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By Nishang Narayan
Published on August 26, 2024
Trip.Gourmet, Trip.com Group's renowned food travel guide, celebrated a significant milestone at the Trip.Gourmet Global Rebrand Launch and Trip.Best Gourmet Awards held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. The event unveiled the refreshed gl
obal ranking of top restaurants and introduced a suite of new features, underscoring the growing importance of food tourism in today’s travel experiences.
A Culinary Journey: New Themes and Global RankingsFounded in 2016, Trip.Gourmet has become a one-stop guide for food enthusiasts, offering global restaurant rankings, travel-focused content, and convenient reservation options. The latest global rankings now include four new themes that perfectly blend travel with dining: Fine Dining (Black Diamond, Diamond, and Platinum), Local Restaurants, Light Bites, and Restaurants for Views & Experiences. This enhanced selection covers over 10,000 restaurants in more than 300 cities and regions worldwide.
These rankings are curated based on restaurant quality, user reviews, relevance to the theme, and the destination's popularity, with a strong emphasis on the travel attributes of the restaurants, making it a unique guide for global travelers.
Trip.Best Integration and Easy Reservations
In a major update, Trip.Gourmet is now fully integrated with the Trip.Best lists on the Trip.com app, allowing travelers to seamlessly explore top accommodations, activities, dining, and nightlife in one place. This integration makes Trip.Gourmet a comprehensive guide for those seeking the best travel and dining experiences.
Furthermore, Trip.Gourmet now supports direct reservations at over 50,000 restaurants globally, collaborating with leading booking platforms like The Fork in Europe, Chope in Southeast Asia, OpenRice in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions, OpenTable in North America, and TableCheck in Japan. This feature ensures that securing a table at top dining establishments is just a click away for travelers.
Celebrating Culinary Excellence
The awards ceremony highlighted several top fine dining establishments from the Asia-Pacific region, including Odette, Waku Ghin by Tetsuya Wakuda, and CUT by Wolfgang Puck in Singapore; Kubu at Mandapa in Bali; Potong and Le Du in Bangkok; SÉZANNE and RyuGin in Tokyo; and La Yeon and Bicena in Seoul.
On the prestigious Black Diamond list, nearly 49.12% of the top restaurants hailed from France, China, and Japan, reflecting these countries' dominance in the fine dining scene. European entries like Core by Clare Smyth (UK), L'Oiseau Blanc (France), and Disfrutar (Spain) also made a strong impression.
Luxury hotel dining was prominently featured, with 41% of Trip.Gourmet's rankings dedicated to hotel restaurants, highlighting a rising trend among affluent travelers. Notable mentions include Lai Po Heen at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur, JAAN by Kirk Westaway in Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore, and Ossiano at the Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. The Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton brands stood out, hosting multiple top-rated restaurants in cities like Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, and Osaka.
A Love for Local Delights
Trip.Gourmet has also launched a new Food Guide Channel on both Trip.com and Ctrip platforms, designed to uncover local culinary gems. This feature recommends speciality food lists and must-try dishes, inspiring travelers to explore unique flavors across diverse destinations. Additionally, in collaboration with Shangri-La, the "Taste the Season" campaign has been launched, offering hotel stays, signature dishes, and food vouchers, further enriching the culinary travel experience.
To support this rising trend, Trip.Gourmet produced a mini-drama series, now available on social media, showcasing the unique blend of travel and dining.
About Trip.Gourmet
Since its inception in 2016, Trip.Gourmet has been committed to providing objective and fair food guides amid a vast array of restaurants catering to diverse user tastes. Leveraging years of user data and authoritative culinary opinions, Trip.Gourmet continues to select the best dining experiences worldwide. The Global Rebrand Launch and Trip.Best Gourmet Awards mark the next step in delivering practical, accurate, and efficient food guides for global travelers.
For more information and to explore the top restaurants, visit Trip.com.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider, offering a wide range of travel products and services across its platforms. Founded in 1999, the company is dedicated to helping travelers make informed and cost-effective bookings, while enabling partners to connect their offerings with users through a comprehensive travel content and resource platform.
For more details, visit group.trip.com.
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Published on June 20, 2025
In a historic win for Indian cuisine, Chef Vijay Kumar, hailing from a small village near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, has been awarded Best Chef: New York State at the prestigious James Beard Awards 2025. Held on Monday night in Chicago, the awards are regarded as one of the culinary world’s highest honours — and for the first time, an Indian restaurant and chef have claimed this top spot in New York.
Kumar is the Executive Chef of Semma, a restaurant that has revolutionized the Indian fine dining scene in New York. Part of the Unapologetic Foods group led by Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar, Semma is unapologetically rooted in South Indian heritage, serving dishes rarely seen outside Tamil homes. From fiery nathai pirattal (snail curry) to eral thokku (spicy prawns) and foxtail millet khichdi, the food is bold, soulful, and deeply personal — served in clay pots and on banana leaves, often without cutlery.
Dressed in a traditional Veshti while accepting the award, Kumar shared an emotional moment:
“When I started cooking, I never thought a kid like me from Tamil Nadu could make it to a room like this. But the food I grew up with — food made with care and fire, with soul — is now taking the main stage. There’s no such thing as poor people’s food or rich people’s food. If it’s true, it’s powerful.”
Semma has consistently earned accolades since its opening in 2021. It holds a Michelin star for three years running and was crowned No. 1 on The New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants list — a rare feat for an Indian restaurant. But for Kumar, this moment is about more than stars and rankings. It’s about representation, roots, and reclaiming pride in food once hidden in shame.
Growing up in Arasampatti, a village surrounded by paddy fields and coconut trees, Kumar recalls how dishes like snail curry were once considered farmer’s food — something to be kept from classmates. It wasn’t until culinary school that he saw escargot on a fine-dining menu and realized: “Maybe the world just hadn’t tasted our food yet.”
Originally dreaming of becoming an engineer, financial limitations led Kumar to pursue catering college — a twist of fate that launched a career celebrating the food of his ancestors. Today, with a James Beard medal and a mission that resonates from New York to Tamil Nadu, Chef Vijay Kumar has not only redefined fine dining but also carved a powerful space for heritage cuisine in global gastronomy.
Semma is no longer just a restaurant — it’s a revolution in flavour, identity, and cultural pride.
Globally celebrated French bakery and café PAUL is set to make its Bengaluru debut this August with its first outlet at Orion Gateway Mall, Rajajinagar. With a rich legacy spanning over 135 years, PAUL brings its signature French charm to the city in a stunning alfresco lakeside setting covering 3,850 square feet.
The menu will feature a refined selection of authentic French delicacies—from quiche lorraine, croque monsieur, savoury crêpes, and French onion soup, to caramelized canelés. Bengaluru’s food lovers can also enjoy sourdough Napoletana pizzas, tartines, pastas, rice bowls, salads, risottos, sandwiches, and refreshing beverages—all made using the finest locally and internationally sourced ingredients.
The Parisian-style ambience at PAUL makes it the perfect spot for a cozy breakfast, a laid-back brunch, or even a quick solo indulgence. Whether it's a casual coffee date or a business meeting, PAUL promises a slice of France in the heart of the city.
Sunil Munshi, Senior Vice President – Retail, Brigade Group, said:
"The upcoming launch of PAUL at Orion Gateway Mall furthers our commitment to delivering globally inspired experiences crafted with innovation and care. We’re excited to bring this iconic French tradition to Bengaluru and confident it will become a favourite among the city's food connoisseurs.”
Vaibhav Kaushish, Chief Operating Officer, PAUL India, added:
“Opening our first outlet in Bengaluru is a significant milestone. Staying true to our brand's philosophy of Eat Well, Live Well, we bring the finest ingredients—free from palm oil and artificial additives—and French staples like viennoiseries, hot chocolate, and pain au chocolat to this vibrant city.”
PAUL’s commitment to authenticity, wellness, and sustainability, combined with its heritage of artisanal craftsmanship, makes it a much-awaited culinary destination for Bengalureans. With its debut, the city is all set to savour the best of French bakery traditions—one croissant at a time.
Figaro’s Pizza has unveiled a bold new chapter, staying true to its roots while elevating every element of the pizza experience. Known for its dedication to freshness and flavour, Figaro’s reaffirms its core philosophy: honest ingredients, expertly crafted.
At the heart of every Figaro’s offering is fresh dough made daily, 100% real cheese, and never-frozen vegetables—a trio that ensures every bite is not just delicious but crafted with intention and integrity.
1. Mama’s Favorite PizzaA classic with a twist. Perfect for those who love bold, meaty flavours, this pizza combines chicken pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, and capsicum, layered on your choice of red sauce or creamy garlic base. A celebration of richness and balance.
2. Rainbow PizzaVegetarians, rejoice! This colourful and flavour-packed pizza brings together garlic mushrooms, baby corn, black olives, capsicum, and tomatoes. It’s a visual and gastronomic treat, offered with Figaro’s signature red or creamy garlic sauce.
3. Figaro’s Special Garden SaladFresh, light, and full of crunch, this salad brings together capsicum, onions, tomatoes, and olives tossed in Caesar or Italian dressing. A perfect pairing to any main.
4. Santa Fe BBQ SandwichComfort meets bold in this grilled chicken sandwich, layered with sweet onions, red paprika, tomatoes, melted cheese, lettuce, and a generous drizzle of smoky BBQ sauce. A hearty choice for those craving depth and flavour.
Whether you’re a loyal Figaro’s fan or a new diner, the menu’s flavour-forward philosophy ensures there’s something to love. These creations are more than meals—they’re crafted experiences, designed to satisfy both the stomach and the soul.
At Figaro’s Pizza, flavour isn’t just served—it’s redefined.
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