It's impossible to go wrong at this hatted Chinese restaurant, but these are our go-tos
You could come here every week for a year and still not plough your way through the menu, a 30-page document with photos so attractive they actually make it harder to choose. The waiters offer wise counsel, though, and it's impossible to go wrong. Ho keeps a keen eye on everything parading out of the kitchen: if it's not perfect, it's not hitting a table.
Spiced shredded chicken is a towering salad of poultry on the bone, the fat sitting sweet and cool under the skin. Tossed with raw red onion, celery, coriander, sesame seeds and chilli, it's a lively pleasure to eat.
Winter melon – a large, fleshy gourd – is peeled, steamed and upturned to form a curved lid for wok-tossed chicken, duck, prawn and scallop. The winter melon is carved at the table to reveal the tender, juicy 'cangzhen' (hidden treasure) underneath.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
When spirits walk in Bukit Mertajam
A loud, cheering crowd packed along a town's main street while the police and the fire brigade stand by may sound like the start of a bad movie about riots or unspeakable horrors. But deep in Peninsular Malaysia's northwest, such a scenario sounds like the arrival of another great ghost bonfire. I'm not talking about Zach Cregger's new horror movie, Weapons, that everyone's raving about. These Malaysian ghosts are of a different kind — largely made out of papier-mache. Each year, as the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar (between mid-August and mid-September) approaches, Chinese communities worldwide honour the Hungry Ghost Festival — when it's said the gates of hell open and ghosts and spirits come back to earth in search of pleasures. Think nice foods like barbecued pork, Guinness beers and tropical fruits — all items that devotees set on pop-up altars and shrines erected throughout town and actual temples to appease the 'returning' deceased. Called Yu Lan in Mandarin, the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated with great fanfare in the northwestern Malaysian state of Penang. Called Phor Thor in local Hokkien dialect, it has thrived for more than 130 years, one of the most enduring celebrations of its kind. But even if I live on Penang Island, I want to tell you that the best place to see Phor Thor is not on the island, but on the mainland part of Penang state: in Bukit Mertajam town. What makes Bukit Mertajam stand out against Penang Island? Well, unlike the scattered altars and fleeting stages seen in George Town, Bukit Mertajam has a more immersive and concentrated experience. Celebrations are concentrated along the old town's main thoroughfare, Jalan Pasar, and stretch across the entire Ghost Month, with rituals, performances and offerings unfolding for up to 15 days. The best part of the celebration comes around the middle of the lunar month (September 8 this year), when a towering effigy of the god of hell, Tai Su Yeah, is paraded down Jalan Pasar at night and then ceremonially burned. Crafted from a supportive skeleton of bamboo layered with colourful paper to create a giant puppet almost 9m tall, it's a dramatic and powerful show. The ultimate burning of the hell god sends it — and all the spirits — back to hell. Can you imagine a 9m-tall monster burning right in front of your eyes on a town's main intersection? Crazy? It's one of the most haunting rituals I've ever witnessed. The beauty of seeing Phor Thor in Bukit Mertajam is that the old town — where businesses are unfortunately closing, unable to compete with George Town's well-oiled, UNESCO-boosted touristy machine — stays alive around the clock. Food stalls keep churning even more traditional delights under the watchful eyes of the Tai Su Yeah statue, which sits for a few days on watch before the burning, while Chinese opera troupes and female singers perform nightly to entertain both deity, departed — there's always an empty row of seats reserved for them — and humans. The energy is palpable: devotees also come from as far as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and beyond. Again, beware of Penang Island, where more tourist-oriented areas like George Town tend to offer a more fragmented experience, with rituals performed for just a few nights, often secondary elements on a menu of city life and hipster cafes. Even for just a week or so, Phor Thor in Bukit Mertajam really brings out the best of a town that's still so authentic it deserves many more visitors than the few it gets. Use this chance to visit the town and its worthy nearby sights, such as the Church of St Anne, one of the most sacred in Southeast Asia, and the hiking trails of Cherok Tok Kun reserve.
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Perth Now
Chinese stories need to be told, says Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh thinks Ne Zha 2 could prove to be an important "cultural exchange". The 63-year-old actress voices the part of Lady Yin — the mother of Ne Zha — in the English-language version of the Chinese box-office hit, and Michelle is thrilled to be part of the project, suggesting that it could have a huge long-term impact on the film industry. Speaking to People, Michelle explained: "I had seen Ne Zha II in Chinese, and even at that time I thought, 'I hope they do an English version, because you want little kids to be able to see it and understand'. "So when they did come to me and said, 'Would this interest you?' I jumped right in … Somehow, when A24 and I get together, we get a little magic going." Michelle believes that Ne Zha 2 could lead to more "Chinese stories" being told in Western cinemas. The actress - who began her career in Hong Kong, before making the move to Hollywood - said: "It is so important as a cultural exchange; an opening for more Chinese stories that need to be told. Especially the mythological side of it. "We're so rich in lore with the three realms: the heavens, the earth and the seas." Ne Zha 2 focuses on the Chinese mythological character Ne Zha and his friend Ao Bing. Michelle loves that the movie manages to bridge the gap between traditional Chinese mythology and young film fans. She explained: "The storytelling is so amazing because they have kept intact the classic myth of how it was before, but added that contemporary way of storytelling. "So that's the bridge for the generational gap. Like we say, it is timeless, but timely." Michelle also revealed that Ne Zha is "one of [her] favourite characters", revealing that she was inspired by the "spunky kid riding on fire wheels" during her younger years. Michelle - whose previous film credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - reflected: "This is for people who always felt that they're not seen, or they have been ostracised, or they don't look right, or they don't fit in, so that they don't give up. "And that's why Ne Zha has always been one of my favourite characters because he fought injustice. I think from the minute he was born, he felt very rejected. "When I was a kid, I used to be so fascinated and inspired by this spunky kid riding on fire wheels. I wanted to be that cool demigod that fought for justice."
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's impossible to go wrong at this hatted Chinese restaurant, but these are our go-tos
Up the hill from Kew Junction, these premises have been Nihao Kitchen since 2018. Owner Jan Ho is from Hong Kong and has a 25-year career in hospitality, including at much-loved venues Dainty Sichuan, Kum Den and Lau's Family Kitchen. His co-owner and wife, Cleo Wang, is from Qingdao and ran NiHao Dumpling in Ivanhoe for seven years. At Nihao (Mandarin for 'hello'), they've coalesced their restaurant experience and cultural backgrounds to encompass both southern and northern Chinese cuisines. You could come here every week for a year and still not plough your way through the menu, a 30-page document with photos so attractive they actually make it harder to choose. The waiters offer wise counsel, though, and it's impossible to go wrong. Ho keeps a keen eye on everything parading out of the kitchen: if it's not perfect, it's not hitting a table. Spiced shredded chicken is a towering salad of poultry on the bone, the fat sitting sweet and cool under the skin. Tossed with raw red onion, celery, coriander, sesame seeds and chilli, it's a lively pleasure to eat. Winter melon – a large, fleshy gourd – is peeled, steamed and upturned to form a curved lid for wok-tossed chicken, duck, prawn and scallop. The winter melon is carved at the table to reveal the tender, juicy 'cangzhen' (hidden treasure) underneath.
