The Chinese Eateries in the World’s 100 Best Restaurants 2022

In addition to growing, pickling and rebranding their own food, young people are paying more attention to quality food and drink than ever before. Part of this plays into the success of The World’s 50 Best Organization, which is behind lists like The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, and more.


On July 18, the organization announced the 20th anniversary edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in London, UK. Approximately two weeks earlier, a preliminary list of restaurants in the 51st to 100th spots dropped on July 5. All the winners were determined by a jury representing 27 regions, with 40 judges per region.


Taking the top spot in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2022 is Geranium, a Scandinavian restaurant located in a football stadium in Copenhagen.


Greater China also fared fairly well, with Hong Kong’s The Chairman making it into the top 50 list and Shanghai’s Fu He Hui being listed among the top 100 restaurants.


Find out why these two restaurants are considered the cream of the crop in Greater China:

The Chairman, Hong Kong

Founded in 2012, The Chairman sits on Gough Street in NoHo, a fashionable area of Hong Kong known for its eateries and boutiques.


The Chairman pays tribute to traditional Cantonese cuisine and is entirely operated by locals, including head chef Andy Ho. Furthermore, all ingredients at the restaurant are carefully sourced from local producers.

Some standout dishes at the prestigious Hong Kong eatery include the spicy peppercorn flower crab, tea smoked duck, slipper lobster congee, and crispy chicken stuffed with shrimp meat.

Fu He Hui, Shanghai

While some deem a meal incomplete without meat or fish, the rise of plant-based cuisine proves that perceptions are changing in the 21st century.


The second Chinese eatery on the World’s Best Restaurants list is Fu He Hui, a mecca for meat-free food lovers. Located in Shanghai’s charming former French Concession, the plant-based restaurant, which champions both Chinese and Western ingredients and cooking techniques, offers several tasting menus.

Instead of trying to reproduce the taste and texture of meat, Fu He Hui brings out the flavors of vegetables, mushrooms, and legumes in its creative dishes.


The restaurant is also unique in that it offers Chinese tea pairing menus for around 290 RMB (approximately 43 USD).


Cover image via Fu He Hui’s Weibo account

Winwin, a Member of Boy Band WayV, Is Officially a ‘Wactor’ — A What?

Better known by his stage name Winwin, Dong Sicheng, a lead dancer and lead rapper with the K-pop boy band NCT and its China sub-unit WayV, has gotten a foot in the door in acting. Fans of the star have seen this coming and even began calling him a ‘wactor’ (portmanteau of ‘Winwin’ and ‘actor’) long before any official announcements were made.


Catch Winwin in the following C-dramas that will air in the second half of 2022:

The first, a supernatural fantasy show set in China when it was known as the Republic of China (1912 until 1949), is an adaptation of author Ni Luo’s novel of the same title, The Shadow or Ru Yue in Mandarin.


Directed by Li Muge, the show begins with soldiers attacking a vampire. Respectively played by Taiwanese actress and singer Ouyang Nana and Winwin, a blind girl and her friend end up saving the centuries-old being.

Winwin will also assume a leading role in 25 Hours of Love, a romance drama produced by Chinese entertainment conglomerate Tencent. The 24-year-old ‘wactor’ and 35-year-old Chinese actress He Hongshan will respectively play a voice actor and an entrepreneur in the TV show.


25-hours-of-love-sweet-games-winwin-wactor

Promotional poster for 25 Hours of Love


Calling themselves ‘Yunqis,’ fans of Winwin are psyched for the modern romance program, which is being filmed at the time of writing.

Encouraging messages from ‘Yunqis’ on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo range from, “That was not an easy jump [from singing to acting]. Congrats, Sicheng!” to “Go for it, actor Dong Sicheng!”


All images via Weibo

Summer 2022 Is the Season for K-Pop Reunions: Blackpink, Twice, Etc

It’s been almost two years since K-pop girl group Blackpink released their last album — simply titled The Album — in October 2020. Although Blackpink’s Lisa, Rose, and Jennie have respectively launched their own hugely successful singles, fans have been clamoring for the girl group to reunite and make music together again.


Such pleas have not gone unheard. Earlier this month, the South Korean girl group announced that they would be making an official comeback and conducting a world tour. The group’s four members will also continue to work on their solo projects.

To say that K-pop fans in China are ecstatic about the quartet’s return would be putting it lightly:


“I’ve saved all my money for your comeback!” gushed a loyal fan.


“Please release a new song as soon as possible, as I want to buy a new album! I love you, Lisa!” enthused another.


But the good news doesn’t end here.

Besides Blackpink, a whole slew of K-pop girl groups including Twice, Girls’ Generation, and Ive will be releasing new music next month.


On Weibo, a hashtag related to the news has hit over one million views.


“I’m so looking forward to this! I want to watch them perform live,” reads a comment on the platform.


“Are K-pop girl groups going crazy this summer? Good to see them back, but we K-pop fans will probably have no extra penny left,” joked a netizen.

Here are some specifics:


Nine-member girl group Twice has confirmed the release of its 11th mini-album titled Between 1&2 on August 26. The group’s previous album, Formula of Love: O+T=, which was released in November 2021, remains its best-selling album to date. But will this year’s album steal the spotlight?


As for Ive, the six-member girl group will be releasing their third group album just four months after their last; Love Dive was an immense hit, and entered the list of top 10 highest first-week sales by K-pop girl groups in the history of Hanteo, a South Korean music chart system.

Last but not least, Girls’ Generation, the longest-lasting group of the four, will finally be dropping a new album to celebrate their 15th anniversary. The eight-member group, which was founded in 2007, released its last studio album, Holiday Night, five whole years ago in August 2017.


While an official release date has yet to be confirmed, rumor has it that the album will drop on August 8.


Cover image via Instagram

Tencent To Close NFT Platform Huanhe a Year After Launching

technode

A version of this article previously appeared on TechNode.


According to Chinese business news site Jiemian, Chinese tech giant Tencent is in the process of closing its digital collectible platform Huanhe after launching in August 2021.


tencent-shockingly-plans-to-close-nft-platform-huanhe-a-year-after-launching

Logo of Tencent’s NFT platform Huanhe. Image via Weibo


Digital collectibles are China’s version of NFTs with some key differences; for instance, there are restrictions on reselling the former.


Huanhe is supported by blockchains managed by Tencent and its partners. The end of Huanhe may also mean the end of collectibles bought on the platform, which has raised concerns from customers.


The closing of Huanhe is surprising given the fact that NFTs are booming in China. NFT art seems to be especially popular in Hong Kong, where individuals and institutions alike have hopped on board the trend.


tencent-shockingly-plans-to-close-nft-platform-huanhe-a-year-after-launching

A peek at NFT platform Huanhe, soon to be defunct. Image via Weibo


Jiemian reported that Huanhe had closed its external service earlier this month, citing an unnamed source. However, Chinese media outlet China Times reported that “the platform hasn’t received any notice and they are operating as usual.”


In May, Wang Shimu, head of Tencent News, joined the social platform and applications line, which includes the Huanhe unit. Tencent News subsequently shut down purchase links for NFTs on July 1, and released an announcement to guide users to Huanhe.


Huanhe has experienced a major slow down in sales as of late. For example, the platform has failed to sell 20,245 NFTs featuring calligraphy by the late and respected Master Hong Yi, and is closing the sales for these items.


In early 2022, Tencent’s Huanhe unit informed Jiemian that they were in the midst of developing a metaverse product. That being said, key employees of the unit packed up and left in April, Jiemian’s report reveals.


Tencent is not the first Chinese tech giant to take a whack at the NFT world. Since 2021, many major Chinese tech firms have launched their own NFT-related platforms. For example, Alibaba’s Ant Group introduced Topnod, or Jing Tan in Mandarin, to its AntChain in late 2021, while ecommerce giant JD.com launched an NFT platform called Lingxi last December.


Cover image via VCG

Zoey Gong’s Summer Millet Congee, a RADII-recommended Recipe


With more ink than an octopus and piercings than a pirate, Zoey Xinyi Gong looks nothing like stereotypical depictions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners.


Zoey Gong TCM practitioner

A ‘TCM practitioner’ according to Google Images (left) and Zoey Gong (right)


This discrepancy does have its uses, however. Gong, who was born in Shanghai but is based in Brooklyn, has inspired thousands to give TCM a second glance, and motivated many more to incorporate it in their lives.


The chef, food therapist, registered dietician, event producer, and founder of Five Seasons TCM tailors her wellness tips for a younger generation: Think what herbal tinctures to take to a music festival or, as this feature demonstrates, what to eat to keep your qi levels in sync with the summer.


There are two ways to tweak our diets for the better every summer, advices Gong: The first is to consume more cooling foods, and the second is to extract dampness, the bane of TCM, from our bodies.


“This congee targets both of these concerns and makes for a really great breakfast item. It’s not like you can’t eat anything hot in the summer,” underscores the dietician. “It’s about how you combine warming foods with other herbs, spices and ingredients.”


Easily digestible and allergen-free, the chef’s congee is also devoid of dairy, making it suitable for vegans. Gong recommends making a big batch; that way, breakfast is ready to be reheated and enjoyed over the next few mornings!

Savory Summer Millet Congee with Lotus Root and Herbs


Ingredients

Makes four servings


For Herbal Broth

  • 2 tbsp poria fungus (fu ling)
  • 1 cup lotus leaves (he ye), broken into small pieces
  • 2 pieces aged tangerine peel (chen pi)
  • 2 tbsp lotus seeds (lian zi)
  • 2 tbsp goji (gou qi)
  • 4 cups water, bone broth or nut milk


For Congee

  • ½ cup millet, rinsed
  • ¼ cup coix seeds, soaked overnight* (can substitute with other grains or seeds)
  • ½ cup of lotus seeds, rinsed and soaked overnight
  • ⅔ cup diced zucchini
  • 2 tbsp minced ginger
  • 2 cups of herbal broth
  • 1 cups of nut milk of choice
  • 2 tbsp of tahini
  • Salt, to taste
  • Garnish ideas: Fresh green herbs, sautéed lotus root, winter melon and/or goji berries


Method

1. Rinse all herbs and boil in 4 cups of liquid of choice for 20-30 minutes until it reduces to 2-3 cups. Strain and save liquid. Discard solids.


2. Cook millet, soaked barley, soaked lotus seeds, zucchini, and ginger in herbal broth. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat. Allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes until grains are very soft. During this time, add nut milk ½ cup at a time and continuously stir to prevent sticking. If your grains gets too dry, add more liquid; if your congee is too loose, cook for longer to reduce the liquid.


3. Your congee is ready once your millet becomes soft and creamy! Add tahini and salt to taste. Garnish and serve warm.


Function

  • Strengthens spleen and stomach to build a stronger digestive system
  • Reduces dampness and heat to combat summer humidity


*This recipe was republished with permission from Gong, who partnered with Toronto, Canada’s Eight Branches College of Eastern Medicine to teach an online cooking class on July 7, 2022.


All images courtesy of Zoey Gong. Cover image designed by Haedi Yue

Mad Rush for Mille Crêpe Cakes After Lady M Announces Exit From China

On July 21, American pastry brand Lady M announced that it would be terminating its operations in the Chinese mainland from September 10 onwards. No reasons were provided for the decision.


Colloquially dubbed as the ‘Hermes of Pastry’ in China for its high prices — a slice of cake from here costs upwards of 70 RMB (over 10 USD), the luxury cake brand was founded in New York in 2001, and penetrated the Chinese market in 2017.


In the past half decade, Lady M has opened 23 stores in the Chinese mainland alone. The jewel in the crown of Lady M’s creations, the Mille Crêpe (French for ‘a thousand crêpes’) is easily the pâtisserie’s bestseller.


lady m china

Chinese citizens lining up in front of a Lady M store in Shanghai. Image via Twitter


Since the spread of the news, a Weibo hashtag related to Lady M’s exit from China has gained more than 93 million views. While some netizens are already mourning the brand’s departure, others said that they have never tried the costly cakes and will certainly not miss them.


Mille Crêpe aficionados in Shanghai have reportedly rushed to place orders with the popular dessert parlor in the past 24 hours. On Weibo, a video depicting a high number of delivery drivers in a Lady M shop with nearly empty shelves has gone viral, and a related hashtag has gained 100 million views.


But before you start panic buying cake à la pandemic times, know this: While Lady M has terminated its contract with its domestic retailer, the brand could very well work with a different retailer in the future.


Recent months have seen a wave of American brands, from AirBnb to Kindle, taking their leave of China, with most of them citing unfavorable policies and plummeting business due to the Covid-19 pandemic as their reasons for packing.



Cover image designed by the author