Dynasty Seafood accepting the Restaurant of the Year award from the Vancouver Magazine editorial team Dee Dhaliwal, Anicka Quin, and Neal McLennan. 

Awards show celebrates first-ever Chinese Restaurant of the Year; Joël Watanabe named Chef of the Year

At yesterday’s Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, Dynasty Seafood became the first-ever Chinese restaurant to win the coveted Restaurant of the Year title. During the 28th annual addition of the awards show, 41 gold awards were handed out, as the industry’s top talent gathered to celebrate their own.

“Though Vancouver is renowned for having the best Chinese food outside of China, there has often been a disconnect between Chinese restaurants and non-Chinese diners. Dynasty Seafood has changed all that,” said Neal McLennan, Food Editor, Vancouver Magazine. “Chef Sam Leung has bridged the gap like no other, by reaching out to non-Chinese diners without compromising the integrity of his traditional dishes. We are thrilled to celebrate Dynasty Seafood, and all the talented teams who took home Restaurant Awards this year.”

 Chef of the Year honours went to Joël Watanabe. The award recognizes the triumph of Watanabe’s refined fusion style which Vancouverites have come know, first through his modernized Chinese-French menu at Bao Bei, and now through his Japanese-Italian menu at Kissa Tanto. “Humming with clarity,” “honesty,” and “elegance,” is how the judges described Watanabe’s food. Kissa Tanto also picked up gold in the Best Pan-Asian and Best Design categories.

Fraserhood favourite, Savio Volpe, celebrated top honours in the Best New Restaurant category. This year’s show saw the addition of several new categories, including Best Brunch (Café Medina), Best Sushi (Zest), Best Vegan/Vegetarian (The Acorn), Best Bakery (Thomas Haas), and Best Pacific Northwest (Royal Dinette).

There were surprise upsets in some categories, with CinCin taking Best Italian and My Shanti winning Best Indian. Meanwhile, Hawksworth once again defended its Best Upscale Restaurant title, and Le Crocodile and Maenam repeated for Best French and Best Thai respectively. Best Latin saw La Mezcaleria and newcomer, El Santo, tie for first place. Around the province, Araxi took Best Whistler, Agrius won Best Victoria, and Waterfront Wines was named Best Okanagan.

Uva’s Sabrine Dhaliwal took home Bartender of the Year; L’Abattoir’s Lisa Haley was named Sommelier of the Year;  Pemberton’s North Arm Farm won the Producer/Supplier Award; and Sid and Joan Cross were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. For five decades, Sid, an oenophile, and Joan, a cookbook editor, have sought out and celebrated the local culinary pioneers who have changed the way we eat and drink. Together, they’ve promoted the region’s up-and-coming city talent to chefs, winemakers, and producers throughout the world. 

Vancouver Magazine's Editor-in-Chief John Burns, Dara Young and David Gunawan of Farmer's Apprentice, and Lori Chalmers, Publisher of Vancouver Magazine

On Tuesday, Vancouver Magazine announced the winners of their 25th Annual Restaurant Awards at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel.  This year marked the event's silver anniversary and hundreds gathered to celebrate the city's finest culinary talent. The festivities were hosted by CBC's Gloria Macarenko and Stephen Quinn and saw Gold awards handed out in 49 categories.  The night's big winner? The Farmer's Apprentice, taking home Restaurant of the Year, Best New Restaurant of the Year, and Best Casual Restaurant.

So who else took top honours? Click through for full coverage on vanmag.com.

Vancouver Magazine announced today select finalists for its upcoming 25^th Annual Restaurant Awards.  Finalists were named in the magazine’s new Best of Neighbourhood award categories including: Best Downtown, Best Yaletown, Best West End, Best Gastown & Chinatown, Best West Side, Best East Side, and Best Richmond.

These categories join Best North Shore in highlighting establishments for diners for whom location is at least as important as reputation, type of cuisine, ambiance, and price. Click here for finalist restaurants.

“For the past 25 years, Vancouver Magazine has been cataloguing the city’s finest rooms and creating a definitive compendium of all that is delicious, masterful, and of the moment,” said John Burns, Vancouver Magazine Editor-in-Chief. “The addition of Best of Neighbourhood awards reflects our judges’ view that for many people, location matters a great deal when deciding where to dine.”

Finalists in the remaining 42 categories won’t be revealed until the gala, to be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel on April 22^nd. More than 700 of B.C.’s top chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and food critics will gather to recognize the city’s best. Vancouverites can follow the event live on Twitter and Instagram using #VanMagAwards.

Vancouver Magazine’s May issue includes a 42-page feature on all the award categories. The issue will be on newsstands on April 28^th and digital subscriptions will be available at vanmag.com.

About Vancouver Magazine:

Since 1967, Vancouver Magazine has been informing, guiding, and entertaining people who engage with the city. Mixing quality journalism and service-driven pieces, the magazine chronicles and reflects Vancouver’s emergence as a dynamic, cosmopolitan urban centre. Vancouver Magazine is available as a monthly magazine, through a weekly e-newsletter, The Fix, online at Vanmag.com, and on Twitter and Instagram (@vanmag_com).

Volunteer Opportunity - Event Coordination Event: Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards

Date/Time:  Tuesday, April 22nd, 10:00am – 6:00pm

Elettra Communications is looking for student volunteers to assist with Vancouver’s premier restaurant industry event. This opportunity will appeal to students who have an interest in public relations, publishing, marketing, or event management.

Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards event is the biggest of its kind in North America, and this year marks the event’s landmark 25th anniversary.  Twenty of the city’s top food critics form the judging panel and vote on the best dining experience in more than 40 categories. The event itself includes a reception and awards show. The annual extravaganza welcomes more than 800 restaurateurs, chefs, sommeliers, suppliers, and food and wine critics.

Duties: Volunteers will assist with a range of activities including: ·       Event set up ·       Guest check-in ·       Awards presenting/backstage coordination ·       Coat check ·       Gift distribution

Benefits to volunteering: ·       Event coordination experience. ·       Exposure to the behind-the-scenes workings of a large event. ·       Opportunity to build contacts in the PR, marketing, and publishing industries. ·       Lunch will be provided.

Dress code: All black. No jeans; no running shoes/sneakers.

How to apply: If you would like to volunteer for this opportunity, please contact cassandra@elettra.ca.  In your email please provide a brief introduction of yourself, and include a description of your current course of study and your contact information.