Lucky Cat back on the Airwaves

I am pleased to announce that the Lucky Cat radio programme returns to the airwaves this week. The new show time is 10 - 11pm on Tuesdays, with a repeat on Fridays 2 - 3pm. The show will be broadcast from Resonance FM's brand spanking new studios here in London. As before you can tune in on the radio in London (104.4FM) or online if not: www.resonancefm.com

If you have any requests or suggestions for the new series please do email me:
luckycatzoe@gmail.com

RIP Papa Noodle

Creator of the first instant noodles Momofuku Ando has passed away age 96. Born in Taiwan whilst it was under Japanese rule he then moved to Japan. In the World War II when food was scarce he came up with the idea of dried, flavoured instant noodles. The first instant falvour was chicken ramen, launched in 1958. The Cup Noodle was created in 1971 (Pot Noodle is the preferred brand in the UK) and his most recent product was for astronauts - Space Ram.
There is even a museum in Japan dedicated to Momofuku's life in the noodle world:
http://www.nissin-noodles.com/index_new.html
And so farewell Cup Noodle King......

Lust, Caution

Ang Lee's new film Lust Caution stars Lucky Cat favourite Tony Leung Chiu Wai and is set in Shanghai in the 1940s. Here is the Chinese poster. It has been given a 17 rating in the US and should open this Autumn (or Fall depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on). The Chinese poster certainly has echoes of In The Mood For Love - gorgeous cheongsam, check, brooding Tony, check, period setting, check.
Looking forward to this one.


Read more about the upcoming film at monkeypeaches.com

Recent Vinyl Purchase

Lovely picture cover EP from the Bollywood movie Chinatown set in Calcutta's Chinatown. Mohammed Rafi is the vocalist, joined by Asha Bhosle on one track. Looks like an interesting film, the record is pretty good; Baar Baar Dekho has an old Rn'B/ Rock n Roll feel to it. You can watch it on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SRg70XrVY

Oriental City - Settlement Announced

Good news, the shopping mall in North London will continue to serve up lo pak ko alongside ramen noodles and roti canai until June 2008.

Laurence Martin – Development director of Development Securities said, “Following five months of discussions with tenants involving the GLA and Brent, we’re pleased to have reached an agreement to move forward and redevelopment an exciting new OC.....We recognise that it is not possible to temporarily relocate tenants during redevelopment and because of this there is a period of uncertainty for the tenants. Therefore, we have agreed a clear timetable for close down of the package of measures including rent free from now until closure to provide assistance to tenants.”

For more info see:http://www.dimsum.co.uk/viewpoints/oriental-city-agreement-reached.html

Steamed Chicken

I'm trying to be a bit healthy at the moment so the other night I tried steaming a chicken instead of roasting it. The result was delicious. I bought a smallish chicken and placed it breast down in a steamer. I filled the pan below with 5cm of water and threw in some star anise and jasmine tea. 2 hours of simmering later the chicken was ready. It didn't look too appealing but the meat fell off the bone and was moist and flavoursome. I served it with a Ken Hom recipe dip:

• 2 spring onions chopped finely
• 1 2cm lump of ginger chopped finely
• 1 tea spoon salt
• 1 table spoon soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons of heated groundnut oil

Mix all the ingredients then heat the oil in a wok until smouldering then pour over (make sure to use a heat proof bowl).
Serve with the steamed chicken, rice and steamed vegetables.

Sugarpie De Santo News

Check out this news clip. Chess Records singer and songwriter and Lucky Cat favourite Sugarpie De Santo:
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=20907@kpix.dayport.com&cid=129

Hong Kong magazine 1953 Monroe cover

Chinese Caribbean Cookbook

http://eshopjamaica.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=56
I will endeavour to get a copy of this and try out some recipes. Stir fry jerk chicken perhaps?

Dirty Ho

Recently I went to see Dirty Ho at the NFT (or should I say BFI as it has all changed now). The film is shwoing as part of the Heroic Grace : the Martial Arts Film Part II season. I went to Part I some years back and saw the Cheng Pei Pei classic Come Drink with Me.

Part II is 1970's - 1980s period of HK martial arts cinema. Dirty Ho is a Run Run Shaw classic starring Tarantino's favourite Gordon Liu (inscrutable face, amazing kung fu). Directed by Lau Kar Leung, legendary martial artist and director (most recently seen acting in Tsui Hark's Seven Swords). The bright, gaudiness of the early scenes set on a floating brothel are wonderful.

Links:
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/dirty_ho.htm
http://www.dvdcult.com/rev_DirtyHo.htm
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514904/ (G Liu)

SAVE ORIENTAL CITY CAMPAIGN E-PETITION

Despite receiving 10,000 objection letters opposing the development as
it currently stands, the Mayor approved Development Securities planning
application on 15 March 2007 to demolish Oriental City with no
provisions on the relocation of businesses or community facilities.

The Save Oriental City is taking the matter to the Secretary of State
for Community and Local Government to hold a public enquiry on the
application.
Oriental City Tenants Association will take the battle to the next
stage to get this planning application overturned.  After the Mayor’s decision,
the Secretary of State for Community and Local Government Ruth Kelly MP
will now consider this application and reach her decision by 22 March 2007.

We launched an e-petition to call upon Ruth Kelly MP to ‘call in’ the
planning application for a public inquiry, you can sign the e-petition
at
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/save-oriental-city-campaign.html. 
For more information please go to the Save Oriental City Campaign SOCC
website at www.saveorientalcity.co.uk.

London Chinatown Celebrates the Year of the Golden Pig

The Duelist

Loosely based on an original manga by Bang Hak-gi and set during Korea's late Chosun Dynasty era, acclaimed Korean filmmaker Lee Myung-Se's (Nowhere To Hide, Bitter And Sweet) innovative and visually impressive reinvention of martial arts genre conventions, DUELIST is a ravishingly shot and brilliantly choreographed tale of intrigue and romance. Taking visual inspiration from the works of artists Matisse and Mondrian (specifically the pieces "Dance" and "Manhattan" respectively) and basing the fight choreography on rhythms and movements more associated with the tango and ballet than with kung fu and swordplay, in DUELIST Lee Myung-Se has created a uniquely artistic and visionary martial arts film unlike anything seen before.

Well, that's what the blurb says. Decide for yourself when it is released on 9th March in the UK.

Save Oriental City

The Asian themed shopping centre 'Oriental City', on the outskirts of London in sunny Colindale, is under threat from developers!

I have been to the centre a few times and it has an excellent food court with outlets selling food from all over Asia. Thus you are able to sample dim sum turnip cakes, Vietnamese pork and sushi all at the same time! Not to mention the delicious range of teas on offer. There is also a large supermarket and some shops selling Chinese dresses, DVDs, pottery and of course Hello Kitty and Doraemon goodies. When you're done shopping you can kill some zombies on the House of the Dead game in the arcade. The first time I went to Oriental City I spent 5 hours in there! Managed to fit in 2 meals. Yum. There is a large Chinese restaurant on the top floor which I have heard is good but I haven't tried out.

It seems to me it would be a great shame to get rid of it. It needs refurbishing if anything and some good publicity. Our mayor seems to have a penchant for all things Chinese at the moment perhaps he should intervene?

Check out info. on dimsum.co.uk:
http://www.dimsum.co.uk/viewpoints/oriental-city-protest.html

Blog of interest:
http://british-chinese.blogspot.com/

Wong Kar Wai style

The sumptuous colours remind me of a Wong Kar Wai movie. His first English language film My Blueberry Nights should be out here in the UK this year. It is a road movie with Norah Jones in the lead role. Jude Law also stars, hmmm that does not make me leap about the room with enthusiasm. A remake of The Lady from Shanghai is apparently Wong's next project. I had heard rumours he was to make a martial arts film with Tony Leung (The Master), now that is more like it!

The magazine pictured also reminds me of the Thai movie Tears of the Black Tiger, a technicolor melodrama/cowboy film. Very good. The director Wisit Sasanatieng's second film Citizen Dog previewed at the London Film Festival 2 years ago but never got a general release. Shame as it sounded interesting (people with tails). Korean site with nice animated trailer:
www.citizendog.co.kr/
Watch an extract on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdS1poPa4SM

Podcast of show on Hip Hop & Martial Arts

Happy New Year!

The show I did with my brother on Hip Hop & Martial Arts is now avaialable as a podcast online:http://luckycat.podOmatic.com

Come Drink With Me

Classic Wu Xia action from Shaw Brothers starring Cheng Pei Pei. I saw this a couple of years ago on the big screen at the National Film Theatre in London when they had a Martial Arts season on. Fantastic to see it on the big screen. Cheng Pei Pei is familiar to most Western audiences from her role as Jade Fox in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but she was a big Shaw Brothers star back in the 1960s. The movie features a prototype for the Drunken Master character, called Drunken Cat played by Yueh Hua.
According to IMDB Cheng Pei Pei currently has 3 films in production. Her daughter Eugenia Yuan is also an actress and had a minor role in Memoirs of a Geisha (a film which I did not rate highly!), she stars with her mother in the upcoming The Shanghai Hotel. You can see a trailer for this new movie on Youtube.

Tofu Herb Salad Recipe

easy and tasty lunch recipe

• 1 block firm tofu
  
• 1 small bunch coriander
  
• 1 small bunch mint
  
• 1 small bunch sweet basil
  
• handful of toasted sesame seeds
  
• sesame oil
  
• soya sauce
  
• black pepper
  
• 1 clove of garlic
  

cut the tofu up into medium chunks, leave to marinate for an hour or so in sesame oil and soya sauce. tear coriander, mint and basil into a bowl. toast some sesame seeds and add to the herbs with the tofu chunks, mix in. add chopped raw baby sweetcorn for added crunch. make a dressing with sesame oil, soya sauce, black pepper and finely chopped garlics and mix into salad. serve with rice. nice.

talking of tofu, check out Tofu magazine: http://www.tofu-magazine.net/newVersion/pages/home.htm

Marlene Dietrich 'Shanghai Express' poster

Chinese Jamaican Reggae part 2 now online as podcast

Click here to get your own player.