Amy Wong of People of Yunnan Restaurant
San Po Kong’s People of Yunnan Restaurant may seem like any other noodle joint, but take a look at the menu and you’ll find worms, bugs and other crunchy delights. Owner Amy Wong tells Wynna Wong about her creepy-crawly culinary life.
HK Magazine: Why serve insects?
Amy Wong: We didn’t open this restaurant solely with bugs in mind. My husband and I are both from Yunnan, and our restaurant’s specialty is Yunnan hot and sour rice vermicelli. I arrived in Hong Kong about 20 years ago, and back then, good Yunnan vermicelli was really hard to find—there was always something lacking. I thought to myself: “wouldn’t it be great if we could open our own restaurant?” Bugs are a delicacy in our province, and my husband felt like we couldn’t be called an authentic Yunnan restaurant unless we served bugs.
HK: So insects are part of the Yunnan diet?
AW: Yes. There are a lot of forests around our area, so our diet reflects the wild plant and animal resources we get from it. We are a very hospitable people, so when we have guests over, we always make sure we serve them good food like this. Also, we like to drink, and bugs go well with our wines.
HK: Any health benefits to bug-eating?
AW: I don’t think our ancestors had anything particular in mind. It was just part of our environment and was a good source of protein with low cholesterol. Nowadays, there are more studies supporting the health benefits of eating bugs.
HK: Aren’t bugs dirty?
AW: Not at all. Like seafood, they’re caught, cleaned, and frozen before arriving here. They’re thoroughly hygienic by the time they reach your table.
HK: Do you prefer eating meat or bugs?
AW: I serve many types of bugs here, and they all taste and feel different. Compared with meat, I would say they have a less “complex” taste. Meats can vary a lot depending on your cooking methods, but you can’t get as much variation out of bugs. We usually fry them. At the end of the day, I think bugs are their own genre and shouldn’t be compared with meat.
HK: Which bug tastes the best?
AW: It depends on your preference. Personally, I like grasshoppers and dragonflies. I still can’t bring myself to eat cicadas, actually. I’m also not very keen on silkworms because they have a unique, overbearing taste that I don’t like. A lot of people who come in ask for the mixed fry-up, because they want to try all the different types of bugs at once.