For the past five years, Vancouver has witnessed a tremendous growth in the local Chinese culinary scene and has recognized outstanding dishes produced by talented chefs and their skilled staffs, under the watchful eyes and discerning tastes of those behind the annual Chinese Restaurant Awards. With the goal of demystifying Chinese cuisine in North America, the Awards program has been crafting annual restaurant guides based on its Critics’ Choice Awards and its Diners’ Choice Awards since 2008.
Download press release and awards categories in pdf
Download critics’ bios in pdf
“The mission that we set out to accomplish five years ago has become
an encouraging platform for Chinese chefs in Metro Vancouver to
experiment with dishes that reflect on traditional flavours, while
incorporating new and innovative culinary ideas,” says Craig Stowe,
Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Founding Director. “Their passions and
talents are the driving force behind those chefs who participate in
creating the dishes presented and those food critics who assess which
dishes are worthy of an award. Last year’s increase in votes for the
Diners’ Choice Awards to 12,782 from 11,453 was an inspiring
achievement. This overwhelming public support propels us to chart new
territories that befits Vancouver’s reign as the Chinese gourmet
capital, outside of China.”
In 2013, five new categories will be
added to the Diners’ Choice Awards, for a total of eighteen categories.
These five new categories include: Best Taiwanese Beef Noodle, Best
Pan-fried Shanghainese Bun, Best B.C. Dungeness Crab, Best Stir-fried
Eggs with Prawns, and Best Salt & Pepper Pork Loin. The public’s
enthusiastic participation in last year’s categories of Best Xiao Long
Bao and Best King Crab has inspired the changes in 2013. Each new
category has been decided based on the dish’s reputation as being
popular or as a staple dish in a particular region in China or
containing an outstanding local ingredient for Chinese cuisine. Diners
are encouraged to nominate their favorite restaurants online from
November 5th to 14th, 2012 and to vote for the top twenty nominees from
November 15th, 2012 to January 4th, 2013. The winners will be announced
on January 7th, 2013.
The most anticipated Critics’ Choice Awards
to date will be announced in the awards ceremony on February 26, 2013
in the Show Theatre at the River Rock Casino Resort. This year’s judging
panel is made up of seven prominent local food critics, including
Stephen Wong and Lee Man, who are not only experts in the field of
Chinese cuisine but also familiar with the history of Chinese Restaurant
Awards as they have been involved since its inception. The entire
judging panel has conducted tastings individually and together as a
group since the summer of 2012, sharing information and recommending
potential tasting destinations to each other. The dynamic of this
judging panel is built from five years of experience working together
with the Chinese Restaurant Awards. The public is encouraged to give
tasting recommendations to the critics. The goal is to create a
comprehensive Chinese restaurant guide that represents the
best-of-the-best in Metro Vancouver.
Critics’ Choice Signature Dish Awards
Awards will be given under these 9 major categories:
Dim Sum, Appetizers, Vegetable/Tofu, Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Dessert, Rice / Noodle and Soup
Diners’ Choice Awards (18 awards in total)
*new awards this year
1. Best Taiwanese Beef Noodle*
2. Best B.C. Dungeness Crab Dish*
3. Best Pan-fried Shanghainese Bun*
4. Best Stir-fried Prawns with Eggs*
5. Best Salt & Pepper Pork Loin*
6. Best Fine Dining Restaurant
7. Best Dim Sum Restaurant
8. Best Northern Chinese Restaurant
9. Best Shanghainese Restaurant
10. Best Szechuan / Hunan Restaurant
11. Best Taiwanese Restaurant/BBT Café
12. Best Hot Pot Restaurant
13. Best Congee and Noodle Restaurant
14. Best Vegetarian Restaurant
15. Best Hong Kong-Style Café
16. Best Bakery Shop
17. Best BBQ Shop
18. Best Food Court Stall
The Chinese Restaurant Awards wishes to thank the following
sponsors who help to make these awards possible: Alberta Livestock and
Meat Agency, FortisBC, River Rock Casino Resort, Heineken, Alberta Beef
Producers, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, Underwater Harvesters’
Association, Amoy Food limited, Anchor Foods International Limited,
CityTV, OMNI BC, Richmond Review, Westender, New Home Living,
Foodspotting, Atherethere.com, AX3Battery.com, Westca.com, City365.ca
and Vandiary.com
For more information on the Chinese Restaurant Awards: www.ChineseRestaurantAwards.com
To nominate your favorite restaurants and cast your vote: www.VoteDinersChoice.com
Recommend dishes to the judging panel: critics@ChineseRestaurantAwards.com
Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Facebook page & Twitter @CRADiningGuide
-end-
+ Media Contact
Rae Kung, Project Manager
778.829.6244 // rae@ChineseRestaurantAwards.com
