March 25, 2026 · Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong · 1,000+ industry gues
Can I confess a small bias of mine? I don’t entirely trust people who claim not to care about restaurant rankings. We all care. We pretend we’re above it, right up until someone mentions they’ve eaten somewhere on the list — and then, suddenly, we’re all ears and mild envy.
So indulge me, because this year’s list is a good one.
For the first time in its fourteen-year history, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants brought its ceremony to Hong Kong — a city so densely packed with culinary talent that the only real surprise was how long the invitation took to arrive. Frankly, it’s a bit like finally inviting the best cook in the family to host Christmas: you wonder what took everyone so long.
And Hong Kong did what a confident host does. It won. Not politely, not by a whisker — it took the top two spots outright. This, remember, is a city fresh off a year in which it also claimed the world’s best bar and world’s best hotel. At this point, it’s less “having a moment” and more quietly collecting the whole set.
Here’s what unfolded, and what I make of it.
What actually happened
- The Chairman — Danny Yip’s fiercely focused temple to Cantonese cooking — took the crown as Asia’s No.1, reclaiming a title it last held in 2021. Proper hometown triumph.
- Wing, chef Vicky Cheng’s contemporary Chinese restaurant, came in right behind at No.2 — a clean Hong Kong one-two.
- Here’s my favourite detail: the two restaurants sit in the same building. Yip, accepting his award, joked that the plot must have very good feng shui. Honestly, I’d have said the same.
- Bangkok’s Gaggan, last year’s champion, slipped gracefully to third — proof that even at the very top, nobody gets to stand still.
How I read it
Three things struck me, and only one of them is really about dinner.
The centre of gravity has moved. When the world’s food establishment flies to your city and then hands you the top two prizes, that’s not a fluke — that’s a global conversation quietly relocating to your doorstep. I find these shifts fascinating because they rarely announce themselves loudly. They happen, one accolade at a time, until one morning you look up and the map’s been redrawn.
Tradition, done properly, still wins. Both of the top two were rooted in heritage Chinese cooking — not novelty, not theatrics, not a foam you need a diagram to understand. There’s a quiet lesson tucked in there that reaches well past the kitchen: master the fundamentals brilliantly, and you’ll outlast every passing gimmick. It’s true of cooking. It’s true of investing. It’s true of most things worth doing.
A great meal is never just a meal. These ceremonies have become tourism and soft-power events — a calling card for an entire city. Which chimes with something I keep coming back to: the older I get, the more convinced I am that the real luxuries aren’t things at all. They’re experiences, tables, long afternoons. It’s exactly why I’d argue we should all collect afternoons rather than objects — and why I remain a firm believer that the long lunch is a genuine power move, not a guilty indulgence.
The mood in one line
Assured, celebratory, and quietly proud — a city that has always known its own worth finally hearing the rest of the world say it out loud. And being Hong Kong, it barely needed the applause to believe it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sudden and inexplicable urge to book a table.
The Jacqueline Brand — knowledge builds confidence, confidence builds wealth. This is editorial commentary for inspiration, not financial or professional advice. Always do your own research. The Collection
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