Chua Lam, legendary Hong Kong food critic and filmmaker, dies at 83
KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — Renowned food critic, columnist, and film producer Chua Lam, celebrated as one of the 'Four Talents of Hong Kong,' passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83, according to the South China Morning Post.
A statement on his official Facebook page confirmed his death at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, surrounded by family and friends.
Per his wishes, no ceremony was held, and his body was cremated to avoid inconveniencing loved ones.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), born in Singapore in 1941, Chua's illustrious career spanned multiple fields, leaving a lasting mark on Hong Kong's cultural and culinary landscapes.
At just 14, he published his first article in Nanyang Siang Pau. He later moved to Japan to study film and settled in Hong Kong in 1963, where he worked with iconic studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest.
Among his notable film productions were Jackie Chan's Wheels on Meals, Armour of God, and Mr Nice Guy.
Chua was a celebrated figure in food journalism, known for his discerning palate and dedication to uncovering the finest culinary experiences.
He authored numerous travel journals and food critiques and hosted acclaimed shows such as Celebrity Talk Show, which featured Hong Kong's biggest stars of the era, including Leslie Cheung and Maggie Cheung.
SCMP in its report said that in addition to his columns and books, Chua organised culinary tours across Asia and the world, sampling multiple dishes daily to identify and recommend the best local specialities.
His influence extended to consulting on popular food documentaries such as A Bite of China and Once Upon a Bite.
Despite personal challenges, including a severe hip injury and the loss of his wife in recent years, Chua continued to inspire through his reflections on life and food.
His final memoir, Lived, released earlier this year, shared his vibrant experiences, resilience, and deep appreciation for gastronomy.
According to the report, Chua's contributions earned him a place among the 'Four Talents of Hong Kong,' alongside literary and cultural giants Jin Yong, Ni Kuang, and James Wong.
His legacy continues to shape the city's cultural and culinary heritage, marking the end of an era in Hong Kong's entertainment and food scene.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
2 hours ago
- Skift
'Let Loose the Goose': Klook Launches Viral AI-Powered Travel Campaign
Klook's goose might not have wings, but the idea behind it clearly does. Travel experiences platform Klook has launched a campaign in Hong Kong that's anything but conventional. There's no celebrity endorsement, no picture-perfect lifestyle visuals, and no curated itineraries. Instead, 'Go Wild with Travel" features a goose and some AI. The campaign launched this week with a fake out-of-home stunt that showed the goose soaring across iconic global landmarks. The image quickly caught attention online, turning the character into a viral phenomenon. As Klook explained, 'This 'creature' became the talk of the town, setting the stage for our Hong Kong team's summer campaign reveal, featuring transportation, tours, experiences, and hotel offerings.' For Klook, this wasn't just a quirky marketing tactic. According to Kenny Sham, general manager for Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand, the campaign's use of AI was central to its storytelling strategy. As Sham puts it, the campaign 'reframes travel as a spontaneous, joyful escape — inviting everyone to follow instinct, not plans.' 'We brought a goose to life and let it travel the world,' said Duffy Lau, managing director at Grey Hong Kong, the creative agency that worked with Klook. 'The entire campaign was crafted using AI to unlock creative possibilities, transforming a simple idea into something people can spot, share, and smile at.' 'Let Loose the Goose' Without the need for big budgets or traditional production teams, AI enabled the creation of a surreal character that could exist in multiple formats and locations. In a social media post, Klook summed it up this way: 'AI lets us produce diverse, playful content at scale. It's fast, flexible, and sometimes, to go further, you just have to let loose the goose!' The goose became a perfect symbol for that mindset. In Cantonese, the word for 'goose' sounds like 'I,' allowing it to serve as both a playful character and a personal metaphor. In Klook's words: 'It's our playful call to travelers: be bold, break free (because life is more than just a 9-to-5 routine, right?)' The concept isn't entirely without precedent. Two years ago, Dubai-based airline Emirates also introduced a computer-generated goose, 'Gerry,' as its brand ambassador. But Klook's campaign takes the idea further, leaning into the goose not just as a mascot, but as a metaphor. That spirit of freedom aligns with Klook's broader offering, which spans three categories: Play, Stay, and Move. 'Play' includes over 500,000 bookable activities and experiences. 'Stay' bundles accommodation with travel, while 'Move' offers train and mobility passes across destinations like Japan and Europe. The goal is to give travelers the tools to explore freely — without having every detail locked in. Building on the momentum of last year's campaign and the global initiative 'The Best You,' this new direction marks a shift in tone and territory. As Sham put it, 'From breaking out of routines to rediscovering local adventures, the campaign captures how travel can reconnect us with who we really are.' The campaign will continue to roll out throughout the summer, led, of course, by one very curious goose. Earlier this year, Klook secured $100 million in funding. Klook CCO Wilfred Fan at the Skift Asia Forum
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Delulu Over Labubu? The Market Has Its Say
Save This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a dramaturgical dollhouse of Bloomberg Opinion's opinions. Sign up here. I've avoided the global Labubu phenomenon for months, even since I saw the ugly creatures pop up on the social media feeds of addled influencers. But now the ever-astute Shuli Ren has taken note of the toy's enormous popularity and profitability— and how that very success betrays a weakness in the business plan of its Beijing-based manufacturer Pop Mart International Group Ltd. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
22 Games We'd Love To See On The Nintendo Switch 2
The original Switch was a trailblazing device that proved you could take console-quality games on the go, but it was demonstrably less powerful than its PlayStation and Xbox competitors. In the years since the handheld hit the shelves, that gap has only grown with the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Making up some ground, the Switch 2 is more powerful and runs games like Cyberpunk 2077 that wouldn't have been possible on the original system. So now that we know what is possible, we started thinking about some big games that we'd like to see ported to the Switch 2. Here are a few of our ideas. Assassin's Creed Valhalla seems like the obvious choice for an open-world RPG on the Switch 2, but I'm actually going to go with Odyssey. Developed solely for the PS4 and Xbox One, it might be a bit more technically feasible. Plus, despite Valhalla being a more robust (and certainly longer) game overall, Odyssey's ancient Greek isle hopping is the experience I keep pining for. The protagonists are solid, the combat is decent, and the ship-based exploration gives it an air of adventure missing in some of the other recent Assassin's Creed games. A cloud version of the game actually came to the Switch 1, but only in Japan. Now's the time to fix that. — Ethan Gach There have been rumors that Stellar Blade's PS5 exclusivity (Sony published it, but developer Shift Up owns the IP) might make the jump to the Switch 2. Fuel was certainly added to that fire when the studio bought the new Nintendo console for everyone on staff to celebrate the sci-fi action-adventure's recent success on PC. I don't know if the Switch 2 could really handle the current-gen release, but it would be fun to have it there. The Souls-y combat is more forgiving than other games that play footsie with the genre, and there are tons of collectibles and backtracking perfect for handheld mode. — Ethan Gach Soulslikes have completely taken over on PC and console, but they're still pretty rare on Nintendo's systems. While the Switch 2 is getting Elden Ring later this year, and FromSoftware is working on multiplayer PVP exclusive The Dusk Bloods, the original Dark Souls is the studio's only other game on the platform. Bloodborne is out of the question. Sony can't even get a next-gen upgrade of it for PS5, but Lies of P would be the next best thing. Its Pinocchio-inspired diesel punk world, brutal but imaginative boss fights, and gear system allowing you to mix-and-match crafting components and their respective perks all worked together to create a GOTY-worthy package in 2023. With the new Overture DLC just out, it feels like a great time to see an Ultimate Edition come to Switch 2. Pinocchio. — Ethan Gach If there were ever a game that could make great use of the Switch 2's mouse controls, it's Baldur's Gate 3. I like playing Larian's Dungeons & Dragons RPG on my PS5 as much as the next guy, but having experienced it on both my PC and console, it definitely feels built for mouse and keyboard. The Switch 2 feels like a decent middle ground between both experiences, as being able to scroll around the game's complex menus with my Joy-Con 2 while playing it on my TV sounds like the ideal way to play Baldur's Gate 3. I doubt it would run as well as it does on the other platforms, but we give up pretty graphics for function with the Switch 2, and it's the only system that could even come close to replicating how the game was meant to be played. — Kenneth Shepard Bungie's loot shooter might not run great on the Switch 2 (it sometimes feels like it's barely holding it together on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), but Destiny 2 could really use some fresh blood, and the Switch 2's mouse controls would be a perfect test case for the sci-fi FPS. The timing couldn't be better either. Does Bungie have the resources to port its increasingly ancient tech stack to a completely new platform? Who knows. But with The Final Shape wrapping up the MMO's 10-year storytelling arc, it would be neat to see an ultimate edition that lets Nintendo fans finally dig into the glories and grind of that big, beautiful universe. — Ethan Gach Red Dead Redemption is already on the Switch, so it just makes sense to bring the bigger sequel to Nintendo's more powerful portable console. While I personally don't want to play an epic western like RDR2 on a tiny Switch 2 screen, I get the desire to take a game like that with you on the go. Heck, over on Steam, RDR2 is regularly one of the most-played Steam Deck games. So there's an audience for it. Plus, the Switch 2 could likely run it just as well as a base Xbox One when you plug your new Nintendo console into its dock. The question now is if Rockstar will actually make this port happen. Considering that we still haven't gotten a PS5/XSX update for Red Dead Redemption 2 after all these years, I'm not confident at all that the company's amazing western will arrive on the Switch 2 anytime soon. – Zack Zwiezen It's easy to forget, but Sea of Thieves began life as an Xbox One game. You can still go play it there! There's no question that the Switch 2 should be capable of running it. Thanks to GameChat, the social features should be straightforward to bring over as well. Wouldn't it be extra neat if you could use webcams to see players' faces over their characters, too? The ship sailing pirate sim remains one of the most underrated MMOs out there, and one of the few crew-based multiplayer games available on console. It came to PS5 last year. Hopefully, Nintendo's platform is next. — Ethan Gach Leading the pack is the remastered collection that I was hoping and pleading would end up on the original Switch when it was released in 2021. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition combines three landmark RPGs into one package and would be an excellent addition to the Switch 2 line-up. This wouldn't be unprecedented for BioWare and EA, as they, for some reason, released Mass Effect 3 as a Wii U launch title. Might as well give Nintendo fans the full experience. Now if only they'd throw in Mass Effect: Andromeda for good measure before the fifth game comes out. — Kenneth Shepard Sometimes it feels like Dragon's Dogma 2 came and went last year, but the game is widely beloved by those who played it, and Capcom brought the original fantasy RPG to the Switch, so why not bring the sequel to the Switch 2? You, too, could experience the jaw-drop moment of the game's second title card on your commute. — Kenneth Shepard Fans are probably hoping for a full remaster of the original three Dragon Age games, but while that sounds like a far-off dream at the moment, I wouldn't be surprised if The Veilguard ended up on the Switch 2 in the near future (well, it seemed possible when I first wrote this in January). Even though none of the previous games have been on a Nintendo platform, it's a decent enough entry point, and who among us doesn't want to take a great RPG party with us wherever we go? — Kenneth Shepard Resident Evil 4 has a long history with Nintendo. The original game launched exclusively on the GameCube and director Shinji Mikami said he would 'disembowel' himself if it ever came to another console. Well, it's launched on about a dozen other platforms since then, but the 2023 remake has only been on half as many. Why not add another to the list, Capcom? — Kenneth Shepard The original Switch has Overwatch 2 and it is not a great version of the game. But the Switch 2 could get an upgrade and include the hero shooter of the moment, running in all its twitchy glory. Marvel Rivals has been such a huge success that it's hard to imagine developer NetEase isn't already trying to get the game onto as many platforms as it can. The Switch 2 might not be the optimal way to play a game like Marvel Rivals which thrives on high framerates and reaction times, but more people playing a competitive game is always a good thing. — Kenneth Shepard Metaphor: ReFantazio and Persona 3 Reload are the kind of RPGs that thrive on handheld, and feel like shoo-ins for eventual Switch 2 ports. I adored playing these long, meticulous social sim RPGs on my PS5, but they would have been much better on my Switch. The long stretches of visual novel-style dialogue are the kind of thing you'd rather not squint at across your living room when you could, instead, read them at arm's length in bed. I'd bet money that we will see one or both of these games on the Switch 2 in its first 12 months. — Kenneth Shepard Remember when people datamined Tango Gameworks' rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush and found what appeared to be an in-game shirt referencing a Switch version that never came to be? Well, Tango Gameworks is alive, well, and outside of Microsoft's clutches, so this incredible gem of a game should show up on the Switch 2. — Kenneth Shepard The original Switch could certainly have run both The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD remasters since they both launched on the Wii U. I'm here to say they should be on the Switch 2 because they're two of the few Wii U exclusives that never made their way to the original Switch. Just rectify the issue, Nintendo. — Kenneth Shepard If you were to look up 'surefire money-making machine' in the dictionary, you'd find Grand Theft Auto V on the Switch 2 right next to it. Grand Theft Auto VI is supposed to be gracing PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year, but if you want to make sure the Nintendo kids don't feel too left out, porting Grand Theft Auto V to another platform seems like a decent compromise. It would sell another bazillion copies, even 12 years after its original launch. — Kenneth Shepard It's surprising that Sparking! Zero, the latest fighting game in the Budokai Tenkaichi subseries, never made its way to Switch. The series has pretty consistently landed on Nintendo's platforms in the past, so Sparking! Zero is an odd outlier. The only reason I can think of is Bandai Namco aiming for an early Switch 2 release date. I'm not one to make bets, especially not two in the same article, but I'm betting again that Sparking! Zero makes an appearance at a Nintendo showcase at some point this year. — Kenneth Shepard Incredible games like the Kingdom Hearts series, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Control are all playable on Switch, kinda: if you've got a fast and stable internet connection, you can play them through the cloud, but it doesn't live up to the experience of playing them natively on other platforms. Maybe with the Switch 2's more powerful hardware, we'll see some of those games make their way to the device in ports that feel as good to play as these games should. — Kenneth Shepard Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth both started out as PlayStation exclusives, but now they're on PC, so they're probably fair game for the Switch 2. Depending on the device's specs, I could see both of those games getting relegated to cloud versions, and I swear that's not a pun on their spikey-haired hero. It just seems like that's Square's go-to approach for games that might be a bit too demanding on Nintendo's system. Think of the groans that would echo throughout the theater when Square announced a Final Fantasy VII Remake: Cloud Version at a press conference! Would the company want that reaction to be associated with the game forever? Or maybe the pun would be too good to pass up as an expensive bit? Anyway, sure, yeah, let's put these games on Switch 2. — Kenneth Shepard Speaking of Final Fantasy, the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV would be a great showcase for the apparent mouse controls included in the Switch 2's Joy-Cons. I've tried to play XIV on my PlayStation multiple times and loathe its controller support, so this could be a nice middle ground between the two. And again, more people playing a multiplayer game is always a good thing. — Kenneth Shepard The Diablo games are ideal for handheld play, and Diablo III was great on the original Switch. Diablo II also found its way to the Switch through the Resurrected remaster, so the series has a strong history with the Nintendo console already. Diablo IV feels like another guaranteed Switch 2 port down the line. — Kenneth Shepard Rounding out this list are some of the best Star Wars games on the market. The Jedi games starring Shameless' Cameron Monaghan are good enough to make a certified Star Wars hater pick up a lightsaber. Bring them to the Switch 2, Respawn. They deserve to be played by as many people as possible. — Kenneth ShepardThis is where I'd normally ask what games you'd like to see on the Switch 2, but the powers that be still haven't turned the comments back on, and at this rate, I don't think they're going to. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
