Sydney: Uccello
It's a winning combination: a tasty menu, a floor staffed with attentive, friendly people and poolside views of Sydney's hottest swimming spot, Ivy Pool Club. All in all, this top-floor Ivy restaurant provides a level of wow you won't find anywhere else in town. Finished lunch? Kick your shoes off, dip your feet in the pool and have an aperitif. Built on the fourth floor, the outdoor area is dazzling white and daffodil yellow, with the aquamarine pool sparkling in the middle of the courtyard like a little square of Miami.

The pasta is absolutely out of this world. The winner, though, is the angel hair with crab, garlic and chilli scattered with capers and a little parsley. Simple, clean flavours that really pop. Book an outdoor table and be right next to the action: gals in bikinis swanning about taking drinks orders, good looking people frolicking in the pool, and a hot guy with a six pack as the lifeguard. 4/320 George St, Sydney, Australia (+612 9240 3000/www.merivale.com/#/ivy/uccello).

Singapore: Jing
Modern Chinese cuisine – designed to balance technique and presentation while sampling from other sources – can be a difficult tightrope act. Timidity won't work; a proper hybrid needs wit and a spirit of invention, plus flawless execution. Jing wields the first two confidently, but doesn't always deliver on the third. Take the appetiser combination of wasabi mayonnaise prawns and Peking duck with foie gras. Jing's lacquered skin and sautéed foie gras were a notable improvement on their antecedents, crisp and plush textures harmonising elegantly in the key of duck. However, the so-so prawns were lacking. But brighter moments outnumbered lacklustre ones. Morsels of lamb are cushioned on soft radish cake cubes stir-fried with egg – an unexpectedly good combination, as is the perfectly cooked, moist fish fillet baked in a peppery honey sauce. For dessert, lusciously fruity mango pudding didn't need any of its six garnishes to shine, while a smooth avocado cream dotted with sago achieved the perfect note of sweetness. 01-02/03 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road, Singapore (+65 6224 0088/www.jing.sg).

Hong Kong: Cicada
This sister restaurant of Bacar (which is next door) seems to be in direct competition with its older sibling. Both serve tapas, though Cicada eschews Spanish traditions in favour of pan Pan-Asian cuisine: pork, bamboo shoot & onion byoza, flash-fried five-spiced squid, and spicy kimchi pancakes with vinegar-soy dipping sauce. G/F, 4 Shelley St, Central, Hong Kong (+852 2521 8188).

Macau: Boa Mesa
This casual coffee shop is the kind of place where you expect to run into homesick Portuguese filling up on authentic comfort food such as soul-warming soups, chargrilled chicken and chocolate mousse. 16A Travessa de S. Domingos, Macau (+853 2838 9453).

Jakarta: Lara Djonggrang
This somewhat dark and gothic-like restaurant is a true portrayal of probably one of the oldest cuisines ever invented in this part of the world. With a separate wine lounge and garden seating, Lara Djonggrang has succeeded in combining the old cuisine of Indonesia with the best bottles of vintage wine served among antiques dating back centuries ago. Jl. Cik di Tiro, 4, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Indonesia (+62 21 315 3252).