“It’s like you get what you want, and you don’t expect it again and again, and again." He did, however, affirm that his success reflects the importance of innovation. “It’s not about a recipe or a dish but how you innovate in that 150sqm (space) that you have, and how it impacts every diner that comes there.

“And that innovation is a continuous process … every four months we decide to change the menu, and when we change the menu, 80 per cent of the dishes are thrown to the garbage; and that’s what you sacrifice to be where I am.”

Following closely are equally creative restaurants with a bold approach to creating a memorable dining experience. At No. 2 is Zaiyu Hasegawa’s Den, Japan’s best restaurant, while the third spot went to another Japanese innovator, Florilege in Tokyo, Japan, led by chef Hiroyasu Kawate’s imaginative modern French cooking. The highest placing for a Singapore restaurant is Odette, which climbed four spots to secure their position at No. 5 on the list.

Of course, many were excited to see native chefs make their mark, such as Thailand’s Bongkoch ‘Bee’ Satongun of Paste restaurant in Bangkok, which debuts at No. 31. She was this year’s Best Female Chef award recipient, and is noted for her focus on reviving age-old recipes and putting a progressive and personal spin on them. The win reminded some of the previous recipient and Bangkok’s other native innovator Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava of Bo.Lan who was honoured in 2013. Her restaurant, however, dropped 18 places to No. 37.

Though no restaurant from the Philippines made the list this year, chef-owner Jordy Navarra’s Toyo Eatery in Manila was honoured with this year’s Miele One To Watch award. “With a menu celebrating local culture and traditional dishes, Navarra is a young talent who is advancing the cuisine with creative flair and a progressive approach, but also with precision and attention to detail,” shares William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. 

This year also saw major movements and long-overdue recognition of Hong Kong players, with T.Dining Top 20 Best Restaurants awardees Belon and Neighborhood entering the list for the first time, and T.Dining's two-time best pastry chef winner Nicolas Lambert voted as Asia's Best Pastry Chef. 

Here’s a quick look at this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants:

1. Gaggan, Bangkok Thailand 
2. Den, Tokyo, Japan
3. Florilege, Tokyo, Japan
4. Suhring, Bangkok, Thailand
5. Odette, Singapore
6.  Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
7. Amber, Hong Kong, China
8. Ultraviolet, Shanghai, China
9. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
10. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
11. Mingles, Seoul, Korea
12. Burnt Ends, Singapore
13. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China
14. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand
15. Raw, Taipei, Taiwan
16. Ta Vie, Hong Kong, China
17. La Cime, Osaka, Japan
18. Mume, Taipei, Taiwan
19. Indian Accent, New Delhi, India
20. L'Effervescence, Tokyo, Japan
21. Locavore, Bali, Indonesia
22. The Chairman, Hong Kong, China
23. Waku Ghin, Singapore
24. Lung King Heen, Hong Kong, China
25. Ministry of Crab, Colombo, Sri Lanka
26. Jungsik, Seoul, Korea
27. Sushi Saito, Tokyo Japan
28. Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin, Tokyo, Japan
29. Les Amis, Singapore 
30. Fu He Hui, Shanghai, China
31. Paste, Bangkok, Thailand
32. Neighborhood, Hong Kong, China
33. Eat Me, Bangkok, Thailand
34. Hajime, Osaka, Japan
35. Jade Dragon, Macau, China
36. Corner House, Singapore 
37. Bo.Lan, Bangkok, Thailand
38. Quintessence, Tokyo, Japan
39. Issaya Siamese Club, Bangkok, Thailand 
40. Belon, Hong Kong, China
41. Ronin, Hong Kong, China
42. TocToc, Seoul, Korea
43. The Dining Room at The House On Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand
44. Jaan, Singapore
45. Nihonbashi, Colombo, India
46. Caprice, Hong Kong, China
47. Shoun RyuGin, Taipei, Taiwan
48. La Maison de la Nature Goh, Fukuoka, Japan
49. Wasabi By Morimoto, Mumbai, India
50. Whitegrass, Singapore

For more details about Asia' 50 Best Restaurants 2018, visit the official website.

With additional reporting from Charmaine Mok