But hey, we’ve done our best. In 2023, our Best Chain category write-up reasoned, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Two years ago, we claimed “the restaurant is an institution at this point.” Back in 2015, our judges called Cactus “head and shoulders above” the other restaurants in the Best Chain category, and almost a decade and a half ago, we said “no chain delivered more in ’09 than the still effervescing Cactus.”

Since Cactus was founded in 1988 (the restaurant is one year older than our Restaurant Awards), it’s become a star of the city’s casual fine dining scene—the sort of place you can go for a date night, but also grab a beer at post-rec hockey game.

So you may have been surprised when Cactus wasn’t included on our 2024 Restaurant Awards finalist list.  After three decades of wins, Cactus decided to step back from the running in 2024: they’re graciously making space for other restaurants to compete for the title of “Best Chain.”

To celebrate the idea of legacy, Vanmag and Cactus have collaboratively created our new Restaurant Awards Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame celebrates individuals and organizations that have demonstrated consistent leadership and excellence in the culinary industry, and have made a long-lasting impact on the way we eat in Vancouver.

Spoiler alert: the 2024 Restaurant Awards will celebrate Cactus as our inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame. Two more winners—one individual and one organization—will be announced at our May 6 awards ceremony.

“Over the years, we’ve worked extremely hard to deliver outstanding hospitality and to earn our collection of Best Chain gold wins,” says Andrew Latchford, the president of Cactus Club Cafe. “We are proud of what we’ve achieved, will continue to strive for excellence and are looking forward to seeing who takes gold this year.”

In addition to their sponsorship of the Hall of Fame, Cactus will be presenting our Best New Restaurant award at the ceremony on May 6.

See you at the awards—get your tickets now.

The post Introducing the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards Hall of Fame appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

The Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards are always one of the year’s highlights for us, because we don’t just get to put out a big, juicy issue full of celebratory stories on the city’s best restaurants: we get to celebrate the folks who run them, too.

This year, we’re thrilled to once again open the doors to the public—which means that not only can finalists buy tickets for their teams, but readers and restaurant lovers can also join us for the big bash: the 35th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. On Monday, May 6, come raise a glass with Vancouver magazine team to the pinnacle of Vancouver’s culinary scene.

Held at the iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the afternoon kicks off at 2:00 p.m. with a lively networking hour (complemented by bevs and bites, of course), before the big award ceremony begins. For 2024, we’re honouring more than 75 (!) category winners, thanks to the inclusion of our highly anticipated Readers’ Choice awards, new Hall of Fame designations and our Editor’s Choice honourees.

You’ll be the very first to know about this year’s winners, so you can scoop everybody on reservation—tell us that’s not worth a $65 ticket price.

Space is limited and these are going to go fast, so snag your tickets to the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards today. (And don’t forget to memorize our finalist list so you know just who to cheer for on the big day.)

The post [SOLD OUT] You’re Invited to the 35th Annual Restaurant Awards appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

As diehard RA fans know, every year we have a panel of expert judges tasting, evaluating and eventually determining the top restaurants in the city—that’s the Judged Division. In the Judged Division, you’ll find cuisine-related categories (think Best Japanese, Best Latin American and Best French) as well as our people-focused awards (for example, Chef of the Year and Premier Crew).

And for 2024, we’ve introduced a fresh new Reader’s Choice division. There, you’ll find dish-focused categories (like Best Pizza and Best Hot Pot), dining-focused categories (like Best Brunch and Best Vegan) and neighbourhood-focused categories (like Best West End and Best Chinatown). You—yeah, you reading this—can vote now to determine the Reader’s Choice awards winners.

But hey, read the finalist list first. Here we go.

2024 Vanmag Restaurant Awards: Judged Division Finalists

This division is judged by our expert panel—who have been working (and eating) hard since late last summer. For more information on how judging works, you can read this outline.

Best New Finalists

Bravo
Gary’s
Missing Chopsticks
Sushi Mahana
Seaport City Restaurant

Best African and Caribbean Finalists

Arike
Baby Dahl Roti Shop
Fassil
Gojo Little Ethiopia
Harambe
Kilimanjaro Snack House and Catering
Simba’s Grill

Best Casual Finalists

Chancho Tortilleria
Douce Diner
Fat Mao Noodles
HK BBQ Master
La Grotta Del Formaggio
Motonobu Udon
Say Hey Café and Deli
Street Hawker

Best Chain Finalists

Earls Kitchen and Bar
Nook
Maruhachi Ra-men
Nuba
La Taqueria
Tacofino Restaurants
Joey

After a legendary history of Gold wins in the Best Chain Category, Cactus Club Cafe is retiring from the running in 2024, and being inducted into our newly created Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards Hall of Fame. We’re thrilled to welcome Cactus as one of the founding inductees to the Hall of Fame, and will share more details on the Hall of Fame soon.

Best Chinese (Upscale) Finalists

Chef’s Choice Chinese Cuisine
Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant
iDen and Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House
Mott 32
Sea Harbour Restaurant
Seaport City Restaurant

Best Chinese (Casual) Finalists

A.Bento
Bao Bei
Chinatown BBQ
Max Noodle House
Shanghai Wonderful Restaurant
The Fish Man
Yuan’s Garden Restaurant

Best Contemporary Finalists

AnnaLena
Bar Gobo
Botanist
Elephant
Folke
Kissa Tanto
L’Abattoir
Published on Main

Best French Finalists

Au Comptoir
Café Salade de Fruits
Collective Goods Bistro and Grocer
L’Abattoir
Le Crocodile
St. Lawrence
Tableau Bar Bistro

Best Indian Finalists

Dhaliwal’s Lounge
Sachdeva Sweets and Restaurant
Sula Indian Restaurant
Tasty Indian Bistro
Tatta Chulha
Vij’s

Best Italian (Upscale) Finalists

Acquafarina
CinCin Ristorante and Bar
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca
La Piazza Dario
L’Ufficio
Lupo Restaurant and Vinoteca

Best Italian (Casual) Finalists

Ask for Luigi Restaurant
Autostrada
Caffe La Tana
Fiorino
Magari by Oca
Osteria Savio Volpe
Livia Forno e Vino

Best Japanese (Upscale) Finalists

Masayoshi
Sushi Jin
Sushi Mahana
Sushi Okeya Kyujiro
Tetsu Sushi Bar
Tojo’s Restaurant
Yuwa Japanese Cuisine

Best Japanese (Casual) Finalists

Dosanko Restaurant
Kishimoto Japanese Restaurant
Miku Vancouver
Stem Japanese Eatery
Sushi Hil
Toshi Sushi
Yuji’s from Japan

Best Korean Finalists

Hanwoori Korean Restaurant
Jejudo Restaurant
Jess’ Restaurant
Royal Seoul House Restaurant
So Hyang Korean Cuisine
Sura Korean Cuisine
Zoomak Korean Tavern

Best Latin American Finalists

Chancho Tortilleria
Cuchillo
La Mezcaleria
Monarca Cocina Mexicana
Ophelia
Suyo Modern Peruvian

Best Middle Eastern Finalists

Delara
Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant
Tamam: Fine Palestinian Cuisine
Yasma
Zarak

Best Seafood Finalists

Blue Water Cafe
Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
Bravo
Landmark Hotpot House
Mott 32
Oddfish Restaurant
The Fish Man

Best Steakhouse Finalists

Black and Blue
C-Prime
Elisa
Gotham Steakhouse and Bar
Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar
The Victor

Best Thai Finalists

Baan Lao 
Longtail Kitchen
Maenam
Sala Thai
Song by Kin Kao
Unchai
Zab Bite

Best Upscale Finalists

AnnaLena
Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
Elisa
Hawksworth
L’Abbatoir
Mott 32
Published on Main
St. Lawrence

Best Vietnamese Finalists

Anh and Chi
Bánh Mì Très Bon
Crab Hot Lau
Hội An Café
Mr Red Café
Pho 37
Wooden Fish

Best West Coast Finalists

AnnaLena
Blue Water Cafe
Botanist
Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
Bravo
Burdock and Co.

2024 Vanmag Restaurant Awards: Reader’s Choice Division Finalists

The Reader’s Choice Division is new this year, and anyone can vote. To place your vote, go to this page. To learn more about how Reader’s Choice works, read our info page.

Dining Category

Best Brunch Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Jam Cafe
Cafe Medina
Their There
Maxine’s Cafe and Bar
Archer
OEB Breakfast Co.
Ruex Cafe and Bar

Best Food Truck Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Crack On
Chickpea
Frying Pan
Golden Era Burger
Il Saltimbocca by Via Tevere Pizzeria
Japadog
Mr. Shawarma
Spanish Cravings
Top Rope Birria

Best Coffee Shop Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Cowdog Coffee
JJ Bean
Nemesis Coffee
Oidé Coffee
Tall Shadow Bakery
Their There
Thierry

Best Bar/Wine Bar Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Bar Corso
Bar Susu
Bar Tartare
Bravo Vancouver
Dachi
Dear Gus Snack Bar
Hydra Estiatorio
The Chickadee Room
The Keefer Bar

Best Brewery Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

33 Acres
Beva Brewing
Brassneck Brewery
East Van Brewing
La Cerveceria Astilleros
Strange Fellows Brewing
Superflux

Best Vegan/Vegetarian Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Chickpea
Do Chay
Folke
Meet
The Acorn
Virtuous Pie

Dishes Category

Best Burger Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Alouette Bistro
Between 2 Buns
Burger Crush
CRAFT Beer Market
DownLow Burgers
Elephant
Monzo Burger
Per Se Social Corner
The Red Accordion

Best Dim Sum Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Chef’s Choice Chinese Cuisine
Dynasty Seafood
Jade Dynasty
Kirin
Little Bird Dim Sum
Mott 32
Neptune Palace Seafood Restaurant
Sun Sui Wah
Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant

Best Fried Chicken Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

BBQ Chicken
Chicko Chicken
Downlow Chicken Shack
Duffin’s Donuts
Free Bird Table and Bar
Juke Fried Chicken
L.A. Chicken
Mogu Fried Chicken
Nightingale

Best Hot Pot Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Big Way Hot Pot
Chocho Hot Pot
Hai Di Lao Hotpot
Happy Lamb Hot Pot
The Dolar Shop Hot Pot
YuShang Hot Pot

Best Pasta Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Ask for Luigi
Autostrada
Bravo Vancouver
CinCin Ristorante and Bar
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca
Magari by Oca
Osteria Savio Volpe
Pepino’s Spaghetti House
Say Mercy!

Best Pizza Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint
Bufala
Di Beppe
Gastronomy Gastown
Pizzeria Farina
Thank You Pizza
The Pie Shoppe
Via Tevere Pizzeria
Virtuous Pie

Best Ramen Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Akedo Showten Ramen and Gyoza
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Horin Tonkotsu Ramen
Jinya Ramen Bar
Maruhachi Ra-men
Ramen Danbo
The Ramen Butcher
Zubu Ramen

Best Sandwich Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Beva Brewing
DDMau
Jo’s Italian Deli
La Grotta Del Formaggio
Meat and Bread
Say Hey Cafe and Deli
Vennie’s Sub Shop

Best Seafood Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Archer
Beach House Restaurant
Blue Water Cafe
Bravo Vancouver
Dachi
Hydra Estiatorio
Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House
Suyo Modern Peruvian
The Mackenzie Room

Best Steak Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Alouette Bistro
Black and Blue
C Prime
Elisa
Gotham Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar
Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar
Linh’s Cafe
Parker Rooftop
Tableau Bar Bistro

Best Sushi Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Blue Water Cafe
Hello Nori
Miku Vancouver
Minami
Sushi Hil
Sushi Mura
Temaki Sushi
Tom’s Sushi
Yuwa Japanese Cuisine

Best Tacos Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Chancho Tortilleria
La Mezcaleria
La Taqueria
Lucky Taco
Ophelia
Puerto Mexico
Sal y Limon
Tacofino
The Pawn Shop

Neighbourhoods and Outside Vancouver Categories

Best Chinatown Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Bao Bei
Chinatown BBQ
DD Mau
Kissa Tanto
Phnom Penh

Best Commercial Drive Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Bar Corso
Caffé La Tana
La Mezcaleria
Livia
Lunch Lady
Magari by Oca
Pepino’s Spaghetti House

Best Downtown Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Archer
Blue Water Cafe
CinCin
Elisa
Hydra Estiatorio
Miku

Best Fraserhood Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Bravo Vancouver
Les Faux Bourgeois
Nammos Estiatorio
Osteria Savio Volpe
Say Mercy

Best Gastown Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Ask for Luigi
Di Beppe
Kozak Ukrainian Restaurant
L’Abattoir
Pidgin
Water Street Café

Best Hastings-Sunrise Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Dachi
Elephant
It’s Okay
Motonobu Udon
Straight and Marrow

Best Kerrisdale Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Bufala
Jess’ Restaurant
Minervas
Okini
Sushi Bar Ajisai

Best Kitsilano Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

AnnaLena
Au Comptoir
Delara
Maenam
Nook
Yuwa Japanese Cuisine

Best Mount Pleasant Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Anh and Chi
Burdock and Co
Como Taperia
Published on Main
Zarak by Afghan Kitchen

Best Olympic Village Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Craft Beer Market
Nook
Ophelia
Tap and Barrel
The Flying Pig

Best West End Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Craft Beer Market (English Bay)
EsPaña Restaurant
Jungle Room
Maxine’s Cafe and Bar
Noah’s Cafe
Ôngbà Vietnamese Eatery

Best Yaletown Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Blue Water Cafe
Dovetail
Elisa
Homer St. Cafe and Bar
Minami

Best Neighbourhood Wildcard Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Farmer’s Apprentice (Fairview/False Creek)
Gary’s (South Granville)
Mnimes Restaurant and Bar (Victoria Drive)
Onggi Korean Cuisine (Burnaby)
The Mackenzie Room (Railtown)
Wildlight Kitchen and Bar (UBC)

Best North Shore Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Douce Diner
Fred’s
Seaside Provisions
Sushi Mahana
The Beach House Restaurant

Best Richmond Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Baan Lao
Boy with a Knife
Free Bird Table and Bar
HK BBQ Master
Masa Ishibashi

Best Whistler Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Araxi
Bar Oso
Il Caminetto
Mekong Fine Thai Cuisine
Wild Blue

Best Vancouver Island Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Marilena Cafe and Raw Bar
Nanoose Bay Cafe
Pluvio
Stage Wine Bar
Toki Doki
Wolf in the Fog

Best Okanagan Finalists (Reader’s Choice)

Elma
Kin and Folk
Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Winery
Row Fourteen at Klippers Organics
The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl Winery

Pick up your tickets to this year’s Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards on May 6, now!

The post Introducing the 2024 Vanmag Restaurant Awards Finalists appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

This story gets deep into the Reader’s Choice awards, and includes a list of categories, instructions for how to vote and FAQs. If you want to skip right to voting, here’s where to do it.

Reader’s Choice Awards: The Categories

The 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards are divided into three areas of focus: dishes, types of dining and neighbourhoods/our favourite hotspots outside of Vancouver.

Dishes Categories

Best Burger
Best Dim Sum
Best Fried Chicken
Best Hot Pot
Best Pasta
Best Pizza
Best Ramen
Best Sandwich
Best Seafood
Best Steak
Best Sushi
Best Tacos

Dining Categories

Best Bar (or Wine Bar)
Best Brewery
Best Brunch
Best Coffee Shop
Best Food Truck
Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant

Best of the Neighbourhoods/Outside Vancouver

We’ve listed lots of neighbourhoods below, but we’ll only be awarding the ‘hoods that get the most nominations and votes… so make sure to advocate hard for your favourite.

FEBRUARY 29 2024 UPDATE: Thank you for nominating! 12 neighbourhood categories have been selected for the 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. To accommodate both write-in votes and restaurants that received lots of nominations (but in neighbourhoods that didn’t make the final cut), we’ve also added a Best Neighbourhood Wildcard category. That’s 13 categories in total. They are:

Best Chinatown
Best Commercial Drive
Best Downtown
Best Fraserhood
Best Gastown
Best Hastings-Sunrise
Best Kerrisdale
Best Kitsilano
Best Mount Pleasant
Best Olympic Village
Best West End
Best Yaletown
Best Neighbourhood Wildcard

These are the “outside Vancouver” categories.

Best Vancouver Island Restaurant
Best North Shore Restaurant
Best Okanagan Restaurant
Best Richmond Restaurant
Best Whistler Restaurant

Reader’s Choice Awards: How to Nominate and Vote

The nomination period has ended, and voting is now open for the Reader’s Choice division of the 2024 Vanmag Restaurant Awards. Votes can be online on this page.

Our online voting platform will ask you for your first and last name, postal code and email. You will need to enter this information only once. Once you hit “vote” on that first vote, we’ll send you an email to confirm that you’re not a bot. Hit the confirmation link and you’ll be officially logged in—from there, the rest of the nominations will be a breeze.

Reader’s Choice Awards: FAQs

Have a question? Maybe we’ve answered it.

How do I nominate a restaurant in Vanmag’s Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards?

Nominations can be made online through our digital nomination tool—find the link here.

What if I spell a restaurant’s name wrong when I am nominating?

We’ve got both robots and humans on the case—rest assured, making a typo in your nomination won’t affect that restaurant’s chances of winning. All I ask is you try your best. —Alyssa, the human editor 

How do I vote for a restaurant in Vanmag’s Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards?

Voting will be done through the same tool, and at the same web link, as nominations. Once voting opens, you can vote here.

Why do I have to enter my email and postal code when I am nominating?

We take your email to ensure that people aren’t voting multiple times. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the best way to ensure that everyone has a fair shot. The postal code information will only be used internally—we’re curious about which Vancouver neighbourhoods are most engaged with the restaurant scene.

If I give you my email address, are you going to spam me with emails?

No! We’ll send you an email to let you know when voting is open. Other than that, you’ll only hear from us if you opt in to our newsletters (which you should, we’re very entertaining).

My neighbourhood isn’t listed. Why don’t you care about me?

Hey, we had to draw the line somewhere—there’s over 30 distinct neighbourhoods in the city, and the boundaries vary depending on who you ask. We listed as many of the hot dining ‘hoods as we could and also left a write-in spot, so if your favourite neighbourhood restaurant doesn’t fit into the listed categories, just write it in there.

What about the usual Restaurant Awards, like Best French, Best Chinese and Best New Restaurant?

We’re still doing our regular awards—you know, the ones that are judged by esteemed food writers, restaurant critics and industry leaders. The Reader’s Choice Awards will be presented in addition to our regular awards on May 6.

Psst—we’re also introducing an Editor’s Picks division, with categories like Best Date Night, Best Patio and Best Business Lunch spot. Stay tuned.

Still have a question we haven’t answered? Drop us a line at mail@vanmag.com.

The post Vanmag Restaurant Awards 2024: Introducing Our Reader’s Choice Awards appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

For a free print edition of our 2024 Restaurant Awards issue mailed to your door, sign up for a free subscription.

The post Vote Here: 2024 Vanmag Restaurant Awards Reader’s Choice Ballot appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

Winners of the 2023 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards

Best New Restaurant

Best African and Caribbean

Best B.C. Wine List

Best Casual

Best Chain

Best Chinese

Best Contemporary

Best French

Best Indian

Best Italian

Best Japanese

Best Korean

Best Latin American

Best Middle Eastern

Best Steakhouse

Best Thai

Best Upscale

Producer of the Year

Premier Crew

Bartender of the Year

Sommelier of the Year

Chef of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Restaurant of the Year

The post Introducing the Winners of VanMag’s 2023 Restaurant Awards appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

Here’s some highlights from the event—FOMO warning.

All photos by Philip Chin.

Photos from the 2023 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards

The post PHOTOS: The 2023 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

Gold: Suyo Modern Peruvian

We’re privileged to live in a city that’s packed with extraordinary and diverse dining options—so many, in fact, that gaps in cuisine are rarely pointed out or addressed. We’re grateful for what we have. Why be greedy?

Suyo is why. The modern Peruvian restaurant, masterminded by Lima-born chef Ricardo Valverde, is “something Vancouver needed, but didn’t know how to ask for,” according to one of our judges. Thanks to dishes like the ensalada rusa (a pretty, colourful beet and parsnip salad with smoked mayo) and the pork belly chicharron (an homage to the Peruvian breakfast sandwich, with polenta tamal and yam puree), Suyo has captured not only the gold in this category, but the gold for Best Latin American as well.

3475 Main St., Vancouver
suyo.ca

Silver: Folke

Earning silver is Folke, the Kitsilano newcomer proving that veggies have more fun: tapioca dumplings with mushroom XO sauce and ponzu and pizzoccheri pasta with potato, cabbage and shio koji are standouts. “A true celebration of vegetables and those who grow them,” quipped one judge.

2585 W Broadway, Vancouver
folkerestaurant.com

Bronze: Sushi Hil

Sushi Hil takes the bronze: our judges hyped up the chirashi royale (uni, bluefin tuna, king salmon, wagyu and caviar): “It could be a piled-up mess in lesser hands,” said one, “but here, the dish sang with abundance and each element was distinct and bright, balancing indulgence and restraint perfectly.”

3330 Main St., Vancouver
sushihil.com

Honourable Mention: Okeya Kyujiro

And hot on Hil’s heels is another Japanese standout: the super-indulgent (and honourable mention-worthy) omakase of Okeya Kyujiro.

1038 Mainland St.,Vancouver
okeya.ca

Looking for more of the best restaurants in Vancouver? See all 70+ restaurants on the list.

The post Restaurant Awards 2023: The Best New Restaurants in Vancouver appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

Gold: Yasma

After less than three years in operation (first as a Kits ghost kitchen, now as a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Coal Harbour), Syrian/Lebanese eatery Yasma wins gold in our new Middle Eastern category. “A great combination of thoughtful dishes and small extra touches show the depth of love from the kitchen staff,” said one of our judges. That love shows up in the fried kibbeh (made with halal lamb that’s ground in-house, stuffed into a dough shell and served with a creamy yogurt sauce), which takes over a day to hand-prepare.

550 Denman St., Vancouver
yasma.ca

Silver: Anatolia’s Gate

Turkish counter-service spot Anatolia’s Gate earns silver for unfussy but ultra-tasty eats like fresh-baked lavash and tender, flame-licked lamb.

7084 Kingsway, Burnaby
anatoliasgaterestaurant.com 

Bronze: Zarak 

The bronze goes to Zarak, a modern Afghan restaurant our judges celebrated for flavourful, share-able dishes and extraordinarily creative cocktails—the Mahtab is crafted from saffron- infused Patrón Añejo tequila, Bénédictine, cardamom honey water and safflower.

2102 Main St., Vancouver 
zarakvancouver.com

Afghanistan is geographically situated in Central Asia, not the Middle East, but is sometimes included in the geopolitical definition of the Greater Middle East; for the purposes of this award, our judges considered Afghan restaurants to be included in the category.

Honourable Mention: Delara

And the ultra-vibey Delara is our honourable mention—find contemporary West Coast takes on traditional Persian dishes here.

2272 W 4th Ave., Vancouver
delararestaurant.ca

Looking for more of the best restaurants in Vancouver? See all 70+ restaurants on the list.

The post Restaurant Awards 2023: The Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Vancouver appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.

Gold: Chef’s Choice

It’s a three-peat for Chef’s Choice: for the third year in a row, it’s landed gold in this ultra-competitive category. The restaurant is one of the few places in Vancouver (and possibly North America) executing restrained, Hong Kong-style Cantonese cooking at the highest standard. Don’t miss the sticky chicken rice: boneless chicken is layered with toothsome sticky rice and deep-fried to perfect-crisp tenderness.

955 W Broadway, Vancouver
chefschoice1198.com

Silver: The Fish Man

A newcomer to these awards, The Fish Man slays the competition with silver, winning our judges over with chef Bo Li’s take on pairing B.C. seafood with traditional Sichuan flavours. The menu is full of winners, but one judge called the sour cabbage fish hotpot—ultra-thin slices of ling cod in a spicy soup—“worth celebrating alone.”

8391 Alexandra Rd., Richmond
fishmanrestaurant.com

Bronze: Dynasty

Broadway mainstay Dynasty takes bronze, both for its excellent service and for showstopping dishes like the tower of crab with spicy garlic and sticky rice (coming to an Instagram feed near you).

108–777 W Broadway, Vancouver
dynasty-restaurant.ca

Honourable Mentions: iDen and Quanjude Beijing Duck House and Mott 32

iDen and Quanjude Beijing Duck House
2808 Cambie St., Vancouver
quanjudevancouver.com

Mott 32
1161 W Georgia St.,Vancouver
mott32.com

Looking for more of the best restaurants in Vancouver? See all 70+ restaurants on the list.

The post Restaurant Awards 2023: The Best Chinese Restaurants in Vancouver appeared first on Vancouver Magazine.