Home based
TV cooking star May Fung finds the greatest comfort in local Cantonese cuisine, writes Peggy Lau

If you are wondering what characterises a genuine foodie, the picture will likely become clear after meeting May Fung Mei-kei, host of multiple TV cooking shows, including her latest hit Cook Away Lady May, and founder of local bakery May's Cookies.
Although half her biological roots are in Shanghai, and she has had plenty of exposure to international cuisines, Fung admits that she finds the most comfort in hometown dishes of Cantonese cuisine, particularly the ones by chef Cheng Kam-fu of Celebrity Cuisine, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Central.
"If you really have to pin it down, I will definitely go for Cantonese food. It is not too oily, nor too sweet and saucy compared with other Chinese cuisines," Fung says.
Her favourite dish is chicken wings stuffed with bird's nest, a delicacy at Celebrity Cuisine, which demonstrates the chef's innovative touch when using everyday ingredients.
"Normally, people just stuff their chicken wings with glutinous rice. Bird's nest is used here instead, and it really brings out the flavour of the chicken as all the meaty juice is absorbed by the spongy bird's nest," she says. "It is a clever way of jazzing up the dish."
Impressed and inspired by Cheng's creation, Fung tries to create a similar dish at home by replacing the bird's nest with more affordable ingredients such as carrots, vermicelli and celery - an alternative which she finds "healthier and more reasonable".
