The veteran Hong Kong star - actor, producer, writer, director, TV presenter and restauranteur - was born on 14th April 1953. Eric started his career in cinema as a stuntman. His father Tsang Kai wing was a professional footballer and then coach and Eric was following in his footsteps until at 23 he got fed up of being compared to his Dad and wanted to excel at something different. As a footballer he had met Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Leung and become friends with them. Although he didn't know kung fu Lau Kar Leung thought his physical skills could be put to good use as a stuntman. He began working, often as a double for women as he was short.
Eric then decided to turn his hand to screenwriting and in 1977 wrote the script for the Shaw Brothers Kung Fu masterpiece (Wu Tang Clan and Tarantino favourite) The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Industry friend Karl Maka helped him with this new career move.
"To help script The 36th Chamber of Shaolin I studied harder than I ever did in my life even more than when I was in school. I studied all the books I could find because I really wanted to put all the animal styles in the script - tiger, snake etc. I wrote about the theory of kung fu so I could put that material for Lau Kar Leung. Then the next scipt I wrote was Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog."*
Eric then got into directing, his first job was as assistant director on the Jackie Chan movie The Fearless Hyena. Instead of joining the film production company Golden Harvest like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung Eric's friend Karl Maka brokered a deal with Cinema city. Tsui hark was also part of the Cinema City family. Eric directed Aces Go Places for Cinema City which became a popular series of films (he also starred in them). Eric was definitely not the matinee idol type and believes he paved the way for other fat/quirky looking actors.
In 1984 Eric left Cinema city and Sammo approached him and asked him to join Golden Harvest to star in and associate produce Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars.
In 1986 Eric teamed up with old pal Jackie Chan to direct him in Armour of God:
"I talk to Jackie. I told him he was not improving. He had now girls in his films. I told him that, even though I'm not that famous, some girls like me. I also said he had no friends in his movies. I suggested that he should begin to work with singers like Alan Tam and put some girls in his movies."*
In 1992 Eric co-founded the film production company Untied Filmmakers Organisation (UFO). Around this time Eric's career as an actor was changing. In the 1980's he starred in numerous Carry On style, cheesy slapstick comedies. in the 1990s his roles began to be more serious. Notably his role as a mob boss wooing Maggie Cheung in Comrades Almost a Love Story directed by Peter Chan. Eric's character is introduced in very brief shots as longer shots may have got automatic laughs from the Hong Kong audience.
In the 1990s Eric began to get more serious roles in dramas and in 2002 he was given a fantastic role where he really came into his own as an actor - as Triad boss Sam in the finest film of the Hong Kong gangster noir genre Infernal Affairs. Apparently Anthony Wong was supposed to play this role but they wanted someone with real gravitas (and acting awards!) to play the policeman so they gave him this role instead. Good news for Eric and it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role now. Eric's inspiration for Sam came from watching Anthony Quinn in Avenging Angelo: "In every scene he is eating and that defined his character. I wanted to be a guy that no one could pin down. No one knew when he was happy and when he was sad. He was always different...The most important thing about playing this role is the fact that I am old enough to be the boss of Andy Lau and Tony Leung. I sa these 2 actors grow up in the film business so it was natural for me to be the boss."
As well as eating in films Eric is obviously a bit of a foodie as he has now become a restauranteur. First he opened the restaurant Eric Deli Paradise in the Hartmas Shopping Complex Malaysia - in good company Kenny Rogers has a chicken restaurant there (I suppose he does look a bit like Colonel Saunders). The restaurant serves steam boat and dim sum goodies. Pictures of Eric adorn the walls and his TV show Super Trio Series plays on a TV.
Eric opened his first mainland China restaurant this year in Shanghai. Also a hotpot place, he thinks it will never go out of style and hopes visitng HK stars will patronise the restaurant.
Eric is still busy making movies, starring in the 2007 Wong Jing comedy Beauty and The 7 Beasts and due to hit our screens in Jay Chou's Shaolin Soccer homage Kung Fu Slam Dunk in 2008.
Eric Tsang with your raspy voice, cheeky expression and limitless talents, we salute you.
Anchovies with Peanuts Fishy salty and delicious, serve on its own or add it to congee.
80g dried anchovies (medium size about 5cm) 100g peanuts (shelled and plain NOT salted) 2 cups oil 2 large chillies, sliced 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped 3 spring onions chopped 1 tablespoon rice wine (Shaohsing) pinch of pepper
Deep Fry fish in wok and drain. Remove most of the oil. Re heat and add chillies, spring onions, garlic and rice wine stir fry for 2 mins, add fish and peanuts and fry for a further 5 mins. If you like it spicy add chilli sauce or if you like it sweet add sugar. Or if you like it really fishy add fish sauce, yum.
Oyster omelette is apparently the most popular snack served in Taiwanese night markets (according to the China Post). I found a recipe here: http://hipfood.wordpress.com
Just found out about this Japanese movie produced by Stephen Chow, to be released in 2008. It is in the same vain as Shaolin Soccer with a young lacrosse player (Kou Shibasaki) improving her game by learning Shaolin kung fu.
2 mackerel (filleted) 5 tablespoons sake/rice wine 5 tablespoons soya sauce 2" piece of ginger (peeled and grated) cornflour vegetable oil for deep frying lettuce leaves lime wedges 2spring onions (finely chopped)
Cut the mackerel into strips about 1.5cm thick. Mix the soya and sake in a bowl and add the grated ginger, put the fish in and make sure all pieces are well coated. Leave to marinate for 1 hour minimum. When ready to eat (perhaps your rice is gently cooking?) heat the veg oil in a wok (need lots for deep frying). Drain the fish pieces and coat them in cornflour (sprinkle some cornflour on a plate near the wok). Put them into the oil when it is ready and fry for 2-3 mins until golden. Remove from oil and drain on kitchen paper. You will probably need to to fry in 2-3 batches as to avoid overcrowding in the wok. Arrange the mackerel on a plate of lettuce leaves, sprinkle with spring onion and serve with lime wedges. Delicious on its own as a starter/snack or with rice for a meal.
for the paste: 1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped up 2" piece ginger, sliced 2 tablespoon tumeric 1 teaspoon coriander seeds ground up or ready ground coriander 1 teaspoon shrimp paste or yellow curry paste (optional)
1 tin coconut milk a little water dashes of fish sauce 1 tablespoon honey juice of half a lime a little oil (groundnut or veg)
Cut the pumpkin into chunks (take off skin and de-seed). Chunks should be about 2". Make the curry paste by pounding together all paste ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Don't worry about making the paste totally smooth. Put the oil into a medium hot wok, add the paste and the pumpkin chunks and coat. Pour the coconut milk in and top up with water add a few dashes of fish sauce. Heat up and simmer for 20 mins. Then add th honey and lime - taste to check the balance is right. Serve with rice and tung choi. If you like you can add a couple of halved crabs to the curry 10mins before it is ready. If doing this definitely add the shrimp paste to the curry paste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander before serving.
Sublime Frequencies have a DVD out of the 'Thai Halloween' festival Phi Ta Kon. The festival is held every year in June/July in Isan, Northern Thailand. People dress up as ghosts and spirits and dance all night to mo lam (Thai country music from Isan). Lots of rice whiskey is glugged down.
Check out the crazy on screen graphics and does that guy on the panel have an afro? The beatboxer is pretty good - Stand by Me with singing and beatbox at the end!
Chicken cooking outside Fusebox (above) for the satay wraps they sell. I didn't rate the wraps, not enough flavour (more chilli, garlic ad fish sauce please). The shop sells noodles, Japanese chewing gum, soya sauce, kaffir lime leaves etc but prices are inflated. Better to try your local Chinese or Vietnamese supermarket or head to Chinatown. Next door to Fusebox on Stoney Street is sushi restaurant Feng Sushi which I haven't had the chance to check out. Read a review here.
Tuesday's show was all about East Asian food at Borough Market. I was joined in the studio by Alex Fraser from East Teas (see above) who have a stall in the Green Market. Alex kindly brought in some delicious teas for us to taste. From chilled sparkling Jasmine tea to Gyokuro Jade Dew which was full of umami. As you can see from the pictures above East Teas also sell beautiful cermaics - tea pots and tea cups and bowls with strainers. Just to the left outside the picture there are really cool Vietnamese shopping bags for sale.
I visited the Tofu HQ in East London of Clean Bean Tofu who also have a stall in the Green Market. They sell fresh, organic tofu which is very delicious. Plain or marinated - soya, ginger and sesame or five spice. The beans they import are organic from Northern China and they use nigari (a by product of natural sea salt) for the coagulent. Neil from Clean Bean recommended Fuchsia Dunlop's Ma Pao Tofu recipe.
Two weeks ago the British Immigration Authority raided restaurants in Chinatown, cracking down on illegal workers. They invited the media along and turned up in bullet proof vests and riot gear. Understandably the residents of Chinatown were not best pleased with this and thought the BIA were using the Chiense community as a scapegoat to meet government targets to deport illegal immigrants. The following week Chinatown went on strike for one hour in protest. Read more here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384046.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7039952.stm It is probable that in fact the entire catering trade in London relies on immigrant workers, not just Chinatown. BIA say other raids will be carried out too but so far no news of any in the media....
Don't feel constrained by the measurments, you can do it by eye and just keep checking the taste is right.
Prepare all the veg - cut the carrots, turnip and washed Chinese leaves into 1inch chunks. Thinly slice fresh chillis, keep the seeds. Mix all teh pickling ingredients in a large bowl, put the veg in and cover. Let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 days (longer=saltier and spicier so you decide). Drain the veg and rinse well in cold water before putting into an airtight jar. Keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Serve as a side or just snack on them whenever you feel peckish.
