Chua Lam

Chua was born in Singapore in 1941. His father originally named him (Teochew: ; Pinyin: ), meaning born in Nanyang (). But when the name was sent back to the ancestral hall in the Teochew hometown, it was discovered that someone in the previous two generations already had the same name, so it could not be used. However, his birth certificate had already been registered as "Chua Lam", so his Chinese name was eventually changed. Chua, had an elder sister and brother and one younger brother. As a child, Chua lived above a cinema, always in sight of the screen, and his passion for movies grew. Influenced by his father, he read extensively, publishing his first article in the Nanyang Siang Pau at the age of 14. Because he disliked studying, he attended several primary schools. For secondary school, he attended The Chinese High School in Bukit Timah, Singapore, studying Chinese in the mornings and English in the afternoons at another school. Chua originally hoped to study painting in France, but at 18 decided to study abroad in Japan. Chua attended Nihon University in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan and enrolled in the Department of Film Directing of the College of Art. While studying, Chua worked part-time for Shaw Brothers Studio as a manager and translator in Japan. == Career ==

Media career In 1963, Chua moved to Hong Kong and continued to work at Shaw Brothers as its production manager. After working at the studio for 20 years, Chua was approached by Hong Kong producer Raymond Chow, who had just founded the film studio Golden Harvest, to serve as the vice-president of film production which he accepted. Chua often wrote, in his newspaper columns, about the tours' organizing trips where he and others sample food from four or five restaurants per day in order to select the best restaurants. Chua has authored more than 150 books on topics such as travel, personalities, food, humour, and his philosophy of life.'' Chua decided to sell his collection after his wife's death as not to be too burdened with his collection. Proceeds from the sale went to charity. Business career Chua had also opened restaurants, such as Chua Lam's Pho, his first restaurant serving Vietnamese pho. == Gastronomic philosophy ==

One of Chua's most beloved dishes was stir-fried bean sprout with fried tofu and fish sauce. Chua was famous for advocating the use of pork drippings in food preparation and as a condiment. He cited and promoted the usage of pork fat in most of his TV shows. In 2019, Chua criticised hotpot, describing it as a cooking method "totally lacking in cultural significance", and liked it to go extinct. Chua, in his writings, later clarified that while he is not interested in hotpot, he is not against hotpot but against poorly done hotpot using dipping sauces to attract customers. He especially appreciates Sichuan's hotpot. ==Personal life and death==

Chua's father, Chua Boon-hean (), was a native of the Jio Mung Chua () village in Chaozhou who immigrated to Singapore. His father worked in a high-ranking post at the Shaw Brothers Studio and died in 1995. Although Chua was based in Hong Kong from 1963, he held Singapore citizenship. In March 2023, Chua's wife slipped and fell at home and died shortly after. While rushing over to his wife when she fell, Chua fell also and fractured his pelvic bone. On 25 June 2025, Chua Lam died at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. He was 83, and later cremated. It was initially reported on Chua's Facebook page on 27 June 2025. ==Filmography==

Film Chua Lam worked in the 1980s and up to the end of the 1990s in the Hongkong film business as executive producer or producer. Television In the 2000s and 2010s he was working as general consultant and TV presenter for Japanese and other TV series as he had become "one of the most authoritative voices on Chinese cuisine". • 2007: '''' • 2007: '''' • 2008: • 2009: Be My Guest ==References==