Mrs Fong can feed world on satellite dishes

STAND aside Dame Edna Everage - Hongkong's very own housewife superstar is ready to take on the world. Lisa Yam, better known to millions home and abroad as Mrs Fong, is reaching an even wider audience through satellite television.

Sightings of the ubiquitous chef have been reported in Shanghai and Guangzhou, via dishes of a different kind.

She may look like anybody's favourite aunt, but behind the smiles and modest assurance ticks a sound business brain. Mrs Fong is a woman of iron determination and an enormous influence on Hongkong eating habits.

Mrs Fong is more than just another TV cook. For the past 10 years she has hosted her own programme and her audiences treat her as mentor and friend. In that time, she has made nearly 3,000 programmes and at least as many different dishes. The constant search for new recipes can be a great pressure, she admits, but this indefatigable lady loves a challenge.

When the Post photographer commented that he sometimes found it cheaper to eat out than cook, her eyes lit up, she broke into a broad grin and delivered an immediate riposte: ''I can show you how to cook four dishes for under $50.'' Said with such devastating confidence, you dare not doubt her.

Mrs Fong can afford to be confident. Her programmes have been shown in America, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. She has written 21 best-selling cookbooks and the bimonthly magazine, Lisa Yam's World, has gone into its 90th issue. Japan is the next target, and she is planning a Japanese translation of her books.

Clients know Mrs Fong's endorsement of a foodstuff or domestic product can be more influential than the most expensive advertising campaign. And she takes this as a personal compliment.