Last year’s top two Chinese restaurants in Canada are back in contention, alongside six newly listed Vancouver and Richmond spots.
The Chinese Restaurant Awards just released its 2026 Top 50 Honourees on September 8, with six local entries marked new to the list.
All 50 are finalists for the Elite 30 Canada Awards, which recognize top Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants across the country.
The shortlisted ranked 30 list will be announced September 23 at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver.
In Vancouver, the new entries are Chef’s Choice Seafood Restaurant, Happy Family Restaurant, Lady 3 Kitchen and Southern Delicacy.
Richmond adds Master Hung BBQ Restaurant and Yuan’s Garden Restaurant.
Those six account for half of the 12 entries new on this year’s national list.
It again shows that BC holds some of the top Chinese restaurants in the country.
Their cuisines range from Cantonese barbecue at Master Hung to rice pots at Lady 3 Kitchen and Shanghainese, Nanjing and Huaiyang cooking at Yuan’s Garden.
But “New to the list” needs context.
Yuan’s Garden already appeared on the CRA’s 2024 Metro Vancouver Top 30 longlist, which we covered at the time.
That earlier list led to a regional Elite 15, before the awards expanded to a national Elite 30 in 2025.
A new entry here does not mean a restaurant just opened or is receiving its first CRA recognition.
The returning names bring a separate reason to watch September 23.
As we reported after last year’s ceremony, Vancouver’s Dynasty Seafood Restaurant finished first in Canada and Chang’An finished second.
Both are back among the 2026 finalists, along with Landmark Hotpot House, Mott 32, Chinatown BBQ, Din Tai Fung and iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House.
Richmond’s returning entries include Bamboo Grove, HK BBQ Master, Jiangnan Wok, Golden Paramount, Sea Harbour, The Fish Man and Max Noodle House.
Car’s Dessert is also listed, keeping Hong Kong-style desserts in the mix alongside seafood, noodles and hot pot.
Some entries cover more than one city.
Memory Corner represents Richmond and Burquitlam, Loon Fong spans Richmond and Richmond Hill, and Mott 32 includes Vancouver and Toronto, with each name taking one place on the list.
The Canada Taste Advisors Panel, chaired by founding judge Lee Man, has expanded from 15 to 21 members this year.
Under the 2026 voting rules, advisors must have eaten at each nominated restaurant within the past 12 months, and restaurants cannot nominate themselves.
CRA’s recommendations include roast pork belly at Master Hung and Nanjing salted duck at Yuan’s Garden, while Chef’s Choice is highlighted for deep-fried chicken with glutinous rice.
Those dish recommendations give the additions a more useful introduction than an awards badge alone.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: Multiple restaurants in Vancouver and Richmond; awards ceremony at Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
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