Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2021 winners announced

 The Chairman in Hong Kong - represented by Chef Kwok Keung Tung and restaurateur Danny Yip - was awarded the top honour at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021 on March 25, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

The prizes for second and third place went respectively to Odette in Singapore by Chef Julian Royer and Den in Tokyo by Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa.

This year's virtual awards ceremony united chefs, restaurateurs, journalists and gastronomes in recognition of the talent and dedication evident across Asia’s culinary landscape. The event was broadcast on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants dedicated Facebook page and 50 Best Restaurants TV YouTube channel.

For the occasion, S.Pellegrino presented its Fine Dining at Home initiative, in which top Asian chefs - like Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den, Yoshihiro Narisawa of Narisawa, Julien Royer of Odette, and Umberto Bombana of 8 1/2 - were invited to develop original fine dining meals at home. Their creations were then delivered, accompanied by S.Pellegrino mineral water, to key communicators in the world of Asian gastronomy.

Media and influencers in Singapore were treated to a presentation of the menu of Meta Restaurant by the regional winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef for Asia, Kevin Wong, in a further demonstration of the brand's dedication to nurturing culinary talent through initiatives like the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy and #SupportRestaurants.

A series of additional awards were also presented during the event.

The 2021 American Express One to Watch Award for the most noteworthy rising star in Asia was won by Meta in Singapore. Opened in 2016 by South Korean-born chef Sun Kim, Meta celebrates authentic Asian flavours and high-end European cooking techniques.

The recipient of this year's Inedit Damm Chef's Choice Award, voted by his fellow chefs, was Mingoo Kang of Seoul, whose flagship restaurant Mingles has been named The Best Restaurant in Korea for five consecutive years.

DeAille Tam, executive chef and co-founder of Obscura in Shanghai, won the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef 2021, an award sponsored by Cinco Jotas and voted for by over 300 industry experts from across the region.

Meanwhile, the Icon Award - Asia 2021 was won by Bangkok street food queen Supinya Junsuta, better known as Jay Fai, who has been cooking at her open-air shophouse for over 40 years.

And to support the recovery of the hospitality sector, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, in association with S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, also announced Essence of Asia, an unranked collection of restaurants that represent the spirit of Asian gastronomy.

Check out the full list of winners from Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2021 on Finedininglovers.com.