(Vancouver, B.C.) – The diners have spoken, and their votes tell a tale
of the most popular Chinese restaurants, cafes, BBQ shops and bakeries
across the Lower Mainland. Since its inception four years ago, local
Chinese food enthusiasts have eagerly anticipated the Diners’ Choice
Awards component of the Chinese Restaurant Awards. They nominated their
favourites online from October 18 to 31 before voting in record-setting
numbers, casting an unprecedented 12,521 votes during the month of
November. “The annual results are a true barometer of the best of the
best in Chinese dining and reflect the local trend to more and more
great Chinese restaurants continuing to push the bar in Greater
Vancouver,” says Craig Stowe, Founding Director of the Chinese
Restaurant Awards.
Competition for top honours was hotly contested. Richmond restaurants took the prize in two newly added categories this year: Dinesty Chinese Restaurant for Best Xiao Long Bao (Shanghainese soup dumplings) and Excelsior Restaurant, a 2009 Critics’ Choice Signature Dish Award winner, for Best Alaska King Crab dish. “This year we gave the dining pubic the chance to vote like food critics in two Signatures Dishes categories, Alaska King Crab and Xiao Long Bao,” Mr. Stowe comments.
Repeat victories in a number of categories bespeak a consistent level of excellence among the winners. BBQ Master in Richmond has garnered Best BBQ Shop for four years running, while Congee Noodle House and Pearl Castle have taken their respective awards of Best Congee Noodle Restaurant and Best Taiwanese Restaurant/BBT Café for the last three years.
Over 8,000 diners treated their palates to a superlative level of culinary artistry during November’s inaugural Signature Dish Dining Festival, a first in North America, presenting an impressive array of Chinese signature dishes at select restaurants throughout Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. At the end of their tasting journey, food lovers recognized their top picks with votes, selecting Jade Seafood Restaurant in Richmond as Best Festival Restaurant Overall among the 18 participating restaurants.
Awards will be presented to the Diners’ Choice winners at the 2012 Chinese Restaurant Awards ceremony on January 11, 2012 at the River Rock Casino Resort’s Show Theatre. For a complete list of winners, please see the attached list.
The 2012 Chinese Restaurant Awards wishes to thank the following sponsors who help to make these awards possible: Mercedes-Benz, River Rock Casino Resort, Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Porks, Hennessy Cognac, Onni Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Amoy Food limited, Anchor Foods International Limited, CityTV, OMNI BC, Richmond Review, Westender, Yelp Vancouver, New Home Living, Atherethere.com, TheRedPocket.com, AX3Batthery.com, What’s In Magazine, Global Chinese Press, and Westca.com
For more information on the Chinese Restaurant Awards: www.chineserestaurantawards.com
Review & Official Site of the Signature Dish Dining Festival: www.ChineseDiningGuide.com
Chinese Restaurant Awards’ Facebook page & Twitter @CRADiningGuide
Best of the Signature Dish Dining Festival: (new awards this year)
1. Best Festival Restaurant Overall
The Jade Seafood Restaurant
8511 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604-249-0082)
2. Best Service
Rainflower Seafood Restaurant
3600 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-821-5555)
3. Best Dining Environment
Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby (604-432-6002)
4. Most Innovative
Fortune House Seafood Restaurant
247-4700 Kingsway, Burnaby (604-438-8686)
Best: *new awards for this year
1. Xiao Long Bao*
Dinesty Chinese Restaurant
160-8111 Ackroyd Road, Richmond (604-303-7772)
2. King Crab Dish*
Excelsior Restaurant
6-6340 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-278-2637)
3. New Restaurant (Open less than one year)*
Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby (604-432-6002)
4. Fine Dining Restaurant
Kirin Restaurants
1172 Alberni Street, Vancouver (604-682-8833)
1163 Pinetree Way, 2/F, Coquitlam (604-944-8833)
2/F 555 W. 12th Avenue, Vancouver (604-879-8038)
350 Gifford Street, New Westminster (604-528-8833)
200 Three West Centre, 7900 Westminster Hwy, Richmond (604-303-8833)
5. Dim Sum Restaurant*
The Jade Seafood Restaurant
8511 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604-249-0082)
6. Northern Chinese / Shanghainese Restaurant
Northern Delicacy
2788-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond (604-233-7050)
7. Szechuan / Hunan Restaurant*
Golden Szechuan Restaurant
3631 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-288-9058)
8. Taiwanese Restaurant/BBT Café
Pearl Castle
1128-3779 Sexsmith Road, Richmond (604-270-3939)
1380-4380 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-270-1870)
9. Hot Pot Restaurant
Fatty Cow Seafood Hot Pot
5108 Victoria Drive, Vancouver (604-568-6630)
10. Congee and Noodle Restaurant
Congee Noodle House
141-143 East Broadway, Vancouver (604-879-8221)
11. Vegetarian Restaurant
Spicy Vegetarian Cuisine
132-4200 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-304-3538)
12. Hong Kong-style Café
Cattle Café
1020– 8580 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604-276-2800)
4885 Kingsway, Burnaby (604-430-8686)
13. Bakery
Maxim’s
1136-1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam (604-468-1337)
2226-6060 Minoru Boulevard, Richmond (604-270-8337)
516-5613 Victoria Drive, Vancouver (604-323-1551)
161-4800 Kingsway, Burnaby (604-438-2256)
152-10153 King George Highway, Surrey (604-634-0323)
14. BBQ Shop
HK BBQ Master
145-4651 No. 3 Road, Richmond (604-272-6568)
15. Food Court Stall*
Mambo Cafe, Aberdeen Centre
3020-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond (604-273-3669)
Media Contact
Rae Kung
Event Manager
778.829.6244 // rae@ChineseRestaurantAwards.com
