VANCOUVER -- It’s double happiness for me. First, the start of the Chinese Restaurant Awards two years ago became my compass for bushwhacking through the forest of Chinese restaurants in Metro Vancouver.

That’s especially so in Richmond with the highest number of restaurants per capita in the universe. I have no stats to back me but all you need to do is look. There’s nothing but restaurants, block after block after block. They are so well-loved by the populace that you use more fuel circling parking lots than in getting there.

The second source of my delight is the Canada Line, which shrinks my carbon footprint guilt and my time spent in getting to Richmond, although I confess, I sped to Jade Seafood Restaurant in my gas-fed steed.

The restaurant won awards at this year’s Chinese Restaurant Awards for two of their dishes: a gold for the Mushroom Dumplings and a silver for Grandpa’s Smoked Chicken. Last year, it won an award for its Claypot chicken.

It was a good tip. I couldn’t try the Mushroom Dumplings because it’s a dim sum dish (I went in the evening) but I did try Grandpa’s Smoked Chicken. I don’t know who Grandpa is, but his chicken is sure delicious.