Feast on the Flavours of Asia-Pacific
Warm up your winter with an Asian culinary exploration
While Australia and New Zealand settles into winter, the Asia-Pacific culinary scene comes alive through market-to-Michelin dining experiences, hidden counters and immersive food tours.
From the meticulous Tokyo food culture and contemporary Korean tasting menus to refined omakase in Sydney, these destinations celebrate food as far more than a meal. Discover how centuries of tradition and ritual meet innovation, technique and exceptional produce.
Tokyo: precision, ceremony and Michelin-starred craft
The Japanese capital treats food with extraordinary care, moving seamlessly from bustling seafood markets to some of the world’s most revered Michelin-starred omakase counters in Tokyo.
The journey often begins at Tsukiji Outer Market, where visitors move through displays of tuna, uni and seasonal seafood sourced for the city’s top restaurants. Between tastings and conversations with vendors, travellers gain insight into the craftsmanship that defines Tokyo’s dining culture.
By evening, those same ingredients reappear transformed in Ginza’s intimate omakase counters and Michelin-recognised sushi restaurants. Chefs prepare each course with quiet precision, while sake pairings and multi-course menus unfold at an unhurried pace. From Edomae sushi to contemporary kaiseki dining, dinner in Tokyo is defined by meticulousness and ceremony.
Beyond sushi, the city’s luxury food scene extends to hidden cocktail bars, chef-curated tasting menus and modern fine-dining izakayas, where design, hospitality and culinary artistry come together with effortless precision.
Seoul: a city best experienced around the table
Seoul’s food culture is vibrant and deeply social, balancing long-held culinary traditions with a new wave of contemporary Korean dining.
Many of the standout experiences begin with local Seoul food tours through neighbourhoods such as Gwangjang Market and Seongsu, where street food sits alongside natural wine bars and modern restaurants. One moment you’re sampling handmade mandu and crisp hotteok, the next you’re seated at an intimate chef’s counter, discovering elevated takes on Korean classics.
Korean barbecue remains central to the city's dining culture, with high-end venues refining the experience through expertly aged beef, luxurious interiors and curated soju, makgeolli or natural wine pairings.
As evening sets in, Seoul shifts pace. Moody cocktail lounges, contemporary tasting menus and private dining spaces offer a more intimate side of the city, where precision, atmosphere and attention to detail define the experience.
Sydney: elevated Asian dining, closer to home
Not every culinary escape calls for long-haul travel. Sydney’s Asian food culture and dining scene, shaped by decades of Asian influence, have evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive experiences.
In Haymarket and Chinatown, walking tours weave through noodle houses, refined tea rooms and contemporary dessert bars, revealing the stories behind the precinct’s character. Cooler winter days lend themselves to long lunches and relaxed indoor-outdoor dining, best paired with craft cocktails, natural wines or fresh Sydney oysters.
Across Barangaroo and Surry Hills, the city’s high-end Asian dining continues to thrive. Expect intimate sushi omakase experiences, elegant Cantonese dining rooms and contemporary Korean kitchens, all grounded in exceptional Australian produce. It's this balance of considered design and authentic flavour that sets Sydney apart for discerning diners.
Planning your trip
If you're planning to go the distance to taste the flavours of Asia, make the journey worth it with a Priority Pass experience.
Your Asian culinary exploration continues in the comfort of the airport lounges, where Hong Kong International Airport's Plaza Premium Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport serve up local favourites before your departing flight.