Nadodi has nabbed the 62nd spot on Asia’s 50 Best restaurants' extended list (Photo: Nadodi)
A week ago, the omakase-inspired Eat and Cook restaurant in Bukit Jalil scooped up 2022’s American Express One To Watch Award — this you already know. But the sound of champagnes popping and glasses clinking is not ending so soon as two Malaysian restaurants have nabbed a spot on the Asia’s Best Restaurant extended list just recently.
Nadodi rose up the ranks to No. 62, as compared with last year’s No.99. Newcomer to the list but a veteran in the fine dining scene, Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar is now placed at No.93. Eat and Cook, on the other hand, is at No. 81. The extended list of 51 to 100 is a run up to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, which will be announced on March 29.
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Fine-dining restaurant Nadodi, dubbed the “disruptors of South Indian cuisine”, posted a note of gratitude on its Facebook page yesterday, “We are thankful and honoured to be recognised on the list of Asia’s 50 Best restaurants, and to be among many esteemed colleagues and friends from all over the world, including Malaysia’s own Eat and Cook, and Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar. We also want to thank our team for their dedication for providing the best dining experience possible, one customer at a time.”
Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar, on the other hand, needs no introduction. It is not easy to win over the French, but diners have long been enthralled by the way chef Takashi Kimura — who has helmed the kitchen for more than 20 years — has mastered the culinary vernacular. Catering for KLites with roving palates, the fine-dining restaurant has been serving European classics with food presentation that echoes Japanese minimalism. Every dish that exits the kitchen seems to rely on a kind of lyricism, from cold pasta with cod roe and shirako to a robustly flavoured grilled wagyu with veal viennoise.
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With the results of Asia’s 50 Best closing in, all eyes are now on Dewakan and Gēn 根 of Penang, which ranked No. 66 and No.92 respectively for the extended list in 2021. Dewakan nabbed the 46th spot back in 2019.
“This year’s 51-100 list features 25 new entries and turns the spotlight on the region’s emerging talent. We’re thrilled to share this list to showcase the breadth and diversity of Asia’s gastronomic scene as well as new culinary trends,” said Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Director of Content William Drew.
Young chefs, with their ambitious vision to put Malaysian cuisine on the map, are coming into ascendance as they intrepidly make their way through the roughest patch the restaurant business had to endure for the past two pandemic years. Together, they reflect the rich mosaic of our dining scene, whether they are in their prime or at their creative peak. Bagging an award, or not, they have united for a common cause: To beckon us back to the table.
Click here to see the full list of winners.
Tune in for the big reveal on March 29, 5pm via Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants' Facebook or their YouTube channel.
