Latest news with #BritishChinese
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
American gives verdict on UK Chinese food – but Brits say he's 'eating it wrong'
An American couple travelling through England decided to see what the hype was about with a "British Chinese food" and went to a restaurant in Worthing to try some of the most common dishes One of the most popular takeaway option for Brits is Chinese food. In 2025, 51% of UK consumers chose Chinese as one of their top three favourite takeaways, according to data from YouGov. Chinese takeaway shops in Britain usually see a mix of dishes, such as sweet and sour chicken, kung pao chicken, crispy duck pancakes and salt and pepper chips. And to understand why Brits love Chinese food so much, one American couple, Ryan and Pam, decided to go to a Chinese restaurant when they were on holiday in England to try the popular food for themselves. "Eating and rating British Chinese food - this is my second time going to a British Chinese food place. We went to a place called China Palace in Worthing, England," he said at the start of his TikTok video. Ryan then went on to go through all the different foods he tried before giving them a score out of ten - and most items ended up being tastier than he'd expected. "First they start you out with what's called a prawn cracker, really crunchy, it's pretty good," he said, scoring it a 6.2 out of ten. "Then we opted for an appetiser sampler," he said as he filmed himself taking a bit of another item. "I'm not sure what this is but it's good." "And I still have no idea, does anybody know?" he asked viewers, giving it a score of 7.2. He then went on to try a spring roll from the appetiser platter, which he said was 'pretty tasty', but noted that it was a lot smaller than the spring rolls he's had in the US. He went on to score it a 7.7. "These bone-in spare ribs were glazed nicely, had a lot of flavour. Way better than any spare rib in America," he said as she showed himself trying it. In result, he scored it an impressive 8.0 out of ten. The chicken satay was then named 'the best appetiser' of all the ones he tried, scoring an 8.6 out of ten. However he wasn't as impressed with the crispy seaweed, which only scored a 5.9. "Now onto the main courses, I opted for beef Lo Mein and my wife got the crispy aromatic duck," he explained. "The noodles were cooked perfectly, they weren't overdone. And the beef was like biting into a piece of butter. Usually in America with Beef Lo Mein, it's like chewing into a piece of rawhide.£ He scored his Lo Mein an 8.8, before moving on to rating the aromatic duck pancakes. He noted: "This is a pancake with some cucumber, crispy onion, and hoisin sauce. You roll it up and get that bite. Mine kind of fell apart though." Despite the pancakes falling apart, Ryan scored the duck pancakes 8.1. He then said: "Overall I give this Chinese experience an 8.3 out of ten. It absolutely destroys any Chinese food place we have in the United States. Despite Ryan's praise of the food, several Brits took to the comments to share their thoughts, with some criticising the way he had eaten the duck pancake. "Search, how to eat duck pancake. thank me later," one viewer commented, while a second person wrote: "Duck and pancakes is usually a starter or side dish from my experience not a main course." "Tip for next time. You're supposed to order as a table so you can try lots of different things. That's why your portion was so massive and just one thing," a third viewer recommended. Another person said: "Did you try adding the crispy seaweed to other parts of the meal? i think it's intended to augment the umami of other food rather than be a standalone dish."
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Women's Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist 2025: ‘Unforgettable' writers shed light on human condition
The shortlist for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 has been announced. Launched last year as a sister award to the Women's Prize for Fiction (now in its 30th year), the accolade seeks to 'amplify female voices, whilst celebrating books that inform, challenge, disrupt, and offer solace and connection'. This year's finalists include six writers who challenge power and champion the resilience of the human spirit. Featured on the list are works that celebrate the natural world as well as in-depth explorations of complex subjects. Half of this year's authors are shortlisted for their first books. Hailing from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, this year's candidates include music icon Neneh Cherry, newly elected MP Yuan Yang (also the UK's first ever British Chinese representative), a marine biologist and broadcaster, a foreign policy expert, a palliative care doctor, and a historian. 'It's an absolute pleasure to announce six books on our 2025 shortlist from across genres, that are united by an unforgettable voice, rigour, and unique insight,' said Kavita Puri, chair of judges. 'Included in our list are narratives that honour the natural world and its bond with humanity, meticulously researched stories of women challenging power, and books that illuminate complex subjects with authority, nuance and originality.' Last year's Prize was won by Naomi Klein for her book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, which investigated the world of 'conspiracy theories, anti-vaxxers and demagogue hucksters'. This year's winner will be awarded in an evening ceremony held on 12 June in Central London, where the winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction will also be announced. Each will be awarded a prize of £30,000. See the full shortlist below. A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry Swedish singer-songwriter Cherry first shot to fame for her song 'Buffalo Stance' in 1988, making a name for herself through innovative genre-mixing. The Brit Award-winning musician has collaborated with artists including Cher and the Damon Albarn-fronted band Gorillaz. In this memoir, she weaves the threads of her life into a unique tale, exploring themes of family, belonging, and music throughout. The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke Nine-year-old Keira suffered catastrophic injuries that caused her brain and body to shut down, but her heart kept beating. Her parents agreed she would have wanted to be an organ donor and followed the procedure to enable it to happen, donating her heart to fellow nine-year-old Max. Following the organ's journey, Dr Clarke, a palliative care doctor, tracks the medical advancements that made the young boy's miraculous discovery from a deadly virus possible. Her previous work, Breathtaking, was shortlisted for numerous awards and adapted into an acclaimed ITV series. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton Political adviser Dalton returns to the countryside of her childhood where she finds a small leveret the size of her palm, and gently nurses it back to health. The story of their connection sheds light on the relationship between human and animal, invoking a sense of awe towards the natural world. The work has received critical acclaim and was selected as the Hay Festival Book of the Year 2024. It was also shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year and a Critics Best Pick for The Times, Guardian and Financial Times. Agent ZO: The Untold Stories of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka by Clare Mulley Elżbieta Zawacka's story is told in captivating detail by historian Clare Mulley – and it is a truly gripping one. Zawacka is the only woman to reach London from Warsaw, after which she was trained in the English countryside and sent back behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Poland. Taking a leading role in the Warsaw uprising, her story unpacks the agency of women during World War II. What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean by Helen Scales From the prehistoric underworld of the sea to the modern day, marine biologist Scales shows how the ocean's memory and history holds lessons for its present and future. Animals, seagrass meadows, coral reefs and giant forests all possess valuable information. Unpacking the threats to marine life, as well as shedding light on innovative ideas for protecting coastlines and cleaning toxic seas, the author takes us on a journey of remembering, uncovering, and imagining. Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang Four tenacious women refuse to submit to society's expectations in modern-day China, in Yang's journey through a rapidly changing nation. The MP is the UK's first Chinese-born representative, uniquely placed to share the stories of those caught in the fray of political and social upheaval. The book is the real story of women who are pushing for a life defined by themselves, motivated by ambition, desire, and imagination.
