Latest news with #HongKong-inspired
Eater
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Messy, Peppercorn-Packed Chinese Irish Spice Bags Take the World
is the associate editor for the Northern California and Pacific Northwest region writing about restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups. On any given night, a tactile, no-frills plate of fried splendor lands on tables at Little Dumpling in Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood, right around the time it lands on thousands of other tables throughout Ireland. It's a spice bag: a collection of spicy, starchy bits and bobs on top of chips (french fries). Something like disco fries, it's a staple of Chinese takeaways across Ireland, and the stuff of post-bar street food legend. Since the dish premiered at Templeogue's Sunflower Chinese restaurant around 2006, the spice bag has morphed and spread in Ireland, abroad, and all over social media. As chefs mix in their own variations, it's become an entire genre of food, its own galaxy in the universe of Irish culinary culture. Unless it arrives in a tremendous pizza box (in which case it might be called a 'spice box'), the dish's traditional packaging is a brown paper bag nearly translucent with grease. This quotidian container unleashes a messy, yet tantalizing combination of fried and spicy items. There's always chicken, usually in strips, whether they're coated, breaded, or fried. And there are always fries and onions. There might be other vegetables too, like spring onion, fresh chiles, or grated carrot. Then come all sorts of accouterments, from spring rolls to chicken balls. And there's curry sauce on the side, except if the takeaway is among the feverish camp that swears by satay sauce. Then there's the signature spice, which varies bag to bag. The Gaelic name for the finger-licking late-night hit, 'mála spíosraí' (roughly 'mala spice') hints at the dish's particular genre of numbing heat. Sichuan peppercorns are a throughline, as is nutty, earthy Chinese five spice, but chefs apply flavors in various forms. Chef Jules Mak goes for muddled and ground Sichuan peppercorn, salt, pepper, sugar, a bit of chile powder, and a tap of MSG. Once a year, his high-end Hong Kong-inspired Mak At D6 in Dublin sells a metric ton of spice bags for one month only. 'We blitz them out a bit more bougie,' he says. 'We do a hundred a night.' Per national outlet RTE, Hong Kong diasporic communities, known simply as 'Hongkongers,' represent much of Ireland's Chinese migrants. Their use of spice in items like spice bags looks a lot like the genre of salt and chile dishes that spans across South Asia, applied to everything from ribs to prawns. Mak, whose father hailed from Hong Kong and mother from the Emerald Isle, grew up seeing to-go orders for chips, curry, and rice at Furama, his dad's stalwart Chinese restaurant in Dublin that closed about a decade ago. It was called a 'three in one' then, and Furama wasn't the only place doing it. Following Sunflower's spice bag, Mak says, the three in one faded, as the three items fused into spice bags across the restaurant scene. 'It's a bit of a bastardized Chinese dish,' says Irish food critic Russell Alford, 'but it's ours.' As Sunday Times food critics, hosts of the Gastro Gays podcast, and authors of Hot Fat (a book all about fried foods), Alford and Patrick Hanlon have watched the spice bag spread over the years. They point to the early 2010s as the first time the dish jumped to the international stage. Australia and New Zealand were early adopters. 'It's kind of this icon of Irish cuisine, of Irish culture,' Hanlon says. 'It's changing the perception of Irish cuisine abroad.' The Chicken Salt Fries at Pecking House. Pecking House Spice bags are particularly tuned to spread on social media. The dish combines items — fries, fried chicken, spicy food — that are known winners online. The oil-slicked bag also unfolds to reveal its contents like a Christmas present, making for a great reveal in TikTok or Instagram videos. Versions made with an air fryer, which received international star treatment in 2017, spurred the dish further into the global consciousness. The dish also capitalizes on a rising tide of Irish cultural exports. Arguably Ireland's most famous culinary offering, Guinness, is also having a moment; 'splitting the G' (downing a Guinness until the foam lands in the middle of the letter G on the glass) has fueled a boom in the Dublin-made beer. Actors like Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and Cillian Murphy have cemented themselves in young American minds the way John Hurt and Richard Harris did for their Gen X parents, rap group Kneecap is taking the world by storm with frenzied gigs, and global focus on the ongoing siege of Gaza has brought Ireland's own history of colonial struggle into focus. A lot of these factors come together at Bar Snack in New York's East Village (recognized as the 85th best bar in North America), where Kneecap plays on the speakers all the time, a dedicated tap whips up foamy pints of Guinness, and the spice bags flow like stout through cobbled streets. When co-owners Iain Griffiths and Oliver Cleary were ideating the menu for the bar, which opened in November 2024 before the kitchen came online in April 2025, they saw the smash burger trend waning. Griffiths, who is Scottish, and Cleary, who is Irish, thought spice bags could be the next hit thing. Their rendition arrives in the characteristic paper bag: buttermilk-fried chicken tendies, peppers, onions, and fries with spices and a curry sauce. They also put the Spice Girls logo on T-shirts to hype the bag's debut. 'That felt like one of the most U.S. things we could do,' Griffiths says. But the spice bag was good enough to earn fans among their Irish clientele as well. '[They] would look up and give us the nod, like, this is good.' At New York's spicy fried chicken specialist Pecking House, chef-owner Eric Huang approached the dish from another side. He grew up in a Chinese restaurant, so the flavors of the spice bag were nothing new to him. After learning of the dish while cooking with chefs from the United Kingdom and clocking the version by New Zealand's Andy Hearnden, Huang rolled out his own iteration, titled Chicken Salt Fries, on Saint Patrick's Day 2025. The dish goes heavy on an in-house seasoning salt, along with cumin, coriander, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few more seasonings. It arrives with a curry sauce meant to evoke classic Japanese brand Golden Curry, providing a sweet, sentimental edge to the feisty medley. All around the globe, the cost of the dish has a lot to do with its cultural supremacy. Little Dumpling serves a generous spice bag for just 13 euros, Pecking House's goes for just $9, and Bar Snack serves the Georges St Special, a happy hour-ish combo of a spice bag and a Guinness pint for $22. As a U.S. recession looms and the EU fights to avoid sliding back into an economic downturn of its own, these familiar, affordable items — especially versions given a facelift to make them feel like a treat — draw diners out when James Beard starts to look like a bank robber. But chefs also recognize that upscaling the dish too much would rob it of its 1 a.m., effortless cool. Though some international spice bags have diverged significantly from the original dish, including 'healthy' recipes made with tofu or more vegetables, most iterations stick to the unkempt joy of a greasy, cheap mess of fried stuff. Despite the spice bag's online virality, Hanlon and Alford insist it shouldn't be a destination, phone-eats-first dish. Huang acknowledges that, for Pecking House at least, the spice bag's viral moment is already over. But he keeps serving it for the Irish expats and anyone who fell in love with the dish while visiting Ireland, the folks who tell Huang the dish takes them right back. 'They pour the sweet chile sauce over, the hot curry sauce, too,' Huang says, 'and it's this steaming, greasy bag they're eating. And when they put their hands in the bag, it's a really, really awesome eating experience.' A few more spice bags to try around the world: The Kitchen Bronx (New York City)
Malay Mail
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Renaissance College Hong Kong Students Design Iconic Hong Kong Tram in Collaboration with Tramplus
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 29 April 2025 - ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK) is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Tramplus, a sister company of HK Tramways, to redesign the interior and exterior of an iconic Hong Kong tram. This unique project showcases the opportunities connecting the exceptional talent of RCHK Visual Arts students and VA Scholars to provide them with a valuable chance to contribute to the city's vibrant cultural landscape. Hong Kong-inspired elements like Cantonese cuisine and landmarks, with reference to culture, like Chinese Opera, are part of a vibrant design that will be featured on a Hong Kong collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing young artists with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts, like the ESF-wide pioneering Photography Programme, as part of IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), or collaborations with street artists, which included mural painting with TAKA. RCHK is always looking for ways to expose students to different forms of artistic newly designed tram will be unveiled at a launch ceremony, which is open to the media,. The one-hour ceremony will introduce student artists behind the project and feature speeches, including representatives from ESF, such as ESF CEO, Ms. Belinda Greer, RCHK Principal, Dr. Harry Brown, and Head of Visual Arts at RCHK, Mr. Andrew Deakin. Following the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to ride the designed tram. The tram will then operate across Hong Kong Island for four weeks."This collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing students with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts. We are proud of the way they have come together as a team to showcase our creativity and how they have brought art to the public", says Andrew Deakin, Head of Visual Arts at RCHK. "Our art students utilise many skills they have been learning over the years, including the coordination of the finer details, which are part of this project. It is a unique opportunity for the students to make a lasting contribution to Hong Kong's cultural heritage and to see their artwork come to life in such a public and impactful way."Hashtag: #RCHK #Education #VisualArts #CityArt #HongKong #Tram #DingDing #Expression #Event #Students #SecondarySchool #Scholar #Collaboration #Opportunity #ESF The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong: Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK), a student-centred independent school founded by the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in 2006, serves the local and expatriate communities. Offering all four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP), RCHK provides a through-train education for students aged 5-18. With over 2,000 students representing 40+ nationalities, RCHK celebrates its diverse community, where English is the language of instruction. Students benefit from rich Education Outside of the Classroom (EOTC) and Creative, Action, Service (CAS) programmes, fostering real-world learning and community engagement. RCHK's Red Door Centre, a state-of-the-art technology hub, provides 1:1 devices (iPads Years 1-3, MacBooks Years 4-13), robotics equipment, and modern fabrication facilities, integrating technology across the curriculum. Wellbeing is paramount at RCHK, with strategies in place to ensure every child feels known and supported. The College also offers scholarships for driven and ambitious secondary students and financial aid (Youth Empowerment Scheme) to promote inclusivity.
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Renaissance College Hong Kong Students Design Iconic Hong Kong Tram in Collaboration with Tramplus
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 29 April 2025 - ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK) is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Tramplus, a sister company of HK Tramways, to redesign the interior and exterior of an iconic Hong Kong tram. This unique project showcases the opportunities connecting the exceptional talent of RCHK Visual Arts students and VA Scholars to provide them with a valuable chance to contribute to the city's vibrant cultural landscape. Hong Kong-inspired elements like Cantonese cuisine and landmarks, with reference to culture, like Chinese Opera, are part of a vibrant design that will be featured on a Hong Kong tram. This collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing young artists with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts, like the ESF-wide pioneering Photography Programme, as part of IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), or collaborations with street artists, which included mural painting with TAKA. RCHK is always looking for ways to expose students to different forms of artistic expression. The newly designed tram will be unveiled at a launch ceremony, which is open to the media, at the Whitty Street Tram Depot on May 2nd, 2025, at 10am. The one-hour ceremony will introduce student artists behind the project and feature speeches, including representatives from ESF, such as ESF CEO, Ms. Belinda Greer, RCHK Principal, Dr. Harry Brown, and Head of Visual Arts at RCHK, Mr. Andrew Deakin. Following the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to ride the designed tram. The tram will then operate across Hong Kong Island for four weeks. 'This collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing students with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts. We are proud of the way they have come together as a team to showcase our creativity and how they have brought art to the public', says Andrew Deakin, Head of Visual Arts at RCHK. 'Our art students utilise many skills they have been learning over the years, including the coordination of the finer details, which are part of this project. It is a unique opportunity for the students to make a lasting contribution to Hong Kong's cultural heritage and to see their artwork come to life in such a public and impactful way.' Hashtag: #RCHK #Education #VisualArts #CityArt #HongKong #Tram #DingDing #Expression #Event #Students #SecondarySchool #Scholar #Collaboration #Opportunity #ESF The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong: Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK), a student-centred independent school founded by the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in 2006, serves the local and expatriate communities. Offering all four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP), RCHK provides a through-train education for students aged 5-18. With over 2,000 students representing 40+ nationalities, RCHK celebrates its diverse community, where English is the language of instruction. Students benefit from rich Education Outside of the Classroom (EOTC) and Creative, Action, Service (CAS) programmes, fostering real-world learning and community engagement. RCHK's Red Door Centre, a state-of-the-art technology hub, provides 1:1 devices (iPads Years 1-3, MacBooks Years 4-13), robotics equipment, and modern fabrication facilities, integrating technology across the curriculum. Wellbeing is paramount at RCHK, with strategies in place to ensure every child feels known and supported. The College also offers scholarships for driven and ambitious secondary students and financial aid (Youth Empowerment Scheme) to promote inclusivity.
Zawya
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Zawya
Renaissance College Hong Kong Students Design Iconic Hong Kong Tram in Collaboration with Tramplus
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 29 April 2025 - ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK) is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Tramplus, a sister company of HK Tramways, to redesign the interior and exterior of an iconic Hong Kong tram. This unique project showcases the opportunities connecting the exceptional talent of RCHK Visual Arts students and VA Scholars to provide them with a valuable chance to contribute to the city's vibrant cultural landscape. Hong Kong-inspired elements like Cantonese cuisine and landmarks, with reference to culture, like Chinese Opera, are part of a vibrant design that will be featured on a Hong Kong collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing young artists with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts, like the ESF-wide pioneering Photography Programme, as part of IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), or collaborations with street artists, which included mural painting with TAKA. RCHK is always looking for ways to expose students to different forms of artistic newly designed tram will be unveiled at a launch ceremony, which is open to the media,. The one-hour ceremony will introduce student artists behind the project and feature speeches, including representatives from ESF, such as ESF CEO, Ms. Belinda Greer, RCHK Principal, Dr. Harry Brown, and Head of Visual Arts at RCHK, Mr. Andrew Deakin. Following the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to ride the designed tram. The tram will then operate across Hong Kong Island for four weeks."This collaboration with Tramplus builds on RCHK's commitment to providing students with enriching opportunities in the Visual Arts. We are proud of the way they have come together as a team to showcase our creativity and how they have brought art to the public", says Andrew Deakin, Head of Visual Arts at RCHK. "Our art students utilise many skills they have been learning over the years, including the coordination of the finer details, which are part of this project. It is a unique opportunity for the students to make a lasting contribution to Hong Kong's cultural heritage and to see their artwork come to life in such a public and impactful way."Hashtag: #RCHK #Education #VisualArts #CityArt #HongKong #Tram #DingDing #Expression #Event #Students #SecondarySchool #Scholar #Collaboration #Opportunity #ESF The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About ESF Renaissance College Hong Kong: Renaissance College Hong Kong (RCHK), a student-centred independent school founded by the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in 2006, serves the local and expatriate communities. Offering all four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP), RCHK provides a through-train education for students aged 5-18. With over 2,000 students representing 40+ nationalities, RCHK celebrates its diverse community, where English is the language of instruction. Students benefit from rich Education Outside of the Classroom (EOTC) and Creative, Action, Service (CAS) programmes, fostering real-world learning and community engagement. RCHK's Red Door Centre, a state-of-the-art technology hub, provides 1:1 devices (iPads Years 1-3, MacBooks Years 4-13), robotics equipment, and modern fabrication facilities, integrating technology across the curriculum. Wellbeing is paramount at RCHK, with strategies in place to ensure every child feels known and supported. The College also offers scholarships for driven and ambitious secondary students and financial aid (Youth Empowerment Scheme) to promote inclusivity. Renaissance College Hong Kong
Los Angeles Times
01-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
The best places to eat and drink this month, according to our food writers
Clockwise from top left: dumplings from Good Alley, pasta from Marea, an ice cream sundae from Liu's Creamery, a sandwich from Lodge Bread and a breakfast plate from Clark Street March 1, 2025 3 AM PT It's awards season and our restaurant scene deserves recognition. Weeks of catastrophic wildfires were particularly devastating to local restaurants and food businesses, with many damaged or destroyed and contending with loss of business and smaller staffs as a result. But those challenges haven't discouraged chefs and restaurateurs from stepping up to provide continuous aid to those affected, including free community meals, fundraisers for wildfire relief and initiatives to help displaced fire victims replace home kitchen equipment. And new spots continue to open, keeping our dining scene as fresh and exciting as ever. In Koreatown, a Hong Kong-inspired cafe launched a small-batch creamery next door. In downtown L.A., new vendors are switching things up at Smorgasburg L.A.'s weekly market. Recent debuts also include a pair of New York-founded restaurants landing in splashy West Coast digs and the expansion of a handful of locally renowned pastry shops. If you want to stick to tried-and-true staples, you can't go wrong with a family-owned chicken pot pie institution, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, or San Gabriel Valley spots specializing in rou jia mo, the world's oldest sandwich, which hails from the Shaanxi province in China. Here are 25 places to add to your dining schedule this month, including a vegan Filipino bakery in Long Beach, budget-friendly charcoal-grilled skewers in Torrance and a new seafood restaurant on Melrose. No matching places! Try changing or resetting your filters Showing Places Koreatown Ice cream $ The team behind perennially popular Liu's Cafe has another hit with Liu's Creamery next door. The small-batch creamery is overseen by pastry chef Isabell Manibusan, and the menu includes a seasonal sorbet (currently with pear and ginger) and Philadelphia-style rolled ice cream modeled after popular Asian desserts and flavor profiles, including a pineapple cake sundae and the Night Market special with Taiwan milk ice cream, candied-sesame peanut powder, house cilantro oil and fresh cilantro. Customers can also build their own sundaes with house-made toppings including granola, cured egg yolk, chile crisp and butter cookie crumbles. Read about the new creamery from Long Hospitality. Route Details Beverly Hills Bakery $ The Middle Eastern-inspired bakery has expanded to a new location in Beverly Hills, offering a full espresso program, toasts, loafs, Jerusalem bagels, sandwiches, salads and pastries, plus market items including hummus, tuna salad and dough starter. A Pasadena location is expected to open by the end of the year. Read about the new bakery in Beverly Hills. Route Details Arcadia American $ Juan Valerio Garcia took over Moffett's Family Restaurant & Chicken Pie Shoppe in 2023 after working at the restaurant for decades, first as a dishwasher and eventually a cook. The Arcadia diner will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year and its nostalgic spirit remains the same since Garcia and his family took the reins. The famed chicken pot pie is still rich with gravy, but now diners can choose between white or dark meat, or order pies filled with turkey or tri-tip and beef gravy, all served alongside whipped potatoes and steamed vegetables. Daily specials have been added, ranging from meatloaf on Monday to baby back ribs on Saturday. Columnist Jenn Harris says the restaurant is just as comforting as when she went during her childhood. Read about the comforting pot pies at Moffett's. Route 1409 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, California 91007 Route Details Harbor Gateway Bakery $ After opening a pop-up bakery in Noga, Israel, partners Lee Begim and Avi Sabag moved to Los Angeles, where Begim's family lived, six months after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The couple planned on opening a restaurant, but much like their short-lived bakery in Israel, those plans didn't pan out. In September, Begim and Sabag were able to secure the use of a production company and their Noga Bread pop-up has found a semipermanent home at the Enclave in Torrance, where you'll find fresh focaccia topped with pesto, whipped ricotta and caramelized leeks; date-caramel sticky buns; lamb mergeuz-filled croissants and a host of rotating breads and pastries offered every Wednesday and Saturday. A forthcoming bakery and cafe is set to open in downtown San Pedro later this year. Read about the twice-weekly bakery pop-up in Torrance. Route Details Chinese American $$ Columnist Jenn Harris reviews one of the most ambitious reopenings in the San Gabriel Valley with Panda Inn, from Andrew Cherng and his father, chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, who first opened the Panda Inn on Foothill Boulevard in 1973. The new digs feature an upscale dining room, private rooms, a full bar and sushi bar, but the Chinese American menu feels nostalgic with dishes such as orange chicken and beef and broccoli, plus new dishes from executive chef Aiguo Yang that bridge influence across Yangzhou, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Yokohama, Japan. Harris suggests focusing on one aspect of the restaurant's expansive menu — either the Yangzhou specialties, sushi or Chinese American staples — for best results. Read about the recently renovated Panda Inn. Route Details Long Beach Filipino Vegan Bakery $ After years of pop-ups, the Filipino-influenced vegan bakery from partners Kym Estrada and Arvin Torres has landed in a permanent space along Long Beach's 4th Street corridor, serving classic buko pie, pandesal, bitsu-bitsu and ensaymadas, as well as unique creations including ube pop-tarts and pandan cinnamon buns, plus coffee sourced from the Philippines by Los Alamitos-based Teofilo. Just down the street from artisanal panadería Gusto Bread, San & Wolves regularly sells out of by the end of the day. Read about Long Beach's new vegan bakery. Route Details Downtown L.A. Eclectic $$ By Danielle Dorsey A host of new vendors joined the lineup at Smorgasburg L.A. for 2025 and will pop up at the free open-air market held at the Row DTLA every Sunday this year, including a boba stand that blends Taiwanese and Chinese bubble tea with Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indo-Fijian ingredients; Back Yard Jerk for Caribbean staples; withBee, offering cuisines that span West African, the Caribbean and Southern cuisines; and Filipino barbecue pop-up Full Send BBQ. Read about the 2025 Smorgasburg vendors. Route Details Mexican $ By Danielle Dorsey In the semirural community of Muscoy, tucked behind an auto body shop, is a taquería that boasts a specialty from Mexico's Laguna region. The stand from Francisco Salinas and Vanessa Sánchez serves cabrito, or spit-roasted baby goat, in soft tacos, grilled flautas or consomé, as well as an offal sausage with baby goat organs called machitos that are also roasted on the spike. Food editor Daniel Hernandez discovered the stand as part of his investigation into Southern California's pararetes culture, which brings the traditions of Western Mexico to rural pockets with raw goat's milk spiked with cane sugar alcohol and other ingredients. The taco stand is approximately 90 minutes outside of L.A. and regularly sells out by mid-morning. Read about the cabrito and machitos specialist in Muscoy. Route Details Culver City Mediterranean $$ Celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés has brought a new location of his long-running Washington, D.C., restaurant to the Shay Hotel in Culver City. Lobby-level Zaytinya serves an array of mezze and large-format plates that draw inspiration from Lebanese, Greek and Turkish cuisines, including spice-rubbed lamb leg kebabs and bone marrow kibbeh, with a full bar available, including Mediterranean wines. On the rooftop and adjacent to the pool, you'll find Butterfly, modeled after Andrés' D.C. restaurant Oyamel with an L.A.-inspired menu featuring queso fundido, tacos, ceviche and salads, plus house cocktails such as the signature Salt Air Margarita. Read about José Andrés' new Culver City restaurant and rooftop bar. Route Details Get our weekly Tasting Notes newsletter for reviews, news and more. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
