Well it sure is a happy Tuesday for Shanghai's leading French chef and 2015 That's Shanghai Food & Drink Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Paul Pairet: both his restaurants, Ultraviolet and Mr & Mrs Bund made it onto the 2016 edition of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list at #7 and #28 respectively.
Sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, this year's announcement saw just three Mainland restaurants make the grade to the Asia specific version of the list, the other being Tony Lu's fine dining Chinese vegetarian concept Fu He Hui at #18.
Another honor bestowed to Pairet this year was the Chef's Choice Award. Voted for by top chefs globally, the award waxed lyrical about Mr & Mrs Bund's "super-relaxed service styles" and Ultraviolet's pioneering efforts towards experiential dining.
The Asia-specific list is sister to the global edition, dubbed the 'World's 50 Best Restaurants,' which has courted criticizm in the past for favoring fine dining, predominantly French or European-influenced restaurants run by overwhelmingly white, male chefs. The list has also drawn scrutiny for its lack of restrictions over how members pay for their meals. Voted for by Diner's Club members, an "influential group of almost 1,000 leaders in the restaurant community," regional panels like the Asia's 50 Best list are made up of "food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded 'gastronomes.'"
The list also comes just weeks after rumors swirled of a possible Michelin Guide debut in Shanghai later in 2016, though nothing has been confirmed. If verified, implementation of the Michelin starring system may see the city's restaurants draw more attention from the 'World's 50 Best' voters, meaning more Shanghai restaurants could be on the list in future.
Read more: Sorry China, the 'Best' Restaurant in Your Country is Run by a Foreigner
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