Latest news with #CentralVietnamese
South China Morning Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why brands and businesses are embracing street art culture in Hong Kong
Take a stroll around the streets of Hong Kong a couple of decades ago and the amount of street art you'd have seen would be close to zero. A smattering of graffiti, yes, but almost no walls where businesses had commissioned artworks for commercial purposes. Advertisement Today, the situation couldn't be more different. Hong Kong is covered in street art of all descriptions, with hotspots from SoHo and Sheung Wan – including perhaps most Insta-famous of all, artist Alex Croft's Graham Street mural for homeware store GOD – to Sai Ying Pun's ArtLane, to Wong Chuk Hang and large parts of Kowloon, especially Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok's Public Square Street. Essentially, it's everywhere. Street art has its roots in graffiti, an inherently rebellious art form whose practitioners by definition don't ask for permission, making much of it technically illegal. However, it has long been co-opted for commercial purposes; pretty early on, savvy brands realised that it was something they could use to gain instant countercultural cachet, while the hip-hop culture that produced graffiti has always balanced an emphasis on underground authenticity with a keen awareness of commercial possibilities. Street art has its roots in graffiti. Photo: K. Y. Cheng Consequently, today the term 'street art' covers everything from purely creative graffiti to work paid for by large corporations, and its practitioners similarly come from a diversity of backgrounds – from those who started with tags and spray cans, to those who trained at fine art academies and interiors ateliers. For marketers, it's a particularly effective way of standing out from the crowd, given the diminishing effectiveness of many traditional channels. In Hong Kong, the F&B industry has been a particularly enthusiastic adopter. Says Malique Goldin, head of partnerships at Black Sheep Restaurants, which adorns spaces like the wall of its Central Vietnamese bar Chom Chom with murals: 'We are storytellers and there are many ways to tell our stories; it's another canvas to express who we are. It's also a good creative outlet. It can be funky, it can be fun. It doesn't have to be perfect; it just has to be us.' Partly brands have embraced street art so enthusiastically because of a cultural shift, with the rise of the star graffiti writer, exemplified by Banksy , legitimising the art form and giving it a kind of mainstream acceptability. It's also very photo-friendly, with social media playing a huge role in its growing popularity, while non-profit organisation HKwalls, which works tirelessly to put artists together with companies that can provide them with a wall to work on, has been pivotal in giving it a kick-start in the city. Cultural shifts have encouraged brands to embrace street art. Photo: Handout 'Since 2016 or 2017, with HKwalls and social media, there have been more people wanting to get into the street art scene,' says artist Kristopher Ho, whose spectacular, hyper-detailed animal illustrations crop up all over the city, including as part of HKwalls. 'It pays better: if I'm going to paint something large, I'm going to get paid more. But just because you know how to paint on a piece of paper, it doesn't mean you know how to paint on walls. The scene is definitely more vibrant now, but it's hard to maintain the quality.'
7NEWS
27-04-2025
- General
- 7NEWS
Duncan Lu shows how to make a delicious Vietnamese chicken noodle dish
Duncan Lu is a home cook who specialises in Vietnamese cuisine. Duncan's understanding of Vietnamese food culture began with his grandma (who has now passed) who first thought him to cook, alongside his uncle. Today, Duncan is showing how to make Vietnamese Mi Quang Ga AKA chicken with rice noodles The chicken is made with easy ingredients and Duncan says anyone can make this at home. Recipe below: Mi Quang Ga- Central Vietnamese Braised Chicken with Rice Noodles If you're ever travelling through Central Vietnam, a bowl of mi quang is a must do in the coastal city of Da Nang. In this central-Vietnamese delicacy you can expect, soft and chewy rice noodles served with quick-braised marinated chicken, eggs, and doused in a golden umami-filled broth. Like mi bo kho (Vietnamese braised beef with noodles), mi quang ga is a dish I wouldn't categorise as a Vietnamese noodle soup or a Vietnamese noodle salad but somewhere in-between, as the noodles and chicken are not completely covered with broth, like you would see in a bowl of pho, bun bo hue or bun mam. Instead, a small amount of concentrated braising liquid is added to the bowl. To achieve this depth in flavour, ensure you use a whole chicken with bone-in. Along with the braising liquid, the choice of rice noodles is also key to creating the most authentic bowl of mi quang at home. Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that fresh mi quang noodles in Da Nang is unparalleled but with limited options in Australia, dried mi quang noodles is the next best thing. Found in most Vietnamese supermarkets, the noodles may look like pho rice noodles at first glance but they're slightly wider and thicker. Mi quang noodles also have a higher percentage of tapioca starch compared to pho noodles, giving them their unique bite and chew. If pho, bun bo hue or bun thit nuong are already popular in your household or a dish you regularly order when out, grab yourself a packet of mi quang noodles from the Asian supermarket, to experience the delicate flavours and exciting textures of this Da Nang delicacy. Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves 5-6 Moderate - you'll be right. Ingredients Chicken marinade 1 whole chicken, chopped into medium pieces 1 teaspoon anchovy salt 1 tablespoon premium fish sauce ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar Other 5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Thai shallots or 1 red onion, crushed 1 red chilli, crushed (optional) ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder 750ml-1L water 6 hard-boiled eggs or 300-350g hard-boiled quail eggs 1 bunch Vietnamese/butter lettuce 1 bunch spearmint (húng cay) or mint ½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped Small bag (250g) bean sprouts 600g dry mi quang noodles/pho rice noodles 100g roasted peanuts 3 toasted rice paper sheets Chilli oil (optional) Method How to marinate chicken: Using 3 handfuls of salt, rub and agitate to clean the chicken for 5 minutes then rinse well. Duncan's tip: Cleaning with salt helps to remove impurities and debris from the chicken. 2. Segment chicken into medium pieces: breasts in thirds, thighs in thirds, wingettes and drumettes then place in a large mixing bowl. 3. Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients and allow to sit for 30 minutes, or for best results in the fridge overnight. How to braise chicken: In a large pot on medium heat, add cooking oil, garlic, shallots and chilli. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant then add turmeric and Chinese Five Spice powder and sauté for another minute. Turn heat to medium high, add chicken and sauté for 5 minutes, or until residual water has evaporated. At this point, season with an additional 1 tablespoon premium fish sauce, ½ teaspoon anchovy salt and ½ teaspoon sugar, add 100ml water. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat until water evaporates while occasionally stirring. Duncan's tip: This step will allow chicken to absorb more flavour and develop a more firm but tender texture. 3. Add hard boiled eggs and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is tender. Season with premium fish sauce, MSG, sea salt and sugar as required. How to assemble: In a salad bowl, add lettuce, spearmint leaves, coriander and bean sprouts. Toss then serve on the side. Cook noodles as per packet instructions. Duncan's tip: Soak dry noodles for an hour prior to boiling for 30-90 seconds depending on brand of noodles. 3. Place a serve of noodles into a large serving bowl, top with chicken, egg, a few ladles of the braising liquid. Add some of the salad mix, roasted peanuts, crushed toasted rice paper sheets, and add some fresh chilli, chilli oil or sate to taste. If you like things on the savoury side, add a few splashes of premium fish sauce.
