For the seventh year running, T.Dining by Hong Kong Tatler hosted the annual Best Restaurants Awards night to celebrate the achievement of the hospitality industry and launch the latest edition of the Best Restaurants guide. More than 400 guests gathered in the grand ballroom of the Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott hotel for a night of food and drink and an electrifying awards ceremony that saw the region's top chefs, mixologists and tastemakers walk the red carpet. Guests were treated to a smorgasbord of culinary delights, including with made-to-order sushi, tacos and an array of delicate desserts from the hotel, and Royal Caviar Club's selection of premium caviar. On the drinks side, guests toasted to each other with a rich array of bespoke gin cocktails from soon-to-open bar The Diplomat; The Singleton whisky Old Fashioned cocktails shaken up by award-winning mixologist Antonio Lai; a spectrum of wines from newly opened Thinkwine bar; Moët champagne; baijiu-infused craft beer from The Baijiu Society; and refreshing fruit sodas from Sanpellegrino.
The award ceremony opened with a heart-thumping video presentation taking guests through a journey of Hong Kong's best restaurants before arriving in the ballroom of Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott hotel, with welcome remarks by Charmaine Mok, Editorial Director for Dining, Tatler Asia who touched upon the importance of supporting the hospitality industry through challenging times.
Spirits were high as the Top 20 Best Restaurants awards were presented by Edipresse Media Asia's Chairman and CEO Michel Lamunière as well as Managing Director Sean Fitzpatrick, with new additions to the list including Amber, Écriture, Sichuan Moon, Somm, Roganic and Roots. The T.Dining team then followed up with the Best Of The Year awards, with Asia Miles' Chief Commercial Officer Lance Kwong presenting the prestigious awards for Best New Restaurant (Readers' Choice) and Best New Bar (Readers' Choice) to Rajasthan Rifles and Saketen respectively.
With beloved local music act DJ Kulu spinning the decks late into the night, the party ended on a high note with many chefs, restaurateurs and industry friends letting loose on the impromptu dance floor.