Recently, a French food guide, La Liste, came up with the list of the top 1,000 restaurants in the world. There was a total of 100 restaurants from mainland China.
The list grew by 60 percent from last year. China came in third to 116 restaurants from Japan and 113 from France. Food critics said that the growth of Chinese restaurants show that there is a greater demand both locally and internationally.
One of the judges in La Liste, Xie Ling, said that the world has a greater appreciation for Chinese food.
She said, "As more and more foreigners come to China to travel and work, they get the opportunity to experience the high quality and richness of Chinese food in person, which enriches their knowledge and understanding of Chinese food culture."
She also explained that the ranking system referred to over 400 guides and user ratings done online. The ranking was also based on service, interior design, and wine pairing.
"La Liste is not based on the traditional tastes and gastronomic standards of Western diners," Xie said. "It is a more diversified food classification with an abundance of different culinary cultures and ranks regional restaurants in accordance with local standards and tastes."
May Chow, another Chinese chef, and owner of the restaurant, Little Bao, was recently selected by a panel of 300 food experts as the best female chef.
Little Bao's specialty is Chinese burgers. These are steamed white buns filled with pork, chicken, or fish. The U.S.-educated chef said that her burgers are similar to her personality.
Chow said, "If you define me, my food is exactly me. Am I really Chinese? Why do I sound so American?"
"That bao is me--Chinese but understands American culture--putting together in an honest way," she added.
She said that the greatest challenge is getting the approval of her mother and grandmother, and said that it "comes from 30 years of eating bao--you have to stand up to that quality check."