Pig’s head
One of the highlights of my recent trip to China was a lesson in braising a whole pig’s head. I couldn’t resist posing for a few…
Bamboo bliss
Fresh bamboo shoots are one of life’s great pleasures – and one of which the tinned version gives you absolutely no possible inkling. I had some…
Change and destruction
 Last Saturday I went back to Zhenjiang, the old vinegar town on the Yangtze. My friend Gwen and I spent the day exploring the old…
Healthy Chinese eating
One of the things that always strikes me in China is how remarkably well so many people eat. It’s ironic that so many westerners think of…
Saving animals from the pot
According to this report in the Guardian, student groups in China are beginning to challenge the custom of eating endangered animals for their supposed health benefits.…
In a perfect world
I’m hugely flattered to discover that a Canadian video journalist has named me as her perfect dining companion!
More thoughts on Michelin in China
Some time ago I wrote a piece for the Financial Times about the Michelin Guide’s awarding of its maximum accolade, three stars, to a Chinese restaurant,…
More reviews of Ba Shan
A couple more reviews of Ba Shan, the new London restaurant in the Bar Shu Group for which I work as consultant. Giles Coren, writing in…
Chinese takeaways
All this talk of swine flu brings back vivid memories of Hunan during the SARS crisis of 2003. I lived there from the early days of…
On not eating shark’s fin
European Union ministers are demanding urgent action to protect sharks in European waters, because a third of shark species are endangered because of chronic overfishing.  It’s…