Must-see restaurants in Southeast Asia

  • SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - 2014/08/23: The interiors of the Cuisine Wat Danmak, the restaurant of French chef Joann?s Rivi?re in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Rivi?re is one of a handful of chefs who is turning the tables in Cambodia by only using locally sourced ingredients bucking the trend in a country whose restaurant industry imports more than 90% of ingredients. Many of the endemic items used by Rivi?re are considered waste or second class product, or have disappeared from markets due to low demand. (Photo by Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Cuisine Wat Damnak

    Siem Reap

    Set in a traditional wooden house is this highly regarded restaurant from Siem Reap celeb chef Joannès Rivière. The menu delivers the ultimate…

  • Van Gogh is Bipolar

    Manila

    Every bit as interesting as it sounds, this chaotic restaurant inhabits a tiny space packed with curios and artworks. It's run by artist Jetro, who cooks…

  • Waku Ghin

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    The refinement and exquisiteness of the 10-course degustation menu by acclaimed chef Tetsuya Wakuda is nothing short of breathtaking. Using only the…

  • Antonio’s

    Around Manila

    One of the finest restaurants in the country, this upscale French-Euro-Filipino eatery offers the chance to rub elbows with politicians and oligarchs over…

  • Saawaan

    Bangkok

    Two exceptionally talented chefs run what can easily be called one of the finest Thai restaurants in the world. Its name meaning 'heaven', this chic…

  • Odette

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    Cementing its place in the upper echelons of Singapore's saturated fine-dining scene, this modern French restaurant keeps people talking with its newly…

  • Le Du

    Bangkok

    A play on the Thai word for 'season', Le Du intertwines Thai dishes with Western flavours, and applies 21st-century deconstructionist cooking techniques…

  • Doi Ka Noi

    Vientiane

    It took one meal for Doi Ka Noi to become one of our favourite restaurants in Laos. With a menu that changes daily (check the restaurant's Facebook page…

  • Coffee Empire

    Manila

    A chic industrial open-plan warehouse setup with hessian sacks of single-origin green beans on display in the glassed-in 'green room', plus drawers of…

  • Holliday Restaurant

    Semarang

    It's easy to see why this two-storey restaurant is permanently packed: the food is exceptionally good! Earning the unreserved recommendation of the local…

  • Isabel

    Kuala Lumpur

    Isabel is pure charm and a great addition to KL's dining scene. Both in terms of its menu and contemporary tropical decor, the restaurant provides a…

  • Nadodi

    Kuala Lumpur

    The recipes and ingredients of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka are the foundation for the sensational tasting menus served at Nadodi (which means nomad)…

  • Patio

    Borobudur

    For a magical hilltop setting enhanced by traditional music, this vintage restaurant, 4km west of Borobudur, is hard to match. Eat in the formal dining…

  • Dining room, National Kitchen by Violet Oon

    National Kitchen by Violet Oon

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    Chef Violet Oon is a national treasure, much loved for her faithful Peranakan dishes – so much so that she was chosen to open a restaurant inside…

  • Nightlife Kuala Lumpur Food

    Jalan Alor

    Kuala Lumpur

    KL's biggest collection of roadside restaurants and street food vendors sprawls along Jln Alor, just north of Jln Bukit Bintang. While a few restaurants…

  • Burnt Ends

    Burnt Ends

    Chinatown & the CBD

    The best seats at this mod-Oz hotspot are at the counter, which offers a prime view of chef Dave Pynt and his 4-tonne, wood-fired ovens and custom grills…

  • BANGKOK, THAILAND - 2010/08/29: The interiors of David Thompson's restaurant, Nahm, in Bangkok. Thompson, an Australian native, is widely regarded as the world's foremost expert in Thai cuisine and cooking. (Photo by Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    nahm

    Bangkok

    In the modern-day melee of top-notch restaurants here, nahm may no longer be on top of the competition, but it's still one of Bangkok's nicest Thai…

  • Interior of OKU

    OKU

    Jakarta

    Inside Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, OKU is an outstanding Japanese dining experience. Its Zen-like minimalist dining room allows the food to stand out. Chef…

  • A Noodle Story

    Chinatown & the CBD

    With a snaking line and proffered apology that 'we may sell out earlier than stipulated timing' on the facade, this one-dish-only stall is a magnet for…

  • Lorong Baru Hawker Stalls

    George Town

    Ask locals where their favourite hawker stalls are and most will pick this night-time street extravaganza. It's a great spot for ikan bakar (grilled…

  • Sühring

    Bangkok

    Twin chefs Mathias and Thomas Sühring from Germany present a mix of family recipes in explosive renditions that could be framed and hung in a modern art…

  • Interior of Common Grounds

    Common Grounds

    Jakarta

    Common Grounds is a pioneer of Melburnian third-wave coffee culture in Jakarta. Its award-winning baristas brew fine coffees roasted in-house, while the…

  • Exterior of Lucky Seven Teahouse

    Lucky Seven

    Yangon

    The most central of this small chain of high-class traditional tea shops, Lucky Seven is much more than a pit stop for a cuppa. Its streetside tables are…

  • Men preparing food, Thip Samai.

    Thip Samai

    Banglamphu

    This institution reputedly serves the definitive version of pàt tai (fried noodles) – period. Every evening, scores of eager diners queue on the pavement…

  • Gianyar Night Market

    East Bali

    The sound of scores of cooking pots and the glare of bright lights add a frenetic and festive clamour to Gianyar's delicious and wonderfully aromatic…

  • Chinatown Complex

    Chinatown & the CBD

    Leave Smith St's revamped 'Chinatown Food Street' to the out-of-towners and join old-timers and foodies at this nearby labyrinth, now home to Michelin…

  • Chaloklum Food Market

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    Ko Pha-Ngan's most authentically local food market is in the far north, where every Sunday in front of the village pier, a series of red tables and chairs…

  • China House

    George Town

    You can't really say you've been out in George Town until you've stepped inside China House. This block-wide amalgamation of shophouses is packed with hip…

  • Rangoon Tea House

    Yangon

    This stylishly designed hipster teahouse is as popular with cashed-up locals as it is with travellers and expats – at peak meal times expect to wait for a…

  • Bali Asli

    East Bali

    The green hills around Amlapura are some of east Bali's most beautiful and Australian chef Penelope Williams takes full advantage of the vistas at her…

  • Lagnaa Barefoot Dining

    Little India & Kampong Glam

    You can choose your level of spice at friendly Lagnaa: level three denotes standard spiciness, level four significant spiciness, and anything above…

  • Eat X Dignity

    Kuala Lumpur

    Barack Obama visited this worthy project run by Dignity, a Malaysian foundation providing education for the poor and refugees. Students gain work…

  • De Soematra 1910

    Surabaya

    Put on your posh frock to come to this highly regarded restaurant. It's set inside a renovated colonial mansion with 6m-high ceilings, chandeliers and…

  • Kunstkring Paleis

    Jakarta

    High tea or cocktails? You can have both, plus a divine Indonesian dinner in between at this alluring re-imagined Dutch colonial mansion, once Batavia's…

  • Dyak

    Kuching

    This elegant restaurant, 2km southeast of Old Chinatown, was the first to treat Dayak home cooking as true cuisine. Classically trained in a Western style…

  • Tree Hugger Cafe

    Dong Hoi

    Splendid Tree Hugger's combo of coffees, juices and Western-style snacks lures throngs of travellers and English-speaking Dong Hoi locals. There are also…

  • Acqua

    Hat Patong

    At Phuket's top Italian restaurant, amid sleek, monochrome decor, you can dine on homebaked focaccia, deliciously creamy buffalo mozzarella and house-made…

  • Melati

    Malang

    The Tugu hotel's poolside restaurant is a romantic setting for a meal, with attentive staff to guide you through the delicious Indonesian and Chinese…

  • Tadioto

    Hoi An

    One of Hoi An's culinary secrets, Tadioto (owned and run by author, award-winning journalist and polylinguist Nguyen Qui Duc) belongs in its own charming…