No more skulking around strip-mall parking lots

Ihave nothing against Rice Krispies. Puffed rice bubbles make a fine breakfast cereal. I just never expected the "most innovative" dish at the first annual Chinese Restaurant Awards to bear such a strong resemblance.

Don't get me wrong. The crispy rice with salty egg yolk at Long's Noodle House is interesting, in a dry, powdery, popcorn-snacking kind of way.

I understand, at least theoretically, why this dish won the award - it is an unusual combination. In Chinese cuisine, crispy rice is typically used to soak up sauces or add snap, crackle and pop to soups.

And I am extremely grateful to the jury for introducing me to Long's, a delightful little mom-and-pop shop that also serves (in my humble opinion) amazing beef rolls, Shanghai-style wheat gluten and drunken chicken.

But what do I know about Chinese food? Very little, to be honest. And that's why I love the idea of these awards and sincerely hope the event will only keep growing and improve with time.

Metro Vancouver is widely recognized as one of the best places in North America for Chinese food. But how does one distinguish the good restaurants from the bad?

After spending countless hours trawling through Internet food forums, leaning on friends for advice and even skulking around strip-mall parking lots in search of the busiest dining rooms, I still feel completely clueless about where to go and what to eat.

But now I have this handy list of 25 Critics' Choice award winners to help guide me in the right direction.

"It all works by word of mouth in the Chinese community," says jury chairman Stephen Wong, a cookbook author and food writer.

"You could have a really hot restaurant, but if the chef goes, that's it. It's done. But then you could have a new place. If it's good, word gets out and three months later the place is packed."

In a city where restaurant awards are a dime a dozen, these new awards offer valuable lessons.

I like the fact that in the Critics' Choice category, the awards were decided by signature dish, not region (the distinctions aren't always that clear) or overall restaurant (which can so easily devolve into a popularity contest).

"This is the way we eat," says Mr. Wong, explaining that in the Chinese community, diners first choose what to eat and then decide accordingly where to go.

And I really admire the title sponsor, Edgewater Casino, for providing the judges with enough money to cover all their dining expenses. (Vancouver Magazine, take note.) Of course, there are some obvious problems: The signature dish nominations seemed wildly arbitrary and the jury process was not at all transparent. How on earth did the judges whittle down the initial selection of 500 dishes to 25? How many restaurants competed in each category? How many dishes did each judge sample? Was there even a points system?

And perhaps more importantly for the average diner, what else should we order at each winning restaurant?

"We have a lot to figure out," Mr. Wong admits, explaining that he would like to come up with new signature dishes next year and publish a supplementary guide for each restaurant.

Luckily for me, Long's has a relatively small menu and there aren't any duds (beyond the slightly dubious crispy rice). The chicken hot pot with wontons and velvety ling cod marinated in rice wine lees are both highly recommended.

"Everybody talks about the big Chinese restaurants in Vancouver and there are some that are great," Mr. Wong says. "But there are all these great little places that you never hear about.

"We could really be a gateway for the [non-Chinese] community. That's a big, crucial reason why I'm doing this. And that's why we have to keep going and keep making it better."

Long's Noodle House:

4853 Main St.; 604-879-7879

Selected winners from Vancouver's Chinese Restaurant Awards

Crab

Golden dungeness crab with spiced salt: Ken's Chinese

Restaurant, 1097 Kingsway,

604-873-6338

King Crab

Live king crab four ways:

Excelsior Restaurant, 6-6340 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-278-2616

Shrimp

Sautéed spot prawns with soy sauce: Koon Bo Restaurant,