HONG KONG, Mar 26 — Last night, Penang fine dining restaurant Au Jardin was named the best restaurant in Malaysia by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 after placing 39th on this year’s list.
It is a historic achievement, marking the highest placement ever for a Malaysian restaurant.
The previous record was held by the pioneering modern Malaysian restaurant Dewakan, which placed 46th on the list in 2019.
Helmed by Su Kim Hock, Au Jardin debuted on the list just last year at 100th. The restaurant’s French-inspired modern Malaysian menu emphasises seasonal ingredients, most of which are sourced from Penang.
This year’s placing sees Au Jardin soar an epic 61 spots. Speaking to The Star, Su described the achievement as a collective win for the industry.
“I honestly think this should be a celebration for the whole industry in Malaysia. We have a very, very close relationship with our peers, and there is always a passing of the baton,” he said, crediting peers and predecessors for paving the way.
“We wouldn’t have achieved this without Dewakan… And I think at the end of the day, the whole idea of us being in the list was through a lot of support, not only from efforts on our side but also support from our peers like Darren Teoh, as well as local media in Malaysia.”
Led by Darren Teoh, Dewakan was the first Malaysian restaurant to appear on the list in 2019, and repeated the feat in 2022, ranking 50th.
Darren Teoh’s pioneering Dewakan previously held the record for the highest placement by a Malaysian restaurant, when it placed 46th in the 2019 edition of the list. — File picture by Choo Choy May
This year, the restaurant placed 62nd on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 51–100 extended list, improving 22 spots from last year’s 84th position.
The other Malaysian restaurant featured on the 2026 extended list is Penang’s Gēn, which placed 89th.
Led by Johnson Wong, Gēn’s philosophy is similarly rooted in Malaysian ingredients and flavours, interpreted and presented in a refined setting.
