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Hong Kong food critic Chua Lam on good food and beautiful women

The Singapore-born critic’s first career was in films, during which he produced flicks such as Jackie Chan’s Wheels on Meals, Armour of God and Mr Nice Guy. He tells us why he finds Korean women beautiful and that China is bad at marketing its food

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Food critic Chua Lam, in Sai Ying Pun. Picture: Edmond So

Why did you turn from movies to food writing? “When I was a film producer, I had to travel around the world to find film locations. Other team members focused on the scenery but I focused more on food, which I am always interested in. I was invited to write a column [by Oriental Daily News editor Chow Shek] and the pub­lishers let me write anything I liked. So I wrote a lot about food and restaurants, and eventually people saw me as a food critic.”

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What is good food? “A good meal is more than just the taste. It is related to your memory and prejudice. Many people think the food cooked by their mother is the best. Many migrants love the food of the coun­tries where they come from. I was born in Singapore and I like laksa and many Singa­porean dishes, but now I think the lifestyle has changed so much in Singapore that the taste is different from when I was small.”
Jackie Chan’s Mr Nice Guy, which was produced by Chua.
Jackie Chan’s Mr Nice Guy, which was produced by Chua.
You also arrange travel tours to Japan and South Korea. How would you compare the two places? “I like to go to South Korea where there are many beautiful women. If you walk on a street for an hour in South Korea, you will see at least three beautiful women. In Taiwan, you may see one beautiful woman in an hour. In Japan, I am not sure you will see any beautiful women in a hour.

"Japan is popular this year as the yen has dropped against the dollar, so many Hongkongers find it cheaper.”

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South Korea has been a favourite destination of yours for a long time. How has it changed? “I went to South Korea when I studied film in Japan, which was in the 1960s. I was a poor student and the South Koreans were very poor, too. The food was simple but very tasty. They were very generous, too. If you ordered a main course, they offered you 10 to 20 small side dishes. I have been there over 100 times and I still find it exciting. South Korea has come a long way and nowadays they are wealthy and the country is leading the culture in Asia with many popular Korean songs, movies and dramas.”

A local talk show in 1989 featuring (from left) author Ni Cong, Chua, actress Pat Ha and lyricist-cum-author James Wong. Picture: SCMP
A local talk show in 1989 featuring (from left) author Ni Cong, Chua, actress Pat Ha and lyricist-cum-author James Wong. Picture: SCMP
What are your favourite Korean dishes? “The raw crab with sauce – I eat this every time I go to Korea. Some people worry about eating raw crab but the Koreans have eaten it for more than 100 years. They don’t seem to have any problems and I feel safe to eat it. I also like ‘captain hotpot’ – a dish favoured by soldiers. For this they cook noodles, luncheon meat, sauce and cheese in a small pot. The Korean barbecue beef is getting better and better and now they can afford to get good beef from around the world. My favourite restaurant is La Yeon, at the Shilla Hotel [in Seoul], which serves good traditional Korean food.”
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