The Chinese Restaurant Awards has made culinary history by releasing its first-ever nationwide ranking of Chinese restaurants in Canada. The inaugural Elite 30 Canada list showcases the country's finest establishments serving everything from Cantonese barbecue to Shanghainese dim sum and Hong Kong-style hotpot.
Top Honours and Culinary Excellence
Vancouver's Dynasty Seafood Restaurant claimed the number one position on the prestigious list. Established in 2009, the restaurant has built its reputation on what the awards organization describes as craftsmanship, consistency and heart. The kitchen is led by executive chef Cao Can Hui and dim sum head chef Garley Leung, who earned the additional honour of Dim Sum Chef of the Year.
Among their recommended dishes are the braised napa cabbage stuffed with Buddha feast, braised and grilled duck with mushrooms, and their signature baked lemon barbecued pork pastry.
National Culinary Landscape
The list reveals interesting geographic patterns in Canada's Chinese dining scene. British Columbia dominates with 18 restaurants, including seven in Vancouver and eleven in Richmond. Ontario follows with ten establishments spread across Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham, and Scarborough.
Montreal makes a notable appearance with two restaurants on the list, including Oncle Lee Kǎo at position 24, where head chef and culinary director Andersen Lee was named Rising Star Chef of the Year.
Standout Establishments and Their Stories
Vancouver's Chang'An secured the second spot for its exceptional Shaanxi cuisine, featuring standout dishes like twice-cooked rack of lamb and stir-fried lychee prawns with sweet, sour and spicy sauces. Executive chef Leo Wang (Wang Zonggui) brings both technical mastery and heartfelt respect for northern China's culinary traditions to his kitchen.
In third place, Richmond Hill's Flavourful House earned recognition for chef Samuel Su Wei-jian's refined Cantonese cooking. Su's journey to culinary excellence is particularly remarkable - he trained as a car mechanic before teaching himself traditional techniques like wok hei (breath of the wok), low-heat braising and double-boiling. His dedication earned him the title of Master Chef of the Year.
The Chinese Restaurant Awards, which has been operating for 16 years, previously focused on regional recognition before expanding to this national scale. Rae Kung, managing director of the organization, expressed excitement about finally creating a ranked list that celebrates the diverse range of Chinese cuisines across Canada.
