This year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list has named Le Du in Bangkok the best restaurant in Asia. The restaurant features a simple yet modern dining area and offers creative adaptations of Thai dishes. It is owned and led by Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, a renowned Thai chef.
Two restaurants from the Philippines are on the list. Toyo Eatery and Metiz took the 42nd and 48th spots, respectively.
After ranking 94th last year, Toyo Eatery is making a comeback this year. It offers both à la carte and tasting menus that showcase Filipino ingredients in innovative ways, utilizing fermentation and preservation techniques to produce bold and distinct flavors. The restaurant’s standout dish is the Bahay Kubo, a distinctive salad that comprises 18 vegetables and is named after a popular Tagalog children’s folk song. In addition, Toyo Eatery’s menu features creative interpretations of traditional street food, such as the three-way served pork barbecue, as well as the Tortang Talong, an eggplant omelet served with banana catsup.
Metiz, on the other hand, is a first-timer on the list. The restaurant is the brainchild of Filipino chef Stephan Duhesme, who returned to the Philippines after traveling the world. The restaurant is a tribute to Filipino cuisine and utilizes solely local ingredients. The name “Metiz” is derived from the French term “mestizo,” which describes individuals of mixed Filipino and foreign heritage, reflecting the chef’s own background and the blending of influences in Filipino cuisine.
According to 50 Best, the must-try dishes at Metiz are tofu with fermented pineapple, aged tanigue (mackerel) with fermented rice and mushroom, and banana leaf cake with rice and fresh and fermented white beans.
Both Toyo Eatery and Metiz are located on Chino Roces Ave. in Makati City.
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023 – Full list
- Le Du (Bangkok)
- Sezanne (Tokyo)
- Nusara (Bangkok)
- Den (Tokyo)
- Gaggan Anand (Bangkok)
- Odette (Singapore)
- Florilege (Tokyo)
- La Cime (Osaka)
- Sorn (Bangkok)
- Narisawa (Tokyo)
- Labyrinth (Singapore)
- Sazenka (Tokyo)
- The Chairman (Hong Kong)
- Villa Aida (Wakayama, Japan)
- Mosu (Seoul)
- Masque (Mumbai)
- Meta (Singapore)
- Fu He Hui (Shanghai)
- Indian Accent (New Delhi)
- Ode (Tokyo)
- Zen (Singapore)
- Suhring (Bangkok)
- Onjium (Seoul)
- Burnt Ends (Singapore)
- Euphoria (Singapore)
- Cloudstreet (Singapore)
- Les Amis (Singapore)
- Mingles (Seoul)
- Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
- Avartana (Chennai, India)
- Ensue (Shenzhen, China)
- Cenci (Kyoto, Japan)
- Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh (Bangkok)
- Da Vittorio (Shanghai)
- Potong (Bangkok)
- Born (Singapore)
- Wing (Hong Kong)
- Raan Jay Fai (Bangkok)
- Wing Lei Palace (Macao)
- Anan Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
- Mono (Hong Kong)
- Toyo Eatery (Makati)
- Sichuan Moon (Macao)
- 44.L’Effervescence (Tokyo)
- Mume (Taipei)
- Baan Tepa (Bangkok)
- Born & Bred (Seoul)
- Metiz (Makati)
- Caprice (Hong Kong)
- Refer (Beijing)
