The Latest Miele Guide of top restaurants

Bali restaurants Mozaic and Sarong have cracked the Miele Guide’s list of Asia’s top 20 restaurants.

The Miele Guide ranks Asia’s top 20 restaurants and lists a total of 500 restaurants in 17 countries across Asia. The restaurants are judged in several rounds by a panel of food critics and writers in the Asian countries the guide covers, as well as a jury of restaurateurs, food critics and writers and a popular vote.

Public voting took place on the Miele Guide Web site earlier this year. Registered voters were allotted 10 votes each, of which only three could be used for restaurants in their country of residence. The voters not only hailed from the 17 Asian countries listed in the guide, but 98 other countries as well.

Mozaic, which Miele ranked at No. 12 this year, is a French restaurant with a Balinese flavor. Located in Ubud, Mozaic is owned and run by chef Chris Salans, who was born in the United States but raised in France. His restaurant offers degustation menus, which involve sampling small portions of a number of dishes, and a “discovery menu” that pairs local and imported ingredients with French cooking techniques.

Mozaic continued its good run in Miele’s rankings, honored as Indonesia’s top spot for the fourth straight year. It is also the first restaurant in Southeast Asia to be recognized by the prestigious Tradition et Qualite association as a member of “Les Grande Tables du Monde” (“The Grand Tables of the World”).

Sarong, ranked 18th in Asia by Miele, offers a cuisine that draws inspiration from across Asia, from Indonesia to India and Vietnam to Thailand. The founding chef is Australian Will Meyrick, formerly of the iconic Longrain in Sydney.

Asia’s top five restaurants:

1.Iggy’s, Singapore
2.Restaurant Andre, Singapore
3.L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong
4.Robuchon a Galera, Macau
5.Caprice, Hong Kong

Among Indonesia’s top restaurants, 22 are in Bali, including Metis for French cuisine, Sardine for seafood, Made’s Warung for international cuisine and Warung Ibu Oka for Balinese cuisine.

There are also 14 restaurants in Jakarta that made the list: among them Bunga Rampai for Indonesian cuisine, Pacific Restaurant at Ritz Carlton Pacific Place and Cork and Screw for international cuisine, and Emilie, Riva, Amuz and Cassis for French cuisine.

Indonesia’s top five restaurants:

1.Mozaic
2.Sarong
3.Ku-De-Ta
4.La Lucciola
5.CasCades Restaurant

Every restaurant in Indonesia’s top five are located in Bali, which should raise some questions among foodies in Jakarta. But even us big city folk must admit that the Island of the Gods has punched well above its weight in recent years, with well-earned international publicity as a gourmet destination and a top spot for tourism in Indonesia.

The latest 210-page Miele Guide was released on Nov. 2 at a gala dinner at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. It was attended by representatives from about 500 restaurants, as well as chefs and industry professionals from across Asia.