Chua Lam
Chua Lam | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 蔡瀾 | |||||||||||
 Chua in 2008 | |||||||||||
| Born | 18 August 1941 | ||||||||||
| Died | 25 June 2025 (aged 83) Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong | ||||||||||
| Nationality | Singaporean[1] | ||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Columnist, food connoisseur, film producer, television presenter | ||||||||||
| Spouse | Chang Chong-wen (張瓊文) | ||||||||||
| Children | Nil | ||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Chua Boon-suan (1907 - 1995) Hung Fong-ping (1909 - 2008) | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 蔡瀾 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 蔡澜 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Chua Lam (simplified Chinese: 蔡澜; traditional Chinese: 蔡瀾, 18 August 1941 – 25 June 2025) was a Singaporean columnist, food critic and occasional television host based in Hong Kong. He was also a film producer for the Hong Kong film studio Golden Harvest.
Chua Lam has extensive connections in the cultural world and is well-known to Jin Yong, Ni Kuang, and James Wong Jim, who are collectively considered one of the "Four Great Talents of Hong Kong".[2] From 1989 to 1990, he co-hosted Asia Television's classic adult talk show "Celebrity Talk Show" with the latter two. The show was widely popular with audiences and earned the media accolades as one of "Hong Kong's Three Great Mouths."[3]
Early life
Chua was born in Singapore in 1941.[4] His father originally named him 蔡南 (Teochew: Chùa Lâm; Pinyin: Cài Nán), meaning born in Nanyang (南洋). But when the name was sent back to the ancestral hall in the Teochew hometown, it was discovered that someone in the previous two generations already had the same name, so it could not be used. However, his birth certificate had already been registered as "Chua Lam", so his Chinese name was eventually changed.[5][6]
Chua, had an elder sister and brother and one younger brother.[7]
As a child, Chua lived above a cinema, always in sight of the screen, and his passion for movies grew.[8] Influenced by his father, he read extensively, publishing his first article in the Nanyang Siang Pau at the age of 14. Because he disliked studying, he attended several primary schools. For secondary school, he attended The Chinese High School in Bukit Timah, Singapore,[9] studying Chinese in the mornings and English in the afternoons at another school. Chua originally hoped to study painting in France, but at 18 decided to study abroad in Japan.
Chua attended Nihon University in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan and enrolled in the Department of Film Directing of the College of Art.[8] While studying, Chua worked part-time for Shaw Brothers Studio as a manager and translator in Japan.[8]
Career
Media career
In 1963, Chua moved to Hong Kong and continued to work at Shaw Brothers as its production manager.[10] After working at the studio for 20 years, Chua was approached by Hong Kong producer Raymond Chow, who had just founded the film studio Golden Harvest, to serve as the vice-president of film production which he accepted.[10] While at Golden Harvest, Chua produced numerous films, including several films such as Armour Of God (1987), City Hunter (1993), Thunderbolt (1995) and Mr Nice Guy (1997), for Jackie Chan.[2]
Beside producing films, Chua also hosted several food programmes such as Market Trotter (2007), Chua’s Choice (2008) and Be My Guest (2009).[2]
Chua was primarily known in Japan as a judge on the Fuji TV series Iron Chef.
Writing career
Chua was a columnist on Oriental Daily and Ming Pao in Hong Kong. Chua later switched to writing columns for the Next Media's publications, namely Next Magazine (on movies and a restaurant guide), Apple Daily and Eat and Travel Weekly.[8]
Chua wrote a number of books and restaurant guides on Hong Kong in Japanese.
From 2013 to 2024, Malaysian travel agency Apple Vacations organised a total of six tours with Chua in Asia to taste the local food and experience the local hospitality.[11] Chua often wrote, in his newspaper columns, about the tours' organizing trips where he and others sample food from four or five restaurants per day in order to select the best restaurants.
Chua has authored more than 150 books on topics such as travel, personalities, food, humour, and his philosophy of life.[2]
In September 2023, Chua collaborated with Sin Chew Daily for a calligraphy exhibition where his calligraphy was exhibited and sold.[12] Chua decided to sell his collection after his wife's death as not to be too burdened with his collection.[13] Proceeds from the sale went to charity.
Business career
Chua had also opened restaurants, such as Chua Lam’s Pho, his first restaurant serving Vietnamese pho.[14]
Gastronomic philosophy
One of Chua's most beloved dishes was stir-fried bean sprout with fried tofu and fish sauce.
Chua was famous for advocating the use of pork drippings in food preparation and as a condiment. He cited and promoted the usage of pork fat in most of his TV shows.
In 2019, Chua criticised hotpot, describing it as a cooking method "totally lacking in cultural significance", and liked it to go extinct.[15] Chua, in his writings, later clarified that while he is not interested in hotpot, he is not against hotpot but against poorly done hotpot using dipping sauces to attract customers.[16] He especially appreciates Sichuan's hotpot.[16]
In 2022, he also critised omakase, a Japanese restaurant order where the choice of food is up to the chef, citing that the order only helped the restaurant and would not show the essence of Japanese cuisine.[17]
Personal life and death
Chua's father, Chua Boon-hean (蔡文玄), was a native of the Jio Mung Chua (蔡門石) village in Chaozhou who immigrated to Singapore. His father worked in a high-ranking post at the Shaw Brothers Studio and died in 1995.[18]
Although Chua was based in Hong Kong from 1963, he held Singapore citizenship.[1]
In March 2023, Chua's wife slipped and fell at home and died shortly after. While rushing over to his wife when she fell, Chua fell also and fractured his pelvic bone.[19]
On 25 June 2025, Chua Lam died at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. He was 83, and later cremated.[20] It was initially reported on Chua’s Facebook page on 27 June 2025.[21]
Filmography
Film
Chua Lam worked in the 1980s and up to the end of the 1990s in the Hongkong film business as executive producer or producer.
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Heart of Dragon |
| 1986 | Dr. Yuen and Wisely |
| 1987 | Armour of God |
| 1987 | Born to Gamble |
| 1987 | Killer's Nocturne |
| 1987 | Erotic Ghost Story |
| 1988 | Profiles of Pleasure |
| 1988 | Peacock King |
| 1989 | Four Loves |
| 1990 | A Sau-loh |
| 1991 | Robotrix |
| 1991 | Erotic Ghost Story II |
| 1991 | Au revoir, mon amour |
| 1991 | Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky |
| 1992 | Erotic Ghost Story III |
| 1992 | The Cat |
| 1993 | City Hunter |
| 1993 | Crime Story |
| 1994 | Girls Unbutton |
| 1994 | Chinese Torture Chamber |
| 1994 | Spirit of Love |
| 1995 | Trilogy of Love |
| 1995 | Thunderbolt |
| 1995 | The Christ Of Nanjing |
| 1996 | The Imp |
| 1997 | Mr. Nice Guy |
| 1998 | Extreme Crisis |
Television
In the 2000s and 2010s he was working as general consultant and TV presenter for Japanese and other TV series as he had become "one of the most authoritative voices on Chinese cuisine".[20]
- 2007: Market Trotter[2]
- 2007: Ten Years After
- 2008: Chua’s Choice[2]
- 2009: Be My Guest[2]
References
- ^ a b Na, Guo. "蔡澜:怎样煮一个完美的鸡蛋？" [Chua Lam: How to Cook a Perfect Egg?]. www.lifeweek.com.cn (in Chinese).
- ^ a b c d e f g Lim, Ruey Yan (27 June 2025). "Famous Singapore-born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "黃霑倪匡三大名咀 續約亞視機會甚大". 華僑日報. 6 December 1989. p. 22. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Hong Kong cultural icon Chua Lam passes away at 83". www.thestandard.com.hk. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ 蔡瀾 (Chua Lam) (17 February 1987). "名字的故事" [The Story Behind the Name]. 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) (in Chinese (Singapore)).
- ^ 潘星華 (Poon Sing Wah) (1 October 1997). "蔡澜原名蔡南 为了祖宗改名" [Chua Lam was originally named Chua Nan, but changed it for his ancestors]. 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) (in Chinese (Singapore)).
- ^ "Close relationship with the three showbiz brothers". The Straits Times. 12 May 1995. p. 34. Retrieved 14 August 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b c d Cam, Lisa (30 June 2025). "Opinion | How Hong Kong culinary icon Chua Lam inspired a generation". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Producer from HK here to make filmlet". New Nation. 7 April 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 14 August 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b "Opinion | How Hong Kong culinary icon Chua Lam inspired a generation". South China Morning Post. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Chua Lam is the beacon in my life, says Apple Vacations Malaysia co-founder Lee San - News". MySinchew 星洲网 Sin Chew Daily Malaysia Latest News and Headlines (in Chinese (China)). 29 June 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ Lee, San (20 October 2023). "Before and after Chua Lam's calligraphy exhibition - Opinion". Sin Chew Daily. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Chan, Ilsa (21 April 2024). "Famed Food Critic Chua Lam, 82, Spends S$87K A Month On Round-The-Clock Care After Suffering Fall". TODAY. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Choi, Martin (26 December 2018). "Vietnamese pho for under US$12 at new Hong Kong restaurant". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Food critic Chua Lam in hot water over hotpot criticism". The Straits Times. 3 January 2019. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b "蔡瀾逝世｜回顧一代食家10大飲食軼聞 不吃三文魚? 討厭火鍋? 與餐廳合照笑容有啟示?". 星島頭條 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 27 June 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ Cai, Candice (8 September 2022). "Singapore-born food critic Chua Lam slammed for saying that Japanese omakase 'treats diners like idiots'". AsiaOne. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Chua Boon-hean". slscdn.hkmemory.hk. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ Chan, Ilsa (21 April 2024). "Famed Food Critic Chua Lam, 82, Spends S$87K A Month On Round-The-Clock Care After Suffering Fall". 8days. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Renowned food critic Chua Lam dies at 83". BBC World News. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Jiang, Chuqin (27 June 2025). "Renowned Hong Kong-based food critic Chua Lam dies at age 83". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 27 June 2025.