BALI
Designer Shades
An iconic Italian fashion house on the Nusa Dua beachfront? No, you’re not seeing things—Missoni Resort Club (min. spend Rp500,000 per person) just opened at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali. When not admiring Indian Ocean views from your Missoni-striped lounger, you can do some beach yoga on a Missoni-patterned mat, fly a Missoni-look kite, or browse the pop-up boutique at the resort for beachwear in the brand’s signature raschel (warp-knitted) textile.
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the Missoni vibes, either. Outside guests can make a day of it with a cabana package for Rp2,000,000, which includes Rp1,500,000 credit, two complimentary Malfy Gin x Missoni cocktails—and Ritz Kids club access for four hours, so you can enjoy all of the above in peace.
HONG KONG
New Outposts
High-end Korean beef-centric restaurant Born&Bred has just opened a carnivore’s haven in Central called Moo-lah (HK$268 for the set dinner menu). The aim of founder and beef expert Jung Sang-won is to showcase premium hanwoo beef (the Korean equivalent of wagyu) in nostalgic Hong Kong classics like steak bao and short-rib.
On a sweet note, Tozzo (HK$40 for one maritozzo), a new concept by Fabio Bardi, pastry chef at Estro and Tatler Dining’s pastry chef of the year, opened recently near the historic Tai Kwun complex. Maritozzi (Rome-style sweet cream buns) and gelati are the specialties here, but there are also breakfast and lunch sets, in case you’re after something heartier.
SINGAPORE
Euro Vision
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Somma’s dining area (left) and Chef Mirko Febbrile (right). Courtesy of Somma
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Somma's Margarita. Courtesy of Somma
One must-do dining experience in the Lion City is Somma (six courses S$258) which opened in September. Chef Mirko Febbrile is basically the hottest foreign chef in Singapore right now, bringing “a fresh perspective of modern Italian cuisine” that taps into his Puglian heritage and experiences around the world. Another moment to mark on your Singapore foodie calendar for 2025 is Odette’s 10th anniversary.
MALAYSIA
Unique Eats
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Aguacate at Torito. Courtesy of Torito
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North Indian cuisine at HAVA. Courtesy of HAVA
Slinging Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, Torito at Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur (meal for two approx. RM600) is a buzzy new addition to the city’s dining scene. Helmed by Limaborn chef Ivan Casusol, this sky-high diner features sweeping views of the skyline, not to mention shareable fusion dishes like the Acevichado Roll and the Parihuela Tigre (tiger prawns in a Nikkei-style bisque).
Four Seasons Langkawi is opening a new venue with a focus on North Indian cuisine. HAVA (menu prices not available at time of publication) invokes ancient culinary practices such as Mughal Empire slow-cooking techniques full of authentic flavour. You’ll find distinct dishes like tandoori lobster, and its beachside setting is the cherry on top.
THAILAND
Haute in the City
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The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok's Caleo. Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton
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The secret bar in The Dusit Thani Bangkok. Courtesy of The Dusit Thani Bangkok
It’s hard to keep up with Bangkok’s hospitality news, and by the end of 2024 the ‘problem’ of being spoiled for choice only intensified. The skyscraping city welcomed EA Rooftop at The Empire, with its slew of dining outlets; the relaunch of the landmark Dusit Thani Bangkok with restaurant including Cannubi by Umberto Bombana (dinner tasting menu Bt5,500); and most recently, the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok, where Duet by David Toutain (prix fixe from Bt3,850) occupies two glass boxes on a deck overlooking Lumpini Park.
Another hotspot with smokin’ views is the newly revamped, tri-level, multi-venue Penthouse Bar + Grill, which pledges to take you on a sensory journey of drinking, dining and entertainment. It’s got a rooftop bar, a Johnny Walker Blue whisky “experience,” live music from soul band Lux, DJs, and cocktails inspired by iconic music eras by head mixologist Fabio Brugnolaro.
Psst: We’ve also heard whispers of a cool new sustainable-flora bar on Kamala Beach, Phuket, complete with a “walk-in botanical room” and a private jungle-inspired speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf door. Stay tuned through 2025 for updates from InterContinental Phuket.
AUSTRALIA
Antipodean Style
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Delta Rue. Photo by Steven Woodburn
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At Maison Bâtard, photo by Pete Dillon/courtesy of Maison Bâtard (left) and on the table at Marmelo, courtesy of Marmelo
The rooftop Delta Rue (meal for two approx. A$120) is tipped to be the pick of the three new F&B openings at the refurbed Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Among the myriad draws of the French Vietnamese–tinged menu is a banh mi trolley doling out freshly made mini baguettes tableside. House Made Hospitality (the team behind all three venues) is on a hot streak, with two more venues of note rolling out this summer: Baptist St Rec Club and Island Radio, a two-fer in the new Wunderlich Lane lifestyle precinct.
Down south, there’s a buzz around Melbourne Place, a design-forward new hotel with a summertime trifecta of venues soon to open: the modern-Mediterranean diner Marmelo, moody basement bar Mr Mills, and Mid-Air on the rooftop. Also creating a stir: Maison Bâtard (A$165 for the Menu de la Maison), Chris Lucas’s new four-level French restaurant, which has its own open-air rooftop terrace.
CAMBODIA
Old-World Indulgence
In Phnom Penh, D.Wilkins Cigar Lounge and Bar (drinks from US$6, cigars from US$16) has just opened above its namesake leather workshop in trendy Bassac Lane. Owner Diego Wilkins has curated a long list of imported Cuban cigars, alongside a rich selection of imported rums and aged whiskeys. The unique and intimate vibe of this little gem completes the picture.
VIETNAM
Get Social in Saigon
Vietnamese food writer and T+L Tastemaker Jovel Chan has spent the past four years exploring and sharing Vietnam’s dynamic culinary, cocktail, and craft-brewing scenes. Inspired by the success of her Saigon Supperclub—a 400-member foodie community for which she hosts dinners and events—Jovel is now taking things up a notch with Saigon Social. A first-of-its-kind community event space, Saigon Social will host regular pop-ups, tastings (think Vietnamese sake and even locally made maekgolli—sparkling rice wine from Korea), and other exciting gastronomic events. Importantly, it will serve as a platform to highlight rising talent and specialty products, and forge community by connecting food lovers.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, BANGKOK VIA BOOKING.COM
BOOK YOUR STAY AT DUSIT THANI BANGKOK VIA BOOKING.COM
BOOK YOUR STAY AT PARK HYATT BANGKOK VIA BOOKING.COM
BOOK YOUR STAY AT INTERCONTINENTAL PHUKET RESORT VIA BOOKING.COM
Lede and hero image by Steven Woodburn/Courtesy of Delta Rue.
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