A Toronto Chinese restaurant was just named the best in Canada

The winners of the 2026 Chinese Restaurant Awards (CRA) Elite 30 have officially been unveiled, and a Toronto restaurant beat out eateries across Canada.

Well, technically, the restaurant has two locations — one in Toronto and one in Vancouver — so we're sharing the honour with our friends on the West Coast, but a win is a win.

Ever since the long list of 50 finalists for the CRA Elite 30 Canada, wherein a whopping 18 Ontario restaurants made the cut, was announced earlier this month, fans of the local food scene have been eagerly awaiting the big reveal of which restaurants made the final cut.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 23, the results are finally here, and Ontario diners have plenty to be proud of.

Awarded annually by the Chinese Restaurant Awards, the Elite 30 recognizes the 30 top Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants across Canada (other versions exist for other countries and areas), as voted upon by a 21-member judging panel.

According to CRA, "taste comes first, followed by the overall dining experience," so, while opulent interiors and next-level staff certainly help, at the end of the day, it really all comes down to the food.

 

 

 

 

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Lucky for diners, the restaurant that secured the first-place slot has the taste and dining experience categories very much nailed. For 2026, the top restaurant on CRA's Elite 30 Canada was Toronto and Vancouver's Mott 32.

Located at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, the sleek restaurant, which was founded in Hong Kong but now exists all over the world, has become renowned for its exemplary experience and refined takes on Cantonese cuisine, like Peking duck, har gow (made with local lobster, mind you) and sweet & sour pork.

Mott 32 wasn't the only Toronto restaurant to score a spot on the list, though. It's joined by Michelin-starred aKin, Lai Wah Heen, MIMI Chinese, Nian Yi Kuai Zi, Sunnys Chinese, R&D, and Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant, bringing the '6ix's final tally to eight spots on the list.

Just beyond city limits, Richmond Hill was also well represented on the list, with additions for Flavourful House (which pulled in an impressive second-place), Jumbo Lobster Restaurant and Loon Fong Hot Pot.

Toronto's Belle Isle and Richmond Hill's Jumbo Lobster Restaurant also managed to claim special awards for specific dishes on their menus: the Claypot à l'Orange at Belle Isle and the Lobster Mountain at Jumbo Lobster Restaurant.

As if anyone needed any more proof that Toronto is one of the Chinese food capitals of the world, here you have it.

You can check out the complete Elite 30 Canada below.

1. Mott 32 — Vancouver, B.C. & Toronto, Ont.
2. Flavourful House — Richmond Hill, Ont.
3. Dynasty Seafood Restaurant — Vancouver, B.C.
4. Jumbo Lobster Restaurant — Richmond Hill, Ont.
5. Landmark Hotpot House — Vancouver, B.C.
6. Bamboo Grove — Richmond, B.C.
7. Chang'An Restaurant — Vancouver, B.C.
8. aKin — Toronto, Ont.
9. Sea Harbour Restaurant — Richmond, B.C.
10. The Fish Man — Richmond, B.C.
11. Lai Wah Heen — Toronto, Ont.
12. iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House — Vancouver, B.C.
13. Fishman Lobster Clubhouse — Scarborough, Ont.
14. Mimi Chinese — Toronto, Ont.
15. Jiangnan Wok — Richmond, B.C.
16. Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant — Richmond, B.C.
17. Nian Yi Kuai Zi — Markham and Scarborough, Ont.
18. Din Tai Fung — Vancouver, B.C.
19. Sunnys Chinese — Toronto, Ont.
20. R&D — Toronto, Ont.
21. Long's Noodle — Richmond, B.C.
22. Lanxuan Restaurant — Richmond, B.C.
23. Oncle Lee Kăo — Montreal, Que.
24. Miss Qu Barbecue & Restaurant — Scarborough and Richmond Hill, Ont.
25. Loon Fong Hot Pot — Richmond, B.C. & Richmond Hill, Ont.
26. Master Beef Hot Pot — Calgary, Alta.
27. Max Noodle House — Richmond, B.C.
28. Yuan's Garden Restaurant — Richmond, B.C.
29. Kingwell Roasted BBQ — Calgary, Alta.
30. HK BBQ Master — Richmond, B.C.