L'Atelier tops list of Asia's best restaurants

Joel Robuchon can put another feather in his toque.

He had already been named 'chef of the [20th] century' by the Gault Millau food guide and has more Michelin stars than any other chef (a total of 25 for his restaurants in cities including New York, Las Vegas, London and Paris). Now he has three places - including the No1 spot - in the Miele Guide listing of the best restaurants in Asia, in results that were announced yesterday at a gala dinner in Singapore.

Robuchon's restaurants in Asia also claimed three spots in the top-20 list last year, which was the first time Miele came out with the guide. But the Michelin two-star L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, at the Landmark in Central, swapped places with Iggy's in Singapore, which was voted top restaurant on last year's list.

This year's No3 spot was awarded to the Michelin three-star Robuchon a Galera in Macau (No6 last year). At No20 was the Michelin two-star L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo, which dropped from 13th place last year.

A total of five Hong Kong restaurants made it into the top 20. The others were: Yung Kee (10th, two places down on last year); Nobu (up one place to 15th); Caprice at the Four Seasons (down five spots to 16th); and Fook Lam Moon in Wan Chai (down one to 19th).

Three mainland restaurants made it into the top 20: Laris in Shanghai (8th); Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant (12th); and M on the Bund in Shanghai (14th).