\nDirector, Craig Stowe of the process by which the 25 Critics’ Choice
\nSignature Dish winners were selected for this year’s HSBC Chinese
\nRestaurant Awards. “The Lower Mainland boasts an incredible array of
\nChinese cuisine, and we found the right panel of judges who are the
\nChinese culinary experts and were up to the task of identifying and
\nselecting the ‘best of the best’. Like modern day Marco Polos they
\nfiguratively travelled the length and breadth of China, tasting the best
\nof its regional specialties, all while remaining right here. It’s a
\ntestament of the wealth of the Lower Mainland’s Chinese culinary
\nculture.” The panel of 12 professional chefs and food writers who
\n‘stepped up to the plate’ literally had ‘their plates full’ from summer
\nthrough mid-December as they tasted the best signature dishes to be
\nfound amongst Metro’s nearly 500 Chinese restaurants. Ballots were
\nsubmitted to auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers with the results being
\nunveiled at an ‘Oscars-style’ Awards Ceremony at the River Rock Show
\nTheatre, emceed by Breakfast TV’s Dawn Chubai and ONMI TV’s Johann
\nChang, held today in Richmond. Famed for its ‘Food Street’ (Alexandra
\nRoad), the location of several award-winning restaurants, Richmond has
\nincreasingly become known as the destination of choice for locals and
\ntourists seeking a high quality Chinese dining experience. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nDownload press release in pdf format<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nDownload Critics’ Choice Awards Result in pdf format<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nDownload the backgrounder of the ceremony’s performaner Chinese Culinary Master Chef Tony Wu <\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n \n<\/p>\n \n \n<\/p>\n In addition to the 25 Gold Medals for Critics’ Choice Signature Dishes, Cathay Pacific Airways was also honored with a special award for the As in past years, Richmond and Vancouver vied for pride of table. This Mr. Liang Shugen, Consul General for the Peoples’ Republic of China in In his remarks, Mr. Stowe announced today that the Chinese Restaurant Mr. Stowe underlined the important role the Lower Mainland, and The 2011 HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards wishes to thank title sponsor <\/span>\n<\/div>\n \nFor more information on the HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards: www.chineserestaurantawards.com <\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n For updates, visit HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Facebook<\/a> page & Twitter<\/a> (@CRADiningGuide)<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/cra2011\/<\/a>
\nDownload<\/a> high res versions of award-winning signature dish photos
\n
\nDownload<\/a> high res versions of the event photos:<\/p>\n
\nthe Awards Ceremony also presented the Chinese Restaurant Chef of the
\nYear to Tony Luk (Executive Chef, Jade Seafood Restaurant), the Award
\nfor Wine and Spirit Service (Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie), and awards to
\nthe restaurants who had, earlier in November 2010, won Diners’ Choice
\nAwards in on-line voting by the public. Of the 25 Signature Dish Award
\nwinners, six restaurants were honored with Gold Awards of Distinction
\nfor having previously won the Gold Medal in their signature dish
\ncategory. “We felt it very important to single out these particular
\nrecipients for the consistent excellence of their signature dishes,”
\nsaid Stephen Wong, Founding Chair of the Judging Panel. “They set a
\nstandard that cannot be matched anywhere else in Metro Vancouver.”<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nBest Signature Dishes in the Air in recognition of their 2010 campaign “
\nBest Chinese Food in the Air” which saw Cathay Pacific serve signature
\ndishes created by award winning Hong Kong chefs.<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nyear the race resulted in an overall tie with Richmond edging out
\nVancouver by one award in the Critics’ Choice category. Richmond
\ngarnered 12 Critics’ Choice Awards and seven Diners’ Choice Awards for a
\ntotal of 19 while Vancouver restaurants also received 19 awards in
\ntotal – 11 Critics’ Choice Awards and eight Diners’ Choice Awards.
\nBurnaby received two Critics’ Choice Awards. Many of the winning
\nrestaurants have more than one location with venues in both Vancouver
\nand Richmond as well as in other Lower Mainland communities.<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nVancouver, presented the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to the three
\nChinese Restaurant Chef of the Year finalists Tony Luk (gold), Sam Leung
\n(silver) and Wing Ho (bronze). Ms. Jane Dodds, OMEGA Boutique Manager
\nVancouver, also presented Chef Luk with an OMEGA Constellation
\nChronometer in honour of his achievement.<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nAwards have formed an alliance with the World Association of Chinese
\nCuisine (WACC). Initiated by China Cuisine Association in 1991, the WACC
\nis recognized by the government of China and headquartered in Beijing.
\nIt is a worldwide organization whose goal is the promotion of Chinese
\ncuisine, with member chapters round the globe. CRA will work with WACC
\nto advance Chinese culinary exchanges between China and North America,
\nexpand the awareness of Chinese Restaurant Awards’ winning restaurants
\nand chefs, and promote Chinese culinary tourism.<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nespecially Richmond, has played in the development of Chinese cuisine.
\nHe cited the article in last February’s Condé Nast Traveler Magazine
\n(which proclaimed we had the best Chinese food in the world) as
\nrecognition that our blend of traditional techniques with local,
\nseasonal and sustainable ingredients has made a unique contribution to
\nan ancient culinary tradition. This enviable situation has arisen from
\nour role as a gateway to Asia – ideas and techniques travelling freely
\nacross the Pacific from China to the Lower Mainland and vice versa.
\nWhile chefs in the Lower Mainland have become very attuned celebrating
\nour rich bounty of local and seasonal ingredients by incorporating them
\ninto classic Chinese dishes. He stated that in 2011, the CRA’s focus
\nwill be to work even more closely with the Chinese Chef Associations and
\nrestaurants to inspire Chinese restaurant chefs to create new unique
\nsignature dishes that reflect the area’s rich food resources. Canada is
\nnow ‘Approved Destination’ for travellers from China. This in turn will
\nprovide tourism organizations with a CRA authentic dining guide as the
\ntourism organizations promote our region’s exceptional Chinese culinary
\nculture to in-bound travellers – especially those from China. The CRA
\nplans to expand its scope to include major cities in North America and
\nAsia where Chinese food makes an impact; and will engaging Chinese food
\ncritics in identifying their region’s ‘best of the best’ in Chinese
\ncuisine.<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\nHSBC Bank Canada and the following sponsors who help to make these
\nawards possible:<\/span>
\n
\nTourism Richmond, Remy Martin, Mercedes Benz, OMEGA, River Rock Casino
\nResort, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Quintessentially Canada, Amoy Food
\nlimited, Tsit Wing Group, Underwater Harvesters’ Association, Wingtat
\nGame Bird Packers, CityTV, OMNI TV, Montecristo Magazine, CHMB AM 1320,
\nFairchild Radio AM1470 & FM96.1, Global Chinese Press, Gcpnews.com,
\nWorld Journal, Canadian Dim Sum Chefs Association, Chinese Canadian
\nChefs Association, Hong Kong Canadian Chinese Chefs Club and VCC Asian
\nCulinary program<\/p>\n
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