Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017: Live from Bangkok

We are now just days away from Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2017, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The event takes place on February 21, at the W Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be live streamed from 8:00 p.m. ICT (1:00 p.m. GMT) on the Fine Dining Lovers site.

Can S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 mentor Gaggan Anand claim the top spot for the third year in a row with Gaggan, his eponymous Bangkok-based restaurant? Or will Tokyo’s Narisawa, last year’s runner- up, take the crown this time around? See the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 on Fine Dining Lovers.

The program will commence this year with a number of warm-up events scheduled for Monday, February 20, including #50BestTalks, a combination of local food discovery and interactive chef demonstrations that explore regional food trends and Thai cooking techniques. The one-day curated forum will feature many of Asia’s most influential culinary leaders, including chefs from the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Three awards have been announced in advance. May Chow has been named Asia's Best Female Chef 2017, being recognized for both her innovative spin on bao buns and her successful Little Bao eateries. TocToc restaurant in Seoul, Korea, run by Kim Dae Chun, has been selected as Asia’s One to Watch and is described by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants as offering “some of the most sophisticated cuisine in Seoul.” 

Umberto Bombana, the renowned Italian chef of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong, has been awarded the 2017 Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award.

Both recipients will receive their awards live at the ceremony on February 21, at the W Hotel in Bangkok, during the fifth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony.

Keep up with all of the action and watch the livestream at 8:00 p.m. ICT (1:00 p.m. GMT) February 21, on the Fine Dining Lovers site.