January 5, 2009

To the Top 100 Award Winners,

It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest congratulations to the winners of the 5th annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards. You’ve earned these esteemed awards through your hard work, great leadership, and much deserved success. We are so proud of all of you who made the winners’ list. The Top 100 list has come to signify uncompromising effort in elevating the entire US Chinese restaurant industry. You have contributed signifi cantly to our cause, raising the bar and setting a high standard for dining excellence in Chinese cuisine in America.

It’s hard to believe that fi fteen years have elapsed since the fi rst issue of Chinese Restaurant News was sent to just 5,100 Chinese restaurants throughout the nation. Over the years, the industry has expanded into a $20 billion business with projected growth of 4% annually. The cuisine itself has evolved to encompass offerings from other Asian communities, such as Japanese and Southeast Asian. Chinese restaurants are now perceived as part of the American culinary mainstream and are popular choices for everyday dining. Moreover, many successful Chinese restaurants, owing to their excellent value propositions and high-quality, healthful cuisine, have shown themselves to be recession-proof in tough economic times.

On behalf of Chinese Restaurant News, the organizer of this annual event, I would like to sincerely thank all of our readers and our advertisers for your unyielding support of the publication over the years. You have helped us grow along with you. As a way of giving back and to mark the occasion of the fi fth annual awards show festivities, we are announcing that for the fi rst time we will publish a Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Dining Guide. This book will be available in bookstores and libraries across the country as well as through online booksellers in May of 2009. I congratulate you on being among the very fi rst restaurants to be included in this dining guidebook that Chinese restaurants can call their own!

I would also like to convey my heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, my good friend Master Chef Martin Yan, our VIP guests, hosts and emcees, as well as all the speakers, panelists, and members of our capable event team without whom this event would not have been possible. Last but not least, a special thanks to all the lovers and followers of Chinese cuisine who have helped us come so far.

Happy New Year, a toast to prosperity to all in the Year of the Ox!

Sincerely,
Kong Yu
Publisher
Chinese Restaurant News