101 Best Places to Eat: Asia Pacific

AUSTRALIA

BENTLEY 
Surry Hills. 61-2-9332-2344  
Specialty: Smoked eel parfait

“Bentley blew me away. I had lunch there last year and it completely exceeded my expectations.”  —Margot Janse, Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek, South Africa

GOLDEN CENTURY  
Sydney. 61-2-9212-3901  
Specialty: Steamed barramundi

“Order a lot, order blindly; you will not be disappointed. There’s a reason all the off-duty chefs in Sydney hang out there.”  
—David Chang, Momofuku, New York

HARRY’S CAFE DE WHEELS  
Sydney. 61-2-9357-3074  
Specialty: Tiger curry pie

“They serve the best classic, old-fashioned meat pies.”  
—David Burke, David Burke Kitchen, New York

LONGRAIN  
Melbourne. 61-2-9280-2888  
Specialty: Pork and prawn ‘egg net’

“Immaculate modern Thai from Chef Martin Boetz.”  
—Rene Ortiz, La Condesa, Austin, Texas, and St. Helena, Calif.

MOVIDA BAR DE TAPAS  
Melbourne. 61-3-9663-3038  
Specialty: Anchoa tapas

“One of the best and coolest restaurants in Melbourne. Check out the anchoa—anchovies on a superthin toast with smoked tomato sorbet and little capers. Just hit Melbourne up, it is such a good food town.”  
—Ford Fry, JCT Kitchen, Atlanta

VUE DE MONDE  
Melbourne. 61-3-9691-3888  
Specialty: Cauliflower risotto

“I was just in Australia and was wowed by Vue de Monde. Chef Shannon Bennett’s food is outstanding and I cannot wait to go back.”  
—David Burke, David Burke Townhouse, New York

CHINA

BO INNOVATION Hong Kong. 86-852-28-508-371  
Specialty: Pork Mui Choi

“Delicious Cantonese cuisine done from a modern, global perspective.” 
—Anita Lo, Annisa, New York

CELEBRITY CUISINE  
Hong Kong. 86-852-36-500-000  
Specialty: Shark Fin

“The three dishes that I always order: soup with diced pork, conch shell, and fish airbladder; bird’s nest in a chicken wing; and crispy-skinned chicken doused in hot oil. The skin literally crackles when you sink your teeth into it. Probably the best chicken dish I’ve ever had.”  
—Seiji Yamamoto, Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo

THE CHAIRMAN  
Hong Kong. 86-852-25-552-202  
Specialty: Stir-Fried Pork Neck

“When entering this old area of Hong Kong, it feels like time has stood still. Must-eats include Chairman’s Soy Sauce Chicken with 18 different spices, and Hong Kong Spareribs, with preserved plums and caramelized black vinegar.” —Richard Ekkebus, Amber, Hong Kong

DIMDIM SUM DIMSUM SPECIALTY STORE  
Hong Kong. 86-852-27-717-766  
Specialty: Siu Mai Dumplings

“They have an English menu and a mixed crowd. Try their fried stuffed eggplant; “treasures wrap” of chicken, fish maw, mushrooms, and ginger; and pan-fried tofu skin with chicken and cumin. For the more adventurous: the fried “nine dishes” with pig’s blood and XO sauce.”  
—Richard Ekkebus, Amber, Hong Kong

YU’S FAMILY KITCHEN  
Chengdu. 86-28-8669-1975  
Specialty: Tea-Smoked Duck

“Some of the best Chinese food on the planet—innovative, but within a classical Szechuan framework. Located on Kuanzhai Street, it has six tables in a courtyard setting. Most of the ingredients are grown or foraged on chef Yu Bo’s family farm. The elegant surroundings make you feel like a VIP, and the prices make you think you just got the bargain of the century.”  
—Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods

INDIA

GOPI DINING HALL  
Ahmedabad. 91-79-26-57-63-88  
Specialty: Kathiyawadi Thaali

“A very sweaty affair where your plate is filled with more and more subdji [fried vegetables with cream].”  
—Fergus Henderson, St. John, London

INDIAN ACCENT  
New Delhi. 91-11-43-23-51-51  
Specialty: Foie Gras Galouti

“A modern, fine-dining restaurant that serves Indian food in a contemporary way.”  
—Anurudh Khanna, Fire, the Park New Delhi

KARIM’S  
New Delhi. 91-11-23-26-49-81  
Specialty: Lazeez Murg Saag

“Muslim/Mughlai delicacies in Old Delhi near the famous Jama Masjid mosque.” —Anurudh Khanna, Fire, the Park New Delhi

JAPAN

GAIGAI  
Tokyo. 81-3-35-86-33-35  
Specialty: Barbecued Chicken

“A yakitori restaurant in the Azabu-juban area, the place is a little hard to find—the sign is small and you can’t see the restaurant from the outside. It’s open late (they take orders until 4 a.m.) and serves three types of local chicken—the Nagoya Cochin, Akita Hinai-dori, and the Satsuma Waka-shamo. I usually go for the assortment of chicken sashimi.”  
—Seiji Yamamoto, Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo

HASSHO  
Hiroshima. 81-8-22-48-17-76  
Specialty: Savory Omelettes

“A very popular okonomiyaki spot with a long line—but it’s worth the wait. Try one with meat and noodles.”  
—Masaharu Morimoto, of the Food Network’s Iron Chef

SUKIYABASHI JIRO  
Tokyo. 81-3-35-35-36-00  
Specialty: Toro Sushi

“The best sushi on earth.”  
—Eric Ripert, Le Bernardin, New York

KAHALA  
Osaka. 81-6-63-45-67-78  
Specialty: Iga Beef Dish

“Love the pristine quality of the food and how beautifully it is presented.” —David Bouley, Bouley, New York

SUSHI SHIN  
Tokyo Nishi-Azabu Building  
Specialty: Angler-Fish Terrine

“A 12-seat bar with a Zen-like atmosphere. Best sushi of your life. Exquisite selections. Be sure to start with tsumami and order some sake.”  
—David Myers, Comme Ça, Los Angeles

TORITAMA  
Tokyo. 81-3-57-95-29-50  
Specialty: Misaki (Chicken Tail)

“This yakitori restaurant rocks! Incredible boutique shochu selection as well as sake. And of course, the yakitori is amazing.”  
—David Myers, Comme Ça, Los Angeles

SINGAPORE

IMPERIAL TREASURE SUPER PEKING DUCK  
Singapore. 65-67-32-78-38  
Specialty: Crab Meat and Roe

“The Peking duck is one of the best I’ve ever had. Other dishes I enjoy: braised goose web, and whole crispy chicken stuffed with rice and mushrooms.” —Ignatius Chan, owner of Iggy’s, the Hilton Hotel, Singapore

SUNGEI ROAD LAKSA  
Singapore - On Kelantan Lane 
Specialty: Spicy Noodle Soup

“Started in 1956, this food-stall vendor still uses charcoal to boil his laksa soup, and the price is still only $2! It’s the place where I can find the most authentic laksa flavor in Singapore.”  
—André Chiang, Restaurant Andre, Singapore

WAKU GHIN  
Singapore 65-66-88-85-07  
Specialty: Shrimp & Sea Urchin

“I particularly enjoy Chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s Japanese-influenced tasting menu—it features the choicest ingredients. Being the master that he is, the flavors are extremely well calibrated. Just sublime.”  
—Ignatius Chan, Iggy’s, the Hilton Hotel, Singapore

TAIWAN

SASA SUSHI RESTAURANT  
Taipei - Zhongshan N. Road  
Specialty: Fresh Sashimi

“Really flavorful sushi, using all of Taiwan’s local seasonal seafood. It’s comparable to many high-profile Japanese sushi restaurants—you will find the freshest ingredients being presented in a most elegant way, thanks to Chef Yang.”  
—André Chiang, Restaurant Andre, Singapore

THAILAND

BAAN KLANG NAM  
Bangkok. 66-2-682-71-80  
Specialty: Grilled River Lobster

“Great seafood—ask for Bom, the jovial manager. She won’t steer you wrong. I like the deep-fried grouper with fish sauce, the grilled crab, and the crunchy grilled pork jowls. It’s located in an old house that opens up onto the Chao Phraya River.”  
—David Thompson, Nahm, Bangkok

BO.LAN  
Bangkok. 66-2-260-29-62  
Specialty: Green Curry

“Bo and Dylan present traditional, hard-to-find dishes, such as a salad of grilled river prawns and silken eggplant; a smoky curry of beef with cassia leaves; and fish relish with green peppercorns. They are running the most interesting Thai restaurant in Bangkok.” 
—David Thompson, Nahm, Bangkok

JOK’S KITCHEN  
Bangkok. 66-2-221-4075  
Specialty: Steamed Crabs

“Situated in Bangkok’s Chinatown down a hidden alley, Jok’s is helmed by a former crab salesman and specializes in seafood. It books reservations a month out. The menu changes daily, but if there is crab of any type available, don’t miss it.”  
—Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods

WALKING STREET NIGHT MARKET  
Chiang Mai - Ratchadamnoen Road  
Specialty: Food Stall Stir-Fry

“Every Sunday, they set up this market. It’s heaving with locals and foreigners, street performers and artists. And there’s so much amazing street food from tom yum to sai krok, a delicious Thai pork sausage, and fresh durian.”  
—Curtis Stone, host of Top Chef Masters, Bravo TV

VIETNAM

CAFÉ BAZAR  
Hoi An - 84-51-03-91-12-29  
Specialty: Barbecued Pork

“I adopted two little girls from this region, and this is the restaurant I would go to every night for dinner to eat pho soup. All the other guests are Vietnamese—it’s a really true, authentic place.”  
—Hélène Darroze, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught Hotel, London