan only has three restaurants in the top 50 this year.

This is not due to a lack of quality, as the country still ranks second in the world in the number of Michelin stars. However, according to Mr. Charles Spreckley - co-founder and CEO of the travel company People Make Places (Tokyo), the culinary culture makes it difficult for many Japanese restaurants to keep up with new trends: most are small in scale, high in price, with fixed menus of many dishes, strongly influenced by kaiseki and French cuisine. "There are very few restaurants that are innovative in a new direction, the menu is still fixed," he said.

Aji Takenoko at Narisawa, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo, ranked 21st on this year's list. (Source: World's 50 Best Restaurants)

Keisui Suzuki, who is in charge of promoting the World's 50 Best Restaurants rankings on social media, believes this picture could soon change, as translation technology makes it easier for Japanese chefs to access international trends.

At the same time, another trend is emerging, encouraging the appreciation of ingredients and preserving the culinary identity of Japan. Typical is Yoshihiro Narisawa, the chef of a two-Michelin-star restaurant, who has abandoned the French style to pursue the concept of 'satoyama cuisine' - honoring the products and rural culture of the land of cherry blossoms.

These changes show that, although going its own way, Japanese cuisine is still finding ways to adapt, and that movement contributes to reflecting the general picture of Asian cuisine in its journey of both preserving its identity and opening up new approaches.

New direction of fine dining

Like Japan, many other Asian countries are also witnessing a trend of fine dining becoming more accessible to diners.

Many famous chefs not only maintain the pinnacle of fine dining but also expand their brands with more intimate models. Notable ones are chef Yusuke Takada (La Cime restaurant) opening a bakery in Osaka (Japan); Hiroyasu Kawate (Florilege) collaborating with Jordy Navarra (Toyo Eatery, Manila, Philippines) to open AzukiToyo - a dessert shop serving kakigori (traditional Japanese shaved ice); Narisawa opened a popular branch in Singapore... to serve ordinary customers.

Left: Young fern dish at La Cime in Osaka, ranked 44th in the world. Right: Chef and owner of La Cime Yusuke Takada. (Source: World's 50 Best Restaurants)

These new models make it easier for diners to access, without having to wait too long, and still enjoy the culinary quintessence. According to Mr. Keisui Suzuki, this is also a way for many people around the world to know about Asian restaurants and chefs. From another perspective, Ms. Samantha Proyruntong emphasized that the core of cuisine is not just creativity or reputation, but bringing joy and happiness to diners.

These strong movements show that Asian fine dining is shaping a new standard: preserving its identity, expanding its model to be more intimate, and at the same time exploring new approaches to connect tradition with modernity.

The success of restaurants lies not only in the rankings, but also in the ability to spread culture. Each dish, each culinary space is a story about history, about people, about the taste of the homeland.

In the context of globalization, Asian cuisine is proving that it is not only an “honored guest” at the world banquet, but also capable of becoming the “host” – creative, inspiring and affirming its position on the global culinary map.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/am-thuc-cao-cap-chau-a-vuon-tam-the-gioi-326058.html