Born into a family of mixed Asian heritage (her mother is Samoan-Hawaiian, and her father Singaporean-Chinese), Eva Chin was raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii. Growing up, she learned how to harvest vegetables, fish and prepare seafood. She also became familiar with a variety of cuisines and cooking styles, from Thai to Portuguesae to Japanese. But becoming a chef wasn’t a given.
Read MoreIt's time for the annual Duan Wu Festival 端午節! This special occasion falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar calendar, around the Summer Solstice. It is also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, 龍舟節.
Read MoreChinese bakeries are famous around the world for their unique selection of ‘Chinese Western Pastries’: buns, cakes and tarts that are best described as a combination of Chinese bakers’ imaginations and Western-style baked goods. Colonial life in Hong Kong brought together different ethnicities and demographics whose cultures and ideas inevitably co-mingled over time. Egg tarts, pineapple buns and coconut cocktail buns are perfect examples of this gastronomic mélange and can be credited to the legions of bakers colloquially referred to as ‘beng lou’ or ‘min baau lou’ — this literally translates to ‘bakery men’ or ‘bread men.’
Read MoreAfter returning to Canada from years of working at groundbreaking restaurants like the Michelin 3 Starred The Fat Duck in England and Liberty Private Works in Hong Kong, Chef Ken Yau launched k.Dinners, a pop-up supper club concept in Toronto. These were multi-course, experiential tasting dinners for just 16 guests in a different location every week. Those lively evenings of great food and convivial conversations around a communal table came to an abrupt stop when the pandemic hit. Suddenly, Ken was left scrambling to think of another source of revenue.
Read MoreWe caught up with Chef Craig Wong, the Toronto-based owner of the award-winning restaurant Patois and upcoming Bar Mignonette, to explore his views on sustainability. We wanted to know what the actual practice of this word versus lip service means to him as a chef, restaurateur and cultural champion. During the pandemic, he was a part of a collaboration with IKEA that focused on cooking with scraps. That exercise, in turn, inspired the images in our feature. In this special conversation, we examine the concept of sustainability through three lenses: first as a culinary philosophy, then towards the preservation of culture and, finally, the conservation of the restaurant industry.
Read MoreFood brings back fond cultural memories for all of us, no matter what age we are living in! Renowned culinary instructor Ann shares with us a childhood favourite of hers — rice dumplings (in Taiwanese style). Not only delicious, this traditional staple is also simple to make. This recipe is from history that dates back centuries ago, and is now rooted in our modern culture through the home kitchens of millions around the world.
暖心的食物是記載歷史的秘訣。知名烹飪老師Ann 與我們分享她與丈夫兒時最愛的台灣棕子食譜，不僅易做，還帶回了美好的回憶。
Join Billy as he cooks with his Po Po (Grandma) and shares their family recipes and personal stories of culture, this time, let’s sample their special braised pork belly!
Read MoreOur Canadian winters are quite harsh and dry, which is hard on anyone’s skin, especially for those with eczema. To combat this, Billy Cheung shares a “beauty soup” recipe that applies some inherited knowledge of Chinese medicine and holistic wellness. There are many variations of this beauty soup, but all recipes typically include ingredients used in Traditional Chinese Medicine due to their detoxifying and immune-boosting effects.
Read MoreCulinary Consultant & Expert, Susan Ng, excudes the beloved quote by Picasso that the “meaning of life is to find your gift. [And] the purpose of life is to give it away." An overarching theme of gifting during the Lunar New Year. She shares with us her diverse culinary journey and the recipe for the perfect combination of crunch and savoury goodness – the Golden Beef Stir-Fry with the Lucky Trio full of luck for The Year of the Golden Ox!
Read MoreEvery year families celebrate the Lunar New Year, with an incredible feast. For some, new traditions emerge with different menus but the spirit was remains the same. Family. Heritage. Home. Here is a Char Siu Recipe written and photographed by the talented, Tim Chin. It's not quite like his mother's recipe but more like an echo of it - a somewhat subordinate, somewhat inferior, imitation version (it’s still pretty good though, just ask his mom).
Read MoreLunar New Year is one of the most important festivals for ethnic Chinese communities. It symbolizes the beginning of the new year and is also an opportunity for families to reunite. Although everyone cannot gather as a family during the pandemic times, you can still create a joyous atmosphere in your own social bubble and implement some traditional New Year customs to send New Year blessings to relatives from a distance! Read on to find out more.
Read MoreWe’re excited to have invited the authors behind Nom Wah Cookbook to share their turnip cake recipe with you! Nom Wah opened as a tea parlor and bakery in 1920 in New York. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, Nom Wah Tea Parlor was first and foremost a bakery. Serving dim sum was a secondary priority, but they became known for some of their specialties. Nowadays, many Chinese communities savour these turnip cakes, especially during Chinese New Year, so we hope you’ll try making your own at home this year!
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