"World's Best Restaurants": No Beijing?

Organized by Restaurant magazine, the "San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants" list for 2011 came out recently, and followers of Beijing's dining scene will be disappointed - though perhaps not surprised - that China's capital has once again failed to register on the consciousness of the "over 800 international restaurant industry experts" responsible for electing the top 50. Not one restaurant from mainland China made it, though Hong Kong has one restaurant - Amber - in the top 50, and a further three in the expanded top 100 list.

So why no Da Dong or Made in China? No love for Bei or Boulud? No Capital M or Cafe de la Poste? (OK, stretching the point a bit there ...)

Call me paranoid, but when you look at how the decisions are made, it's obvious Beijing is at a disadvantage. The intro to the survey tells us "What constitutes 'best' is left to the judgement of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets." But are our "well-travelled gourmets" prepared for some of the "challenges" that dining in Beijing can throw up?

As we all know, there's a certain art to enjoying some of the best of Beijing dining. Some things, you've got to let slide. Ignore the "charm" of clumsy - or simply disinterested - service staff, ragged decor (if there is any at all), and the noise (sorry, I meant renao), and simply focus on the great food. Are the San Pellegrino experts prepared for everything Beijing has to throw at them? I think not. But I'll invite them to prove me wrong. Go on, put Chuan Ban or Chongqing Kongliang Huoguo in the top 100, if not the top 50, next year. I dare you.

Seriously, there's got to be space for one restaurant from Beijing in there. Surely? No? Oh well, we can but try. There's always the Beijinger 2012 Reader Restaurant Awards to aim for. Or you can put in a vote for a few Beijing restaurants in The Miele Guide's latest campaign to seek out the top restaurants in Asia - vote here before May 16.

If you're not so mortally offended by the snub to Beijing as to care who did win in the San Pellegrino list, top of the pile for a second year running was Copenhagen's much-talked about Noma, with a Spanish double act following as El Celler de Can Roca and Mugaritz placed second and third respectively. Tokyo's Les Creations de Narisawa was the top Asian restaurant in the list, placing at Number 12 overall. Of course, they serve French cuisine.