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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Beyond chow mein: How a new wave of restaurants is redefining Chinese food abroad
Grilled fish on a generous bed of numbing chillis and peppercorns from China's south-western metropolis, Chongqing; cumin-laced lamb skewers from Xinjiang in the far north; and fiery rice noodles flavoured with snails from the famed rivers of Guangxi in the south. All of this on a walk down Liang Seah Street in Singapore. Chinese food is having a moment outside China, driven by huge success and intense competition back home. And nowhere is this clearer than in Singapore, where ethnically Chinese people make up more than three-quarters of the multicultural population. The trend is not surprising given that Chinese soft power seems to be on the rise – think viral Labubu dolls, humanoid robots and futuristic cities that are impressing travellers. Centuries-old and sophisticated, Chinese cooking is not among Beijing's list of priorities for turning the country into "a powerhouse in culture" by 2035. And yet, as an increasingly authoritarian China tries hard to win the world over, a sumptuous table may just be its most effective, and underrated, draw. First stop: Singapore Luckin, China's answer to Starbucks, opened its first overseas store in Singapore in March 2023. Two years on, there are more than 60. Last month, the chain made its US debut with two New York stores. Five major Chinese brands, Luckin included, currently run 124 outlets in Singapore, double the number they owned in 2023. It's hard to miss the evidence: huge, bright ads of chilli-laced dishes and, sometimes, Chinese idioms, in malls, buses and subway stations. From established chains to mom-and-pop stores and chic restaurants that challenge tired stereotypes, they have all been taking off here before leapfrogging further afield, to elsewhere in South East Asia and then across the world. Succeeding in Singapore is "a proof of concept for later expansion, convincing potential investors that the chain is ready to go global," says Thomas DuBois, a historian of modern China. It's an easy enough place for new restaurants to set up shop. And it is diverse, which makes it a great test kitchen for very different palates, from South Asian to European. And importantly, Singapore is a travel hub where, Mr Dubois says, eating is almost like a national pastime: "People go to Singapore to eat." And what they will find is menus that go beyond the ubiquitous dumplings and hot pot. The entrepreneurs behind the new Chinese culinary wave want to show people just how vast and diverse China is. And they cannot fake it. Many of the visitors to Singapore are ethnic Chinese – not just from China, but from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta and so on – with a sophisticated understanding of Chinese cuisine. There is no one kind of fiery, says Claire Wang, the marketing manager for Nong Geng Ji, a chain from Hunan in central China, which is famous for its spicy dishes. Hunan's fare has "a tangy aftertaste achieved through fermented chilli peppers", she says, unlike "Sichuan's numbing-spicy or Guizhou's sour-spicy". After launching more than 100 restaurants in China, Nong Geng Ji opened its first overseas stop in Singapore in late 2023. It has since set up six more here, five in Malaysia, one in Canada, and is now eyeing opportunities in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the US. It's certainly proof of the growing appetite for chillies, especially the Chinese kind – a trend that would please China's former leader Mao Zedong. Born and raised in Hunan, he believed, "You can't be a revolutionary if you don't eat chillies". Finally, 'proper' Chinese food For the less revolutionary among us, there is plenty more on the table: steamed buns, red meats, preserved vegetables, rice, seasonal stir-fries and delicately-flavoured seafood. It's quite the spread compared to the "Chinese food" much of the world has become used to, especially in the West – food cooked up by Chinese immigrants in the 19th and 20th Centuries, whose scrubby, nondescript restaurants were often seen as low-brow. The food was simplified to suit local tastes, and that's how the US ended up with un-Chinese staples such as orange chicken and chop suey, and the UK with its chow mein and sweet-and-sour chicken balls. These very basic, largely made-up dishes "clouded appreciation of the diversity and sophistication of Chinese gastronomic culture", writes Fuchsia Dunlop in her new book, Invitation to a Banquet. Ms Dunlop, a British food writer, has spent her career cooking in China's kitchens and studying its food. Then there is the stereotype, dubbed the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, a partly xenophobic myth that the food can make people feel sick because of supposedly high concentration of additives, particularly the flavouring agent MSG. New research suggests MSG does not make you sick, and while older Chinese restaurants probably used shortcuts to flavour, they were hardly unique in using additives. Now, a growing diaspora is making it possible for Chinese restaurants to stay true to their roots, knowing they have customers demanding "proper Chinese food". And that has coincided with more adventurous palates in the world's biggest cities. When Thomas Tao was a student in New York in the 2010s, he says he rarely came across Chinese fine-dining, but Americans were very willing to pay for, say, Japanese sashimi. Now he is the vice-president of the Green Tea Restaurant chain, which has more than 400 outlets in China serving fresh seafood and savoury soups from Zhejiang. It will open its first outpost in Singapore later this month. And it goes beyond food, with "immersive" restaurants. Diners listen to the guzheng, a Chinese zither, while they sit at boat-shaped tables surrounded by landscapes around the West Lake, an icon of the coastal province. "We want to help people be more accepting of our culture and to correct the idea that Chinese cuisine is 'lousy'," Mr Tao says. It is not the only chain to try this. Sichuan Alley, which opened its first outlet in New York last year, is inspired by "alley culture" characteristic of early 20th Century Chengdu – a warren of old streets where people mingled and feasted. Food tells the story of a people, and short of visiting a place, it is perhaps the best glimpse into it. So can the Chinese table help soften the image of a country whose ambitions often clash with those of Western powers and neighbours? The price of soft power In her book, Dunlop cites one of her readers suggesting that Beijing could more effectively project its soft power by "changing its controversial overseas Confucius Institutes into top-notch Chinese restaurants". Beijing is battling plenty on the international front: Trump's tariffs, alleged espionage plots and a world that is wary of its economic might. Even this explosion in Chinese restaurant chains is worrying local businesses in Singapore who wonder if they can keep up. Stiff competition in China and a spending dip are forcing these chains offshore. And their pace of expansion is insatiable – they bring with them a reliable supply chain, marketing acumen, and deep pockets that allow them to sacrifice profit. And they have a playbook. First you are encouraged to sign up for a free membership that gets you a discount. The meals come with a free flow of tea, dipping sauces and pickled vegetables. The winner? Unlike in most Singaporean restaurants, tissues – much-needed after a spicy meal – are free. It is not the first time the exports of China's success have sparked anxiety in its smaller South East Asian neighbours. It has already happened with plenty of Chinese imports, from clothing to gadgets. But food, some believe, can sweeten that deal. "Chinese people take great pride in their culinary culture, which also serves as a powerful form of diplomacy," says Felix Ren, director of Singapore-based food consultancy WeMedia. He is encouraged by the table tennis matches that helped thaw historic tensions between Beijing and Washington in 1971. "Chinese cuisine," he says, "may just be the new ping-pong diplomacy." Adorable or just weird? How Labubu dolls conquered the world The year China's famous road-tripping 'auntie' found freedom Hackers, secret cables and security fears: The explosive fight over China's new embassy in the UK A furious Chinese internet takes on privilege Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Beyond chow mein: Can a new wave of restaurants help China win hearts?
Grilled fish on a generous bed of numbing chillis and peppercorns from China's south-western metropolis, Chongqing; cumin-laced lamb skewers from Xinjiang in the far north; and fiery rice noodles flavoured with snails from the famed rivers of Guangxi in the of this on a walk down Liang Seah Street in food is having a moment outside China, driven by huge success and intense competition back home. And nowhere is this clearer than in Singapore, where ethnically Chinese people make up more than three-quarters of the multicultural trend is not surprising given that Chinese soft power seems to be on the rise – think viral Labubu dolls, humanoid robots and futuristic cities that are impressing and sophisticated, Chinese cooking is not among Beijing's list of priorities for turning the country into "a powerhouse in culture" by yet, as an increasingly authoritarian China tries hard to win the world over, a sumptuous table may just be its most effective, and underrated, draw. First stop: Singapore Luckin, China's answer to Starbucks, opened its first overseas store in Singapore in March 2023. Two years on, there are more than 60. Last month, the chain made its US debut with two New York major Chinese brands, Luckin included, currently run 124 outlets in Singapore, double the number they owned in 2023. It's hard to miss the evidence: huge, bright ads of chilli-laced dishes and, sometimes, Chinese idioms, in malls, buses and subway established chains to mom-and-pop stores and chic restaurants that challenge tired stereotypes, they have all been taking off here before leapfrogging further afield, to elsewhere in South East Asia and then across the in Singapore is "a proof of concept for later expansion, convincing potential investors that the chain is ready to go global," says Thomas DuBois, a historian of modern China. It's an easy enough place for new restaurants to set up shop. And it is diverse, which makes it a great test kitchen for very different palates, from South Asian to importantly, Singapore is a travel hub where, Mr Dubois says, eating is almost like a national pastime: "People go to Singapore to eat."And what they will find is menus that go beyond the ubiquitous dumplings and hot pot. The entrepreneurs behind the new Chinese culinary wave want to show people just how vast and diverse China is. And they cannot fake of the visitors to Singapore are ethnic Chinese – not just from China, but from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta and so on – with a sophisticated understanding of Chinese is no one kind of fiery, says Claire Wang, the marketing manager for Nong Geng Ji, a chain from Hunan in central China, which is famous for its spicy fare has "a tangy aftertaste achieved through fermented chilli peppers", she says, unlike "Sichuan's numbing-spicy or Guizhou's sour-spicy".After launching more than 100 restaurants in China, Nong Geng Ji opened its first overseas stop in Singapore in late 2023. It has since set up six more here, five in Malaysia, one in Canada, and is now eyeing opportunities in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the certainly proof of the growing appetite for chillies, especially the Chinese kind – a trend that would please China's former leader Mao Zedong. Born and raised in Hunan, he believed, "You can't be a revolutionary if you don't eat chillies". Finally, 'proper' Chinese food For the less revolutionary among us, there is plenty more on the table: steamed buns, red meats, preserved vegetables, rice, seasonal stir-fries and delicately-flavoured quite the spread compared to the "Chinese food" much of the world has become used to, especially in the West – food cooked up by Chinese immigrants in the 19th and 20th Centuries, whose scrubby, nondescript restaurants were often seen as low-brow. The food was simplified to suit local tastes, and that's how the US ended up with un-Chinese staples such as orange chicken and chop suey, and the UK with its chow mein and sweet-and-sour chicken very basic, largely made-up dishes "clouded appreciation of the diversity and sophistication of Chinese gastronomic culture", writes Fuchsia Dunlop in her new book, Invitation to a Banquet. Ms Dunlop, a British food writer, has spent her career cooking in China's kitchens and studying its there is the stereotype, dubbed the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, a partly xenophobic myth that the food can make people feel sick because of supposedly high concentration of additives, particularly the flavouring agent MSG. New research suggests MSG does not make you sick, and while older Chinese restaurants probably used shortcuts to flavour, they were hardly unique in using a growing diaspora is making it possible for Chinese restaurants to stay true to their roots, knowing they have customers demanding "proper Chinese food". And that has coincided with more adventurous palates in the world's biggest Thomas Tao was a student in New York in the 2010s, he says he rarely came across Chinese fine-dining, but Americans were very willing to pay for, say, Japanese he is the vice-president of the Green Tea Restaurant chain, which has more than 400 outlets in China serving fresh seafood and savoury soups from Zhejiang. It will open its first outpost in Singapore later this it goes beyond food, with "immersive" restaurants. Diners listen to the guzheng, a Chinese zither, while they sit at boat-shaped tables surrounded by landscapes around the West Lake, an icon of the coastal province."We want to help people be more accepting of our culture and to correct the idea that Chinese cuisine is 'lousy'," Mr Tao says. It is not the only chain to try this. Sichuan Alley, which opened its first outlet in New York last year, is inspired by "alley culture" characteristic of early 20th Century Chengdu – a warren of old streets where people mingled and tells the story of a people, and short of visiting a place, it is perhaps the best glimpse into can the Chinese table help soften the image of a country whose ambitions often clash with those of Western powers and neighbours? The price of soft power In her book, Dunlop cites one of her readers suggesting that Beijing could more effectively project its soft power by "changing its controversial overseas Confucius Institutes into top-notch Chinese restaurants".Beijing is battling plenty on the international front: Trump's tariffs, alleged espionage plots and a world that is wary of its economic this explosion in Chinese restaurant chains is worrying local businesses in Singapore who wonder if they can keep competition in China and a spending dip are forcing these chains offshore. And their pace of expansion is insatiable – they bring with them a reliable supply chain, marketing acumen, and deep pockets that allow them to sacrifice they have a playbook. First you are encouraged to sign up for a free membership that gets you a discount. The meals come with a free flow of tea, dipping sauces and pickled winner? Unlike in most Singaporean restaurants, tissues – much-needed after a spicy meal – are is not the first time the exports of China's success have sparked anxiety in its smaller South East Asian neighbours. It has already happened with plenty of Chinese imports, from clothing to food, some believe, can sweeten that deal."Chinese people take great pride in their culinary culture, which also serves as a powerful form of diplomacy," says Felix Ren, director of Singapore-based food consultancy is encouraged by the table tennis matches that helped thaw historic tensions between Beijing and Washington in 1971."Chinese cuisine," he says, "may just be the new ping-pong diplomacy."
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘A tour de force!': LensCulture Critics' Choice awards
'The image is part of a series that interrogates and dismantles colonial depictions of the Chinese diaspora in south-east Asia. As a Singaporean-Chinese living in London, I engage in self-portraiture, using my body to reclaim agency over my identity and confront the legacies of colonialism.' This year, 41 international photographers submitted to the awards from more than 120 countries. These top winners represent the personal favourites of the 19 photography experts on this year's panel. More information on the LensCulture Critics' Choice awards here 'I was born and raised in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, where the Long March began. My schoolbooks were filled with patriotic education, and party emblems with red stars and signs about the Long March featured on almost every street corner. I realised that it has evolved into a political tool for transforming individual suffering into a necessary sacrifice required by the collectives. Since the [lockdown] of Shanghai at the beginning of 2022, I have become a spectator from Germany, witnessing the lockdown of the city I used to live in, and indeed all over China' 'Last year, I found an old photograph in my mother's photo album that documented a dance performance about the Red Army at her graduation concert. It reminded me that my understanding of the Long March was perhaps a collective feeling that transcends generations. In 2024, I undertook a journey along the route, documenting the symbolic representations of the Long March and the people who live along it' 'This series uses staged narrative photography to imagine a version of Americana boyhood I never experienced. I grew up queer, first-generation, and distanced from the rural, white, masculine ideals that have historically shaped visual culture in the American south. Rather than reclaim that mythology, these photographs aim to inhabit it briefly – to question it, bend it and make room for other kinds of presence: tender, strange and vulnerable. Working with groups of young men, I stage improvised scenes across rural Florida' 'Other Joys is an ongoing body of work that highlights the intensity of my special interests as an autistic woman, through portraits and constructed imagery. Featured are butterflies, animal shows and taxidermy; all of which create feelings of euphoria and excitement that are almost indescribable. Special interests are common within the autistic community and, while they may differ from person to person, the joy they provide is one we all understand. The process of making these photographs provides me with a safe space to feel at ease and to unmask' 'I've been able to experience my autistic joy to the fullest through this project. What was once a fear of being deemed different has now become a celebration of self-acceptance. Throughout the work there are comments on my own autistic traits, such as my need for sensory comfort and how easy it is for me to be overwhelmed. The self-portraits featured, all different in tonality, expression and mood, mirror how I feel in real life; constantly changing myself to fit in, while the repetition of certain symbols suggests my need for rigid routine' Jim Casper, editor-in-chief of LensCulture says: 'Carlos Folgoso Sueiro has created an immersive, cinematic, semi-mythical story about the place where he grew up, Galicia, and the people who inhabit it still, against all odds of survival. It's a sad and romantic tale that touches on rural depopulation, droughts, neglect and resilience. All of the stunning photos are accompanied by compelling texts that explore many facets of life and struggles in Galicia. It's a tour de force' Nestled in the lush landscapes of Galicia, a woman wearing traditional Galician dress poses at the edge of a wooded enclave. The vegetation, a testament to Galicia's historical abundance of rainfall, unfolds before her. The essence of Galicia's enduring green legacy, shaped by the perennial rains that have blessed the region, is embodied in the silhouette of this woman, in a connection with nature that characterises the people of Galicia On the ruins of a mosque destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, Palestinians perform a congregational prayer amid the rubble – a powerful act of faith in the face of relentless genocide. Since October 2023, Gaza has endured a brutal war, yet moments like this reveal the unshakable spirit of its people. This image captures a sacred pause in the chaos where survival becomes an act of worship, and steadfastness a form of resistance 'What We Inherit is an artistic exploration of my Japanese heritage. Using images of kimonos and scrapbooks that my grandparents left from the 1930s-50s, the photographic montages represent a family's memories and emotions that are inherited but also fade over time. The project is a reflection of my growing desire to preserve the tangible history and artefacts we inherit, and to reimagine their place in today's digital culture' 'Each time we access a memory, we rewrite the moment. The very act of remembering alters the facts. This process, called reconsolidation, makes the image a bit more blurry and malleable. Each retrieval of a memory is a portrait of our current self, combining with the changing ways we perceive our world. My series explores the role images play in how and what we remember. Using analogue photographs from my family archive, I re-record them as digital files, then pixelate each image by hand, shaping the image into a new narrative' Flood Me, I'll Be Here is a five-year photographic exploration of Majuli, the world's largest river island in north-east India – an island slowly disappearing because of erosion, flooding and the shifting course of the river. For centuries, the pulsating presence of the Brahmaputra River's massive flow has defined people's history and identity. Rather than focusing on catastrophe, the project traces an intimate portrait of a community shaped by spiritual continuity, cultural memory and a sacred coexistence with water In Majuli, time is cyclical, marked by the monsoons and the river's unpredictable rhythm. As floods become more frequent and infrastructure reshapes the ecosystem, traditional ways of life are under threat. Yet what emerges is not only loss but resilience. The islanders' instinctive relationship with the river reveals a model of climate adaptation rooted in humility, coexistence and ancestral wisdom. Their daily lives speak of a fragile equilibrium where identity and environment are deeply intertwined In the Kurdish regions of western Iran, the term kolbari (being a porter) describes transporting heavy goods across the border on foot in exchange for a small amount of money. Kurdish porters strive for a living under harsh environmental conditions, mostly in the Zagros mountains bordering the two countries. Routes are located in life-endangering locations including winding mountain trails and narrow passages through high cliffs. Hundreds of Kolbars are killed or injured in the course of their work each year, some shot by border guards
Wall Street Journal
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
China Gets More Airtime Around the World as Voice of America Signs Off
For years, one of Indonesia's most popular news channels hosted a weekly segment for the country's Chinese diaspora that often featured reports in Mandarin from both the U.S.-government backed Voice of America, and China's state-run television. Now, since the Trump administration moved to dismantle most of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in March, only the reports from Chinese state media show up.
South China Morning Post
08-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How China's diaspora became both an asset and a source of anxiety
Wang Gungwu – one of Asia's most respected historians and a pioneering scholar of the Chinese diaspora – explores in Roads to Chinese Modernity: Civilisation and National Culture how China evolved into a modern nation navigating reform and globalisation. In this excerpt, Wang traces how, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reformers and revolutionaries such as Kang You-wei, Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen began rallying support from overseas Chinese communities. Once dismissed as disloyal exiles, these migrants soon came to be seen as both a strategic asset and a political risk in China's rise. The overseas Chinese attracted wide attention when political figures like Kang You-wei, Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen reached out to engage them about the future of China . Whether the message was to seek reforms or to overthrow the regime, these Chinese were responsive to the calls for help. Some of those who had recently come from China had anti-Manchu backgrounds, while others were ashamed that it was repeatedly defeated by the West, and alarmed that China was backward and getting poorer. This not only affected their pride but also their status and security abroad, especially those who already felt discriminated against in one way or another. Even though some in the Southeast Asian colonies became rich despite this, they were successful only because they were very adaptable and willing to take many risks. Many others were not so fortunate and ended up destitute. Under the circumstances, the more successful merchant classes were ready to help their idealistic kinsmen from their birth country to connect the outside world with China and help it become modern and competitive. As a result, more Chinese officials and politicians became aware that these external communities could be assets in China's future development. It is interesting to recall that Europeans trading in Southeast Asia had long been conscious of the range and vitality of Chinese entrepreneurship. From the 16th century on, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and later British writers had been describing, some in considerable detail, the valuable role of Chinese merchants, their versatility and skill. Although none of the studies were systematic, these records led to studies of Chinese potential as partners and competitors, as cheap labour, as immigrants, but eventually also as threats to colonial and imperial interests. Later, and elsewhere in the Americas and Australasia , the reactions were different. Chinese labour was considered cheap and crime-ridden, and for decades the numbers allowed to stay were severely cut down. During the first half of the 20th century, the Republican Chinese government could do little to help them. Thus, in most of these places, the Chinese who remained had almost become 'invisible people'.
