The Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, often regarded as China’s equivalent to the Michelin Guide, recently hosted its first overseas awards ceremony in Singapore, marking an ambitious step toward global recognition. The event, held at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands on April 25, celebrated culinary excellence across Asia, with prestigious awards presented to chefs and restaurants for their outstanding contributions.
The Master Chef Award was presented to Sebastien Lepinoy, the chef behind Singapore’s Les Amis, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, for his dedication to French culinary mastery in Asia. Meanwhile, the Young Chef Award was shared between Park Seung-hun of Hong Kong’s Hansik Goo, known for his innovative Korean cuisine, and Toraik Chua of Singapore’s Zen, recognized for his fusion of Nordic and Asian culinary styles.
The ceremony also featured the Annual Dish Awards, which highlighted exceptional dishes such as crispy fried chicken skin with shrimp mousse and salted fish flakes from Macau’s Imperial Court, and smoked sugar cane baby pigeon from Hong Kong’s Wing restaurant. Renowned chefs like Julien Royer from Odette in Singapore and Richard Ekkebus from Amber in Hong Kong were also present to honor the achievements of their peers.
Published by Meituan, China’s largest online platform, the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide aims to showcase the finest dining experiences across Asia from a Chinese perspective. It uses a ranking system, awarding restaurants one to three diamonds based on their culinary excellence. With over 130 million users, the digital guide has become an influential resource for food enthusiasts in the region.
The guide’s impact is evident in its growing international reach. In addition to Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, the 2025 edition includes listings from overseas cities like Tokyo, Singapore, and Bangkok, reflecting the global expansion of the guide’s influence. Notably, Les Amis and Odette in Singapore both received the highest three-diamond rating, cementing their status in the global culinary scene.
The Black Pearl Guide’s success lies in its blend of expert culinary judgment and public sentiment, offering a unique perspective on dining in Asia. The guide’s growing international presence and its ability to combine professional reviews with real-time user feedback demonstrate its potential to continue reshaping the fine-dining landscape globally.
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