Bangkok's Gaggan, known for its progressive Indian cooking, has been named Asia's Best Restaurant.
It was No. 3 in last year's list but has leapfrogged to top spot, surpassing Narisawa in Tokyo, which was No. 2 last year; and Nahm, which topped the list last year but fell to No. 7 this year.
An emotional chef Gaggan Anand, 35, who applauded his fellow chef winners on the list, had called his mother to tell her of his win. Taking deep breaths, he says: "I'm still overwhelmed, I still have tears in my eyes. It's the proudest moment of my life. Who knew me four years ago?"
Singapore did well on the list. Restaurant Andre was the highest ranking restaurant at No. 5, one place up from last year.
Reflecting on the result, chef Andre Chiang, 39, said: "I'm happy to keep Singapore on the map, and hope to go further up."
Other Singapore restaurants on the list are Waku Ghin (9), Jaan (11), Les Amis (13), Iggy's (18), new entry Burnt Ends (30), Shinji by Kanesaka (32), The Tippling Club (36), Osteria Mozza (45) and Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck (47)
The results were announced at a ceremony held at at Capella Singapore on Sentosa on Monday night. Five hundred of the who's who of Singapore food scene attended - chefs, restaurateurs, international media and sponsors.
This is the third time that the awards, showcasing the best restaurants in the region, have been given out. The Asian list is an offshoot of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, a list by trade publication Restaurant magazine. The World's list is expected to be announced in London in June.
To showcase the diverse restaurant scene across Asia, the voting process was changed this year. Results were generated by more than 300 voters across six regions in Asia, who are familiar with the dining scene in this part of the world.
In the previous two editions, the list was created from a global tally of votes from the 900-plus members of The Diners Club World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy.
