High Life

HIGH LIFE 47 Amber in Hong Kong, finishing seventh overall, is named The Best Restaurant in China for a third successive year. The nine Hong Kong restaurants on the list include such perennials as 8 1⁄2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana at number 13, Ta Vie – rising 17 places to number 16 – and Lung King Heen at 24 as well as two newcomers, Neighborhood at 32 and Belon at 40. Hong Kong’s The Chairman (22) and Mume in Taipei (18) tie for the Highest Climber Award with both restaurants rising 25 places. Macau is represented by Jade Dragon at City of Dreams, coming in at number 35, while mainland China counts Shanghai restaurantsUltraviolet byPaul Pairet at 8 and FuHe Hui at 30. Rising four places to number five, chef Julien Royer’s Odette takes the title of The Best Restaurant in Singapore. Singapore claims seven entries on the list, including Burnt Ends (12), Waku Ghin (23), Les Amis (29), Corner House (36) and Jaan (44) as well as first-time entryWhitegrass which rounds out the list in 50th spot. Overall runner-up Den rises nine places to earn the title of The Best Restaurant in Japan, replacing five-time title holder Narisawa which comes inatnumber six. The top 10 also includes Florilège (3) and Nihonryori RyuGin (9). Tokyo-based Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is a newcomer to the list – lands at number 28. La Cime in Osaka makes its debut on the list at 17, earning the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles. With a menu dedicated to modern French cuisine, Chef Yusuke Takada sources local, seasonal ingredients to present dishes of impeccable style and refinement. Japanese chefs and restaurants were recognized inseveral individual award categories. Acclaimed chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is this year’s recipient of the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm. For two decades, Narisawa has earned the respect of his peers with his refined dishes and ability to blend French cooking techniques, employ sustainable practices and honor Japanese culinary traditions. Ranked 20th on the 2018 list, L’Effervescence in Tokyo has won the inaugural Sustainable Restaurant Award in Asia. The award is given to the restaurant with the highest environmental and social responsibility rating, as determined by audit partner, the Sustainable Restaurant Association.