As Regional Chairman for The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants‘s Academy (and Founder and Publishing Editor of LUXE City Guides), Grant Thatcher writes a word about Hong Kong‘s gastronomic delights for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Regional Spotlight.

Prawn dumplings (har gau) from the world’s least expensive one-Michelin-starred eatery, Tim Ho Wan. [photo by TomEatsJenCooks]

For a city with a purported 10,000 restaurants, you’d be hard pushed to starve in Hong Kong – from the very simplest, spit and sawdust dai pai dong to triple Michelin-starred opulence, there’s a price point and provenance for every purse and palette. Having lived in Asia for 15 years, 13 in Hong Kong, it’s been fascinating and heartening to watch the emergence of the dining scene from a handful of credible outlets into a thriving, if not burgeoning, world class arena encapsulating everything from Slow Food Cantonese to molecular bistronomy, complete with a feisty and fiercely opinionated following of passionate bloggers, Twitterers and secret kitchen officianados.

Sweet, complex and fragrant – Steamed Fresh Flowery Crab with Aged Shaoxing Wine & Fragrant Chicken Oil from The Chairman

For too long the world’s eyes have been turned toward Europe and the US for the top culinary accolades, but unquestionably we are now seeing a shift to more exotic cuisines the world over for inspiration, talent and sourcing, and it’s not a moment too soon. The World’s 50 Best list is, I believe, instrumental in inspiring and spotlighting emerging trends and talents the world over. With each passing year, an increasing number of Asian restaurants have begun to appear in the top 100 list – this year no less than five from Hong Kong alone – and when you consider the astounding competition worldwide, it makes me very proud and delighted to be helping to champion the delights of the Orient. Remember, Food + East = feast! So, don’t take a slow boat, take a fast plane…