Black Pearl Restaurant Guide 2026 Reveals New Awards List for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Overseas Markets

The 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide was officially unveiled on 23 March at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Hosted by Meituan (HK: 3690), this year’s ceremony celebrated top culinary destinations across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China, and a growing roster of international cities.

135 Restaurants Awarded, Seoul Joins the Guide for the First Time

The newly released guide features 135 restaurants across seven cities, representing 35 different culinary styles, an 18.4% increase from last year’s listings.

A key highlight for 2026 is the addition of Seoul, now the fourth overseas city to be ranked alongside Singapore, Tokyo, and Bangkok.
Eight restaurants in Seoul earned recognition, reflecting rising international interest in the city’s dining scene.

The expansion aligns with growing travel trends, Seoul received 190,000 Chinese tourists during the 2026 Spring Festival, with online searches for the city’s food culture rising 9%.

Chinese Travellers Are Driving a Global Food Exploration Trend

Recent data shows that Chinese outbound tourism is shifting from sightseeing to in-depth, experience-led travel.

• Nearly 700 million cross-border trips were recorded in 2025 (+14.2% YoY).
• During the 2026 Spring Festival, daily trips reached 1.977 million (+10.1% YoY).
• Dining accounts for 28% of all outbound travel spending, rising to 34.4% among high-net-worth travellers.

Digital behaviour mirrors this trend. During the Spring Festival:

• Views for “overseas food/restaurants” on Dianping rose 20%.
• 31.9% of AI Assistant interactions were food-related, helping travellers choose restaurants more efficiently.

Restaurants are also embracing AI-driven operations, smart reception, automated reservations, digital queuing, and intelligent ordering, to meet demand from discerning diners.

Black Pearl Awards: A Global Seal of Approval for Chinese Diners

A Black Pearl accolade is increasingly seen as a gateway to the Chinese market. With Chinese travellers prioritising food experiences, award-winning restaurants often become destination stops for tourists seeking high-quality dining abroad.

Central to Black Pearl’s selection process is the “Chinese palate”, combining Chinese gastronomic standards with international perspectives to foster global culinary dialogue.

Spotlight on Awarded Restaurants

Several standout establishments exemplify the evolution of Chinese cuisine worldwide:

Chai Jia Chai – Bangkok (Two Diamonds)

Led by Taiwanese chef Tsai Shih-Wei, this new two-Diamond restaurant brings classic Chinese techniques, like slow-rehydrated seafood and premium broths—into a modern dining experience. Signature dishes include Dried Abalone with Fish Maw, Bird’s Nest, Giant Grouper, Fish Skin and Sturgeon Tendon.

JEE – Hong Kong (One Diamond)

Under Chef Oliver Li, JEE pushes Cantonese cuisine forward without sacrificing its roots. Rather than blending cuisines arbitrarily, Li refines traditional flavours using Chinese ingredients such as Shaoxing wine and chicken oil in unexpected ways, expanding the expressive range of Cantonese cooking.

Black Pearl: Building Culinary Bridges Across Borders

With its guiding philosophy of “Taste Without Borders, Understanding Through Flavor,” the Black Pearl Guide has served more than 150 million diners in the past nine years.