For the first time since its inception, the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Awards Ceremony for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Regions will be staged outside China. The landmark gala will unfold at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, uniting chefs, industry leaders and gourmands from Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan for an evening that fuses culinary heritage with cutting‑edge innovation.

“More than 14 percent of restaurants in the 2025 guide are now outside Greater China,” revealed Wang  Puzhong, CEO of Meituan’s core local‑commerce segment. “Internationalisation not only exports Chinese culinary traditions but embraces the innovation and heritage of other cuisines, fostering collaboration and learning across borders.”

The Black Pearl list, launched by e‑commerce giant Meituan in 2018, was conceived to spotlight fine‑dining excellence through a distinctly Chinese lens. Anonymous judges steeped in China’s dining sector evaluate venues on tradition, creativity and ingredient mastery before awarding one, two or three coveted Diamond ratings.

“Hosting Black Pearl is a strategic step toward cementing Singapore as Asia’s leading dining destination,” said John Sloane, Vice‑President of F&B at Marina Bay Sands. “It creates a stage where the region’s best chefs can celebrate excellence and showcase the dynamism of our gastronomic scene.”

Singapore’s multicultural palate and world‑class restaurant ecosystem make it an ideal launch pad for Black Pearl’s international ambitions, providing fertile ground for cross‑cultural exchange that will, organisers hope, deepen and elevate Chinese gastronomy worldwide.

Festivities will climax with an exclusive Black Pearl Gala Dinner, featuring a 10-hands collaboration helmed by chefs from two Black Pearl Three-Diamond restaurants from Shanghai, Yongfu and Jing Xi Hui (“AMAZING CHINESE CUISINE”); One-Diamond restaurant La Chine from Macao, as well as Marina Bay Sands’ very own celebrated CUT by Wolfgang Puck and One-Diamond restaurant Waku Ghin by Tetsuya Wakuda.

The 2025 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide continues its rigorous evaluation mechanism, with anonymous reviewers conducting year-round visits to various restaurants for multiple rounds of tastings. The evaluation results are supported by big data from Meituan, and are verified by China’s authoritative national notary agencies to ensure the professionalism and fairness of the results. Black Pearl restaurants are classified into three levels: “One Diamond”, “Two Diamonds”, and “Three Diamonds”, with Three Diamonds representing the highest level of culinary excellence.

The ceremony will take place on 25th April 2025. More information about the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide available here (Mandarin)