The Tatler Best of Asia Takeover Series recently transformed Bangkok into a hub for culinary and cocktailmaking creativity. From November 22 to 26, the series, in partnership with priceless.com, featured 50 exclusive events headlined by Asia’s top chefs and bartenders to showcase the region’s gastronomic diversity. The event was part of the celebrations for the Tatler Best awards, at which the list of the top 100 restaurants, bars and hotels in Asia was unveiled.
See also: Discover the Tatler Best 100 Awards and Tatler Best In Class Awards
Sean Fitzpatrick, chief experience officer of Tatler Asia, explained, “The Tatler Best of Asia Takeover Series is a way for us to extend the excitement of the Tatler Best awards through experiences. We knew that many chefs and mixologists would be joining us in Bangkok for the ceremonies, so we wanted to make the most of their time and create special pop-ups all around the city so that anyone who happened to be in Bangkok during the event would be able to enjoy these amazing talents.”
The view from Spire Rooftop Bar at Dusit Thani Bangkok
The series saw some of Asia’s most celebrated chefs come together in Bangkok’s premier venues. One of the dining events, for example, featured Julien Royer of Singapore’s Odette, who teamed up with Arnaud Dunand Sauthier at Maison Dunand for a refined French menu that married classical technique with local inspiration. Reflecting on the experience, Royer said, “This was a great opportunity to explore a different side of Asia’s culinary heritage. Chef Arnaud’s cuisine, like ours, is French at heart but infused with a sense of place, which resonated deeply with what we wanted to create.”
Other dining takeovers included Kai Ho of Taipei’s Taïrroir collaboration with Vincent Thierry at Chef’s Table at Lebua for two evenings of inventive dishes that balanced Taiwanese and French flavours with finesse; while Ricardo Chaneton of Hong Kong’s Mono drew from his Latin American roots to craft an innovative menu at the Tiara Room, where Lumphini Park’s skyline added a fitting backdrop to his exploration of culture and cuisine.
Royer’s ethos summed up the spirit of the series. “This beautiful region is a gateway to a rich and diverse melting pot of cultures and cuisines, which makes it a truly inspiring place to cook.”
Ricardo Chaneton of Mono, Hong Kong
Vinod Mudaliyar and Prantik Haldar from The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
Antonio Lai of Quinary, Hong Kong
Patch Marce of Manila’s Toyo Eatery
Demie Kim and Sean Woo of Seoul’s Zest
Kai Ho of Taïrroir, Taipei
Ajit Gurung of Hong Kong’s The Savory Project and Mason Park of Seoul’s Alice Cheongdam
Agung Prabowo of Hong Kong’s Penicillin Bar
The mixology events also shone a light on some of Asia’s best talents in the field. Antonio Lai of Hong Kong’s Quinary dazzled audiences with his molecular cocktails at the Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok’s Firefly Bar and Raynue at Gaysorn Village, showcasing the innovation that has made him a pioneer in the industry. Prantik Haldar of Mumbai’s The Bombay Canteen brought the vibrancy of modern India to the mix, delivering bold cocktails that celebrated his heritage.
Seoul’s Dohyung “Demie” Kim of Zest brought a different energy, crafting cocktails with sustainable ingredients. Reflecting on his participation, Kim said, “It is an honour and a source of pride to join other bars and bartenders representing Asia. I see this as a great opportunity to introduce Korean bars and Zest to all the participants and to foster meaningful exchanges.
“I believe bartenders are not just people who make and serve drinks but professionals who help build drinking culture with their knowledge,” he continued. “Bar culture is continually evolving, and Tatler Best of Asia provides a platform to connect with the public, which I think will help bar culture take another step forward”.
Guests enjoying the Tatler Best of Asia Takeover Series 2024 in Bangkok
While Bangkok set the stage for this series, it’s far from the final chapter. As Fitzpatrick revealed, “Now that the awards are announced, we will continue to activate the winning chefs and mixologists by bringing selections to other cities in Asia so that even more people can enjoy these unique experiences. We already have Takeover Series planned for Phuket, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong in the next six months—and all of them are going to be made available on priceless.com by Mastercard, the experience partner of Tatler Best of Asia.”
The Tatler Best of Asia Takeover Series goes beyond celebration, spotlighting the best of Asia and cementing its rightful place on the global stage. With more cities on the horizon, the journey is only just beginning.
Mastercard joined as the exclusive experience partner, offering guests exclusive access to reservations through Priceless.com, creating truly unforgettable hospitality experiences.
Tatler Best of Asia Takeover Series took place at the following venues: 1970 Bar, Spire Rooftop Bar, The Pavilion, Tiara Room, and Grand Lobby Bar at Dusit Thani Bangkok, Blue by Alain Ducasse at Iconsiam, Raynur at Gaysorn Village, Chef s Table at Lebua at State Tower, Firefly Bar at Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, Nobu Bangkok at EA Rooftop at The Empire, Maison Dunand and Bar Us.
Tatler Best awards is in partnership with Tumi, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Mastercard, The Macallan, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Jagota and Panpuri.
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