Tokyo's Narisawa, which combines French cuisine with earthy Japanese tones, was named Asia's best restaurant at the inaugural S.Pelligrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards, held in Singapore on Monday.
Known for his wild imagination, chef Noshihiro Narisawa's restaurant has grown a massive following by serving dishes made with seasonal ingredients. A signature: Wagyu rump roast marinated in leek, basted in olive oil before having its exterior carbonized.
An offshoot of the famed World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants were voted on by a group of more than 900 international members of The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy.
More on CNN: The World's 50 Best Restaurants
The panel is made up of food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and culinary experts.
The top gong wasn't unexpected -- Yoshihiro Narisawa's Tokyo-based restaurant has consistently rated among Asia's highest on the S.Pelligrino global list. Narisawa was ranked 27th on the World’s Best Restaurants 2012 list.
This year saw a version of the awards focus solely on Asia.
Another Tokyo restaurant, Nihonryori Ryugin, placed second. In third is Bangkok's Nahm restaurant -- one of two Thai eateries in the top 10.
Amber restaurant, in the Landmark Mandarin hotel, was fourth, while Singapore's Restaurant Andre rounded out the first five places.
S.Pelligrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants for 2013
1. Narisawa (Tokyo)
2. Nihonryori Ryugin (Tokyo)
3. Nahm (Bangkok)
4. Amber (Hong Kong)
5. Restaurant Andre (Singapore)
6. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana (Hong Kong)
7. Mr & Mrs Bund (Shanghai)
8. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai)
9. Iggy’s (Singapore)
10. Gaggan (Bangkok)
11. Waku Ghin (Singapore)
12. Caprice (Hong Kong)
13. Lung King Heen (Hong Kong)
14. Les Amis (Singapore)
15. Bo Innovation (Hong Kong)
16. Quintessence (Tokyo)
17. Dum Pukht (New Delhi)
18. The Chairman (Hong Kong)
19. Eat Me (Bangkok)
20. Wasabi by Morimoto (Mumbai)
21. Hajime Restaurant (Osaka, Japan)
22. Jaan (Singapore)
23. L’atelier De Joel Robuchon (Hong Kong)
24. L’atelier De Joel Robuchon (Singapore)
25. Hubin Road (Hangzhou, China)
26. Bukhara (New Delhi)
27. Sushi Mizutani (Tokyo)
28. Indigo (Mumbai)
29. Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin (Bangkok)
30.Varq (New Delhi)
31. Aronia de Takazawa (Tokyo)
32. Shinji by Kanesaka (Singapore)
33. Kahala (Osaka, Japan)
34. Franck Bistro (Shanghai)
35. Osteria Mozza (Singapore)
36. Bo.Lan (Bangkok)
37, Robuchon au Dôme (Macau, China)
38. Nihonbashi (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
39. Sushi Saito (Tokyo)
40. Fu1015 (Shanghai)
41. Indian Accent (New Delhi)
42. Ishikawa (Tokyo)
43.Gunther’s (Singapore)
44. Karavalli (Bangalore, India)
45. Jade on 36 (Shanghai)
46. Yardbird (Hong Kong)
47. Don’s (Hanoi, Vietnam)
48. Fook Lam Moon (Hong Kong)
49. Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck (Singapore)
50. Mozaic (Bali, Indonesia)
Have you tried any of the restaurants on this list? Was your favorite eatery overlooked? Share your thoughts on the winners in the comments box below.