A luxury timepiece is far more than an instrument of precision. It is a vessel for memory, sacrifice, and family legacy. In this special feature from The Art of Celebration Annual Edition No.3, community leaders and creative visionaries share the deeply personal stories behind the watches that marked their most pivotal life milestones and the heirlooms they plan to pass on.
Read MoreA new chapter in Vancouver's rich culinary dialogue is unfolding with the official opening of Haisan, an intimate 30-seat fine dining concept by Macau-born, Vancouver-raised Chef Steven Che. What began in 2021 as modest pop-up gatherings in friends' apartments has matured into a deeply personal 16-course tasting menu on Commercial Drive. At Haisan, a name formed by combining the Cantonese characters for ocean (海, hoi) and mountain (山, saan), Che offers a reflective, cohesive Chinese Pacific Northwest perspective that bridges heritage, memory, and local terroir.
Read MoreWine, in many ways, is fascinating because it has the ability to preserve the taste of time. When Eastern flavours meet Western vintages, culture and sentiment naturally begin to intertwine at the table, creating a dialogue that adds depth to every shared occasion.
We are sincerely grateful to celebrity wine expert Bernice Liu for sharing her thoughtful perspective with Fête Chinoise on pairing Chinese cuisine with wine during festive occasions. Through her refined sensibility, she invites us to rediscover culture through the lens of each dish and its accompanying wine pairing.
Read MoreIn this chapter, Mimi Chinese returns to the language of memory, reinvention, and quiet abundance. Under Chef Braden Chong’s vision, familiar Cantonese forms are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens—where tradition is not replicated, but carefully reassembled through place, season, and instinct.
Rooted in the spirit of celebration that defines the Mid-Autumn Festival—where reunion, harvest, and reflection converge under the fullness of the moon—each dish becomes both gesture and offering. From the tactile pleasure of shared plates to the precision of technique hidden beneath restraint, the menu moves between nostalgia and invention, between the comfort of the familiar and the intrigue of the unexpected.
Read MoreOn July 26, 2026, Lead Chef Keith Pears and Team Canada took home the Silver Medal at the Bocuse d’Or Americas in New Orleans, the regional qualifier for what is widely recognized as the Olympics of the culinary world. Beyond securing Canada's ticket to the global grand final in Lyon, France, the achievement was a performance defined by technical precision, Canadian ingredients, and the personal heritage of the chefs behind it.
Read MoreThis past Wednesday, NAAAP Toronto presented a panel exploring how Chinese cuisine in Canada has evolved from humble café staples into one of the country’s most dynamic culinary movements. Held at the beautiful Porsche Centre North Toronto and proudly supported by the dealership, the evening brought together chefs and culinary voices including Trevor Lui (Fête Chinoise Edition 8), Eva Chin (Edition 9), Braden Chong (Edition 11), and David Schwartz.
Read More“Food was always at the centre of my family,” says Braden Chong, executive chef at MIMI Chinese and Sunnys Chinese, two acclaimed restaurants in Toronto. “I loved eating. I was curious about how it was cooked and why I liked it so much.”
Born in 1994, Chong grew up in a Chinese-Canadian household as the youngest of three brothers. His grandparents immigrated from the Guangzhou region to Canada in the 1950s, bringing with them the flavours and traditions of southern China.
Read MoreAnh and Chi celebrates 10th anniversary with a fundraiser dinner supporting Chef Keith Pears and Team Canada at the Bocuse d’Or. This special evening on March 8, 2026, brings together two inspiring mother-and-son duos: Chefs Ly and Vincent Nguyen of Anh and Chi, and Keith Pears with his mother Lynda Larouche, for a 10-course family-style menu honouring Vietnamese culinary heritage, mentorship, and the next generation of chefs.
Read MoreThe number one young female sushi master to watch, in Japan - and one of a perilously few in an industry that remains obstinately male-dominated - the 36-year-old (who is also a trained sommelier!) was in Canada for the first time. A two-day whirl at the oh-so-wonderful Sushi Yugen on York Street.
Read MoreToronto’s food lovers are no strangers to the names Chef Alvin Leung and Eric Chong. Alvin, a three-Michelin-starred chef renowned for his boundary-pushing creations, and Eric, the first winner of MasterChef Canada, have joined forces to introduce aKin—a modern Asian fine dining restaurant that promises to redefine the city’s culinary landscape. Nestled in the heart of Toronto’s Old Town at 51 Colborne Street, aKin offers a dining experience that is as daring as it is refined. We had the privilege of attending an exclusive preview night, giving us a first taste of this much-anticipated culinary destination.
Read MoreThis Asian Heritage Month, we honour the richness of Asian culture in Canada by spotlighting Asian-owned restaurants that go above and beyond their culinary aspirations. They tell stories, preserve traditions, and create spaces where cultural dialogue thrives and culture is exchanged. One such space is Sushi Yugen, a serene omakase dining experience rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and philosophy, which opened in late 2023 in the financial district of Toronto on York Street.
Read MoreTina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarkets, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Ivey Alumni Achievement Award. While the recognition is truly remarkable, it comes as no surprise to those who’ve followed her journey. At the helm of Canada’s largest Asian grocery chain, Tina has expanded T&T’s national footprint and redefined what it means to lead a culturally rooted, community-forward business in a complex, competitive, and evolving industry. Today, T&T operates 37 stores across Canada and the United States, with a growing team of over 8,500 employees.
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