Canada’s latest guide to Chinese and Taiwanese dining has a new No. 1.
The Chinese Restaurant Awards has released its 2026 Elite 30 Canada ranking, placing MOTT 32, with restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver, at the top. Flavourful House in Richmond Hill ranks second, followed by Vancouver’s Dynasty Seafood Restaurant in third. Jumbo Lobster Restaurant and Landmark Hotpot House complete the top five.
The results were announced on September 23 at the organization’s 17th annual awards ceremony at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. Restaurants from British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec made the list, with Richmond, B.C. accounting for 11 of the 30 selections.
Six restaurants are new to the Elite 30 this year: Lai Wah Heen at No. 11, SUNNYs Chinese at No. 19, Long’s Noodle at No. 21, Master Beef Hot Pot at No. 26, Yuan’s Garden Restaurant at No. 28 and Kingwell Roasted BBQ at No. 29.
There is also a second list worth noting. For the first time, the awards have expanded their Signature Dish recognition beyond Vancouver, selecting 12 dishes from restaurants across Canada. The choices range from Calgary’s ginger fried beef at Silver Dragon to lobster dishes in Ontario and Quebec, Cantonese roast suckling pig in Vancouver and rice noodles with handmade pork balls in Richmond.
2026 Signature Dish Awards
British Columbia
- Braised Pork Hock – Slow-braised pork hock with silky skin, tender meat and rich savoury sauce. @ Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant, 5225 Victoria Dr, Vancouver
- Deep Fried Chicken Wing with Sour Plum Powder – Crisp golden wings dusted with house-made sour plum powder for sweet-sour savouriness. @ Landmark Hotpot House, 4023 Cambie St, Vancouver
- Pork Ball / Pork Tripe Ball Rice Noodles – Flat rice noodles in clear broth with handmade pork and pork-tripe balls. @ UNCLE, 3480 Moncton St, Richmond
- Roast Suckling Pig – Whole suckling pig roasted for thin, crisp skin and tender, juicy meat. @ Chinatown BBQ, 130 E Pender St, Vancouver
- Sliced Fatty Beef Rice Roll – Fresh stone-ground rice rolls wrapped around tender fatty beef with soy sauce. @ Hei Hei Rice Roll, 2430-8260 Westminster Hwy, Richmond
- Sweet & Sour Pork with Pineapple – Crisp tender pork tossed in balanced sweet-and-tangy sauce with fresh pineapple. @ Sanbo Chinese Restaurant, 4600 Number 3 Rd Unit 121, Richmond
Alberta
- Ginger Fried Beef – Crisp beef strips coated in fragrant ginger sauce with sweet, savoury heat. @ Silver Dragon, 106 3 Ave SE, Calgary
- Sablefish with Pickled Greens – Tender sablefish with aged pickled greens in a tangy, aromatic savoury broth. @ Rockies & River Restaurant, 8060 Silver Springs Blvd NW #140, Calgary
Ontario
- Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with Bird’s Nest – Slow-simmered banquet-style broth with bird’s nest and premium ingredients, luxurious yet comforting. @ Day&Night Angus Beef · King Crab, 680 Silver Star Blvd Suite 306, Scarborough
- Claypot Rice à l’Orange – Crisp-bottomed claypot rice with confit duck, tangerine soy and duck-fat shallots. @ Belle Isle, 1455 Gerrard St E, Toronto
- Lobster Mountain – Oversized Canadian lobster piled high with crispy garlic and savoury seasoning. @ Jumbo Lobster Restaurant, 9019 Leslie St, Richmond Hill; Fishman Lobster Clubhouse, 4020 Finch Ave E, Toronto
Quebec
- Garlic Sichuan Chili Wok-fried Québec Lobster – Québec lobster wok-fried with garlic and Sichuan peppercorn, keeping its natural sweetness. @ Oncle Lee Kăo, 112 Rue McGill, Montréal
2026 Elite 30 Canada Restaurants
British Columbia
- #1 MOTT 32 – 161 W Georgia St, Vancouver
- #3 Dynasty Seafood Restaurant – 108-777 W Broadway, Vancouver
- #5 Landmark Hotpot House – 4023 Cambie St, Vancouver
- #6 Bamboo Grove – 6920 No. 3 Rd, Richmond
- #7 Chang’An Restaurant – 1661 Granville St, Vancouver
- #9 Sea Harbour Restaurant – Unit 150, 8888 River Rd, Richmond
- #10 The Fish Man – #1170, 8391 Alexandra Rd, Richmond
- #12 iDen & Quan Ju De – 2808 Cambie St, Vancouver
- #15 Jiangnan Wok – 1211, 8338 Capstan Way, Richmond
- #16 Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant – 8111 Anderson Rd, Richmond
- #18 Din Tai Fung – 1132 Alberni St, Suite 200, Vancouver
- #21 Long’s Noodle – 4731 Garden City Rd #140, Richmond
- #22 Lanxuan Restaurant – 3631 Number 3 Rd #170, Richmond
- #27 Max Noodle House – 8291 Alexandra Rd, Richmond
- #28 Yuan’s Garden Restaurant – 8077 Alexandra Rd #101, Richmond
- #30 HK BBQ Master – 4651 Number 3 Rd, Richmond
Alberta
- #26 Master Beef Hot Pot – 4640 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary
- #29 Kingwell Roasted BBQ – 58 Sage Hill Passage NW, Calgary
Ontario
- #1 MOTT 32 – 190 University Ave, Toronto
- #2 Flavourful House – 280 West Beaver Creek Rd, Richmond Hill
- #4 Jumbo Lobster Restaurant – 8 East Wilmot St, Richmond Hill
- #8 aKin – 51 Colborne St, Toronto
- #11 Lai Wah Heen – 108 Chestnut St, Toronto
- #13 Fishman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant – 4020 Finch Ave E, Scarborough
- #14 MIMI Chinese – 265 Davenport Rd, Toronto
- #17 Nian Yi Kuai Zi – 505 Hwy 7, Markham; 4186 Finch Ave E, Scarborough
- #19 SUNNYs Chinese – 60 Kensington Ave, Units 6-14, Toronto
- #20 R&D – 241 Spadina Ave, Toronto
- #24 Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant – 505 Hwy 7 Unit 91-92, Thornhill; 4186 Finch Ave E Unit 21-22, Scarborough
- #25 Loon Fong Hot Pot – 330 Hwy 7 Unit 106, Richmond Hill
Quebec
- #23 Oncle Lee Kǎo – 112 Rue McGill, Montréal
Four individual honours were also announced. Lee Man received the Premier Visionary Award, Braden Chong was named Rising Star Chef of the Year, MOTT 32’s Wu Zhen Jun received Dim Sum Chef of the Year, and Franky Yeung of Jumbo Lobster Restaurant and Fishman Lobster Clubhouse was named Master Chef of the Year.
The ranking is decided by a 21-member Canada Taste Advisors Panel chaired by founding judge Lee Man. According to the awards, food comes first in the evaluation, followed by the overall dining experience. The online guide also identifies regional cuisine and recommends dishes at each restaurant, making the list more practical for diners deciding what to order.
“This year, we wanted the Awards to give diners a fuller picture of Chinese dining across Canada,” CEO Rae Kung said.