ASIA
TASTE ADVISORS 2026
The 2026 Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Asia Taste Advisors Panel brings together 30 diners with a deep connection to Chinese food and dining across the region. They come from different backgrounds and cities, bringing firsthand knowledge of the restaurants and dining cultures that shape Chinese food across Asia.
Their judging focuses on Chinese restaurants across Asia outside mainland China, spanning destinations such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Southeast Asia.
Taste Advisors vote first on what is on the plate, then consider the wider dining experience, including craft, service, hospitality, setting and cultural context. They also recommend standout dishes to help diners navigate extensive menus.
The process remains independent and rooted in the diner’s perspective, with Advisors disclosing conflicts of interest and recusing themselves where appropriate.
— With gratitude to this year’s Taste Advisors, whose participation made this list possible. —
Hong Kong
Agnes Chee
Chair of Judging Panel – Asia, Globetrotting Food Critic, Food Columnist and Food Show Host
Agnes Chee lives a life steeped in gastronomy, travelling the world to savour its finest flavours. A full-time globetrotting food critic and writer, she has been a food columnist for the Hong Kong Economic Journal since 2013. Author of Vanishing Flavour of Cantonese Cuisine and World-Changing Flavours, she chronicles the tastes, traditions, and culinary journeys of master chefs, while bridging the global dining scene. A member of Travel + Leisure’s Tastemakers panel, she also curates gastronomy programmes and events for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and recently appeared as guest host on TVB’s Food Critic’s Choice.
Hong Kong
Dr. Angus Yui Pan Poon
Doctor, Virtus Medical Group
Dr. Angus Yui Pan Poon is a distinguished medical leader with Virtus Medical Group in Hong Kong, overseeing multiple healthcare organizations with vision and compassion. Outside medicine, he is a passionate food lover, equally at home savoring refined Cantonese dishes at Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, revisiting nostalgic street foods, or cooking family recipes. He holds a particular affection for Cantonese cuisine, valuing its warmth, balance, and cultural resonance. Among his favorite escapes is Sheung Wan’s No.9 SBI Canteen, renowned for traditional Cantonese cooking served with heart.
Taipei / Hong Kong
Annie Kao
Chairman, Suntek Motor Company Limited
Annie Kao is the Chairman of Suntek Motor Company Limited, where her passion for luxury cars extends naturally into the worlds of fine cigars and whiskey. A bold and discerning gourmand, she looks beyond Michelin stars, caring only for the integrity of top-quality ingredients and the authenticity of flavor. For Kao, true luxury is never about labels — it is about depth, honesty, and the uncompromising pursuit of excellence, whether behind the wheel of a classic car or at the table with a perfect meal.
MIAMI
Cheryl Tiu
Founder, Cross Cultures
Born and raised in Manila and now based in Miami, Cheryl Tiu is a culinary consultant, content creator and independent lifestyle journalist. She founded Cross Cultures, a platform that brings people together through food and beverage. Proud of her Hokkien heritage, she is passionate about the growing recognition of regional Chinese cuisine and Chinese fine dining across Asia and beyond.
Singapore
David Yip
F&B Consultant
David Yip is a Singapore-based F&B consultant, journalist, chef, and restaurateur whose career spans more than two decades across Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Known for his mastery of traditional Chinese techniques, he has helmed acclaimed restaurants and shaped gastronomic culture as a publisher, launching the careers of leading chefs through cookbooks. Today, as consultant to Shangri-La Hotel Group and instructor for Miele Singapore, he continues to share his expertise with the next generation. His disciples include Xu Jingye of 102 House in Shanghai, Agustin Balbi of Andō in Hong Kong, and LG Han of Labyrinth—reflecting his enduring role as a custodian of Chinese culinary heritage.
Hong Kong
Genta Maulana Mansyur
Founder, Sourmimosa Media
Founder of Sourmimosa Media, Genta Maulana Mansyur explores luxury travel, hospitality and dining across Asia. His travels have given him a firsthand perspective on the region’s diverse Chinese dining scene, from Cantonese institutions and contemporary fine dining to heritage restaurants. He is particularly interested in how Chinese cuisine continues to evolve through local culture, ingredients and modern hospitality.
Hong Kong
Hei Kiu Au
Food Writer, Photographer & Historian
Hei Kiu Au is a Hong Kong-born food writer, photographer and historian whose work explores Asian culinary heritage and culture. Her writing has appeared in the South China Morning Post, Tatler and the Michelin Guide, while her research has been presented at Oxford and Yale-NUS. She is currently a Yenching Scholar at Peking University.
Hong Kong
Hilda Chan
Director, Hilda’s Thyme International Limited
Hilda Chan is a chef and culinary artist whose training in France and at the Élysée Palace shaped her approach to food and hospitality. She has cooked for state banquets and international guests, including French President Emmanuel Macron, and trained under Michelin-starred chefs. Today, her work spans creative culinary projects, brand collaborations and culinary curation, driven by the same curiosity and love of food that first brought her into the kitchen.
Manila
JC Cailles Lo
Founder, Fine Dining Club Philippines
A third-generation Chinese Filipino, JC Cailles Lo is based in Manila and has a strong connection to the Philippines’ Chinese culinary heritage. He is also a wine entrepreneur, freelance food writer and founder of Fine Dining Club Philippines. He is particularly interested in how regional Chinese cuisines continue to evolve through local ingredients and traditions, including the Hokkien-influenced Chinoy cuisine of the Philippines.
Manila
Jin Perez-Go
Content Creator, @jinlovestoeat
Born in Taipei and based in Manila, Jin Perez-Go is a food and travel enthusiast and Travel + Leisure Tastemaker who loves discovering places through their food. She enjoys everything from local markets and street food to destination restaurants, with a particular interest in the stories, traditions and people behind each meal.
Shanghai
Liya Su
Founder, The Tastopia
Liya Su is the founder of The Tastopia, a platform exploring food, dining and culinary culture. Based in Shanghai, she brings a strong interest in Chinese cuisine and the people, traditions and stories behind the region’s evolving dining scene.
Hong Kong
Lui Ka Chun
Publisher, Word by Word Collective Ltd.
Ka Chun Lui is a Hong Kong-based publisher and writer with a focus on culinary history and culture. Through his work at Word by Word Collective, he explores the stories, traditions and heritage behind food, with a particular interest in the cultural history of Chinese cuisine.
Singapore
Nat-Apsorn Lertdhirakul
Senior Legal Counsel, CHC Energy Pte Ltd
Petaling Jaya
Nicholas Ng
Founder, Food For Thought
A food and beverage marketing consultant and journalist, Nicholas Ng has written about dining and drinks for more than 20 years across international publications. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he has followed the evolution of Asian dining closely and sees Chinese cuisine entering an increasingly influential and exciting period.
Singapore
Pin Yen Tan
Freelance Contributor
With 25 years in media and nearly two decades writing about gastronomy, Pin Yen Tan is a seasoned food writer and former Content Director of MICHELIN Guide Digital Asia. She follows the new generation of Chinese chefs who are bringing fresh perspectives, modern techniques and a renewed focus on Chinese ingredients, tea and wine to the wider dining world.
Bangkok
Varaporn Benjapimarnpong
Food & Lifestyle Creator, @sweetpauline
Varaporn Benjapimarnpong follows the evolving Chinese dining scene with a particular interest in how chefs balance tradition with their own cultural identity. She believes Chinese cuisine is becoming increasingly personal and regionally expressive, with greater attention to seasonality, sustainability and storytelling.
And, fourteen Taste Advisors prefers to remain unnamed.
