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…

  • Rebung

    Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar

    Occupying the top level of a multistorey car park overlooking the Perdana Botanical Garden, flamboyant celebrity chef Ismail's restaurant is one of KL's…

  • 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…

  • Gaa

    Siam Square, Pratunam, Phloen Chit & Ratchathewi

    This uber-acclaimed restaurant is run by Michelin-starred chef Garima Arora (a protégé of former Bangkok chef Gaggan Anand) who also honed her craft at…

  • 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…

  • Main bar at Loewy side shot.

    Loewy

    South Jakarta

    One of Jakarta’s most popular dining spots, this casual 1940s Paris–meets–New York bistro is located right in the middle of the busiest business district…

  • 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…

  • Traditional Burmese food

    Jing Hpaw Thu

    Northern Myanmar

    Be sure to head out to this large, open-sided riverside restaurant that catches waterborne breezes and is considered the top spot for real Kachin food…

  • 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…

  • Chopsuey

    Chopsuey

    Holland Village, Dempsey Hill & the Botanic Gardens

    Swirling ceiling fans, crackly 1930s tunes and ladies on rattan chairs – Chopsuey has colonial chic down pat. It serves revamped versions of retro…

  • 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…

  • Interior, Timbre+

    Timbre+

    West & Southwest Singapore

    Welcome to the new generation of hawker centres. With over 30 food outlets, Timbre+ has it all: artwork-covered shipping containers, Airstream trailer…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Samadi Bali

    Canggu Region

    A guesthouse, yoga studio (class 140,000Rp), holistic treatment centre and organic cafe rolled into one, Samadi Bali is the quintessential wellness stop…

  • 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…

  • Blue Terrace

    South Jakarta

    Counteract some of Jakarta's toxins at Blue Terrace, which crafts beautifully presented dishes for the health conscious. The menu is chock full of…

  • 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…

  • Lin Htett Myanmar Traditional Food

    Nyaungshwe

    This is hands down the most appealing Burmese restaurant in Nyaungshwe, and one of the better curry houses in all Myanmar, where the service is as…

  • 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…