Acclaimed bartender Hiroyasu Kayama has often been the bridesmaid and rarely the bride — but that may change if his bar continues its climb up the Asia’s 50 Best Bars rankings.
Announced on July 18 in a ceremony held in Hong Kong, Kayama’s Ben Fiddich took the No. 4 spot among the countless watering holes scattered across the massive continent. Now with the highest-ranking bar in Japan, Kayama also took home accolades sponsored by Torres Brandy and the Roku Industry Icon Award, a reflection of his tireless 10 years behind the bar at Ben Fiddich but also his recent turn toward farming and horticulture back in his home prefecture of Saitama, where he grows botanicals that often appear on his menu and in his drinks.