Latest news with #Hakka
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Instagram influencer who speaks Hakka Chinese honours her unique family roots
At first sight, you probably would not guess that Jephina Lueche could speak Hakka, a Chinese language variety most widely spoken in China's south, let alone that she teaches it to others. Advertisement But the content creator of Chinese and Guyanese descent has been giving short lessons on basic but useful everyday Hakka phrases on social media for over four years, wowing tens of thousands of followers along the way. An Instagram video of her speaking Hakka while sharing Peking duck with her multicultural relatives has racked up more than 2 million views. Other 'Hakka 101' clips, in which she covers practical phrases like 'good night', 'I like you' and 'don't speak', have also generated much online interest and reaction, as have her culture-focused videos, earning her more than 90,000 followers. The video that really kicked things off for her was posted in February 2021. It was one of her first Instagram videos detailing her family and features footage of her late Chinese grandmother playing with Lueche's now seven-year-old son.
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
6 food stalls to check out at GastroBeats 2025, including Texan barbecue, fresh oysters, and more
GastroBeats 2025 is back with a bang this year, bringing three weeks of music, games, and of course, street food from some of Singapore's favourite F&B vendors. The festival runs from May 29 to June 22, from 4pm to 11pm daily, at Bayfront Event Space – next to several i Light installations. With over 50 food booths but so little time, we've narrowed it down to six must-try stalls at this year's edition of GastroBeats. Here's everything worth queuing for. 1. Jett Barbecue (F01) This is not Jett Barbecue 's first rodeo at GastroBeats. This Texan barbecue booth is a hit among festival goers each year, and its claim to fame is its fall-off-the-bone tender beef ribs smoked for up to 12 hours. The team even makes the effort to haul down massive industrial smokers, flown in straight from Texas. Sink your teeth into the Texas-style smoked dino ribs (from $19) served over a bed of mashed potatoes and sauce, or try the smoked beef cheek tacos ($24 for two pieces), which come with generous chunks of meat. 2. La Levain (F14) This homegrown bakery-café is known for its inventive croissants and flawless egg tarts, but at GastroBeats this year, it's serving sourdough pizzas as well. La Levain 's slices are fermented for 72 hours for deeper flavours and a crisp yet chewy crust. Just for the festival, you'll be able to enjoy three exclusive locally-inspired flavours: tom yum, laksa, and nasi lemak ($13.80 for half, $22.80 for full). Prefer sticking to basics? We like the Fourcheese pizza, but the truffle and classic margherita are good shouts too ($12.80 for half, $21.80 for full). 3. Slurp Your Oysters (F20) One of our favourite local home delivery businesses has a booth at GastroBeats this year. Slurp Your Oysters is known for flying in some of the plumpest, juiciest, and largest oysters right off the coast of Murotsu Bay in Hyogo, Japan. These morsels (three for $16, six for $28, 12 for $50) have a creamy, briny profile, and are served chilled or grilled, with toppings of your choice. Load them up with Thai chilli, mango salsa, Korean gulmuchim, or enjoy them grilled with mentaiko or cheese. You'll also find grilled scallops ($16), mussels ($16), and more at the stall. 4. Aunty Siam (F40) Who knew we'd be able to get authentic Hakka cuisine at GastroBeats? This stall is run by a mother-and-son duo who are all about preserving Hakka flavours through honest-to-goodness cooking based on Aunty Siam 's recipes. Try the signature nam yu fried pork belly (from $12) – pork seasoned with red fermented beancurd – perfect for pairing with a crisp, cold beer. Or tuck into traditional Hakka dishes like abacus seeds ($12), stir-fried with mushrooms and black fungus. Other dishes available include braised pork belly buns ($12) and Hakka yong tau fu (from $8). 5. Golden Bao (F02) Combine the popular Chinese street snack guo kui with roti prata and you have Golden Bao. These folks are popular vendors at Kampong Gelam's bustling Ramadan bazaars, and they're making their GastroBeats debut this year. Watch these hefty pancakes being kneaded, stuffed with meat and scallions, and fried up in front of you. Take your pick between the signature beef ($10) or chicken ($9). Make sure to top up for the chilli oil ($1) which is meant for generously dunking your roti slices into – a lot goes a longer way in this case. 6. Warabimochi Kamakura (F20) This Japanese dessert drink took the internet by storm last year, and this year marks Warabimochi Kamakura 's first GastroBeats appearance, bringing its famed warabimochi drinks closer to the masses. Sip on festival exclusives like the Kinako Strawberry Royale (from $13.90) or the trending matcha strawberry warabimochi drink (from $11.90). Our favourites, however, are the kinako warabimochi drink with Hokkaido milk ($10.90) and the hojicha latte with warabimochi ($9.90), which are on the nuttier side.
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Food Picks: Old-school noodles at industrial canteen stall Wei Ji Noodle House
SINGAPORE – At a time when noodle chains peddling Teochew noodles have quietly ditched braised mushrooms, Wei Ji Noodle House still makes them from scratch. Run by Mr Ricky Loo, 69, and Madam Jenny Chong, this stall sticks to tradition – right down to slicing and frying shallots for their own shallot oil, the backbone of both noodle and soup. Mr Loo is Teochew and holds purist views on food, which explains his refusal to use factory-made sole fish powder. He and Madam Chong – who is Hakka – insist on buying whole premium sole fish, which they fry and grind to season their broth. Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle ($4) wins points before it is even served. I ask for no ketchup. They reply – almost offended – that they do not stock it. The mee kia is springy and slick with lard, vinegar and housemade chilli. The braised mushrooms are tender with a clean chew and the minced pork is lightly sweet. Madam Chong snips each rehydrated mushroom by hand – because the flavour is deeper when sliced after soaking. The accompanying soup is savoury, thanks to a measured use of tang chye (preserved vegetable). Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle Dry at Wei Ji Noodle House. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The Laksa ($4.50, with an extra $1 for more cockles) is the most accomplished dish. The rempah (spice paste) is made in-house. The gravy has the richness of coconut milk balanced by evaporated milk, with the warm, earthy thrum of galangal and lemongrass. Pandan leaf lends a gentle perfume. The laksa beehoon is soft but intact. A dollop of sambal, thick with finely ground dried prawns, adds a sharp, tidal note that lifts without overpowering. Laksa at Wei Ji Noodle House. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The Fried Fish Lor Mee ($5) is a mixed bag. The battered chunks of dory are crisp and free of that dreaded muddy taste. But the gravy drags the dish down. It is overly thick and goopy, muting the texture of the noodles and flattening the flavour. Fried Fish Lor Mee at Wei Ji Noodle House. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO An unexpected item that is worth the gamble is the Penang Char Kway Teow ($5.50). Instead of frozen Vietnamese prawns, the couple use oh hei – fresh black prawns from the wet market – which are sweet, briny and full of snap. Beansprouts give crunch; lup cheong adds a waxy, savoury edge; and crisp pork lard croutons bring richness and bite. There is a whisper of wok hei, just enough to lift the plate. Penang Fried Kway Teow at Wei Ji Noodle House. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The Handmade Meatball Soup ($4.50) is the quiet hit. The broth, laced with house-fried shallot oil, is clean and addictive. The meatballs are bouncy – each packed with minced pork, bits of carrot, spring onion and a breath of chilli. Handmade Meatball Soup at Wei Ji Noodle House. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Where: Stall 6, 01-401 Yi Jia Food Centre, 5036 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 MRT: Ang Mo Kio Open: 6am to 3pm (Mondays to Saturdays). Closed on Sundays Hedy Khoo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers food-related news, from reviews to human interest stories. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Shanaya Kapoor Had This Refreshing Beverage Before Her Dance Rehearsal
Quick Reads Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Shanaya Kapoor will make her Bollywood debut in "Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan." She showcases her love for food, travel, and dance on social media. Shanaya was recently enjoying delicious coffee. Shanaya Kapoor is set to star opposite Vikrant Massey in her Bollywood debut, 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan'. Apart from her upcoming film ventures, Shanaya's social media feed is a treat for her fans, showcasing her love for food, travel and dance. Be it her travel diaries or behind-the-scenes glimpses from film sets and music videos, they all give a glimpse into her vibrant personality. Recently, Shanaya featured in the music video of Guru Randhawa's new song, 'Vibe'. She shared glimpses of her pre-dance rehearsal routine on her Instagram Stories, where she's seen sipping on a perfectly whisked coffee. In the caption, she wrote, "Ready for VIBE rehearsals, but first, coffee." Also Read: Watch: On " Chutti Ka Din", Archana Puran Singh Enjoys Homemade Mango Sticky Rice Check out Shanaya Kapoor's Instagram post below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shanaya Kapoor ???? (@shanayakapoor02) Last month, Shanaya Kapoor shared a picture of lip-smacking Hakka noodles on her Instagram Stories. The dish was garnished with fried, scrambled eggs and veggies. However, it was her caption that truly stole the show. Shanaya wrote, "Life mein thoda bohot keema pav, tangdi kebab, HAKKA NOODLE hona chahiye..." (There should be a little bit of keema pav, tangdi kebab, and Hakka noodles in life.) Notably, her caption was a reference to a popular dialogue from Ranbir Kapoor's character, Bunny, in the 2013 film 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', which also starred Deepika Padukone. Read the full story here. Before this, Shanaya Kapoor attended a dinner party at her BFF Ananya Panday's house. The menu included an assortment of dishes that left fans craving for more. First, there was a platter of bite-sized appetisers featuring flatbreads, rolled-up ham and miniature pizzas. The divas also indulged in a delicious bowl of pasta topped with creamy sauce, Parmesan cheese, sliced chicken breast and fresh basil. Ananya shared a glimpse of the dinner spread on her Instagram Stories and wrote, "Dinner's mine. Babies and mommies meet Shanaya Kapoor and Pablo, Suhana Khan and Sushi, me and Riot - the three dogs of the besties." Click here to know more. Also Read:
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Festival explores Hakka culture in Hong Kong village
Kuk Po is a Hakka village in Hong Kong with more than 300 years of history. In January, it welcomed a few thousand people eager to explore its heritage. The Countryside Harvest Festival was Kuk Po's first event to bring together cultural heritage, live music, art exhibitions and authentic food. One of the attendees was Jason Lee, a South Korean exchange student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The 21-year-old said he wanted to go beyond the usual tourist spots and explore the city's traditions. 'Seeing local life up close – from the street food stalls to the fishing boats – was fascinating,' he said. 'Coming from abroad, these everyday scenes gave me a completely new perspective on Hong Kong.' Visitors dine at Chung Kee Store during the Countryside Harvest Festival. Photo: Eugene Lee Boosting local tourism The festival is part of a push to encourage visitors to explore rural areas. The event was organised by the Countryside Conservation Office. Kuk Po is a quiet area in the northeastern New Territories near Plover Cove Country Park. It was once a thriving village, but over the years, residents left as Hong Kong's urban areas became more developed. Kuk Po's only school closed its doors in 1993. William Ip is a guide with over 10 years of experience with tours in Hong Kong's rural areas. He praised the role of festivals like this one in Kuk Po. 'It's a good thing because most Hong Kong people feel that city life revolves around things like watching films, having morning tea, travelling to mainland China or flying to Japan,' Ip said. He said visitors were also interested in countryside experiences. He had welcomed many tourists who came to the city for hiking. But Ip warned that it was important to balance promoting tourism and protecting the villagers' way of life. 'For example, the villagers in [nearby] Sha Tau Kok don't like it at all. That's why half the area is inaccessible to us – we have to respect their preferences,' he said. Artworks on display during the festival. Photo: Eugene Lee Breathing new energy into Kuk Po Lee Muk-sing is Kuk Po's village representative. He said the area's beauty and scenery could help visitors feel calm. 'Kuk Po is home to unique natural wonders and historic architecture,' he explained. 'This village shows that Hong Kong is not just a bustling city but also a haven for countryside charm.' The festival had a few exhibitions with photographs and artwork from different community members. It also invited 230 pupils to take part in craft activities to capture the village's history. Suggested answers Stop and think: Kuk Po created this festival to encourage tourists and locals to visit the more rural parts of Hong Kong. It was an opportunity to learn about Hakka culture. It also let people experience Hakka food, art, and music. Consider: During the twentieth century, Kuk Po was a vibrant, thriving village. However, many people left the village to live in more urban parts of Hong Kong as the city developed. Enough residents left that the village closed its only school in the 1990s. Think about it: Ip reminded tourists and visitors that there must be a balance between protecting the village while encouraging tourism and education around Hakka culture. Some local villages do not like tourists, and it is important to respect their space, even though tourism might promote their culture and bring in money.
