Forget all about its ties to finance, or even Crazy Rich Asians, Singapore is about to find a new call to fame as a home for the world’s top foodies. The republic which neighbours Malaysia has just been dubbed the home of the World’s Best Restaurant Awards for 2019, next year welcoming the world’s top chefs and restaurateurs as a part of the ceremony.

This is the first time that the illustrious awards have been held in Asia, with the awards most recently being held in Bilbao (2018), Melbourne (2017) and New York (2016).. The Asian metropolis will also host The World’s 50 Best Bar Awards in 2021 as a part of the same three-year partnership between Singapore Tourism and the awards.

Singapore wasn’t a tough choice for the award organisers to make thanks to the city’s strong multi-cultural ties. “The city-state has long been seen as a thrumming crossroads of culinary cultures, mixing Chinese, Malay and Indian elements with enduring European influences. In recent years, Singapore’s gastronomic culture has accelerated to the point where it is now viewed as one of the world’s great food cities, mixing a distinctive hawker stall tradition with contemporary fine dining options of the highest calibre,” the World’s 50 Best released in a statement.

2019 will also mark another major milestone in the accolade’s history; the judging panel will finally boast a 50/50 balance of male and female industry experts.