Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026: Hong Kong’s The Chairman is No 1, Wing climbs to No 2

Two Hong Kong restaurants received top honours at the annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. The event was held in Hong Kong for the first time, taking place in the grand ballroom of the Kerry Hotel in Hung Hom on the evening of March 25. The Chairman received the top billing at No 1 while Wing came in at No 2. It is the second time that The Chairman, a Cantonese restaurant in Central founded by Danny Yip, has earned the accolade, after it defied the odds to become Asia’s Best Restaurant in the 2021 edition. “It means everything to us to win this award in Hong Kong,” Yip said while on stage. He also paid tribute to Wing, which is located in the same building as The Chairman, joking that the plot likely had good feng shui. Bangkok’s Gaggan, the No 1 restaurant in 2025, dropped to third place, but clinched the Best Restaurant in Thailand accolade. The top 10 had a strong showing from Chinese restaurants, with representatives from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, in particular, made a historic debut at No 10, also winning the Highest New Entry Award. Sézanne, in Tokyo, Japan, placed 16 this year; it dropped to No 4 in 2025, after taking the No 1 spot in the 2024 edition. Opened in 2021, the French fine-dining restaurant, located within the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, rose to fame quickly over five years, receiving not only top billing on the list but also three Michelin stars, thanks to the leadership of executive chef Daniel Calvert. He leaves his post at the end of March and will be replaced by Stephen Lancaster on April 1. Mingles in Seoul, South Korea, which recently received its third Michelin star as well as three diamonds from the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, came in at No 4. In the special awards category, Cho Eun-hee of Onjium, in Seoul, was named Best Female Chef, for her contribution to preserving traditional Korean cuisine and sharing her knowledge. Peggy Chan, the Hong Kong-born vegetarian chef, sustainability dining advocate and consultant, became the first recipient of the list’s Champions of Change Award, which honours those who make a meaningful impact in the hospitality industry. The One to Watch Award, which recognises a restaurant with potential to rise in the 50 Best rankings, went to San by chef Jo Seung-hyun. The Seoul restaurant serves a French-influenced modern Korean tasting menu, with Jo having previously trained at The French Laundry, La Maison Troisgros and Benu. San debuted at an impressive No 54 on the extended Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list announced earlier this month. The Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Bangkok’s Baan Tepa, which is ranked No 53 on the extended list. Mumbai’s Masque was given the Art of Hospitality Award. “It only reaffirms what we’ve been trying to achieve since Masque opened its doors – to treat every guest with care, generosity and the utmost humility,” founder Aditi Dugar said. Masque was also named Best Restaurant in India, landing at No 15 on Asia’s 50 Best list. Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn of Bangkok’s Le Du restaurant received the Chef’s Choice Award, which is voted on by his peers in the industry, for his work in promoting Thai cuisine. The Best Sommelier Award went to Lesley Liu of Singapore’s Odette. The restaurant, however, fell 12 spots to No 19, but its position meant it was still the city state’s Best Restaurant. Conversely, Lamdre in Beijing – known for its delicate, plant-based Chinese cooking – received this year’s Highest Climber Award, having shot to No 17 from No 50 in the 2025 edition. Ardika Dwitama of Jakarta’s August received the Best Pastry Chef Award; the restaurant, No 42 on the list, was also named Best Restaurant in Indonesia. Zhang Yong received the Icon Award, earning it for successfully championing Taizhou cuisine. With more than two dozen restaurants to his name, including the lauded Xin Rong Ji restaurants across mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, Zhang is a formidable restaurateur. Ahead of the ceremony, attendees were asked to avoid wearing clothing or accessories displaying “any slogan, imagery or messaging that might be construed as political in any way”, and to refrain from bringing flags of any kind, including national flags. The awards capped off several days of culinary activities around the city, from chef collaboration dinners to talks. The 15th edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is expected to be hosted again in Hong Kong next year. This year’s list was voted on by 350-plus members of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which is described as an “influential group of … leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene”. The panel is typically made up of “food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-travelled gourmands”, and there is no set criterion for what constitutes “best”. Earlier this month, a former World’s Best Restaurant, Noma in Copenhagen, and its chef-owner, Rene Redzepi, were the subjects of intense scrutiny and criticism over their history of physical and emotional abuse, calling into question the ethics of the industry and what is celebrated. Jason Ignacio White, a former Noma employee and organiser of protests that have taken place in Los Angeles – where the Noma team have launched a US$1,500 a head pop-up – says his next step will be to turn the spotlight on the ethical practices of restaurant ranking and awards systems, including World’s 50 Best, Michelin and the James Beard Awards. “You can be ranked No 1 in the world while your kitchen staff is being hit … the prestige system doesn’t just coexist with abuse. It enables it,” he writes. In response to the South China Morning Post’s request for comment, a spokesperson for 50 Best said they “… take allegations of abuse and exploitation extremely seriously and share a deep concern for the workers, former employees and cooks who have faced such environments”. They acknowledged that “recent developments have prompted understandable reflection across the industry” and that “great hospitality must be grounded in dignity, respect and safe working environments”. While the restaurant rankings are determined “solely by the anonymous restaurant experts and the established voting methodology”, they “strongly [encourage] voters to take sustainable practices – which includes treatment of staff – and responsibility into account in voting choices”. The full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 Asterisk denotes a new entry 50. JL Studio, Taichung 49. Seventh Door, Seoul 48. La Bourriche 133, Shanghai * 47. Wana Yook, Bangkok * 46. Mono, Hong Kong 45. Nae:um, Singapore * 44. Locavore Nxt, Ubud * 43. Bium, Seoul * 42. August, Jakarta (Best Restaurant in Indonesia) 41. Mosu, Seoul (re-entry) 40. Labyrinth, Singapore 39. Au Jardin, Penang (Best Restaurant in Malaysia) * 38. Les Amis, Singapore 37. Narisawa, Tokyo 36. Le Du, Bangkok 35. Caprice, Hong Kong 34. Crony, Tokyo 33. Myoujaku, Tokyo 32. Estro, Hong Kong 31. Florilege, Tokyo 30. Naar, Kasauli * 29. 102 House, Shanghai 28. Maz, Tokyo 27. Ms Maria & Mr Singh, Bangkok (re-entry) 26. Eatanic Garden, Seoul 25. Potong, Bangkok 24. Neighborhood, Hong Kong 23. Born, Singapore (re-entry) 22. Logy, Taipei (Best Restaurant in Taiwan) 21. Sazenka, Tokyo 20. Seroja, Singapore 19. Odette, Singapore (Best Restaurant in Singapore) 18. Sühring, Bangkok 17. Lamdre, Beijing (Highest Climber) 16. Sézanne, Tokyo 15. Masque, Mumbai (Art of Hospitality Award and Best Restaurant in India) 14. Onjium, Seoul 13. La Cime, Osaka (Best Restaurant in Japan) 12. Dorm, Bangkok 11. Fu He Hui, Shanghai 10. Ru Yuan, Hangzhou (Highest New Entry) * 9. Ling Long, Shanghai 8. Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, Bangkok 7. Chef Tam’s Seasons, Macau (Best Restaurant in Macau) 6. Meet the Bund, Shanghai (Best Restaurant in Mainland China) 5. Nusara, Bangkok 4. Mingles, Seoul (Best Restaurant in South Korea) 3. Gaggan, Bangkok (Best Restaurant in Thailand) 2. Wing, Hong Kong 1. The Chairman, Hong Kong

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026: Hong Kong’s The Chairman is No 1, Wing climbs to No 2

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 2026 edition saw a strong showing from Chinese restaurants in the top 10, with representatives from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau

The 2026 edition saw a strong showing from Chinese restaurants in the top 10, with representatives from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau