Thailand to Host Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016

Bangkok (Thailand) – October 22, 2015 (travelindex) – The fourth annual awards ceremony to celebrate Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 29th February 2016. Following three successful years in Singapore, 2016 marks the first time Thailand will host the event. The region’s most respected chefs and influential restaurateurs, together with leading industry figures and international media, will gather for the announcement of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

As evidence of Thailand’s growing influence on the region’s culinary scene, Bangkok restaurants have claimed the No.1 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the last two years. David Thompson’s Nahm took top honours in 2014 while Gaggan Anand’s eponymous restaurant secured the No.1 spot in 2015. Along with Gaggan and Nahm, the 2015 list also featured the Bangkok-based restaurants Eat Me (No.25), Bo.lan (No.37) and Issaya Siamese Club (No.39).

The new location for these prestigious awards was announced at a media conference hosted by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Tourism Authority of Thailand at Gaysorn Shopping Centre in Bangkok, which was followed by a celebratory VIP dinner at Paste at Gaysorn.

H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, says: “Thailand is honoured to be the host country of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016. The support of this event is consistent with the national agenda to promote Thainess, Thai culture, and, in particular, Thai cuisine to the world. It will also strengthen the country’s strong brand image and differentiate us from other countries. Moreover, it will prominently feature and position Thailand as a multi-faceted fine dining destination where visitors are treated to an unimaginable array of cuisine options prepared by renowned chefs and backed by our warm Thai hospitality.”

William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “Thailand has long been recognised for its rich culinary history and traditional street food culture. In recent years, the country’s vibrant restaurant scene has matured, welcoming world-class establishments serving a variety of international cuisines. Thailand is fast establishing itself as one of Asia’s key gastronomic hubs, making it the ideal country to host the 2016 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.”

Since launching in 2013, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has become the most trusted and credible guide to the best places to eat around the region. In 2015, changes to the voting process were introduced to reflect the opinions of over 300 voters spread throughout Asia and better showcase the diversity of Asia’s culinary scene. The 2015 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants featured eight new entries, including first-time entries from the Philippines (Antonio’s, No.48) and Cambodia (Cuisine Wat Damnak, No.50).

How Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is created by The Diners Club® Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene.

The Academy is divided into six voting regions: India & Subcontinent; South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; mainland China & Korea; Japan. The divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene as fairly as possible at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs.

Each region has its own panel of 53 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘foodies’. Each panellist has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognise restaurants outside of the voter’s home country. For the 2016 edition, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is working with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner. The adjudication by Deloitte will ensure that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants are protected.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Results:
You can follow the announcements live via twitter @Asias50Best on 29thFebruary, 2016. Following the ceremony, the results of the awards will be published live at www.theworlds50best.com/asia.

Organised by William Reed Media Group
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is published by William Reed Media Group, which also publishes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, launched in 2002, and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, launched in September 2013. William Reed Media Group is entirely responsible for the organisation of the awards, the voting system and the list.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Manifesto:
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 300 restaurant industry experts in Asia. What constitutes ’best’ is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets. The list is the result of a simple computation of votes. Given that this list is based on personal experiences it can never be definitive, but we believe it is an honourable survey of current tastes and a credible indicator of the best places to eat across Asia.

Host Country: Thailand
Thai food is among the key magnets that draws visitors across the globe to Thailand. Zesty spices, and the interplay of flavours creates a harmonious whole within a meal and dishes like Tom Yum Kung, green curry and Phat Thai now enjoy an international following. Thailand has also become a gourmet’s playground with the best of the world’s cuisines represented. Thai food attracts great chefs to Thailand, where they know they will find great ingredients. The nation’s kitchens and restaurants produce dishes traditional and innovative, local and global, but always delicious and everyone is welcome to sample its unique flavours.