Famend Hong Kong-based meals critic dies at 83

Chua Lam, a famend meals critic and cultural icon within the Chinese language-speaking world, has died, in accordance with his official social media account. He was 83.

The Hong Kong-based, Singaporean-born Lam died on the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital with household and associates by his facet, a submit on his Weibo account on Friday learn.

“In accordance together with his needs, so as to not disturb family and associates, there was no ceremony and his physique was cremated,” it mentioned, with out specifying the reason for his demise.

Referred to as one among Hong Kong’s “4 biggest skills”, Lam was a prolific author and a preferred host of meals and journey reveals.

He was the longest-living member of the 4 cultural icons, which additionally included Cantopop lyricist James Wong Jim and novelists Jin Yong and Ni Kuang.

Chua settled down in Hong Kong within the Nineteen Sixties, the place he produced movies – together with a number of by motion star Jackie Chan.

As a producer, he needed to journey the world to scout for movie places, and was later invited to jot down a column in an area newspaper, he informed the South China Morning Publish in 2016.

“So I wrote loads about meals and eating places, and ultimately folks noticed me as a meals critic,” he mentioned.

With writings and tv appearances all through the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, Chua quickly turned one of the authoritative voices on Chinese language delicacies.

In 2012, he served as one of many consultants on A Chew of China, a documentary sequence introducing varied dishes throughout China.

Chua principally retreated from public view since he fell and fractured his pelvic bone in 2023. He was injured whereas dashing to assist his spouse, who had fallen at residence. She died later that yr.