The 11th competition was held in Singapore, the place where it all began.

The 2023 "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" (hereinafter referred to as "Asia's Best 50") award ceremony was held in Singapore on March 3th. The breaking news has already been announced on the official website, etc., and many of you may be aware of it. Although the Japanese team missed out on first place, Tokyo's "Sézanne" came in second. Five hotels were ranked in the top 28, and 1 in the top 10, which is the highest score in Asia. I would like to offer my heartfelt praise to the Japanese gastronomy world for being able to leave behind this result after such a difficult period.

To give a quick explanation for first-timers, "Asia's Best 50" is a restaurant competition that selects "50 of the most popular and influential restaurants in Asia." held in the area. In addition, a comprehensive competition, ``World's 3 Best Restaurants'' (hereinafter referred to as ``World's Best 50''), is held once a year, and those who win first place are considered to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In the past, there were many glorious restaurants such as ``Noma (Copenhagen)'', ``Mirazur (France)'', and ``Osteria Francescana (Italy)'', and the star chefs who led them were the representative of the country. As a chef, he continues to work all over the world.

There are many differences when compared to ``Michelin'' and ``Tabelog,'' but the biggest ones are ``In addition to the quality of restaurants and food, they are highly evaluated for their influence on society and their ability to disseminate information.'' ``It is a battle that transcends national boundaries. There are three points: "Yes" and "Selected by free voting by pure Hoodies (masked judges)."

Social situation reflected in the results of "Asia's Best 50"

On a personal note, at the ``World's Best 7'' held in London last July, I contracted a new type of pneumonia as soon as I returned. She wrote the breaking news article on the flight back to Japan, but she thought that her inexplicable sluggishness and flushing was probably due to the intense heat of the ``Best 50,'' which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. That's why the award ceremony and the various events held before it were so exciting.

This is the 2013th time the Asia Best 50 has been held since its inception in 11. The venue for the first edition was Singapore, and Tokyo's ``NARISAWA'' won first place. It has been three years since the regular event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was the first regular event since 1, and many chefs and foodies gathered under the slogan "Back to Singapore."

As I mentioned at the beginning, this result is something that Japan can be proud of. However, the ``Best 50'', which is known as the ``Food Gastronomy Awards,'' is largely influenced by social conditions and trends, and as a result, various thoughts always run through my head after the results are announced. Speaking of this time, I feel like it was the last tournament after each country's coronavirus countermeasures had run their course. This is because the poor results of Chinese and Korean restaurants compared to last year are probably due to the long-standing strict immigration regulations in place, and restaurants from Malaysia and Sri Lanka, which attracted attention when they first appeared last year, have disappeared this time. did. This is likely due to restrictions on the travel of Hoodies, who have the right to vote.

The future facing Japan, Asia's No. 1 gastronomy country

Looking at these results, I had the impression that Japan has entered its next chapter. The Tokatsu store achieved excellent results this time as well, but on the other hand, several new restaurants also made new entries in the 51st to 100th place. Last year there were only two restaurants here, but this year there are seven. Of these, L'évo in Toyama (2th), Esquisse in Tokyo (7th), and The Pizza Bar on 60^th” (80th place) and “Homage” (91st place) are the first to appear.

Chef Daniel Calvert, who heads the top Japanese restaurant Sézanne, is also new in many ways. He has traveled to London, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong, and the Tokyo store opened in July 2021. He has come this far in just under two years. It's probably one of the reasons that his fans, Foodies, flocked to the Tokyo store. The fact that the word ``Japanese'' has an international meaning for the first time suggests that this country will attract more and more attention from overseas in the future, and at the same time there will be an influx of economic and human resources.

On the other hand, Tokyo's "NARISAWA" has been ranked in the ranking for 1 consecutive years since its first No. 11 spot. I am humbled to say that I have not frequented this restaurant regularly, but the changes in the cuisine at this restaurant have been eye-opening. I used to have the impression that it was French cuisine that valued natural flavors, but when I visited last year, I was so shocked that I thought, "Is this a new Japanese cuisine?!" At the same time, I regretted that if something like this happened, I wanted to go further to enjoy the process.

When I asked Takanori Nakamura, the Japan Council Chairman of the World's Best 50, what he thought about this trend, he gave a very interesting answer.

``To put it without fear of misunderstanding, I think that the media that conveys Japanese food has always believed that ``unchanging is precious.'' Traditional tastes, customs, and training systems.Of course, that is why Japanese cuisine is so popular. We have also benefited from the development of a food culture that is rare in the world.However, when we think about it on a global scale, food is a culture, and the hospitality industry is closely connected to human life.Amidst the tremendous changes, food culture in other countries and other countries is becoming more and more popular. Restaurants are competing with each other to increase their presence in every possible way. I don't think they will be able to aim for the top in the post-corona world of food and tourism if they follow stereotypical thinking.

The latest restaurants change daily. If you want to taste it, now is the time.

If you're looking for a good place to entertain or go on a date, I don't think I'd recommend a ``50 Best'' list. Michelin is very knowledgeable about the formality and quality of food, and you can rest assured by checking the price, number of seats, and whether credit cards are accepted on Tabelog. However, if you want to know where the world of food is heading right now, or if you want to feel the messages that chefs from Japan and abroad are conveying through their food, this list should be your best guide. The ever-changing lineup of 50 people every year is full of drama and stories that you can't take your eyes off.

The ``Best 50'' chefs are reincarnated one after another. It is still fresh in our minds that Copenhagen's popular restaurant ``Noma'' announced that it would close its doors at the end of 2024 and move into a new format, but it felt similar to ``graduation,'' and many chefs I think it is one of the characteristics of the ``Best 50'' that after gaining glory, they begin to seek a new path. That's why, if you love food, we want you to experience On List restaurants right now, right now.

The brilliance of a restaurant that repeats ``evolution and deepening'' is fleeting. It is full of strong charm, and its hues change one after another. And that's why it's so interesting. The ``Best 50'' chefs continue to express their anger towards society and gratitude towards the earth through food. The phrase ``art on a plate'' is an overused phrase, but the 50 restaurants selected here are more than just a meal, they offer an ``experience of the times.'' In June, the ``World's Top 6'' will be announced in Valencia, Spain. While paying attention to future trends, why not think about how you approach food once again?