{"id":1008903,"date":"2025-09-09T21:32:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T04:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/?p=1008903"},"modified":"2025-09-09T21:32:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T04:32:12","slug":"the-story-of-chinese-cuisine-is-global-and-now-so-is-our-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/the-story-of-chinese-cuisine-is-global-and-now-so-is-our-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story of Chinese Cuisine is Global \u2014 And Now, So Is Our List"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Story of Chinese Cuisine is Global \u2014 And Now, So Is Our List<\/h2><\/div>
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For the first time in history, Chinese cuisine receives its own dedicated ranking across Canada and Asia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]Beyond Borders, Same Heart<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For sixteen years, the Chinese Restaurant Awards<\/strong> have been a compass for those seeking the essence of Chinese dining. The mission has never wavered: to uncover the finest dishes, to spotlight the establishments that matter \u2014 no matter their scale \u2014 and to honour the talent behind them. To preserve traditions, and to imagine new possibilities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Awards were born from one vision. Sixteen years ago, President Craig Stowe recognised that many diners outside the Chinese community longed for a guide, a way to truly understand the artistry of Chinese cuisine. From that insight, the Chinese Restaurant Awards were created \u2014 a platform that has since opened doors, inspired journeys, and given chefs and dishes the recognition they deserve.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”.vc_custom_1756107178326{margin-left: 15px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-color: #4387fb !important;}”]\u201cBy taking that step, he changed countless lives. Diners found a path into the world of Chinese cuisine, chefs gained recognition for their craft, and Chinese food itself was celebrated with the respect it has always deserved.<\/em>\u201d<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]In 2025, that vision grows.<\/strong> The Awards step beyond the Canadian roots to embrace Asia, linking two continents with one shared ambition: to celebrate the best of Chinese cuisine, and to give it the global stage it has long merited.<\/p>\n

Why Critics Matter<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A list is easy to read, but never easy to build. Behind every choice lies the conviction of critics who live and breathe food \u2014 who understand that Chinese dining is not simply about restaurants, but about the dishes that carry memory, migration, and meaning.<\/p>\n

This is why critics matter. Their taste, their cultural sensitivity, their discernment: they are the compass of the Chinese Restaurant Awards. Each year\u2019s results are more than winners. They chart trends, honour new talent, and pay tribute to those who shape the way the world experiences Chinese cuisine.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator color=”white” el_width=”70″ css=””][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1008313″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″]

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Agnes Chee:<\/h2><\/div>
Cultural Confidence for Asia<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]Guiding the new Asia edition is Agnes Chee<\/strong>, a globe-trotting critic and author whose career has been devoted to chronicling the stories of chefs and the flavours at risk of fading away. Her works \u2014 Vanishing Flavour of Cantonese Cuisine and World-Changing Flavours \u2014 preserve culinary heritage while connecting it to a global dining conversation.<\/p>\n

Agnes brings with her a conviction: that Chinese cuisine deserves its own independent system of evaluation, rooted in cultural confidence, not reliant on Western yardsticks. Her goal is to celebrate talent, inspire new entrants, and protect traditions while defining excellence on its own terms.<\/p>\n

Her approach is deliberately intimate. The first Asian panel will be small yet influential, a gathering of true gourmets: from Michelin-starred chefs to leaders in finance, the arts, fashion, international business, and culture. Transparent, accountable, and diverse, this panel will redefine how Chinese cuisine is measured and celebrated across Asia.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”40″ css=”” accent_color=”#4387fb”][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1006163″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″]

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Lee Man<\/h2><\/div>
A Voice for Canada<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text css=””]At the helm of Canada is Lee Man<\/strong>, a founding judge of the Awards since 2008 and one of the country\u2019s most respected voices in gastronomy. For more than fifteen years, Lee\u2019s palate and prose have illuminated the Chinese dining scene in Canada, from humble kitchens to ambitious fine dining rooms. His writing for Vancouver Magazine and Montecristo Magazine, alongside features in the Financial Times, Time Out, and beyond, has made him a trusted interpreter of Chinese cuisine for Canadian audiences and the wider world.<\/p>\n

For Lee, the Awards are not just about recognition. They are about dialogue \u2014 about what Chinese cuisine means in Canada today. From the regional dishes of immigrant families to the creativity of a new generation of chefs, Chinese cuisine here is a living story of heritage and reinvention. Under his guidance, the Canada edition of the Awards will continue to reflect not only excellence, but also the connections food creates between people and cultures.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s never just a list.
\nIt\u2019s the people, the stories, and the connections built through food.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″]

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Carrying the Mission Forward<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]From Craig Stowe\u2019s founding vision to Agnes Chee and Lee Man\u2019s leadership across Asia and Canada, the Chinese Restaurant Awards step into a new chapter. One that bridges continents, shapes conversations, and gives Chinese cuisine the recognition it has always deserved.<\/p>\n

The results will not merely highlight excellence. They will serve as a call to chefs, diners, and dreamers \u2014 to chase, to create, and to explore the finest dishes and restaurants.<\/p>\n

Because the culinary world deserves a list dedicated to Chinese cuisine \u2014 one curated by those who truly love it, and who know it best.<\/p>\n


\nStay tuned: the 2025 Chinese Restaurant Awards results will be announced on October 29, 2025.<\/span><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”100px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]Beyond Borders, Same Heart For sixteen years, the Chinese Restaurant Awards have been a compass for those seeking the essence of Chinese dining. The mission has never wavered: to uncover the finest dishes, to spotlight the establishments that matter \u2014 no matter their scale \u2014 and to honour the talent behind them. To […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1008391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3],"tags":[1519,25,48,1520,1521,1522,1523,1524,1525,1526,1527],"class_list":["post-1008903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-critics-insights","category-news","tag-agnes-chee","tag-chinese-cuisine","tag-chinese-restaurant-awards","tag-craig-stowe","tag-lee-man","tag-1522","tag-1523","tag-1524","tag-1525","tag-1526","tag-1527"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1008903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1008903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1008903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1008391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1008903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1008903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1008903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}