Asia’s hottest Michelin-starred restaurants right now

The Michelin Guide turns 100 this year. It began as a practical handbook for French motorists, listing places to refuel, repair a car, stop for the night, before evolving into something far more consequential. Today, a single star can define a restaurant's reputation, draw international travellers, and reshape a city's dining scene.

That influence is unmistakable across Asia. But what stands out right now isn't just the presence of coveted stars; it's how chefs are working within and around that framework. Old techniques like fermentation and slow cooking are being reimagined. Regional cuisines are being dismantled and rebuilt into tasting menus. Here's where that the is most visible.

Sühring, Bangkok

Part of the Relais & Châteaux family and set in a restored 1970s villa, Sühring is run by twins Mathias Sühring and Thomas Sühring.

“We keep the heart of German cooking,” they say, “but make it feel current, relaxed, and full of character.” That shows up in dishes that begin with familiar references such as childhood flavours, but are reworked.

Bangkok, too, has shaped the kitchen. “Identifying quality local producers has let us stay true to our cuisine while adapting to what’s available,” they explain.

The Enleta tells their story. "The first thing we ate in the new part of the city was a Hanuta, a hazelnut wafer; it became our favourite snack," they recall of post-Wall Berlin. At Sühring, that memory returns as a crisp wafer filled with duck liver and apricot. “It’s nostalgic, but also about transforming something familiar into something unexpected.”

Narisawa, Tokyo

A similar sense of philosophy-driven cooking defines Narisawa. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa builds his menu around the idea of Satoyama, the traditional Japanese landscape where human life and nature exist in balance. The menu shifts with the seasons, guided by what’s available.

“We use seasonal ingredients rooted in Satoyama: wild mountain vegetables, traditional fermentation, and the stories of producers,” he says.

One of the most recognisable elements of the meal is the bread course, where dough ferments and bakes at the table. Other dishes take a more layered form. “Rich Harvest”, which arrives under a cloth, reveals smoked Spanish mackerel with puffed rice and sauces, echoing landscape and season. “Tsubaki & Koji”, a dessert centred on fermentation, combines camellia leaves, petal jelly and amazake.

Potong, Bangkok

At Potong, chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij builds her cooking around five elements: salt, acid, spice, texture, and the Maillard reaction. This framework gives the menu a clear structure, while the food remains rooted in Thai-Chinese traditions.

“Thai-Chinese cuisine has been part of life in Thailand for generations,” she says. At Potong, that familiarity is refined through aging, roasting, braising and stock-making drawn from Chinese kitchens, balanced with Thai principles of flavour.

A 14-day aged duck brings these ideas together: crisp skin, concentrated flavour, and precise control. Inspired by Chinese roasting, it reflects her broader approach: “how heritage and modern precision can work together on the plate.”

Mingles, Seoul

At Mingles in Seoul, chef Mingoo Kang’s cooking is built around traditional Korean fermented sauces such as doenjang, ganjang and gochujang. These form the base of the menu, shaping both flavour and structure.

The dishes tend to be understated, relying on layering rather than contrast. Seasonality plays an important role. One of the defining dishes is the Mingling Pot, a modern take on Korea’s nourishing boyangshik (broth) that combines dried seafood, vegetables and other elements into a concentrated, savoury base.

Wing, Hong Kong

At Wing in Hong Kong, chef Vicky Cheng works across China’s eight major culinary traditions—Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Shandong, bringing them together into a single tasting menu underpinned by European techniques.

This could easily become fragmented, but the structure keeps it cohesive. Each dish draws from a specific regional reference while adjusting elements such as texture and presentation. For example, spiced Alaskan king crab, served with fluffy cheung fun (rice rolls) and spring onions, offer familiar flavours in a European-style plating.

La Cime, Osaka

At La Cime, chef Yusuke Takada’s menu seems shaped by his classical training in France. But the ingredients he uses are Japanese: seaweed, miso, and regional seafood.

Takada’s cuisine reflects a clear methodology: applying French technique to Japanese produce, allowing contrasts to emerge.

Nowhere is this philosophy more evident than in his signature Boudin Dog, a striking, single bite of blood sausage made jet black with edible bamboo charcoal. The dish embodies keikoshoukon, honouring French tradition through Japanese innovation, transforming the familiar boudin noir (blood sausage) into something both unexpected and respectful.

Odette, Singapore

Set within the National Gallery Singapore, Odette is led by chef Julien Royer. His approach has its roots in a classical French foundation, but his ingredients are sourced from across Asia and Europe, depending on the season and producers.

The menu stands out for “restraint”, with each dish beginning with a clear idea, and everything on the plate following that lead. The standout is the layered jade tiger abalone, where foie gras turns up in the form of a delicate, herb-laced broth inspired by Vietnamese pho, and is offset by the gentle chew of abalone.

Teja Lele writes on travel and lifestyle.