Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards to come to Seoul in March

The upcoming ceremony will be organized by Britain-based media company 50 Best, the publisher of the list, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The logo of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 [50 BEST]

The 2024 edition of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony will take place on March 26 in Seoul, the first time the ceremony will be held in the city.

The upcoming ceremony will be organized by Britain-based media company 50 Best, the publisher of the list, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the city government said Friday.

A list of the top 50 restaurants in Asia will be announced at the awards ceremony. The list is compiled by a panel of more than 300 restaurant industry experts across Asia, "each selected for their expert opinion of Asia's restaurant scene," according to 50 Best.

"We are honored to host the award ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in Seoul, which is one of the biggest Asian gastronomy events in the world, in an era where K-food and K-culture are thriving around the world," Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a press release.

"We hope the visitors enjoy the bright energy and sophisticated culture of Seoul. Through this event, we also hope that Seoul can become a city where people want to stay long and visit again."

Various events will take place in tandem with the award ceremony: 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; Chefs' Feast for people to meet some of Seoul's best dishes and ingredients and many more.

This year's event will be sponsored by mineral water brands San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The event is expected to bring some 800 industry leaders from around the world together.

Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is a spin-off of 50 Best's World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The Asia spin-off was launched in 2013 to celebrate gastronomy in Asia and act as a guide to diners around the globe coming to Asia. Its ceremonies have previously taken place in key tourist destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok and Macao.

The 2023 awards ceremony took place in Singapore on March 28.

Four Korean restaurants made the 2023 list: Mosu in Yongsan District, central Seoul, ranked No. 15; Onjium in Jongno District, central Seoul, ranked No. 23; Mingles in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, ranked No. 28; and Born & Bredin Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, came in at No. 47.

Bangkok's Le Du, run by chef Thitid Tassanakajohn, was crowned The Best Restaurant in Asia in 2023.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]