#FIRSTLOOK: LIGHT GATHERING IN THE YUAN IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE

Light Gathering in the Yuàn 光聚院心, an immersive dining experience shaped by light, culture, and contemporary Chinese hospitality, will make its debut this January as part of the DesignTO Festival. Presented inside The Light Room, a new experimental design space created by Mason Studio and VYVYD Lighting within Mason Studio’s Cultural Hub, the event marks the inaugural activation of an ongoing exploration into how illumination shapes emotion, ritual, and human connection.

The evening brings together Mason Studio, VYVYD Lighting, and Chef Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room for a
sensory event shaped by light, space, and contemporary Chinese hospitality. Inspired by the traditional
yuàn—a courtyard at the heart of a home—the experience welcomes guests into a world where gathering
feels both familiar and new, offered over two intimate, ticketed evenings.

In Chinese tradition, the Yuàn is more than an architectural form; it is the emotional center of domestic
life, a place where families meet, celebrate, honour ancestors, and move through seasonal rituals. It is a
space shaped by light, open sky, and human connection, making it a natural foundation for an event
devoted to illumination, hospitality, and shared experience.

The night opens with a gesture of hospitality that shifts guests into a different state of mind. The event
unfolds like a living courtyard: Chef Eva Chin shaping a modern raw seafood bar inspired by Chinese
flavours through memory and craft; Mason Studio creating the spatial rhythm and environmental
experience; VYVYD Lighting scripting illumination that moves and drifts with the senses. These elements
converge inside The Light Room, where light becomes both atmosphere and storyteller. With each course,
the space subtly transforms, deepening the connection between flavour, memory, and place.

When dinner is not in session, The Light Room remains open as an installation, its lantern-like glow
lingering, traces of celebration still present, the room warm with the nearness of those who’ve just
gathered. Visitors are invited into this afterglow, where light and space continue their quiet conversation.
Presented as part of DesignTO, with DBD CoLab supporting the creative connection between collaborators.

Tickets are available for purchase HERE.

Event Details
Immersive Dining Experience
19+ | Ticketed | Two Evenings
Fixed cold seafood tasting menu
Communal dining with assigned seating

Menu Highlights
Guests will experience an intimate multi-course cold seafood tasting rooted in contemporary Chinese
culinary traditions. The evening includes live raw seafood preparations, shellfish inspired by Chaoshan and
Ningbo, a roe and sea urchin course, and a closing sequence of roasted rice, root vegetables, and
warming spice. Courses are served communally, with lighting shifting in response to each stage of the
meal.

Public Installation: Open House (Free Admission)
January 29–31 | 12–5 PM
The Light Room installation open to all ages
(Dining experience is ticketed and separate.)

About the Collaborators

About Mason Studio
Mason Studio is a design firm and cultural engine where interiors are shaped by global thinking, cultural
curiosity, and human impact. They partner with leaders in hospitality, wellness, and forward-thinking
development who see design as a strategic tool—one that builds trust, drives performance, and leaves a
meaningful cultural mark. Whether they are creating a hospitality concept, a longevity intervention, or a
multi-unit habitat, they translate complexity into clarity and vision into place. Follow @mason_studio to
learn more.

About VYVYD Lighting
VYVYD Lighting is a Toronto-based architectural lighting studio creating immersive, emotion-driven lighting experiences. We collaborate closely with interior designers to shape mood, narrative, and atmosphere through precision accent lighting and thoughtful illumination strategies. Our work explores how light transforms space and deepens human experience. Follow @vyvydlighting to learn more.

About Executive Chef Eva Chin
Chef Eva Chin is a culinary leader, internationally trained at Michelin-starred restaurants and known for her bold, culturally driven cuisine. As culinary director of the Hong Shing Restaurant Group and co-founder of Yan Dining Room, she brings a refined, narrative-driven approach to modern Asian dining in Canada.

Born in Hawai‘i and grounded in her heritage, Chin blends sustainability with contemporary technique. She has led acclaimed kitchens across North America, including Kōjin by Momofuku in Toronto and Royal
Dinette in Vancouver. Her pop-up concept, The Soy Luck Club, was named one of enRoute’s Top 10
Pop-Ups in Canada. A Toronto Life Most Influential in 2025, Chin is recognized for her seasonal,
expressive cooking and her advocacy for equity, representation and innovation in Canada’s culinary
landscape.

Follow @ridetowander.

About Yan Dining Room
Opened in 2024, Yan Dining Room is an intimate fine dining neo-Chinese restaurant founded by
restaurateur Colin Li and chef Eva Chin. Located within the private dining room of Hong Shing, Yan
redefines Chinese cuisine through multi-course tasting menus that blend heritage and contemporary
innovation. Each seasonal menu reflects identity, memory and modern storytelling, using Chinese flavours
and techniques to create thoughtful, forward-looking dishes. Follow @yandiningroom for upcoming
experiences.

About DBD CoLab
DBD CoLab is the creative’s business growth and product development strategy group that partners up
with creative firms to turn passions into sound business decisions. Our role is to be your creative partner
in making growth possible – business, marketing, and sales consultation, specialty procurement and
project management, and strategic partnerships/collaborations broker. As creatives, we think differently,
and we know that you do too! Work with like-minded business strategists that understand your goals,
vision, ambitions, and need for creative solutions to creative businesses.

#FOOD: YES SHEF TO TAKE PLACE MARCH 9, 2026 AT THE RC SHOW

Yes Shef, the celebrated culinary event spotlighting women in the food and beverage industry, will make its Ontario debut on Monday, March 9, 2026 at RC Show 2026, taking place at The International Centre in Mississauga. Presented by WORTH Association as part of RC Show 2026’s Women in Hospitality programming, the evening will feature more than 15 tasting stations led by women chefs, restaurateurs, and their culinary mentees, alongside beverage pairings from women winemakers, brewers, bartenders, and more.

Yes Shef will arrive in Ontario’s Greater Toronto Area following five successful years in British Columbia, where the event has become a standout platform for elevating and advancing women in hospitality. This signature, one-night experience will bring together established culinary leaders and rising talent for an evening of exceptional food, meaningful networking, and community building – all in support of advancing women in Canada’s culinary sector.

“WORTH Association is thrilled to bring Yes Shef to the Greater Toronto Area in 2026. Toronto’s food and beverage scene is among the most dynamic in the country, and women are at the forefront of its growth and innovation,” says Joanna Jagger, Founder & Executive Director of WORTH Association, the organization behind Yes Shef. “We are honoured to partner with Restaurants Canada to advance equity and create meaningful change across the sector.”

At the heart of Yes Shef is mentorship. At the Mississauga debut event, 15 chefs will be paired with emerging women culinary students, creating hands-on opportunities to foster the next generation of talent. All event proceeds support women working in recreation, tourism & hospitality.

The Yes Shef 2026 roster will include:

Alida Solomon, Tutti Matti

Charlotte Langley, Nice Cans

Donna Dooher, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

Eva Chin, Yan Dining Room

Evelyn Chick, Evelyn Chick Projects

Nicole Hynes, Sand & Pearl

Marissa Leon-John, Elle Jays

Suman Ali

…and more to be announced.

EVENT DETAILS:
RC Show 2026
Location: The International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8
Date: Monday, March 9th, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m.

TICKETS:
Tickets available now at $220 and can be purchased online at https://www.yesshef.com/events/toronto-2026
Registered RC Show attendees can access a preferred rate by adding Yes Shef to their existing show registration.

PARTNERSHIPS:
Opportunities are still available. Explore exclusive access and benefits online at https://www.yesshef.com/partner-with-us.

#FOOD: CHEF EVA CHIN AND YAN DINING ROOM CAP-OFF YEAR OF NATIONAL HONOURS

Yan Dining Room, led by Executive Chef and Culinary Director Eva Chin, closes out 2025 as one of Canada’s most celebrated and influential new culinary destinations. In its first full year of operation, the restaurant has earned top national honours, shaped a new dialogue around modern Chinese cuisine, and established itself as a hub for meaningful culinary collaboration.

This year marked Chef Eva Chin’s emergence as one of the architects of a new culinary movement in Canada. As the co-creator of Yan Dining Room with restaurateur Colin Li, Eva spearheaded the development of Toronto’s leading neo-Chinese tasting menu – a concept that blends Chinese history with modern technique and Eva’s global, coastal sensibilities. Her cuisine draws from her Chinese, Singaporean, Samoan and Hawaiian heritage and reflects her belief that food can be a form of lineage, reclamation, and cultural storytelling.

“Yan is our way of imagining the future of Chinese cuisine,” says Chef Eva Chin. “We’re honouring centuries of technique and memory, but we’re not afraid to push forward, to blend history with innovation, to challenge assumptions, and to evolve what Chinese dining can mean in Canada.”

A Year Defined by Accolades

Chef Eva Chin and Yan Dining Room have garnered widespread acclaim from critics, industry leaders, and diners alike. This year’s recognitions include:

• #2 — Toronto Life Best New Restaurants 2025
• #31 — Toronto Life Most Influential People 2025
• #43 — Post City Chef-Approved 50 Best Restaurants
• #7 — Air Canada Best New Restaurants 2025
• Air Canada Best New Concept
• Foodism Rising Star Icon of the Year

These accolades underscore Eva’s rising influence as both a culinary innovator and one of the most compelling voices shaping Canada’s modern dining landscape.

A Standout Year of Creative Collaborations

2025 also marked an exceptional year of creative partnerships for Chef Eva Chin, each celebrating regional flavours and the diverse culinary talent across Canada. Highlights include:

–Lunar New Year collaboration with Chef Nuit Regular, one of Toronto’s most influential chef-restaurateurs whose restaurants PAI and Kiin are recognized by the MICHELIN Guide. The dinner celebrated the intersection of Northern Thai flavours and Yan’s evolving neo-Chinese culinary philosophy.

–Daango collaboration with Chef Christopher Siu, MasterChef Canada winner and acclaimed pastry artist. Together, they created a menu that blended Siu’s refined baking skills with Eva’s coastal storytelling and modern Chinese sensibilities.

–Good Behaviour collaboration with Chef Michael Lam and Eric Chow, a playful comfort-meets-technique mashup that reimagined nostalgic flavours through Yan’s precision-led culinary lens.

–No. 8 collaboration with Chef Stephen Baidacoff and Chef Nick Lin, whose restaurant No. 8 was named a 2025 Air Canada Best New Restaurants finalist. The partnership explored the future of Asian-Canadian gastronomy through a highly technical, chef-driven multi-course experience.

–Short-Grain Rice collaboration at Dachi in Vancouver, a one-night dinner with Chef Katy Cheung of Michelin-starred Burdock & Co. (and a Top Chef Canada 2025 competitor) and Chef Jiwon Seo of Dachi. The menu explored Chinese and Korean flavours through the lens of Southern barbecue, marking the Vancouver debut of Eva’s neo-Chinese approach.

Each partnership further established Yan Dining Room as a space for cross-cultural dialogue and innovation.

With industry accolades, nationwide recognition, and a collaborative footprint that spans some of Canada’s most influential chefs, Yan Dining Room enters 2026 with extraordinary momentum. The restaurant remains committed to evolving its menu, deepening its storytelling, and continuing to champion meaningful culinary expression.

#FOOD: YAN DINING ROOM X NO. 8 COLLABO

Following a sold-out Toronto debut earlier this year, the collaboration between Yan Dining Room and No. 8 Restaurant is back—this time heading west to downtown Burlington for one night only on Sunday, June 8.

Fresh off being named #2 on Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants of 2025 and #43 on Post City’s chef-approved list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Chef Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room reunites with Chef Nick Lin of No. 8 for an eight-course tasting menu rooted in Chinese and Italian cuisine.

In addition to his role at No. 8, Chef Nick Lin brings impressive global recognition: he was the Bocuse d’Or candidate for Team China in 2023 and previously served as Head Chef at the Two Michelin-starred Taian Table and One Michelin-starred Stiller in Guangzhou.

Together, they continue their creative dialogue through modern technique, heritage flavours, and personal perspective – bringing their dynamic approach to Burlington for a thoughtful exploration of identity and culture through food.

Highlights:

When & Where: Sunday, June 8 at No. 8 Restaurant (446 Pearl St., Burlington)
Format: Eight-course tasting menu, $140 per person
Chefs: Eva Chin (Yan Dining Room, Toronto) & Nick Lin (No. 8 Restaurant, Burlington)
Extras: Optional wine pairings available; limited seating with no menu modifications
Instagram Handles: @yandiningroom & @no8restaurant

#FOOD: CHEF NUIT REGULAR X CHEF EVA CHIN PRESENT LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT YAN

Two of Toronto’s most acclaimed chefs, Chef Nuit Regular (PAI, Kiin, Chaiyo, Sukhothai) and Chef Eva Chin (Yan Dining Room, The Soy Luck Club), are joining forces for an exclusive Lunar New Year dinner that promises to delight and inspire. This special event, hosted at Hong Shing Restaurant on Sunday, February 2, 2025, will feature a carefully curated dining experience celebrating the vibrant culinary traditions of Chinese and Thai cultures.

The evening’s 8-course menu will take guests on a journey through thoughtfully crafted dishes that
honour tradition while embracing innovation. Highlights include white pepper broth with heritage pork and sticky rice, steamed fish with aged soy and shiitake mushrooms, lotus leaf rice with garlic crab and sea urchin sabayon, and prosperity noodles with stuffed pork hock and pistachios. Sweet endings, like salted plum sorbet and poached apple infused with longan tea and goji berries, provide a perfect close to the celebration. Each course reflects the chefs’ unique perspectives and shared passion for storytelling
through food.

“This collaboration is about celebrating our shared respect for heritage while bringing something fresh to
the table,” says Chef Eva Chin. “It’s an exciting way to honour Lunar New Year with creativity and
connection.”

Chef Nuit Regular adds, “Lunar New Year is a time for connection, celebration, and incredible food. Chef
Eva and I are excited to craft a menu that honours our roots while offering guests an unforgettable
experience.”

Yan Dining Room Details:
● Location: Hong Shing Private Dining Room, 195 Dundas St. West, Toronto
● Date: Sunday, February 2, 2025
● Time: 7:00 PM
● Capacity: 40 seats
● Price: $188.00 per person
● Reservations: Available via Tock

Having launched with success in late 2024, Yan Dining Room was born from Chef Eva Chin’s vision to
redefine Chinese cuisine alongside restaurateur Colin Li. The dining series explores the evolution of
Chinese flavours through refined multi-course menus that pair classic techniques with innovative ideas.
This collaboration with Chef Nuit Regular continues that ethos, showcasing the harmony of two culinary
worlds and pushing the boundaries of tradition.

For more information and updates on this exciting series, follow @YanDiningRoom on Instagram or visit
the Hong Shing website for reservation details.

About Hong Shing
Hong Shing is a Cantonese-style Chinese restaurant that has been a long-time local favourite, since
1997, by consistently providing delicious Chinese food to communities throughout Toronto. Using family
recipes, Hong Shing has created some of Toronto’s most beloved ‘family-style’ dishes and comfort foods
with fresh, traditional Chinese ingredients. The Hong Shing name is derived from the Cantonese
language meaning “Strong and Healthy” and “City Fortress Gate,” while the water flowing through the
fortress symbolizes wisdom and fluidity of life. All of these were the inspiration for their iconic logo. For
more information visit https://hongshing.com or follow @hongshingto on Instagram.

About Chef Nuit Regular:
Chef Nuit Regular is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of PAI, Kiin, Chaiyo, By Chef Nuit Events &
Catering, and Sukhothai. She has transformed the Thai food scene in Toronto through the distinct flavours
of Northern Thai cuisine and hospitality. The first Thai SELECT Ambassador for Canada, Chef Nuit has
been recognized by the government of Thailand for the authenticity of her Thai cooking and was awarded
the prestigious Thai SELECT Signature designation for her restaurants. She is the recipient of the 2024
WXN Top 100 SKIP Food Industry Award and 2024 Pinnacle Awards Chef of the Year, and a finalist for
the RBC CWEA Momentum Award. She was also awarded the WXN Top 100 BMO Entrepreneurs Award
and the American Express Award for Business Leadership in 2022. Her debut cookbook, Kiin: Recipes
and Stories from Northern Thailand, won a 2021 IACP Cookbook Award and a Taste Canada Gold
Award.

About Kiin:
Kiin means “to eat” in Thai. From restaurateur couple and award-winning Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff
Regular, Kiin expands beyond their Northern Thai roots to showcase the diversity of culinary traditions
found all across Thailand. Within a casual fine dining atmosphere, an ingredient-driven, Royal
Thai-inspired tasting menu will guide guests through the bright, rich, and complex flavours drawn from
Chef Nuit’s experiences in her home country. Kiin is a MICHELIN Guide Recommended Restaurant and a
Thai SELECT Signature restaurant certified by the Royal Thai Government.