Lamdre is Asia’s One to Watch 2024

Beijing’s Lamdre restaurant has been named as the One to Watch ahead of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

The vegetarian restaurant, inspired by Tibetan Buddhism and with chef Dai Jun at the helm, offers a tranquil respite from the busy streets of Sanlitun, the neighbourhood in which it's located. Lamdre is the first venture of restaurateur Zhao Jia and only opened at the end of 2022.

Dishes are beautifully plated, with only the best seasonal produce used, and on occasion, eggs and dairy. Find out more in the video below. 

The One to Watch award is one of three special prizes announced ahead of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony, alongside the Icon and Best Female Chef awards. The unveiling of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 will take place in Seoul, South Korea for the first time, on 26 March.

Chef-owner Danny Yip of the celebrated Cantonese restaurant The Chairman in Hong Kong is the winner of the Icon Award. 

The Chairman, which topped the list in 2021 – the first Chinese restaurant to do so – is revered globally for its innovative take on Cantonese food, informed by chef Yip’s studious approach to cooking.

Yip gave up a career in tech to open the restaurant in 2009 and with collaborator Kwok Keung Tung has crafted a cuisine that creatively celebrates traditional Cantonese culture.

A standout dish is The Chairman’s fresh flowery crab with aged Shaoxing wine, fragrant chicken oil and flat rice noodles, which is also Yip’s favorite but the hardest to get right, as he told us in this interview.

Pichaya 'Pim' Soontornyanakij, of Bangkok's Potong restaurant, is the winner of the Best Female Chef Award 2024.

Michelin-starred Potong, meaning ‘simple’, currently at number 35 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, celebrates Soontornyanakij’s Thai-Chinese heritage. The restaurant’s 20-course tasting menu is based around five elements – salt, acid, spice, texture, and the Maillard reaction – with dishes such as Rayong shrimp with pickled radish, tamarind and rice noodle; and banana with chicken liver.

Soontornyanakij is celebrated for her work with female chefs in Thailand, including her scholarship programme (Women for Women or WFW) with the non-profit American Women's Club of Thailand, helping women in rural areas to pursue a career in cooking.

"This award goes beyond personal achievement – it celebrates my beliefs, respect for heritage, and a relentless pursuit to better myself. May this accolade inspire young female chefs to break barriers and ignite grand culinary dreams," said the chef in a press release. 

This article was updated on 05/03/2024.