The trust engine

Every pick is signed.

Our judges are named chefs, sommeliers, and hoteliers whose reputations are the product. They visit anonymously, pay their own bills, sign a conflict-of-interest disclosure, and can never be bought. A venue cannot pay for a badge, a ranking, or a listing — ever. And Jetlagged the brand is never itself a judge — every endorsement belongs to a named person.

  1. 01Joshua L.

    Joshua L.

    J·LSEAL

    Founder, Jetlagged

    The Jetlagged founder. Built this because he was tired of losing a first night in a new city to a bad, over-hyped meal. Curates the founding bench of judges and eats out more than anyone should. Note: Jetlagged the brand is never itself a judge — every pick is signed by a named person.

    FounderIndonesiaView profile →
  2. 02A. Vinya

    A. Vinya

    A·VSEAL

    ex-Head Sommelier, Amber (2 Michelin, Hong Kong)

    Fifteen years on the floor of two- and three-star rooms across Hong Kong and Tokyo. Left the cellar to build a private wine-pairing practice for family offices across Southeast Asia. Visits anonymously, pays every bill.

    Founding judgeIndonesiaView profile →
  3. 03Budi Arifin

    Budi Arifin

    B·ASEAL

    food historian & fixer; consults for Netflix and NHK food docs

    Knows which grandmother in which alley is quietly cooking the best thing in the city. Champions luxury that has nothing to do with white tablecloths.

    Founding judgeIndonesiaView profile →
  4. 04Claire Deveraux

    ex-Buyer, three-Michelin group (Paris); now based in Bali

    Sourced produce for some of France's most demanding kitchens. Moved to Ubud for the ferment culture and never left.

    Founding judgeIndonesiaView profile →
  5. 05Kenji Arai

    Kenji Arai

    K·ASEAL

    chef-owner, two-Michelin kaiseki (Kyoto), retired

    Ran a counter of eight seats for twenty-two years. Now eats his way through Southeast Asia six months a year, looking for cooks who understand restraint.

    Founding judgeMalaysiaView profile →
  6. 06Mei Tan

    Mei Tan

    M·TSEAL

    former Regional Director, Michelin Guide Asia

    Spent a decade inside the inspection machine before walking away over what she calls 'the tyranny of the tyre map'. Believes a great meal is a matter of intention, not consistency.

    Founding judgeSingaporeView profile →
  7. 07Sofia Lim

    Sofia Lim

    S·LSEAL

    General Manager, a Leading Hotels of the World property (Singapore)

    Runs the kind of hotel where guests ask her, not the concierge, where to eat. Her little black book is the reason this platform exists.

    Founding judgeSingaporeView profile →