Latest news with #ChuaLam
The Star
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Life lessons from the late Chua Lam, renowned food critic, writer and friend
I guess no one in the global Chinese diaspora has not heard of the name 'Chua Lam'. He was not just a person's name, but a kind of branding and life aesthetics that's both easy-going and classy, too. It was disheartening, though not entirely unexpected, when news of his death on June 25 broke. He was 83. Born in Singapore in 1941, Chua Lam pursued his studies in Japan before settling down in Hong Kong. He was a man of the cinema as well as a writer, calligrapher, painter, food connoisseur, and a seasoned traveller, among many other identities. In his own words: 'These titles are all impractical.' To me, his most fitting identity had always been an 'ordinary man' who practiced the beauty of mono no aware all his life. Mono no aware is a Japanese way of life – a sentiment towards the impermanence of life, and the appreciation for every beautiful moment in one's daily life. And Chua Lam was veritably the best personification of such a life philosophy. He would not go after opulence and success, and was in constant recognition of the fact that life could be a many-splendoured thing despite its shortness. He ate, wrote, travelled and laughed, living every single minute and second of his life seriously and joyously. He was someone who deserved to be remembered and liked. As a matter of fact, I had always thought of him, but never did so outwardly, as he would have made fun of my folly. To me, Chua Lam was not the passionate 'God of Cookery' that everyone claimed; he had never actually accepted such a claim himself. 'I'm no 'God of Cookery'. I'm only a little fortunate to have more opportunities to enjoy good food than others,' he once said. The writer and Chua Lam during one of their first collaborations nearly a decade ago. Chua Lam was a rather mischievous old boy who would sit by my side just talking about life and travelling, while having supper together. But other than having a little more wisdom in how to interact with people, Chua Lam was not any different from anyone else. We first met in 2011, when he was already 70 but still appearing more energetic and lively than me. He did not like to talk about the past, but rather, about good food. He loved to eat, and to enjoy good food with a group of like-minded people. We put together our popular 'Travelling With Lee & Lam' tour packages, going to onsen resorts in Japan's 'Snow Country', lively night markets in Taiwan, and durian farms in Malaysia, as well as checking out food stalls at the Kowloon Tong market in Hong Kong. He always said things like, 'We eat not to fill our stomachs, but to be happy.' As for travelling, he used to say that it is to reconfirm that life's journey is worth taking. His philosophy of travelling bears a lot of resemblance to the wabi-sabi life aesthetics – simple, liberal, accommodating, and with a passion that traverses the journey of life. In 2016, we became 'sworn brothers', and officiated it with a grand ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. He once advised me that life was too short to wait for things to happen. And he was very serious about this. He would never entertain people hypocritically, or be pretentious towards them. He strictly kept his promises, and would still make every effort to attend all his appointments even after he grew weaker. On Dec 1, 2024, we organised our sixth leg of the Travelling With Lee & Lam tour to Hong Kong, during which some 20 travel buddies joined us for lunch. Although Chua Lam was obviously in pain, he still attended it, just as he promised. Anyone present could tell that he was a sincere and passionate man. We didn't have too much to talk about that day, but our hearts were lit up because of his physical presence. Chua Lam used to talk a lot during these tours, and I must confess that I never wrote down all that he said, as I believed he would always be with us. I remember that he once said this: 'I thought I would live very long when I was young, but I discovered later that it is way more important to live well than to have a long life.' The writer (right) and Chua Lam entertaining their travel buddies during a trip to Taiwan. Though he did not like to tell people what to do, he was actually teaching others quietly through his actions. 'I'm not teaching you the philosophy of life. I'm only showing you how I live,' he once said. To me, Chua Lam has not 'passed on', but instead he is moving into the hearts of people like me who will always remember him and learn to live our lives just as he did. There's no lengthy and tear-jerking farewells for him, only kind words, lots of cheerful laughter, and with a reminder of his powerful advice – life is too short to keep waiting for things to happen. Now I know that living life to the fullest is itself immortal. P/S: Because of Chua Lam, I have decided to 'let go' of the first half of my life, and embark on a brand new chapter in my life. Would you care to join me in this new journey? The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own. Leesan, the globe-trotting traveller who has visited seven continents and 149 countries, enjoys sharing his travel stories and insights. He has also authored six books.
New Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Jackie Chan mourns loss of Singapore-born food critic Chua Lam
HONG KONG: Renowned Singapore-born food critic, TV personality, and former film producer Chua Lam has died at the age of 83. AsiaOne reported yesterday that his death was announced on his Facebook and Weibo pages on 27 June, with the posts reading: "Our beloved Mr Chua Lam passed away peacefully at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on 25 June 2025, accompanied by relatives and friends. In accordance with his wishes, no ceremony will be held, and his body has been cremated. Thank you all for your concern for Mr Chua." Martial arts icon Jackie Chan was among several celebrities who paid tribute to Chua, who produced several of Chan's films, including City Hunter (1993), Crime Story (1993), Thunderbolt (1995), and Mr Nice Guy (1997). Calling Chua his "half-master" on Facebook, the 71-year-old wrote about the "fresh and inspiring" stories the former shared with him, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao while filming in Europe. "I was on the set when I heard the news my 'half-master' had passed away," he said. "The first thing that surfaced in my mind were the times we filmed together overseas. Back then, he taught me many meaningful lessons, and it wasn't until later in life that I started to slowly understand. "I recall him saying how our time on Earth is about learning how to live, how to die, and how to survive." Chan added: And the most important thing in life depends on whether you're happy or not. I know that he lived a free-spirited and joyful life, which is most important." Benny Se Teo, founder of restaurant chain Eighteen Chefs, wrote on Instagram: "A towering figure in the culinary world, Chua's wit, unapologetic palate and lifelong passion for food shaped the way many, including myself, see and taste the world. He wasn't just a gourmand, he was a storyteller whose insights and irreverent charm left a lasting legacy across Asia's food scene." The Singaporean chef also described Chua as "a flavour that lingers". Hong Kong director Patrick Kong posted on his Instagram Story that he had grown up reading Chua's books and learned "what a tasteful life is" from him. Hong Kong-based French actress and patissier Amanda Strang wrote: "To my mentor, my master, thank you for inspiring my culinary journey. Because of you, I've learned so much about cuisine and the connections it fosters between people." She added that losing Chua was "deeply painful" and that he will be "dearly missed". Born in Singapore, Chua was the brother of Chua Liang, 91, the former principal of Nanyang Girls' High School, and the late TV drama producer Chua Swan, according to The Straits Times. He was married to former film producer Cheung King-Man, who died in 2023. Chua moved to Hong Kong in 1963, where he worked with film houses Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. He was also a food columnist for Oriental Daily and Next Media, and had over 150 books to his name. In 1989, he co-hosted The Celebrity Talk Show with science fiction writer Ni Kuang and songwriter James Wong, interviewing personalities such as Maggie Cheung, Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, and Joey Wong. Chua was also the last living member of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, a title he shared with James Wong, Ni Kuang, and martial arts writer Louis Cha.
South China Morning Post
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Hong Kong culinary icon Chua Lam inspired a generation to explore the world through food
With Chua Lam's death on June 25 , Hong Kong has lost not just a culinary icon but a storyteller who inspired a generation of Hongkongers to explore the world through food. Advertisement As a child of the Asia-Australia diaspora, my first experience of Chua Lam was via television. My mother had rented one of his series on VHS tapes, and I remember sitting down to an episode of him visiting a vineyard in Australia. While tasting the wine, the vineyard's owner said: 'This is a rare vintage, so we should drink it instead of spitting it into the spittoon.' Chua, however, looked straight at the camera and said to the audience, in Cantonese: 'This wine isn't that great, but we can drink it anyway.' I was instantly captivated – not only because of Chua's candour, but also because he said it with confidence. Through that confidence, you felt wisdom in his words. Chua at Luk Yu Tea House in Central, Hong Kong, in 2008. Photo: David Wong Born in Singapore in 1941 to a poet father – who later worked at Hong Kong film studio Shaw Brothers – and a school principal mother, Chua was the third of four children. As a child, he lived above a movie theatre, which helped fuel an obsession with cinema.
The Star
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Hong Kong stars mourn passing of Chua Lam
Honouring the legend: Chan (right) uploaded a photo of himself with Chua Lam, along with a tribute to the man he called his 'half master' on Instagram. Compiled by CHOW HOW BAN, RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM AND R. ARAVINTHAN MARTIAL arts star Jackie Chan has shared fond memories of renowned food critic and film producer Chua Lam, who died last week, calling him his 'half master', China Press reported. Chan recalled his younger days making films in Europe with fellow Hong Kong actors Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. He shared on his Weibo account that Chua Lam was their mentor. 'What he taught us at that time was very fresh and inspirational as we were very young,' Chan wrote. 'He took us along to have fun together and taught us about wine, antiques and collection. He also imparted filmmaking knowledge to us. He was Chua Lam.' Chan added that Chua Lam taught him how to appreciate life and live it to the fullest. He was among the who's who of Hong Kong's A-listers who paid tribute to Chua, who died at the age of 83 on June 25. A BBC report on his death called him the 'cultural icon in the Chinese-speaking world'. Top Hong Kong image consultant Tina Liu recounted the days where she worked with Chua, James Wong and Ni Kuang in a popular 1980s show called Celebrity Talk Show. (Chua, Cantopop lyricist James Wong, and novelists Ni Kuang and Louis Cha Leung-yung were regarded as the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong. All have passed on now.) Liu said she had once gifted Chua her own tea egg product which the food critic exclaimed 'tasted so good!' on his social media. She said she was so happy to read his positive review. 'I loathe to say goodbye to Mr Chua Lam as it's like a big part of my life was cut off. Hong Kong will never be able to produce such an interesting and unique personality again. Bye bye, Mr Chua. You will be dearly missed!' she said. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
The Star
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Singaporean born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83
Multi-talented Chua Lam was a writer, film producer, food connoisseur and TV programme host. Photo: Chua Lam/Facebook Renowned food critic and columnist Chua Lam, best known as one of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, has died at the age of 83. His death was announced on his Facebook and Weibo pages on June 27 afternoon. 'Our beloved Mr Chua Lam passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on June 25, ' said the announcement in Chinese. 'In accordance with Mr Chua's wishes, no ceremony was held to avoid troubling his friends and relatives, and his body has been cremated.' The Singaporean born media personality was the brother of Chua Liang, former principal of Nanyang Girls' High School, and former Singapore TV drama producer Chua Swan, who died in March at age 78. Chua Lam was in the news in 2023 after he fell and suffered a hip fracture while rushing to help his wife when she fell. His spouse, former film producer Cheung King Man, died later at age 84. He went for an operation and had to use a wheelchair after he was discharged. He was in Singapore in September 2023 to attend the opening of Chua Lam's Charity Calligraphy Exhibition held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. In late April, there were rumours that he was in poor health and had been admitted to the intensive care unit in hospital. His assistant told the Hong Kong media then that he suffered a small ailment and was on the road to recovery. Chua also took to social media on April 29, thanking everyone for their concern, and said he was not critically ill. Multi-talented Chua was a writer, film producer, food connoisseur and TV programme host. He was celebrated as one of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, who were known for their years of friendship and who all left their mark in their respective fields. The other three members were lyricist and songwriter James Wong, who died in 2004 at age 63; martial arts novelist Louis Cha, who died in 2018 at age 94; and science-fiction novelist Ni Kuang, who died in 2022 at age 87. Chua published his first article in newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau at the age of 14. He moved to Japan to study, majoring in film, when he was about 18. He then travelled to places such as New York, Seoul, Paris and Taipei before settling in Hong Kong at the age of 22 in 1963. He became a production manager at movie studio Shaw Brothers and moved to Golden Harvest more than 10 years later. He produced several movies including City Hunter (1993), Thunderbolt (1995) and Mr Nice Guy (1997), which starred Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. Besides his film career, Chua was also actively involved in writing and hosting TV programmes. He was known as a food lover and food critic, whose food columns in newspapers proved popular with many readers. He has published more than 200 books on topics such as travel, personalities, food, humour and his philosophy of life. Chua caused a stir in 1989 when he co-hosted The Celebrity Talk Show with Wong and Ni Kuang. They smoked and drank on the set while grilling stars such as Chan, the late Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and Cherie Chung on their private lives and their views on sex. Chua ventured into the food industry in the 1990s, opening restaurants and launching food products. He also hosted several food programmes such as Market Trotter (2007) and Chua's Choice (2008). – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
