Taiwanese Frozen Meals in a Pinch

Braised beef, and chicken and corn noodles

I'm still on the hunt for delicious Taiwanese braised beef noodle that can easily be heated up from frozen.

The standard I'm measuring it against is The Regent Taipei's version that I used to eat in Hong Kong.

The frozen packages from the box

In Vancouver I recently tried the version from A.Bento, a Taiwanese eatery on Broadway, which also offers some frozen dishes to make at home, including braised beef noodle.

Each box comes with two packs, one with the braised beef in the sauce with some bok choy, and the other is the dried noodles.

You take the beef out of the packaging and it's a giant solid mass that melts and heats up relatively quickly in a pot, while in another boil some water and then put the noodles in.

The two come together in under 15 minutes, and tastes straight forward. The beef is very tender, but perhaps the spicy braised beef noodle version would be tastier.

I also tried the frozen chicken with corn and noodles, with the same preparation. However, here the serving is one whole chicken drumstick which takes longer to heat up, but nevertheless is pretty tasty and substantial, garnished with corn kernels. 

The noodles in both are wide and a little thick, and has a kind of homemade texture to them. The soups of both are savoury and comforting.

Bookseller Lam Wing-kee Dead at 70

Lam was the owner of Causeway Bay Books 

Lam Wing-kee, the Hong Kong bookseller who was in the news for being abducted and detained on the Chinese mainland in 2015, has died at the age of 70 following a years-long battle with cancer in Taipei.

Before then it was an open secret that books critical of Chinese leaders were sold in Hong Kong, and those curious to learn more would head to Causeway Bay Books, as these kinds of publications were banned on the mainland.

His press conference in 2016 attracted attention

However, on October 24, 2015, he and four others related to the bookstore had disappeared, and it wasn't until February 4, 2016 that the provincial authorities in Guangdong confirmed Lam was in their custody, along with two others.

Eight months after he was detained, Lam was allowed to return to Hong Kong to fetch more information on the customers of the bookstore, but instead of returning to the mainland as instructed by the authorities, he held an unprecedented press conference with legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan.

Lam claimed he was abducted by mainland officials at the Hong Kong-China border in Shenzhen in October 2015, and that he was blindfolded and handcuffed, and transported to Ningbo. He recounted being held in solitary confinement, interrogated and accused of illegally sending banned books to the mainland, that his confession on mainland TV was scripted, and the Hong Kong government didn't help him at all.

That press conference really made Hongkongers worried about their safety -- they were used to rule of law, knowing their rights, having access to a lawyer and an unbiased judge. But what happened to Lam could happen to anyone. And then what? What legal protections did they have if the Hong Kong government didn't assist them?

It seemed their greatest fears about China were actually happening.

Lam moved to Taiwan in 2019

In April 2019 Lam was in the news again for relocating to Taiwan, following the proposal of the extradition bill in Hong Kong. Opposition to that bill later morphed into the biggest protest marches for months in the city's history that were later quelled by the end of the year.

Lam started his life again in Taipei, crowdfunding to open his bookstore, Causeway Bay Books in 2020. When he opened it, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen sent flowers and a congratulatory note. She later came in person.

Two years later, Lam revealed he had stage one lung cancer, and was receiving chemotherapy treatment. But by last July, he told the media that his cancer had already progressed to stage four, with some cancer cells close to his heart.

He slowly wound up his business and it was suspended last month.

Many will remember his courageousness in revealing what happened to him as a warning to others.

In a BBC interview last year, Lam said: "Everyone has their own values. You can't go against your values, nor can you betray others.

"If you believe something is right, you should continue to stick to it. It's not like you're harming anyone. If everyone could do that, this would of course be a better place."

A Bowl of Taiwanese Flavours

Taiwan style noodle soup at BBT Cafe

Today I met up with some friends for lunch in Vancouver's Kerrisdale and we decided to go to BBT Cafe, a Taiwanese restaurant.

I'd eaten there a few years ago and hadn't been back since.

I ordered the Taiwan style noodle soup ($15.95), which includes a soy-infused egg, bits of braised pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts with wheat noodles.

This dish is called Taiwanese danzai noodle soup, which translates as "wooden stick noodle soup", or "slack season noodle soup", which was made by fishermen in southern Taiwan. 

During the off-season, or "slack season", they would peddle the noodles by carrying them in pots suspended from wooden sticks to make some money until the season came to catch seafood.

Enjoyed this bowl of noodles, a relatively light lunch and liked the chewy texture of the wheat noodles!

BBT Cafe, 5979 West Boulevard, Vancouver, BC. Tel: 604 266 2195

Tasty Asian Eats in Vancouver's Kerrisdale

Bubbling hot (and mildly spicy) tofu soup with kimbap, banchan

Yesterday we tried a good value-for-money lunch in Vancouver's Kerrisdale. It's known for being an area where either seniors live or teenagers hang out because there are two secondary schools in the area. There's also a lot of Asian people residing in the area too, so there are Cantonese, Japanese, Thai and Korean eateries.

One of them in Sandeul, a Korean restaurant on West Boulevard. It's a spacious place that's bright an airy. I went there over a year ago when I was starving so it wasn't helpful that the place was packed to the gills and took a while to get my lunch.

Colourful and substantial portion of kimbap

This time a relative wanted to check out Sandeul so we went yesterday before noon and it wasn't too busy. We sat near the kitchen and checked out the menu. We immediately zeroed in on the lunch special available from 11am to 3pm: kimbap (seaweed rice rolls), japchae (sweet potato noodles stir-fried with vegetables), and tofu soup (choice of beef, seafood or mushroom) for C$22.99. 

We did have to wait a while, but it was worth it. The tofu soup arrived first, literally bubbling hot! Mine was mushroom with tofu, and mild spice level. The tofu was silky smooth and substantial, mixed with slices of mushroom. It was really comforting to eat on a chilly day.

For a lunch set we were expecting four to six pieces of kimbap, but we received a dozen each, a generous portion. They were delicious, filled with egg, cucumber, pickled radish, carrots and spinach. There was so much food we had to pack these in takeaway boxes.

The set lunch includes banchan, small dishes

However, we got a small plate of japchae that was actually just right, as well as three banchan: kim chi, pickled beansprouts, and gluten. We had a few refills...

Sandeul has another lunch special that's $25.99 featuring more dishes like salad, grilled mackerel, bulgogi, kim chi pancake and tofu soup. 

We were full -- but wait! We were a block away from a highly recommended Taiwanese drinks place called Macu. 

My cousin has raved about the place last summer and now I was just steps away from trying it myself.

Except when I saw the menu I was completely overwhelmed by how much choice there was! Did I want mango? Strawberry? Milk tea with boba? Or taro with milk?

Avocado, mango and milk tea drinks

Eventually I settled on strawberry avocado smoothie, with bobo or agar agar chewy cubes, diced strawberries and avocado mixed with milk and slushy ice. It wasn't too sweet and highly addictive that I finished the drink pretty quickly! Once the ice melts the drink doesn't taste as good...

Is it any wonder this place has a steady stream of business all day?

Sandeul

6019 West Boulevard

Vancouver, BC

604 428 3388

Macu

5971 West Boulevard

Vancouver, BC

Visiting Capilano Suspension Bridge

Hold on as you walk across the shaky bridge!

With a relative in town I did a very tourist thing today -- we went to Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver. I can't even remember the last time I went, so this was a good refresher with many new features since 2004.

Tickets aren't cheap -- $72.95 for adults plus tax it's $76.60 -- but if you can get downtown, you can catch a free shuttle bus to the tourist landmark.

Stunning views of the bridge at various points

We caught it at the back of Hyatt Regency Vancouver and about 15 minutes later we had arrived -- along with another busload of people.

As we bought tickets in advance, we were able to walk in right away and soon join the relatively short line to cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

The bridge was originally built in 1889 and was made of hemp ropes and a deck of cedar planks. It was later replaced with a wire cable bridge in 1903. 

It doesn't look daunting at first, but once you step onto the bridge, held up with steel cables, it's unsettling because the foot bridge sways a bit. You have to at least hold onto the steel cable handrail, and traffic coming from the opposite side also adds complications to the steadiness of the bridge.

My cousin was pretty freaked out and held on for dear life. I just held on with my right hand and clutching my iPhone for dear life. I didn't dare take pictures!

We made it over to the other side of the bridge. and began exploring the massive park that is filled with Douglas Firs, Cedars and Hemlocks. You can hear a few birds here and there, and some running streams. 

We learned a lot about the banana slug today

At the Raptor Ridge, we met three people who had a different bird attached to their left hand glove. They sat there and rested their hand on an arm rest, the bird attached to the glove.

The expert trio fielded people's questions about a Great Horned Owl that is nine years old, and likes to vocalise; a 21-year-old Saker Falcon, and a Bay-Winged Hawk that is used to scare away seagulls from sports venues. They don't live in Capilano but Maple Ridge and come out periodically on rotation with several other predator birds.

We also learned about banana slugs. What? They are yellow slugs with two pairs of antennae, 27,000 teeth, when handled release a numbing agent, and would take 15 hours to slide across the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

There isn't just the bridge, but two other nature walks that take you up into the trees. One is called Treetops Adventure, where you walk along narrow wooden bridges between trees, and another called Cliffwalk, where you walk along a path secured onto the side of a rock face!

By the time we went through the entire park, it was just over two hours. We went through the gift shop which is very big, and sells a bunch of nice stuff including Herschel knapsacks, retro CBC T-shirts, honey and maple syrup products, fudge and ice cream.

Cliffwalk had scenic views too

As we were leaving there was a massive line to get onto the suspension bridge and I got a certificate certifying that I had survived the Capilano Suspension Bridge! A fun souvenir.

We encountered tourists from Taiwan, The UK, South Korea, and United States and luckily we didn't have to wait too long to get onto the shuttle to get back to downtown. 

The logistics of the park was very well managed and most of the staff are cheery and informative. They have an activity booklet for kids, and if you hang around for some informative sessions, you will be rewarded with a sticker or stamp.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

3735 Capilano Road

North Vancouver, BC

604 985 7474

Din Tai Fung is Finally Open in Vancouver

The signature xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung didn't disappoint

Din Tai Fung Vancouver just opened up over a week ago and it's generated a lot of buzz to say the least. We have been anticipating its opening for at least a year and it has finally opened its doors on Alberni Street. Despite a few kinks to iron out, the Taiwanese restaurant chain has lived up to the hype.

I managed to snag a reservation during the soft opening phase by entering my email in the newsletter and we arrived this evening to try dinner here.

Sweet and sour baby back ribs were superb

For years Din Tai Fung has resisted opening in Vancouver, with supposed claims there was too much competition here (Chinese food is already excellent), they typically open in a shopping mall, or it just didn't make sense financially to set up shop here.

But perhaps they did finally find the right place -- a massive space on the second floor of a hotel/serviced apartment in downtown Vancouver. Perhaps if Din Tai Fung opened in Richmond it would be too much competition. There aren't many Chinese restaurants downtown, though Din Tai Fung happens to be a few stores down from Kirin!

We arrived a few minutes early and the reception area was absolutely chaotic with lots of people waiting around. I checked in with one of the three staff there who said it would take 20 minutes to be seated. Excuse me? That wasn't the answer I was expecting...

Sweet and crunchy Taiwanese cabbage

When tables were ready, staff would wander around to the different groups standing around, asking if they were so-and-so to take them to the dining room. It seemed inefficient and tedious, but perhaps they didn't want to go through the number-calling or name-calling route.

In the end we waited less than 10 minutes and were seated in the main hall where down at the end was a giant pane of glass where cooks in white uniforms and caps rolled out dough or wrapped dumplings. Later did I find out the restaurant was massive because down another hall there was yet another large dining space and a smaller "patio" one that was sort of enclosed.

Staff were friendly and asked if we needed instructions on how to order, but since we had eaten at other Din Tai Fung locations, we knew the drill. Was surprised to find there was no picture menu; diners had to scan a QR code to see pictures of the dishes.

Vegan dumplings choc full of vegetables

Disappointed to see no hong shao kaofu on the menu, though every other table had spicy cucumbers, as influencers had pronounced it an "iconic dish"... if that was the case, what would the xiaolongbao be described as?

We made our order on a slip of paper, and then waited. And waited. And waited... almost half an hour before our sweet and sour baby back ribs arrived. But boy were they delicious. The meat was so tender and the thick sauce whetted our appetites.

Next came the chicken xiaolongbao, as indicated by a small chicken carved out of a carrot. Both this and the kurobuta pork xiaolongbao have a mouthfeel to them; the pork in the xiaolongbaos in the Din Tai Fung in San Diego was so finely ground they were too smooth.

The vegan dumplings wrapped in green wrappers were very good, light with various mushrooms, tofu, jicama, wood ear fungus and vermicelli. We also liked the wontons in soup, a small whole shrimp wrapped with kurobuta pork in a savoury clear broth with lots of chopped green onions in it.

Braised beef shank with egg noodles in soup

For vegetables we had the string beans with minced garlic were crunchy, and the Taiwanese cabbage that had a sweetness to it, also with fried garlic slices. 

We couldn't not order the braised beef noodle soup, with a tinge of spice. The chunks of tender beef were of the shin shank, with bits of tendon in it, together with house made egg noodles and bok choy. We were pretty much full by this point, but had to try dessert...

The red bean and mochi xiaolongbao were much smaller than the savoury ones, and filled with red bean and had a slightly chewy texture from the mochi. We had 10 pieces and wished we could have split half the order with another flavour, like taro. I already gave this suggestion in the feedback survey. It's quite boring to have to eat three red bean and mochi dumplings.

The bill came to C$172.21 with tax, and including tip just under C$200 for three.

Red bean and mochi xiaolongbao for dessert

Nevertheless, despite the soft opening glitches, the food was already at a high standard and service was friendly. Hopefully the logistical issues will be sorted soon and Din Tai Fung will be the hot spot in Vancouver for a while yet.

Din Tai Fung Vancouver

1132 Alberni Street

Vancouver

 

Taiwanese Duck and Ginger Hot Pot

A warming duck and ginger hotpot for a stopover in Taipei

On my way to Vancouver I stopped over in Taipei for a few hours and met a friend there for dinner.

Unfortunately my flight was delayed by almost an hour, but I managed to make up for the time by rushing out of the plane at Taoyuan International Airport. I grabbed a cart to put my two hand carry luggage, which helped me breeze down the long corridor.

Vermicelli on the left, emperor vegetables, right

Then picking up my bags again we walked through a temperature check and to ensure we did not contaminate Taiwan, we walked on an elevated platform that was covered in artificial turf that had some sanitiser for the soles of our shoes.

After this walkway we arrived at passport control -- which hardly had any queues! I was amazed I was out of there in minutes. So was my friend who picked me up at the Arrivals area.

He insisted on taking me to eat a Taiwanese dish -- duck and ginger hotpot. It was pouring rain but a good excuse to warm up with this food, particularly with ginger!

We went to a Bawei location near the airport and it was pretty much an open-air restaurant, though it was completely covered, just the area facing the street was completely open, with yellow lanterns hanging outside advertising the name of the place.

There were many low tables with a hole in the middle and stools surrounding it, so it was almost like crouching, but not uncomfortable.

Tick off your orders here

We were given a sheet with ingredients on it to tick off, while a man first brought some charcoal that was heated up and placed them in the hole in the table, followed by a big clay pot filled with the duck soup, mostly duck bones, and big chunks of ginger. Some mushrooms were already added.

While we waited for raw ingredients to arrive, we had a plate of vermicelli, thin rice noodles tossed with sesame oil, a signature dish of this place. 

Unfortunately this particular place didn't have any duck blood! But we had other items like emperor vegetables, tofu, duck intestines, and fish dumpling wrappers. 

The meat from chopped up duck was quite tough and hard to extract from the bone, but the soup was delicious and surprisingly the ginger cooking in the pot for so long did not make the broth particularly spicy. It did hit the spot for me, being a rainy night and after traveling for three weeks the gingery soup helped me re-energise for my upcoming long-haul flight home.

Bakehouse Bakes up Success Story

Chef Gregoire Michaud with Bakehouse's famous egg tarts

Bakehouse is an extremely popular bakery that sells loaves of sourdough bread, pastries, cookies, sandwiches and doughnuts. Its most famous product is the sourdough egg tart, similar to the pastel de nata with its caramelised egg custard.

It was started 2018 by Swiss Gregoire Michaud, who quit his job as executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hong Kong. He first set up a wholesale business in 2013 supplying bread to hotels and restaurants before opening the retail bakery Bakehouse.

There are queues daily at the various locations

For someone who covers the food business it's been fascinating to watch Bakehouse grow from its first shop in Wan Chai to now having seven locations around Hong Kong.

A few days ago I caught up with Michaud and he continues to have a very humble attitude towards building his business and brand, and knowing full well that consistency is key.

The last time I talked to him was during the Covid-19 pandemic and he was having a hard time despite long lines at Bakehouse; the wholesale side of his business had completely plunged because hotels and restaurants did not order any bread, as hardly any customers dined out.

While retail sales at Bakehouse were doing very well, it was just barely enough to get by those few years. After the pandemic was over and borders reopened, sales bounced back very quickly.

Michaud said that the second most popular location after Wan Chai is Tsim Sha Tsui, with mainland customers passing through the area via the high-speed rail and thanks to Xiaohongshu, these visitors will go to Bakehouse and pickup not one box of egg tarts (six per box), but eight -- yes eight boxes of egg tarts. 

The flaky egg tarts are made with sourdough

But then someone on Xiaohongshu posted that if they wanted to skip the lines in Tsim Sha Tsui they should go to the Causeway Bay location.

There are even people in Taiwan who fly to Hong Kong specifically to stand in line at Bakehouse to buy the egg tarts and then get back on the next flight to deliver them to people who have ordered them online.

Some local residents have given up lining up for the prized egg tarts, saying because Bakehouse is trying to keep up with demand, quality has dropped...

Last year it was reported Bakehouse sold a whopping 18,000 to 20,000 egg tarts per day. At HK$12.50 each, that's a cool HK$91.25 million annually.

Quite amazing considering Michaud and his team were experimenting with some leftover sourdough dough to make egg tarts.

And they really are delicious. 

Flying on Eva Air

Super comfortable seats on Eva Air

I have arrived in Bangkok after losing a day traveling, but the journey was quite smooth thanks to Eva Air.

The Taiwanese airline has a late night flight flying from Vancouver (one of the last flights on the evening at 1.15am) to Taipei.

There are many benefits to flying Eva Air -- my first time -- starting with the seats. They are very comfortable with lots of support, unlike other airlines where it feels like sinking into a worn-down seat that feels like your bottom will fall through at any minute.

On the 777, the configuration of the seats is two on both sides, and four in the middle. Premium economy is a nice cabin to be in, small enough to have a quiet space, and two dedicated washrooms that are cleaned regularly.

Taoyuan International Airport

Another benefit of Eva Air is the food. When you check-in online, you can choose the menu you want to eat, and will be served before everyone else! I didn't even order a special menu! The food is very good. For dinner I had braised chicken with chestnuts and rice, then a few hours later was handed a triangular shaped package that was a chicken curry puff, and then breakfast was congee with fish flakes and scrambled egg. 

The staff are polite, and very helpful particularly to the older passengers who need assistance with putting their carry-on luggage away.

In terms of entertainment, there's a selection of movies which contain a mix of Western and Asian ones; the Western selection may not be as current, and there's no trailer to entice you to watch it (or not).

After 13 hours we landed in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and after going through a security check, it was very easy to find the transfer gate. The same area has a food court with some culinary choices, and lots and lots of souvenirs, from edible ones like pineapple cakes and tea to cigarettes and whisky.

I boarded the second flight to Bangkok (that later went on to Amsterdam), and the premium economy section was less than half full. For breakfast I had fried rice with a side of vegetables like mushrooms and edamame, and sweet potato that was delicious.

Landing in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, we made a trek to passport control where there were a lot of people who needed to be processed. Luckily there were many officers working and they went through the passengers relatively quickly.

My suitcase took a while to arrive (as I had checked in early in Vancouver), but at least it was in one piece!

Kidnapped Actor Reveals Shady Scam Centres in Myanmar

Wang (right) was rescued from Myanmar on January 7

The disappearance and subsequent rescue of a Chinese actor has shone a spotlight on the shady scam centres that have proliferated along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Wang Xing, 22, went to Thailand on January 3 on the promise of film work, but was driven 500km to a scam centre in Mae Sot, where his head was shaved and was trained to make scam calls, also known as "pig-butchering scams" to persuade victims to part with a lot of their money through text messages.

After not hearing from him for days, Wang's girlfriend went online begging for help, and after it was reposted by some famous Chinese actors, the Chinese authorities stepped in, and Wang was rescued on January 7. He returned to China on January 10, but not before thanking the Chinese and Thai authorities, but said nothing about how he was rescued.

He was held in a scam centre like this one

His swift return is not like the thousands of other people who were also lured to Thailand with promises of work, but were then swiftly kidnapped and taken across the border to places like Myanmar and Cambodia where they have been forced to scam people around the world, around the clock. 

There have been stories from former "prisoners" that if they don't perform these scams they are physically beaten and given little food, and it's near impossible to escape these camps. Only a handful of people have managed to escape and lived to tell their horrific experiences.

When news broke of Wang's rescue and return, families of other Chinese nationals started a petition to have the authorities also rescue their loved ones. Initially there were 174 cases, and now there are more than 600.

"We are desperate to know if the remaining Chinese nationals [who were] with him have been rescued," wrote one commenter on Weibo. "Other people's lives are also lives."

Wang had said there were about 50 other people who were held together with him.

Wang thought he had film work in Thailand

However, Beijing has not said whether it will follow up on these other cases, while the Thai government is keen to reassure Chinese tourists that Thailand is safe, as it relies heavily on visitors from China.

Wang is extremely lucky to have a persistent girlfriend, and for the internet community to clamour for the Chinese authorities to do something. But what about the rest of these people from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore who are essentially imprisoned and forced to scam innocent victims? 

It is believed these scam centres that get victims' money from cryptocurrencies and money transfers are run by Chinese syndicates, so why doesn't Beijing want to crack down on them? Surely it wants to protect its own citizens, who believed a job overseas could bring in money when they couldn't find work in China?

There are more questions than answers, but in the meantime Wang's harrowing story serves not only as a warning to others, but also helps bring more attention to scam centres in Southeast Asia and how they trick people into handing over millions of dollars.

Bo Xilai's Son Turns up in Taiwan

A photo of Bo on his LinkedIn page

Wow a blast from the past.

Remember Bo Xilai and his quest for power, his police chief who fled to a US consulate begging for asylum, and an Englishman who was murdered?

Bo is behind bars for life after he was convicted in 2013 for abuse of power and corruption, and was removed from all party and public positions.

Gu, Bo and their son Guagua many years ago

His wife Gu Kailai is also in jail serving a life sentence for her involvement in the murder of the Englishman, Neil Heywood.

However, their younger son, Bo Kuangyi, or commonly known as Bo Guagua, is in Taiwan to visit his fiancee's family.

The younger Bo entered Taiwan with a British passport on November 13, as he will apparently marry the scion of the Hsu family; her grandfather was Hsu Wen-cheng, the founder of Lotung Poh-ai Hospital in Yilan and influential KMT member, who passed away in 2019.

The Hsu family is considered to have strong political and business connections in Yilan.

After Bo arrived, he had a health check at the Lotung Poh-ai Hospital on the morning of November 15 and met his fiancee's family. Apparently a visitor needs to have a health check if they want to apply to stay longer in Taiwan.

Lotung Poh-ai Hosptail in Yilan

The young couple met when they were studying in the United States (Bo graduated from Harvard in 2012) and kept a long-distance relationship for many years. He has not been back to China since, but has been working in Toronto, Canada.

Taiwanese media are speculating if Bo will be applying to live in Taiwan long-term, and what he's going to do after he gets married... 

Trump Projected to Win... Again

Badiucao imagining what Kim, Xi and Putin are wishing for

It's 2.49am Eastern time and Donald Trump is on stage rambling about how he is going to make America great again, and how democracy is so beautiful, as he is poised to become the next president of the United States with 266 electoral votes, with four more to win.

For the Democrats it's 2016 all over again where Hilary Clinton suffered a shock loss, and now Kamala Harris. 

Analysts on CBC Radio are saying that President Joe Biden should be blamed for the result because he should have not run and given others a chance, that him holding on until after the first presidential debate showed he was egotistical and selfish.

Others said Harris didn't have enough time to tell voters who she is, and that she didn't clearly distinguish herself from Biden. For some voters it was the conflict in Gaza that hurt the Democrats versus Trump claiming he would make peace in a day.

For many it seems, the economy was top of mind, and high interest rates and tight budgets didn't help the Democrats, and voters remember Trump's presidency was in relatively good times and want to return to that. And so even women's rights on abortion wasn't enough of an issue to resonate with voters.

Some critics say the Republicans were more organised in getting voters registered compared to the Democrats even though Harris's team spent US$3 billion on her campaign, much more than Trump.

Canada is horrified by this impending result, and so is Europe. Ukraine won't be happy either, or Taiwan.

Political cartoonist Badiucao has drawn a cartoon of Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin praying for Trump to win, and they pretty much have their wish come true.

Will terrified Americans really move to Canada? Will women have to come up north to get an abortion? Will gay and trans people also come here too?

And will Trump go ahead with his Project 2025? Will he ban abortion nationwide? Will he kick out all illegal immigrants? Will he prosecute his enemies?

Some voters think the prosecutions and convictions against Trump were politically motivated...

Michelle Obama recently said in frustration: "We've got one candidate that's allowed to be lawless while the other one has to be flawless."

Harris unfortunately could not turn things around and could not even face her supporters tonight, who are grumbling that she didn't come out to thank them for voting for her.

She is probably overwhelmed that she actually lost... Democrats will be doing more soul-searching -- again...

Din Tai Fung Closes 14 Restaurants in China

The Taiwanese chain is closing 14 restaurants in China

When I was in Beijing, I was thrilled to see a Din Tai Fung open at a mall called Shin Kong Place, and ate there several times after work. 

So I was surprised to hear the Taiwanese restaurant chain known for its xiaolongbao is closing 14 stores in China, but perhaps it is indicative of the country's weak economy and how the Chinese are looking for cheaper places to eat.

The signature xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung

On Monday the company's subsidiary, Beijing Hengtai Feng Catering Company announced it will close all of its 14 restaurants in northern China, including one in Xiamen. The brand's parent company in Taipei confirmed its 18 remaining restaurants across eastern China, run by a Shanghai-based partner, will continue operations.

"We deeply apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment this decision may cause our many loyal Din Tai Fung customers," the subsidiary said in a statement on WeChat. The move will affect some 800 employees.

When China finally lifted Covid-19 restrictions, Chinese residents headed out of the country on "revenge travel", and much like Hong Kong, local restaurants lost a lot of business. And now as the property market crisis trickles down, people are more cautious with spending, and that has adversely affected restaurants.

"The current situation in China is that while there is still traffic, the consumption power is weak, including in the restaurant service industry," said Darson Chiu, a Taiwan-based economist and director general of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

At the entrance cooks make dumplings by hand

"A high-end brand like Din Tai Fung may not be able to meet the consumers' needs as they downgrade their consumption in China's current economic environment.

Indeed. Cheng Zhiwu, a professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, found that some restaurants in Nanjing offered food for a table of 10 guests for 400 yuan (US$56), or 40 yuan per head, down from the previous price of 700 yuan.

Another factor in Din Tai Fung's closures may be because a lot of expats left China, and they made about 20 to 30 percent of the restaurant chain's business. 

It was just so interesting to see a Taiwanese brand become so successful in China despite all the political sabre rattling across the South China Sea. But alas, the slowing economy has forced Din Tai Fung to retreat...

Taiwan's Badminton Win is Awkward for Olympics

Lee and Wang on the top podium, China (left) looking on

Taiwan hit the golden jackpot when Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin defeated China's Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the men's badminton doubles final in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee and Wang Chi-lin successfully defended their Tokyo Games title three years ago with consecutive wins -- the first men in badminton history to do this.

Needless to say Taiwanese residents were overjoyed with the result, where many watched the thrilling match on public screens. Taiwan -- or Chinese Taipei as it's called in the Olympics -- has one gold and two bronze.

Online news outlet HK01 reported that although the match began at 10.10pm, Chinese state media outlet CCTV didn't broadcast it until 11.03pm. And then the CCTV broadcast ended at 11.43pm and didn't show the medal ceremony either.

They are the first team to win back-to-back gold

However, people in China reported CCTV Channel 16 did broadcast the game live in its entirety and the commentator even congratulated the Chinese Taipei team on their victory.

"This is a chance to prove Taiwan's strength and to affirm our international status... In every area China suppresses us, we can't even use our proper name at the Olympics and are called Chinese Taipei. So our players are helping us become recognised," said fan Irene Lai.

Before the final, one female fan in a sports venue was holding a green poster in the shape of Taiwan with "台灣加油" on it when it was snatched by a mainland Chinese spectator.

The International Olympic Committee rules prohibit flags or signs that include political messages or support countries that are not participating in the Olympics.

But what the Chinese spectator did was political...

Review: Among the Braves

The book covers the 2019 protests through four activists

There are many books written about the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, such as Antony Dapiran's City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong that documents practically every single incident that happened, to Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong,  Louisa Lim's memoir that is woven together with detailed history of Hong Kong.

One of the latest books is Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy by journalist couple Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin, the former with The Washington Post, the latter a contributing writer to The Atlantic.

Ho is a journalist turned activist, now in jail

It's complicated to explain how the protests exploded on the street in the summer of 2019 without a lot of history and context, and the authors do this through Reverend Chu Yiu-ming's life, how he came to Hong Kong from the mainland, became a pastor and was involved in Operation Yellow Bird, smuggling Chinese student activists in Tiananmen Square out of the country, and then in 2014 the Umbrella Movement, calling for universal suffrage.

He was prosecuted for his involvement in the 79-day occupation of parts of the city, and five years later the next generation takes up the mantle to continue the fight for democracy. 

The book follows four main characters and how they were involved in the 2019 protests: Chinese-American Samuel Chu Muk-man, a protester named Tommy, journalist turned politician Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, and UK-based activist Finn Lau Cho-dik.

Lau advocated online for laam chau

July 21 is the fifth anniversary of the horrific events that happened in Yuen Long, when triad members wearing white shirts attacked people in the MTR station with rods. It was a horrific scene watching the video clips posted on Twitter that night.

In particular it was Ho's live-streamed video that was shocking. She was the reporter who bravely recorded a middle-aged man assaulting her and she continued filming the incident live. Among the Braves reports how local residents in Yuen Long knew days in advance the attacks would happen, and so did the police, and yet nothing was done to stop or mitigate the attacks.

When Ho decided to run for the pro-democratic primaries in July 2020, she was mentally prepared to go to jail... where she has been since January 2021.

The book also has a harrowing account of Tommy, who decided to take the risk and flee to Taiwan... by boat and what happened after, and how surveyor Lau became an activist in the UK to raise awareness of what was happening in Hong Kong and proposing "laam chau", the concept of mutual destruction. That resulted in a HK$1 million bounty on his head.

Chu's activism was inspired by his father

Samuel Chu is also profiled in the book as an activist in the US who is... the son of Reverend Chu. Like his father he studied to become a pastor and was active in promoting several causes which gave him experience to set up the Hong Kong Democracy Council, which is he as since left.

Nevertheless Among the Braves follows these four along with then Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and the numerous missteps she made in handling the 2019 protests and how this resulted in Beijing taking control over the situation and the city.

It's quite impressive how Mahtani and McLaughlin were able to reconstruct these people's lives, in Ho's case with as many people they could talk to, as she was behind bars. Their back stories help explain their motivations for being involved in the 2019 protests and the authors are sympathetic towards the pro-democracy protesters.

McLaughlin and Mahtani

A minor quibble is how some shocking events that were part of the protests were mentioned in passing to avoid criticism if they didn't include them, such as the young man who was shot by a policeman and protesters setting a man on fire.

In any event Among the Braves is a page turner for sure; those who were in Hong Kong can relive the events in their minds, while hopefully it will enlighten others about what happened in 2019.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Visits Beijing

Joly met with Wang in Beijing today, first visit in seven years

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly made a surprise visit to Beijing, the first in seven years following the detainment of the two Michaels, and an investigation into China's alleged interference in Canada's elections, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Joly met with her counterpart Wang Yi with the hopes of stabilising bilateral relations between the two countries. 

"The two ministers took note of recent positive developments in relations, including the resumption of consular consultations, and the recent exchanges at senior levels," says a readout (summary) of the meeting released by Global Affairs Canada.

The discussions were described as "pragmatic"

"Minister Joly's visit reaffirms the Minister's commitment to pragmatic engagement with China and the development of sound and stable bilateral relations."

The statement goes on to say that China "indicated a willingness to explore opportunities to strengthen engagement" on such issues as climate and the environment, curbing the fentanyl crisis and working to improve trade relations.

China's readout echoed Canada's description of the talks, saying: "As two major countries with important influence in the Asia-Pacific region, both countries share extensive common interests and complementary advantages."

During the meeting with Wang, Joly did bring up the thorny issue of reports of Chinese interference in Canadian politics, such as the elections in 2019 and 2021, China accused of setting up police stations in Vancouver and Toronto, and the targeting of Conservative MP Michael Chong.

However China's statement said: "Issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are all China's internal affairs and no external interference is allowed."

Detainment of two Michaels put relations on ice

Nevertheless, China experts say this is a good first step. Former China diplomat Guy St Jacques says the Chinese economy is in the doldrums and wants to convince foreign companies to invest in China. "They know that after the arrest of Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels, that Canadian executives are still reluctant to travel to China," he said in an interview with CBC.

He added that despite political relations not doing well, last year Canada established a new record in terms of exports to China of C$31 billion, in terms of minerals and agri-food products. 

St Jacques thinks Wang will seek Joly's opinion about what is happening in the US presidential election and perhaps she will invite him to come to Canada at an appropriate time.

Well take this visit as a positive step, and perhaps China conferring approved destination status on Canada in the near future?

Learning About Abandoned Spaces Part 1

Construction at Senakw, by the Burrard Street Bridge

Yesterday I went on a photo walk with a group of strangers and led by staff from the Museum of Vancouver. It has an exhibition called Mirage: Disused Public Property in Taiwan by photographer Yao Jui Chung that is on until September 2. 

For 14 years he and his students documented abandoned government-funded buildings all over Taiwan not only to draw attention to them, but also hold the government to account and challenge the authorities to reuse them, or allow others such as NGOs, artists, the elderly or young people to repurpose them.

Some of these photographs are shown in the exhibition, which encourages visitors to pin point unused spaces on a map of Vancouver.

On Saturday the museum staff invited some amateur and professional photographers to come and investigate some neglected places in the city (well those near the museum).

After visiting a run-down house that has been left empty for years, we went to see a plot of land with many construction cranes near the Burrard Street Bridge.

On Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh land, the development is called Senakw or "the place".

Museum staff explained that the indigenous people lived here, but in 1869 they were forced to move to the North Shore. They were told they would get C$100 cheques each when they got to the other side and were only given a short time to pack their belongings. When they did reach the North Shore, their cheques were void -- in other words fake.

We were also told the place was multicultural. In 1908 the first gurdwara or Sikh temple in Vancouver was built in Kitsilano; it was taken down and interestingly Canadian architect Arthur Erickson designed the Ross Street Temple in 1970.

Japanese-Canadians also lived in the area before they were interned in World War II.

The large towers at Senakw will add a lot of housing and services to the area; neighbours are concerned about what's coming in, while others are optimistic about the land use and look at it as a model for future development in Vancouver...

Press Freedom Under Attack

Palestinian journalists were recognised for their work this year

Today is World Press Freedom Day and Palestinians were awarded the UNESCO press freedom prize for covering the Israeli war on Gaza. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists, more than 100 journalists and media workers, mostly Palestinian, have been killed in the first seven months of the conflict in Gaza since October 7 last year.

However, Gaza's Government Media Office says the toll is more than 140.

"In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances," said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals during the announcement.

RSF released its annual press freedom index

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders released its annual press freedom ranking and Hong Kong continues to rank low on the list, though five spots higher than last year at #135.

Sandwiched in between the Philippines and Sudan, Hong Kong still ranks poorly due to the changing situation of other countries.

"Hong Kong is +5 places [up], but only due to the movement of other countries in the Index. Hong Kong's score actually has fallen -1.8 points, which is a significant change," explained Aleksandra Beilakowska, the NGO's Asia-Pacific Bureau Adovcacy Officer.

Last month she was denied entry into Hong Kong and was searched and questioned for six hours at the airport before she was deported back to Taiwan where she is based.

Interestingly Canada ranks #14, while the United States is #55. China is #172 and Eritrea is at the bottom of the list at #180.

Yesterday the Nikkei reported that Chinese-owned media are distancing themselves from Asia's highest profile journalism prize in a bid to avoid being seen as "colluding with foreign forces."

Fewer outlets are participating in this award

The Society of Publishers in Asia gives out awards annually to regional and international media outlets ranging from breaking news to photojournalism, features and video stories.

However, media outlets like Beijing-based Caixin Media, Shanghai-based Sixth Tone, state-owned The World of Chinese, and even the Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post have dropped their SOPA membership or have not submitted entries for the awards.

Luwei Rose Luqiu, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said these outlets distancing themselves from SOPA shows a further tightening of press freedom in China, to the point where even the space for Chinese English media, which used to be relatively lenient and aimed to align with international peers is narrowing.

"However, for Chinese media, whether to participate in SOPA has little impact because such awards do not affect their readership," she said.

It's a pity this is happening, resulting in journalists having fewer opportunities to have their work judged against peers and recognised in the industry. It may come to a point where SOPA becomes irrelevant which would definitely indicate a further decline in press freedom not only in Hong Kong, but the region...