THEWORLDS50BEST EXCLUSIVE 2025 / PART 2 / Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025: The 51-100 List Revealed / By Rachael Hogg / Publisher TheWorlds50Best

No.89 Dum Pukht
New Delhi

Opened in 1988, Dum Pukht at the ITC Maurya hotel has preserved and honoured the culinary traditions of the Awadhi nawabs for more than 30 years.

At its heart is master chef Ghulam Qureshi, a fifth generation cook who joined the hotel in 1977 and learnt everything he knows about dum cooking – the ancient art of slow-roasting food in a sealed pot called a handi – from his father.

The biryani is an absolute must order, along with the kakori kebabs, soft and squidgy breads and shahi tukra (bread pudding).

No.88 The Table – RE-ENTRY
Mumbai
@thetable_colaba

With inspiration from all over Asia, the Americas and Europe, The Table offers an eclectic and extensive selection of global food.

The restaurant presents a menu of small and large sharing plates such as sweet and sour fried brussels sprouts, yellowfin tuna tataki, pork belly buns and shrimp dumplings with spicy ginger broth. Low lighting, cosy seating and excellent cocktails make it ideal for a special occasion, but it’s equally suitable for a casual lunch or brunch.

No.87 Inja – NEW ENTRY
New Delhi
@injarestaurant

Inja blends the rich traditions of India and Japan in its whole concept, from the food to the restaurant interior, where minimalist design sits alongside vibrant pieces.

The unique concept marries the delicate, technique-driven approach of Japanese cooking with the rich, complex flavours of Indian cuisine.

The result is an experience that is both refined and approachable, with standout dishes from chef Adwait Anantwar including the shiso leaf tuna and pomelo chaat, and lobster rasam chawanmushi, alongside a tasting menu.

No.86 Doi Ka Noi – NEW ENTRY
Vientiane
@doikanoi

Ponpailin ‘Noi’ Kaewduangdee was born in 1980 in Pon Paeng village in central Laos. The second iteration of her restaurant, Doi Ka Noi, opened in 2016 and serves a small weekly changing menu of around 10 dishes, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.

The focus is on regional, seasonal Lao cuisine and includes dishes from the country’s Indigenous groups, with many recipes and ingredients seldom found elsewhere.

Ingredients are bought in the local morning market, grown in the restaurant’s organic garden or foraged. Noi is the first and currently only Lao member of the global food movement, Slow Food, and the restaurant is the first in Laos to appear on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants extended list.

No.85 Ensue
Shenzhen
@ensue_sz

American chef Christopher Kostow opened Ensue in 2019. The kitchen is run by chef Jeff Wu, who blends Cantonese flavours with Western techniques. Ensue features an incredible backdrop: perched on the 40th floor, it’s high enough to overlook the city of Shenzen while also glimpsing the magnificent mountain landscape beyond.

The food is focused on organic products, natural simplicity and finding the best season to present them. This philosophy is combined with the ingredients, traditions and techniques of China in dishes like fish maw, bitter melon and onion.

No.84 Dewakan
Kuala Lumpur
@dewakanmy

A portmanteau of the Malay words for ‘god’ and ‘food’, Dewakan’s mission is to honour the bounty and blessing given to the land. Chef Darren Teoh uses his dishes to express a deep connection to the Indigenous people of Malaysia, while applying a modern twist.

The restaurant is located on the 48th floor of Naza Tower, offering a spectacular view over the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow the light to stream in, adding to the bright and luxurious atmosphere of the dining room.

No.83 Hajime – RE-ENTRY
Osaka
@hajime.restaurant

Cameras are forbidden behind the contemporary glass doors of Hajime, which is tucked away in a quiet side street in Osaka’s Nishi district.

Design engineer-turned-chef Hajime Yoneda focuses on the meaning of life through food. His signature dish, Planet Earth, is quite the feat, with an almost incomprehensible 110 different vegetables, grains and herbs meticulously arranged around shellfish foam to represent land and sea.

The tasting menu is prepared a day in advance of diners’ arriving.

No.82 Xin Rong Ji (Nanyang Road)
Shanghai

In a traditional Shanghai Mansion, Xin Rong Ji has a classic, almost timeless, appeal. Packed with lacquered wood furniture and moody-hued upholstery, the entrance of the dining room is dominated by a fish tank and display of seafood where guests are encouraged to choose their own dinner, with daily deliveries of top-quality ingredients coming in from Taizhou. One of multiple restaurants in Shanghai’s Xin Rong Ji group, the restaurant specialises in both Taizhou and Cantonese cuisines.

No.81 Wana Yook
Bangkok
@wana.yook

Chalee Kader’s menu shares its DNA with khao gaeng, the culture of ‘curry on rice’ found in eateries across the country. But here, in a delightful colonial house setting – complete with antique furniture and stained glass – guests witness its evolution to fine-dining standards. Across 12 courses, Kader travels the country, flexing his perspective on regional stalwarts with a deep respect for Thai culinary traditions. He takes key elements, and reimagines them entirely. His layering of flavour is something to behold and the stylish plating is a pretty as a picture.

No.80 Blue by Alain Ducasse
Bangkok
@bluebyalainducasse

Executive chef Wilfrid Hocquet has trained in many prestigious kitchens around the world, including the legendary Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

At Blue, you can expect imaginative, yet disciplined cooking, and seamless, polished hospitality, staying true to Ducasse’s unwavering standard. Overlooking the Chao Phraya River, the restaurant enjoys one of the best views in Bangkok, with the majestic royal blue dining room as much of a highlight as the French food.