Five Toronto Chinese restaurants recognized among the best in Canada

The winners for the Chinese Restaurant Awards' first-ever round-up of Canada's best Chinese restaurants have finally dropped, and a selection of Toronto favourites have made the cut.

There are few problems a person can incur that can't be fixed — or at least made a little bit better — with Chinese food. That's my personal philosophy, anyway, and it hasn't failed me yet.

Another related belief of mine is: any Chinese food is better than none at all. But, still, it always behooves you to be in the know about what the best Chinese restaurants in the city are so that, when the craving hits, you know exactly where to make a beeline to.

That's where the Chinese Restaurant Awards come in. This awarding body celebrates the top Chinese restaurants in both Asia and Canada, as ranked by a diverse panel of 15 judges. 

This past Wednesday, Oct. 29, the Chinese Restaurant Awards' first-ever ranking of Canada's top 30 was revealed, following the longlist of finalists which dropped earlier that month.

While the B.C. restaurants that made it on the list managed to outnumber those in Ontario two to one (Quebec scraped out a third-place finish with two entries on the list), Chinese restaurants in the province still represented nearly a third of the spots on the list.

Rounding out the top three in third place, Richmond Hill's Flavourful House came in as the top Chinese restaurant in Ontario, followed quickly by MOTT 32, which boasts locations in both B.C. and Ontario, in fifth place.

Fellow Toronto restaurants on the list include the Michelin-starred aKin, in a surprising tenth place, Mimi Chinese just below in 13th, R&D in 14th and Scarborough's Fishman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant, closing it out for restaurants within city limits in 16th place.

Toronto wasn't the only Ontario city to score an impressive showing on the list, though. In addition to Flavourful House, Richmond Hill's Jumbo Lobster Restaurant and Loon Fong Hot Pot also got some well-deserved recognition, alongside Markham's Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant and Nian Yi Kuai Zi.

Here is the complete list of winners for the inaugural Canadian Chinese Restaurant Awards Elite 30:

• Dynasty Seafood Restaurant - Vancouver, B.C.
• Chang'An - Vancouver, B.C.
• Flavourful House - Richmond Hill, ON
• Landmark Hotpot House - Vancouver, B.C.
• MOTT 32 - Vancouver, B.C., Toronto, ON
• Sea Harbour Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• Jumbo Lobster Restaurant - Richmond Hill, ON
• Bamboo Grove Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• The Fish Man - Richmond, B.C.
• aKin - Toronto, ON
• Jiangnan Wok - Richmond, B.C.
• Mimi Chinese - Toronto, ON
• R&D - Toronto, ON
• Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House - Vancouver, B.C.
• Fishman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant - Toronto, ON
• Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant - Markham, ON
• Din Tai Fung - Vancouver, B.C.
• Osmathus Chinese Fusion Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• Max Noodle House - Richmond, B.C.
• Lanxuan Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• The Jade Seafood Restaurant - Richmond, B.C.
• Nian Yu Kuai Zo - Markham, ON
• Oncle Lee Kao - Montreal, QC
• Kalvin's Szechuan Restaurant - Vancouver, B.C.
• Loon Fong Hot Pot - Richmond Hill, ON
• Xi-An Flavour - Richmond, B.C.
• Chinatown BBQ - Vancouver, B.C.
• HK BBQ Master - Richmond, B.C.
• Nouilles de Lan Zhou - Montreal, QC