Top 101 Restaurants in Asia – Din Tai Fung Drops from No. 1 to No. 6

▲ Tom Cruise attended a xiaolongbao experience at Din Tai Fung. (Photo / Reporter Chang Yi-zhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The American food website The Daily Meal has released its 2014 ranking of the Best 101 Restaurants in Asia. Last year’s No. 1, Din Tai Fung, dropped to No. 6, replaced by Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Michelin three-star sushi restaurant that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once invited U.S. President Barack Obama to dine at. The master chef behind the restaurant, Jiro Ono, is known as the “Sushi God.”

In addition to Din Tai Fung, other Taiwanese restaurants on the list include DN innovación at No. 42 (now closed), Taichung’s Le Mout French Restaurant at No. 43, Osteria by Angie (Italian) at No. 61, la cocotte (French) at No. 73, and 72 Beef Noodles at No. 79. Last year’s No. 43 Tainan’s Tsaio Tiao Mian (Dumpling Noodles), No. 50 Fei Ling Restaurant, and No. 86 Iron Chef Teppanyaki Izakaya are not on this year’s list.

▲ U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enjoy sushi at Michelin three-star restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo’s Ginza district. (Photo / DAGI Images / AP)

It’s worth noting that this year’s No. 1, Sukiyabashi Jiro, ranked No. 15 last year but jumped straight to the top spot this year. It’s unclear whether this was influenced by U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Japan in April, during which Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted him at Sukiyabashi Jiro. However, having earned Michelin three-star ratings for seven consecutive years, Sukiyabashi Jiro is no ordinary restaurant — Michelin Guide inspectors even believe it’s worth waiting a lifetime to dine at.