SINGAPORE - The food category is one of the most popular voting categories in the AsiaOne People's Choice Awards every year, and this year saw the usual favourite restaurants winning top spots at the annual event on Wednesday.
Carousel and Din Tai Fung clinched top awards again this year for Best Buffet and Best Chinese restaurants respectively. Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure were voted among the Top Three Chinese Restaurants.
Scooping up its fifth Best Buffet Restaurant award won Carousel a place in the AsiaOne People's Choice Awards' Hall of Fame. It is the third brand, first in the food categories, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame which honours brands that have won an award five times.
General Manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts Patrick Fiat said: "When we won the first time, we said 'Guys, it's fantastic'. But what is the most difficult is to stay on top of it year after year. Today is the confirmation of a lot of hard work, a lot of listening to our guests as well."
Tian Tian Chicken Rice won the Best Hawker category for the first time, while Toa Payoh Rojak and Beach Road Prawn Noodle made it to the Top Three. Last year's Best Hawker winner Toa Payoh Rojak received the loudest cheers when 83-year-old Mr Cheng Kong Sang received his award.
Kuishin Bo wrestled the Top Japanese Restaurant award from its sister restaurant, and last year's first place winner, Kuriya Dining. Rounding up the top three were Kuriya Dining and Gyu-kaku Japanese BBQ.
The AsiaOne People's Choice Awards is an annual event to recognise the best brands as voted by the public. Each category has more than 10 nominees for the public to vote for.
More than 200,000 votes were cast over a three-month voting period. The Best Chinese Restaurant category was one of the three most popular categories, the other two were Best Family-Friendly Mall and Best Bank.
Guests at the awards were treated to delicacies from award-winning restaurants Carousel and Kuishin Bo, and coffee, tea and hot chocolate from Puro Fairtrade Coffee.
natlim@sph.com.sg
Here are the nominees:
(The top restaurants have been indicated with a *.)