UNITED STATES
TASTE ADVISORS 2026
For its inaugural U.S. edition, the 2026 Chinese Restaurant Awards United States Taste Advisors Panel brings together 12 diners from across the country, each deeply connected to the Chinese dining scene in their community and familiar with the broader landscape of Chinese food in the U.S. They come from different backgrounds, but share a genuine passion for Chinese food and firsthand knowledge of how people dine—from San Francisco and Los Angeles to New York.
Taste Advisors vote from their own dining experiences, looking first at the food, then considering the wider experience, including craft, service, hospitality and cultural context. They also recommend dishes that best represent each restaurant, helping diners navigate often extensive menus.
Independent and grounded in the diner’s perspective, the panel offers a fresh look at the restaurants and dishes shaping Chinese dining in the United States.
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With gratitude to this year’s Taste Advisors, whose participation made this list possible.
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San Francisco
Albert Law
Commercial Photographer
Originally trained as an architect, Albert Law brings a sharp eye for detail, composition and design to his work as a commercial photographer. He specializes in food, beverage and architectural photography and has worked closely with the culinary industry as both a photographer and food advisor. He is especially interested in the new generation of Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants in the U.S. and how chefs are moving beyond familiar stereotypes to showcase regional flavours, quality ingredients and thoughtful cooking..
New York
Bolun Yao
Founder & CEO, August Hospitality Group
Born in Xi’an, China, Bolun Yao has lived in several countries and cultures before settling in New York. His experiences have given him a personal appreciation for how food carries memories, identity and a sense of place. Through his work in hospitality, he has followed the changing Chinese and Taiwanese dining scene in the U.S., particularly the way a new generation of chefs is balancing tradition with their own ideas, experiences and influences.
San Francisco
Brandon Jew
Executive Chef & Owner, Mister Jiu’s
Brandon Jew is a Chinese American Michelin-starred chef and the owner of Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco. Trained in both European and Chinese kitchens, he has spent the past decade developing his own perspective on Chinese cuisine through the lens of the Bay Area. He is passionate about giving Chinese food the recognition it deserves while creating restaurants where chefs, diners and the wider community can come together around food.
Los Angeles
David R. Chan
Retired
David R. Chan has spent decades documenting and exploring Chinese food in America and is widely known for his extensive knowledge of Chinese restaurants across the country. A frequent media contributor and author of more than 100 articles, he was featured in the 2015 documentary The Search for General Tso and in a South China Morning Post documentary about his lifelong passion for Chinese food. With thousands of restaurant visits behind him, he brings a distinctly diner-first perspective to the panel.
New York
Lucas Sin
Chef, Restaurateur & Culinary Creator
Toronto-born and New York-based chef Lucas Sin is known for bringing Chinese food and culture to a new generation through restaurants, media and his popular online platforms. Deeply connected to Hong Kong and Asian food culture, he has become one of the most recognizable young voices in Chinese cuisine. He is currently preparing to open his first solo restaurant, a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng in New York, and recently published Cha Chaan Teng: Comfort Food from Hong Kong’s Iconic Diners, exploring the history, culture and comfort foods of Hong Kong’s beloved diners.
Los Angeles
Mei Lin
Chef & Food Network Personality
Los Angeles-based chef Mei Lin is a familiar face on Food Network, known for her bold, modern approach to cooking and her competitive spirit. A Top Chef winner, she brings a strong culinary perspective shaped by both her Chinese heritage and experience in kitchens across the United States.
San Francisco
Virginia Miller
Dining & Drink Writer, Judge & Consultant
A longtime food and beverage writer with a deep appreciation for Chinese cuisine, Virginia Miller has explored Chinese restaurants and regional cooking across the U.S. and Asia, with a particular interest in Sichuan cuisine. She is Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, and serves on the James Beard Awards Beverage Committee. Her work reflects a genuine curiosity about the people, traditions and stories behind the food.
San Francisco
Vivien Sin
Founder & CEO
Vivien Sin grew up in Hong Kong and moved to North America as a teenager. Her career has taken her from fine arts and technology to entrepreneurship, and she now runs a software and community platform for local businesses. Growing up in Hong Kong gave her an early appreciation for the everyday details of Chinese food—from technique and texture to the language people use to talk about taste. She is particularly interested in seeing the depth and sophistication of Chinese cooking better understood in North America, especially through chefs with strong roots in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
Plus four Taste Advisors who choose to stay anonymous.
