Thitid Tassanakajohn: 'People thought I was crazy'

A gathering of chefs rarely needs an excuse for a party, but Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, provided the perfect opportunity.

After more than three years without a full-scale ceremony due to Covid, there was a tangible energy in the air at the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore as more than a hundred of the continent's top chefs joined 700 other guests to mark what represents the 10th anniversary since the awards launched – fittingly enough, also in Singapore – back in 2013.

Once the votes cast by more than 300 members of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy had been tallied, Le Du in Bangkok from chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn came out on top. The modern Thai-inspired eatery with French accents has long been a champion of local produce and Chef Ton was quick to thank his team and suppliers who have been integral to his success.

"It's unreal for me right now. It means so much to me and my team back home, but also my farmers and my fishermen as we've only used local ingredients since day one. This is our 10th anniversary as well and when I started using only local produce in 2013, people thought I was crazy, that no one would pay money to eat local ingredients," he said.

_{A dish at Le Du}

The award certainly marks a vindication of his vision, but also remarkably represents his second restaurant to make the top five places. His other Bangkok restaurant, Nusara, claimed fifth spot for what he called "A memory for my grandmother, more traditional and rooted to Thai cuisine."

Le Du's victory marks its seventh straight year in the top 50, but also the sixth time in a decade that the Thai capital has come out on top of the awards. No fewer than nine restaurants in the city made the list including the re-entry of Gaggan Anand at No.5, Sorn at No.9 and the famed and iconic goggle-wearing street food heroine of Raan Jay Fai at No.38.

As the top 10 were counted down, the pressure was ratcheted up when it came to the final two places, as the host teased the fact that both Le Du and the sublime French fine dining spot Sézanne in Tokyo from British chef Daniel Calvert were winners in their respective countries. Ultimately, however, it was Chef Ton who was called back up on stage to take the plaudits, the trophy and the acclaim.

In total, restaurants from 19 cities across Asia were represented. Singapore also boasted nine entries on the list, including Labyrinth at No.11 which won the Highest Climber Award, while Hong Kong had five restaurants make the grade.

_{The dining room at Le Du in Bangkok}

A community reunited

As much, if not more so, than the awards themselves, many chefs mentioned that meeting their friends and peers in person – after a brutal three-year stretch for the industry – was the most important part of the evening.

Ricardo Chaneton, a Venezuelan chef at the highly-regarded Mono in Hong Kong which claimed the No. 41 spot, put it succinctly when he said: "It's been three years in a row without 50 Best, so this feels like the first time. We can also finally put a face on all the work we've been doing for three years at our restaurant Mono since we opened."

Pipped at the post at No.2, Daniel Calvert from Tokyo's Sézanne said: "For everyone to be back together, so many people you haven't seen for three or four years, it shows that 50 Best is not about the ranking at all – it's about the community more than anything."

French chef Maxime Gilbert from Écriture in Hong Kong noted it was "The chance to come and gather all together again, to meet up with friends – it's the best thing to come back to life again."

A different tack came from Aditi Dugar and Varun Totlani from Masque in Mumbai – India's best restaurant at No. 16 – who explained they were thrilled that Indian food is having its moment and that the restaurant business is back with a vengeance: "People are more experimental and want to go out more, demand for experiences is through the roof."

Elsewhere, Chef Hans Christian and seasoned hotelier Budi Cahyadi from August in Jakarta were named the winner of The American Express One To Watch award, explaining: "It's great to be here, the feeling is still not sinking in! We've been following 50 Best since way back, so being part of it is such a privilege – we're very honoured."

Manila’s Toyo Eatery re-entered the list at No.42 and also claimed the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award, thanks to Chef-owner Jordy Navarra's gentle advocacy for conservation and preservation, celebrating the unique terroirs and produce from across The Philippines.

Louisa Lim from Odette in Singapore earned the title of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona, while Della Tang of Ensue in Shenzhen won the inaugural Beronia Asia's Best Sommelier Award. Another chef from The Philippines, Joanne Siy from Lolla in Singapore took home the Best Female Chef Award and drew considerable applause by saying that she looks forward to a future where her award will be “obsolete”.