Reaching for New Heights at the Fifth Annual Chinese Restaurants Awards
(Vancouver, B.C.) The 5th Annual Chinese Restaurant Awards celebrated the achievements of Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto’s Chinese culinary elites today at River Rock Show Theatre, Richmond, B.C. Attended by the industry’s professionals, media, and VIPs, the Oscar-style award ceremony was hosted by Breakfast Television’s Dawn Chubai and OMNI Television’s Sunny Chiu.
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The presentation opened with a dazzling tasting reception, which
included live cooking demonstrations by Vancouver-based Chef Andy Liu of
Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant, Chef Wing Ho of Fortune House Seafood
Restaurant, and Chef Hung Ching-Lung, founder of Chef Hung Taiwanese
Beef Noodle.
Chef Hung, who travelled from Taiwan especially for
the ceremony, gave a riveting noodle-making performance that delighted
guests including Consul Li Yue of Overseas Chinese Affairs at the
Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver. During
his speech, Consul Li praised the growing success and contribution of
both the Awards and the chefs.
“2013 is the year of reaching for
new heights,” said Craig Stowe, Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Founding
Director. “To further raise the public’s awareness of the fine Chinese
cuisine existing in Canada, we must expand beyond the borders of
Vancouver.”
Greater Toronto, another bustling hub for Chinese
food, was selected to be part of the Awards as a result. Four locally
acclaimed food critics and writers—Jen Chan, Jennifer Kwan, Renée S.
Suen, and Charles Yu—were invited to search for ten Critics’ Choice
Signature Dishes.
Their expertise and experience with different
media outlets, such as Chowhound, Yelp, and Toronto Star, are invaluable
in developing a reliable new dining guide. One of their notable choices
is Richmond Hill’s Omei Restaurant. The winner enticed the judges with
their different cooking methods used in Lobster Five Ways (Steamed,
Stir-fried with Maggie Sauce, Deep Fried Lobster Legs, Steamed Egg
Custard with Lobster Brain, Fried Rice with Lobster Brain).
In
Greater Vancouver, the Awards’ legacy continued with seven judges voting
for the best dishes after a full year of tasting. The results, audited
by Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, highlight the diversity and popularity
of Chinese regional cuisines in the area. Top Shanghai Cuisine’s Pan
Fried Shanghainese Buns, a 2013 Diners’ Choice Awards winner, is also
voted as a must-eat by the judges. Kirin Restaurant at City Square wowed
the judges with three dishes—Deep Fried Boneless Chicken with Minced
Prawn, Glutinous Rice, and Chestnut Paste, Geoduck Two Ways, and Smoked
Live Lobster with Assorted Mushroom—making them a top winner in the
category. The new title, Greater Vancouver’s Critics’ Choice Awards –
Most Awarded Chinese Restaurant, is bestowed upon Sea Harbour Seafood
Restaurant. From 2009-2013, the restaurant won eight Critics’ Choice
Awards with Signature Dishes such as Fried Squab (2009-2012) and
Pan-fried Spot Prawns with Soy Sauce (2011-2012).
Adding to the
excitement of 2013 is the new Chinese Master Chefs (CMC) program. After
five years of planning, the Awards selected Raymond Cheung (Landmark
Hotpot House), Wing Ho (Fortune House Seafood Restaurant), Andy Liu (Sea
Harbour Seafood Restaurant), Wing Leung (Shiang Garden Seafood
Restaurant), Tong Luk (The Jade Seafood Restaurant), Timmy Tsui (Big
Chef Restaurant), Tony Wu (Tin Tin Seafood Harbour) and Ming Yeung
(Bamboo Grove) as Master Chefs based on their winning records, worldwide
reputation, and continuous contribution to Greater Vancouver’s culinary
landscape. Their relentless effort in defining Chinese cuisine with
innovative ideas has inspired a new generation of chefs and connected
the Chinese community with other cultures.
The CMC program wishes to share the Masters’ dishes recipes with the public on www.ChineseMasterChefs.com .
A 90sec cooking demonstration of each chef’s selected creations will be
aired in March and April on OMNI Television’s Cantonese and Mandarin
news. All ingredients used in the recipes such as Alberta beef, Alberta
Pork and B.C. seafood are available at Vancouver’s PriceSmart
Foods—Chinese Master Chefs’ preferred store for fresh and affordable
ingredients.
The public is encouraged to experience the Master
Chefs’ creations at their restaurants and participate in a charitable
test drive at one of the three Dueck Auto Group’s locations (Terminal
Avenue, Marine Drive, and Richmond in Vancouver). By simply presenting
the test-drive card received from the restaurants, diners can help raise
funds for Vancouver Community College’s prestigious Conrad Leung Award.
For each test drive, Dueck Auto Group will donate $25 to the
scholarship program that recognizes the achievement of an outstanding
student in the Asian Culinary Arts Program.
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The
Chinese Restaurant Awards wishes to thank the following sponsors who
help to make these awards possible: Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency,
Dueck Auto Group, FortisBC, River Rock Casino Resort, Hennessy, Alberta
Beef Producers, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, China UnionPay, Big
House Wines, Heineken, Underwater Harvesters’ Association, Amoy Food
limited, Anchor Foods International Limited, CityTV, OMNI BC, Richmond
Review, Westender, New Home Living, Yelp.ca, Foodspotting,
AX3Battery.com, Westca.com, City365.ca and Vandiary.com
For more information on the Chinese Restaurant Awards: www.ChineseRestaurantAwards.com
For more information on the Chinese Master Chefs: www.ChineseMasterChefs.com
Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Facebook page & Twitter @CRADiningGuide