#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: 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: YAN DINING ROOM X GOOD BEHAVIOUR COLLABORATION

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we get a first look at photos for the upcoming Yan Dining Room x Good Behaviour dinner, taking place Saturday, May 11, 2025 at longtime institution, Hong Shing.

This one-night-only collaboration brings together three chefs blending nostalgic flavours with serious culinary technique. The $148 eight-course menu features over 15 thoughtful bites inspired by Chinese and Italian traditions—designed to celebrate the women who shape us and the food that brings us home.

While Good Behaviour is best known for its cult-favourite ice cream and sandwiches, the team behind it—Chef Michael Lam and Eric Chow—bring a wealth of fine dining experience, with past roles at The Modern (NYC), Quay (Sydney), Il Covo, Luckee, and The Broadview Hotel.

Expect a menu that’s both comforting and refined, with highlights like:

•YDR’s rhubarb char siu bbq glazed duck paired with GB’s chicken liver and rhubarb macaron

•YDR’s braised radishes with mom’s chili crisp paired with GB’s scallop and potato tartlet

•YDR’s shrimp stuffed asparagus with xo sauce paired with GB’s strawberry and montenegro ricotta crostini

•A limited-edition ma lai goh ice cream created just for this dinner [see here]

Reservations are available via Tock: HERE

#FOOD: YAN DINING ROOM X DAANGO COLLABORATION – NOVEMBER 1, 2024

For one night only, two major culinaru forces in Toronto are coming together November 1, 2024! YAN Dining Room and DAANGO, featuring MasterChef Canada Winner Chef Christopher Siu, for a one-night-only dining experience at Hong Shing. 

Chef Christopher Siu is known for his unique blend of Asian heritage and pastry mastery. After winning MasterChef Canada: Back to Win in 2019 and building a successful brand with Daan Go Cake Lab, Chef Siu has become one of Toronto’s most celebrated culinary figures. This special dinner will showcase the incredible talents of both Chef Siu and Chef Eva Chin, blending neo-Chinese flavors with bold and creative pastry innovations.

Event Details

Date: Friday, November 1, 2024

Location: Hong Shing Main Dining Room, 195 Dundas St West

Reservation Link:  https://www.exploretock.com/hong-shing-toronto/

Cost: $165 per person 

Menu below: