Vancouver once again proved it’s the heart of Chinese dining in North America.
At this year’s 16th Annual Chinese Restaurant Awards ceremony, held on October 29 at the Vancouver Club, Metro Vancouver dominated the inaugural Elite 30 Canada Awards.
It is the new national ranking recognizing the country’s best Chinese restaurants.
Metro Vancouver came out on top with 18 restaurants named in the Elite 30, including a mix of legendary Cantonese establishments, modern fine dining innovators, and humble favourites that define the region’s culinary depth.
Among the top-ranked were Vancouver’s Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, which took the number one spot in the country, and Chang’An, which came in second, solidifying both as national leaders in authentic Chinese gastronomy.
Vancouver’s Mott 32, Landmark Hotpot House, and iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House also landed in the top 15.
Over in Richmond, the city’s powerhouse lineup was well-represented with Sea Harbour, Bamboo Grove, The Fish Man, Golden Paramount, and Jiangnan Wok all earning spots.
Other local highlights included Xi’An Flavour, HK BBQ Master, and Max Noodle House, celebrating the diversity of Chinese regional cuisines that thrive in the Metro Vancouver area.
Full ranking:
- Dynasty Seafood Restaurant– Vancouver, B.C. | Cantonese
- Chang’ An – Vancouver, B.C. | Shaanxi / Northern Chinese
- Flavourful House – Richmond Hill, Ontario | Cantonese
- Landmark Hotpot House– Vancouver, B.C. | Hong Kong Style Hotpot
- MOTT 32 – Vancouver, B.C. & Toronto, Ontario | Peking Duck / Modern Chinese
- Sea Harbour Restaurant – Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese
- Jumbo Lobster Restaurant – Richmond Hill, Ontario | Cantonese Seafood
- Bamboo Grove Restaurant– Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese
- The Fish Man– Richmond, B.C. | Sichuan / Cantonese Seafood
- aKin– Toronto, Ontario | Modern Asian
- Jiangnan Wok – Richmond, B.C. | Jiangnan
- Mimi Chinese– Toronto, Ontario | Modern Chinese
- R&D – Toronto, Ontario | Modern Canadian Asian
- Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant – Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese / Shunde
- iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House – Vancouver, B.C. | Peking Duck / Northern Chinese
- Fishman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant – Scarborough, Ontario | Cantonese Seafood
- Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant– Markham / Scarborough, Ontario | Sichuan
- Din Tai Fung– Vancouver, B.C. | Taiwanese / Shanghainese Dim Sum
- Osmanthus Chinese Fusion Restaurant – Richmond, B.C. | Jiangnan
- Max Noodle House – Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese Noodles & Congee
- Lanxuan Restaurant– Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese
- The Jade Seafood Restaurant– Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese
- Nian Yi Kuai Zi– Markham / Scarborough, Ontario | Sichuan
- Oncle Lee Kǎo– Montreal, Quebec | Modern Chinese
- Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant– Vancouver, B.C. | Taiwanese / Sichuan
- Loon Fong Hot Pot – Richmond Hill, Ontario | Hong Kong Style Hotpot
- Xi’An Flavour– Richmond, B.C. | Shaanxi / Xi’an
- Chinatown BBQ– Vancouver, B.C. | Cantonese BBQ
- HK BBQ Master – Richmond, B.C. | Cantonese BBQ
- Nouilles de Lan Zhou– Montreal, Quebec | Lanzhou Beef Noodles
The Chinese Restaurant Awards also honoured individuals shaping the future of Chinese cuisine.
Dynasty Seafood’s Garley Leung won Dim Sum Chef of the Year, while Vancouver Chinatown Foundation’s Carol Lee was recognized as Cultural Ambassador of the Year for her ongoing contributions to preserving and revitalizing Chinatown.
This year’s awards marked the first time the Chinese Restaurant Awards expanded nationwide, with Ontario and Quebec also represented on the list.
However, the results reaffirmed what most Vancouverites already knew: that the city remains the epicentre of Chinese dining in Canada, with a rare mix of tradition, innovation, and world-class craftsmanship.