Five Korean eateries make extended list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

Five Korean restaurants made it into the extended 51 to 100 selection of this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants unveiled Wednesday.

Five Korean restaurants made it onto the extended 51 to 100 selection of this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants unveiled Wednesday.

Contemporary dining Eatanic Garden ranks No. 62, beef omakase Born & Bred is No. 64, contemporary dining Solbam is No. 65, contemporary Korean dining Kwonsooksoo is No. 89 and innovative Mediterranean-inspired dining Alla Prima is No. 91.

Lobster dish at Kwonsooksoo in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The restaurant ranked No. 89 on this year's extended Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list revealed Wednesday. [ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS]

Eatanic Garden re-enters the list after placing No. 68 in 2023. Born & Bred has also previously been recognized as No. 47 in 2023 and No. 36 in 2021.

The list as a whole represents a total of 16 countries with 12 new entries.

Truffle dish at Eatanic Garden in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The restaurant ranked No. 62 on this year's extended Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list revealed Wednesday. [ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS]

Singapore and Tokyo lead the rankings, listing with eight restaurants each with two and three new entries, respectively.

Lamdre in Beijing, who is this year's recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award, debuted on the list at No. 97.

Bangkok has seven restaurants, including one new entry, Haoma at No. 90.

Hong Kong has six with one new entry, Howard's Gourmet at No.10.

Shanghai and Mumbai placed three places each, including a new entry for Mumbai with The Bombay Canteen at No. 70.

Cities Colombo, Gurugram, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Manila, New Delhi, Shenzhen and Toyama all have one restaurant listed.

Lamdre in Beijing is the 2024 recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award, and debuted on the list at No. 97. [ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS]

"We proudly present the 51-100 list of restaurants in Asia, extending a particularly warm welcome to the newcomers to the 50 Best rankings,” said William Drew, director of content at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in a press release Wednesday.

“This underscores our ongoing commitment to championing the remarkable gastronomic talent thriving in the region. With 12 new entries and representation from 16 Asian cities, this extended list offers gourmets worldwide a selection of establishments to savor during their travels and a variety of exceptional experiences to choose from."

Singapore and Japan placed the most number of restaurants in this year's list. Shown in the photo is a dish at L_effervescence in Tokyo which placed No. 51. [ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS]

The top 50 will be revealed in Seoul for the first time this year, on March 26. Viewers can watch the unveiling live online through 50 Best’s official Facebook and YouTube accounts, from 8 p.m.

Joint hosts of this year’s ceremony, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, have also organized events such as a leadership forum, #50BestTalks, discussing the issues regarding the modern hospitality industry; a dining event, 50 Best Signature Sessions, a collaboration of 50 Best chefs and famous Korean chefs; and the Chefs' Feast which will showcase Seoul's best dishes and ingredients.

Fish dish at Alla Prima in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The restaurant ranked No. 91 on this year's extended Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list revealed Wednesday. [ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS]

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is a spinoff of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Launched in 2013, it aims to celebrate gastronomy and act as a gourmet guide to diners around the globe. The annual list is selected, via vote, by a group of 318 restaurant-industry leaders across Asia who have ample knowledge and expertise of the continent's gastronomic scene. Its ceremonies have previously occurred in key tourist destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok and Macao.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]