Chef Martin Yan Hosts the 5th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards Show in Las Vegas

(Fremont, CA) - Rios All Suite Hotel & Casino will host the 5th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards Show & Conference with chef Martin Yan in Las Vegas on January 5, 2009. Organized by Chinese Restaurants News, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Awards Show aims to present the very best of Chinese cuisine in the nation.

From suburban buffets to high-end restaurants, Chinese cuisine has become a fixture of the American daily dining scene. The Chinese Restaurant industry has over $20 billion annual sales with over 43,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S. There are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's combined.

To qualify for the competition's highest honor -- the Overall Excellence award, restaurants must have been in business a minimum of 2 years and have earned positive industry, media or customer recognition. Qualified restaurants undergo rigorous evaluation by professional Mystery Diners. The Top 100 highest-scoring restaurants will receive the Top Overall Excellence award. Selected from thousands of competitors, these exceptional restaurants demonstrate the highest standards of cleanliness, cuisine, dcor and service. To enter the competition or to vote for your favorite Chinese restaurant, go to www.top100chineserestaurants.com, or call (888)727-8881.

About the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards Ceremony
Organized by Chinese Restaurant News with the support of the National Restaurant Association, AboutFace, the Mystery Diner evaluation service provider, Healthy Dining, the restaurant nutrition educator, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in USA award show is a national event which aims to present the very best of Chinese cuisine which has become a part of America's daily dining scene. The competition is open to all Chinese restaurants in the United States. For...

Circle Saturday, April 26 on your calendars! The world renowned Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts celebrates the opening of its extraordinary exhibition "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony."

This exciting exhibition includes live presentations from internationally acclaimed artists and designers and a showcase of original wedding gowns and accessories, paintings, sculpture, and multimedia from the United States and cultures around the world including China, Japan and Korea, some dating back three centuries.

Attendees will be able to participate in a hands-on wedding cake decorating demonstration with professional tools and guidance.

Speakers on opening day, April 26 include internationally acclaimed wedding cake designer Cile Bellefleur Burbidge and globe-trotting photographers Tiziana and Gianni Baldizzone authors of photographic book "Wedding Ceremonies: Ethnic Symbols, Costume and Rituals."

Photographs Courtesy Peabody Essex Museum from the exhibition "Wedded Bliss - The Marriage of Art and Ceremony" opening April 26, 2008.

AsianConnections Editor Suzanne Kai: I have had the pleasure of visiting many of the world's greatest museums in Europe, U.S. and Asia. When I visited the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts several years ago, I was very impressed with the extraordinary quality and depth of its exhibitions.

Beginning April 26, as part of its latest exhibition "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony" the museum will have on view this magnificent Chinese Wedding Tunic and Vest click here to page two to view the beautiful Chinese wedding headdress, Korean woman's bridal gown, and Japanese wedding engagement ceremonial gift wrapping textiles.

Circle Saturday, April 26, 2008 on your calendars for the Peabody Essex Museum's latest special exhibition "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony." In addition to the museum's events and exhibitions, the...

Over 300 Restaurateurs Gather in NYC to Attend Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in USA Awards Ceremony.

The Chinese Restaurant New's 4th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards ceremony was quite a party, where more than 300 Chinese restaurateurs from 50 States across the U.S. travelled to New York to celebrate and be celebrated at the Jacob Javits Convention Center during the Cultural Food New York, a two-day professional tradeshow showcasing Asian, Hispanic and Kosher food and beverages on November 11. Co-Hosted by Martin Yan and Former Contestant of Season One's Top Chef Lee Anne Wong and sponsored by Lee Kum Kee and Western Union, the Asian food industry and notable Asian Americans in New York came out to honor Chinese restaurateurs and Chinese chefs for their accomplishments.

Overall Excellence, Regional Cuisine, Take-Out, Buffets, Best Value, Signature Dish, Rising Stars, Nutrition-Friendly Menus, Asian Fusion and Metro Favorites were among the 10 categories in which the awards were presented to the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants, for some, 100 winners in each category. The 2007 Top 100 competition, open to all Chinese restaurants in the U.S., included more than 43,000 from all 50 states. Participating restaurants included newly established restaurants, seasoned restaurants, chain restaurants and past award-winners. Click on List of 2007 Winners

"We are so pleased to be chosen as a Top 100 Chinese Restaurant in USA for the fourth year in a row," said Joe Lee, Owner, Chef Lee's. "This program has provided our restaurant with a great opportunity to stand out in the crowd of the many Chinese restaurants and our business has grown because of it."

In addition to cuisine and restaurant recognition, this year's competition has also added a Mystery Diner program, implemented by leading mystery shopping company AboutFace, to evaluate the qualifications of all candidate restaurants. The winners are chosen from AboutFace's Mystery...

Awards Show Encourages Chinese Restaurateurs To Provide Healthy Dining Menu Choices

Award winning Chef Martin Yan and Executive Chef, French Culinary Institute and Season One Contestant Top Chef's Lee Anne Wong are co-hosting the 4th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards ceremony and and will announce the 2007 winners at the Cultural Food Expo a union of Asian, Latino, and Kosher culinary show (http://Culturalfood.com) on November 11th at 2:30pm at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Organized by Chinese Restaurant News and sponsored by Lee Kum Kee and Western Union, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Awards sets the standard for excellence by aiming to present the very best of Chinese cuisine, which has become a part of America's daily dining scene.

This year, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards come together with Chefs Martin Yan and Lee Anne Wong to encourage Chinese restaurants nationwide to provide healthier dining options.

"As New York becomes the first city to ban trans fat, this is a prime opportunity for Chinese restaurants to showcase the healthy aspects of Chinese cuisine," said Chef Martin Yan. "Chinese cooking has always emphasized a well-balanced approach. Our traditional diet is one that's rich in vegetables and natural fibers. It's time for Chinese restaurant chefs to get back to our roots."

"It is a great honor to be part of this event," said Lee Anne Wong, Top Chef. "I commend Chinese Restaurant News for taking the initiative to recognize culinary excellence in Chinese Restaurants across the nation."

The Chinese Restaurant industry has over $17.5 billion annual sales with over 43,139 Chinese restaurants in the U.S. There are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's combined.

Chinese Restaurant News (CRN) names the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the U.S.A each year. Check out more than 1,000 past winners and current candidates...

Major Disaster Declaration Allows More Assistance to California

WASHINGTON With the announcement today of a major disaster declaration for California, additional federal assistance will be available for individuals and communities in the seven declared counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

Grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will aid individual recovery. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

"FEMA will continue to coordinate with federal agencies as more resources and personnel are tapped to assist in response and recovery efforts," said FEMA Administrator David Paulison. "We are calling on all the federal resources available to respond to the state's needs as they are identified and we will continue to expedite these requests."

Along with today's major disaster declaration there were other significant developments in the federal response to the California wildfires.

FEMA
FEMA deployed the Federal Incident Response Team (FIRST) out of Atlanta. FIRST will support the federal leadership as they coordinate emergency support for the thousands of evacuees at the Qualcomm shelter by ensuring essential communications channels remain accessible and operational.

AMERICAN RED CROSS
*The Red Cross has 3352 disaster workers in California, most of which are engaged in feeding and sheltering operations. The next push of volunteers will involve caseworkers.
*Red Cross operations are focused on sheltering, with 24 shelters open at this time. However, feeding and bulk distribution efforts are expanding rapidly. More than 50 mobile feeding trucks are on scene with 25 additional ones enroute.