Cantopop Archive

HONG KONG – Hong Kong is living proof that “one country two systems” has worked. It has also lived up to the promise that it will keep dancing, keep going to the races and keep the stock market alive. Pauline D Loh looks back on the last 14 years.

It was an emotional sojourn that started with a tremulous return in 1997 and that evolved into a lead role in the nation building of an economic giant. Hong Kong has come a long way from being a tremulous prodigal returning to the arms of an estranged motherland.

It was not always this easy.

Sam Hui, king of Cantopop in the ’80s and ’90s, was singing out the melancholy and trepidation buried in Hong Kong hearts at that time.

About to be deserted by her British guardians, the ex-colony was to be returned to China, an unknown presence that seemed to be glowering down at the flamboyant delinquent on its doorstep.

The people of Hong Kong, used to the laissez-faire ways of their colonial masters, were unsure of the future, uncertain of what was to become of them and greatly concerned that Beijing might take away the freedoms they had so taken for granted.

In 1984, the countdown began when China and the United Kingdom signed the Joint Declaration in the Chinese capital, starting the process of a handover of power that would be fully complete by 1997.

Under the Joint Declaration was an assurance by Beijing that it would adopt a “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and that Hong Kong would continue its previous capitalist system and way of life for a period of 50 years after 1997.

In the words of the Chinese leaders, this meant that Hong Kong could “keep dancing, keep going to the races and keep playing the stock exchange.” But in those immediate years before 1997, the uncertainty in Hong Kong was almost tangible. Those who could were looking for another country to escape to.

Those who could not for various reasons could only hunker down, grit their teeth and expect the worst. It was no coincidence that Sam Hui’s songs rocketed off the charts at this time.

In one plaintive melody, he sang of how Hong Kong emigrants felt like misfits in a foreign country with strange landscapes full of tall grasses instead of skyscrapers, where they had to adapt to a new language, new lifestyle, and most of all new food.

In another, he sang of the homesickness of the Hong Kong traveler, where the sight of Mount Fuji brought memories of The Peak, and Hawaii’s harbor made him long for the fishing lights along Victoria Harbor.

It was both poetic and poignant.

As is so often the case, the gloomy anticipation was about the only punishment meted out to Hong Kong, although it did struggle to find an acceptable administration.

But as it slowly adapted to life under the red flag, it did receive a wake-up call that made the people look deep into their consciousness and decide who they wanted to be.

For the first time, they had a national identify, rather than just a reputation for being the goose that laid so many golden eggs for a faraway master.

About a quarter of the time has passed since China declared the deadline of “No change for 50 years”.

What has taken Hong Kong, and indeed the world, by surprise is this: Although the SAR has noticeably evolved in the interim, it is mainland China that has undergone the sea change as it enthusiastically embraced economic reforms that have propelled it to the top of the world economics class, so to speak.

Much of the success story in this unique political integration stems from two main factors. One is the innate resilience and pragmatism of the Hong Kong people and their determined ability to adapt, and the second, equally important, is the tolerance and space Beijing has given this special administrative region so far.

In the words of one of the SAR’s leading architects: Where else in China can you find demonstrations being held every weekend right under the noses of the SAR administration?

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ELEVEN Africans were held over a series of Internet love scams in a joint operation between the Malaysian and Taiwan police.

Major Chinese dailies reported that the police were acting on a report lodged recently by a Taiwanese divorcee, surnamed Li, in her 40s.

Last September, Li got to know Mark who claimed to be a British engineer via a dating website. Mark had expressed interest in wanting to invest in Taiwan and invited Li to be his partner.

But later, he claimed that his bank account was hacked and told her that he needed some turnover for his businesses in Malaysia urgently.

She transferred over NT$6mil (RM624,000) to Mark’s Maybank account in Malaysia in 37 transactions.

Mark could not be contacted after that.

In January this year, she met another man Maica, who also claimed to be a British national, via the same site.

After complaining to him about Mark, Maica said he knew some high-ranking officials in Britain and could help her, but he needed some money to bribe them.

Li paid Maica over RM300,000 but later found out it was also a scam.

Mark and Maica were among the 11 Nigerians arrested last week.

The dailies also reported that Cantopop “heavenly king” Andy Lau and his Malaysian wife Carol Choo are praying hard for a child.

The couple was spotted at a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong earlier this month.

As they entered at 8pm, they spoke to the masters for a while and prayed before having a vegetarian meal.

Hong Kong’s Oriental Sunday magazine said Lau, 49, and Choo, 45, wanted to have children.

Other News Views is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this sign, it denotes a separate news item.

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Major Chinese dailies reported that Cantopop “heavenly king” Andy Lau and his Malaysian wife Carol Choo are praying hard for a child.

The couple was spotted at a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong earlier this month.

As they entered at 8pm, they spoke to the masters for a while and prayed before having a vegetarian meal.

Hong Kong’s Oriental Sunday magazine said Lau, 49, and Choo, 45, wanted to have children.

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Read the interviews here

In recent years, Hong Kong music has become more diverse and adventurous than ever before. Mark Tjhung explores the reasons behind the evolving scene and profiles four of th emost influential faces who are shaping the future. Portraits by Calvin Sit

There’s a stigma over Cantopop: cheesy, formulaic, plastic and sappy. These are just some of the clichéd charges which are levelled against Hong Kong’s pop music industry on a regular basis and, for too long, the indictments on the city’s influential music staple have been all too justified. Derivative songwriting, digitally enhanced starlets who can’t sing but can attract an endorsement dollar, and the power clique of record execs, television stations and award ceremonies have all contributed to its tawdry reputation. But while the behind-the-scenes power stronghold remains very much the same, the musical condemnation of Cantopop is, in many ways, a little dated.

Today, Cantopop is changing. The plodding love ballad, which has very much been the archetype for the genre, no longer reigns as the sole dominant force, and Hong Kong mainstream music as a whole – a huge cultural export – has started to welcome a raft of ideas, genres and sound.

“We have pop, jazz, DJs, hip-hop. All of these are Hong Kong pop elements, and they crossover into the pop music world,” says Wong Chi-chung, renowned music critic, CR2 radio DJ, concert producer and curator as well as author of the 2007 book Hong Kong’s pop soundscape. “This is really the time that we should all get intertwined.”

This intertwining is already underway. There are, of course, the massive names: Eason Chan, Sammi Cheng and the like; but singer-songwriters, rock outfits, hip-hop artists, and jazz multi-instrumentalists are now more prevalent than they’ve ever been in Hong Kong music, as are Putonghua and English. And in just the past few years, through a conspiracy of factors, the industry has slowly transformed from the heights of the derided karaoke ballad culture to a more diverse, balanced and ambitious landscape than it’s arguably ever been in, providing an opportunity for music that hasn’t fit into the old Cantopop mould to play a more active part in the scene.

And in a way, Edison played a part…

THE DEATH OF A POP IDOL
Sex scandals may make good tabloid fodder, but they’re hardly what you’d think of as culture-shaping news. But when Edison’s compromising photos appeared on the internet in early 2008, it resulted in a mini-backlash against the entertainment industry and, perhaps subconsciously, changed the public’s attitude towards Hong Kong’s pop idols.

Let’s put it in perspective. At the time of the Edison Chen scandal, pop idol culture was at its peak. Acts like Twins were reaching their heights with their manufactured doll-like facades and robotic choreographed dances, looks – as opposed to talent – were the paramount indicator of star quality and, in pandering to the karaoke dollar, pop songs had been reduced to a ludicrous and all-too obvious formula (leading to Jan Lamb’s piss-taking mock-ballad Satire《流行曲 》).

“[The sex scandal] tore the fans’ dreams apart because they were thinking that pop idols were as pure as they projected and that really broke their hearts,” says Gary Chan, long time critic of the Hong Kong music industry and Associate Publisher of music magazine Re:spect. “[The fans] wanted to seek some alternative by that time. Because of that incident, there was no more fantasy and they tried to bring something new.”

It wasn’t as though Hongkongers completely rejected the notion of the exploited pin-up. Rather, people sought a better definition between their musical idols and their fantasy girls, something emphasised by the emergence of the lang mo. In one corner you had the brazen, super sexed-up pseudo-model; in the other, legitimate musicians.

“Before, the public tended to buy the image of Stephy [Tang] or Twins. But, after, the lang mo really took the attention of the public, rather than the girl idol. So, those girl idols don’t really have the market in Hong Kong,” says Chan. “The lang mo have really helped the scene to differentiate between the musician, singer-songwriters and others… Before, I think the concept was so mixed up.”

In a post-Edison world, more is expected from our musicians than ever. “If you’re just another teeny-bopper idol and you can dance well, it’s not enough now – even record companies know that,” says Wong.

The record companies, of course, are just following the demand. The change has principally come about because the audience now knows better.

THE ONLINE LIFELINE
To say the internet has changed the way we consume music is a tiresome cliché now. But it’s also true. And there are few factors that have broadened the breadth of music consumed by Hongkongers than the online world.

“Before, it was the karaoke charts, radio and TV. The public really limited their music taste and preference,” says Chan. “[Now] they know where to find songs. They are not really bound by the mass media.”

The consequences of the tech-age are two-fold. The first affects the audience. “When they get access to the digital culture, they know this guy
can sing, that guy can’t sing, that other guy can play instruments,” says Wong. “Music culture is all about the empowerment of the audience… So, the fans are not just mediocre like they were before and the level of critical audience [is rising].”

In addition, musicians have begun absorbing influences from a far wider pool and a broader musical palette, which inevitably filters down to the breadth of styles and genres being produced in Hong Kong.

The upshot is straightforward: Hongkongers are now exposed to more music than they have ever been and, in an environment where the closed mass-market has dominated for so long, are driving demand for a different breed of artist.

GOING LIVE
The internet has also provided record companies with a few headaches. Pirates, single-song downloads, the increasing irrelevancy of the album and dwindling CD sales have seen the music industry as a whole be forced to adapt to the digital era.

Globally, artists have increasingly taken to the stage to ensure a decent pay packet. It’s a clear trend – live gigs are where the money’s at – and it applies equally, if not more so, in the Hong Kong market, where putting musicians on stage has required a rethink of the attributes of a star.

“The audience wants to spend their money on live shows, rather than CDs, so they request the singer to have presence on stage, and good performance and singing,” says Chan.

The star of the new age requires some decent musical chops and, as Chan points out, certain types of musicians are more suited to these new bars being set. “I guess the record labels also tend to sign contracts with more singer-songwriters. They really know that live performances can attract more people, and more money,” he says. “Even singers don’t depend on their pretty faces anymore – they really need them to dance, have the grooves and sing well.”

MUSICAL CHAOS
In recent years, due to all these factors, the public has been looking for alternatives to the cookie-cutter world that was Cantopop. And increasingly, the pie has fractured into more varied and definable genres. “When the pop music market is swinging and diving, and the record companies and musicians are facing a crisis, they seek something new,” says Wong.

Singer-songwriters were the first ‘new’ wave of musicians to make an impact on the market, with the likes of Chet Lam, at17, Ivana Wong, Louis Cheung and Khalil Fong emerging. But from the singer-songwriter branch, things have grown. “We can find Canto hip-hop, Canto-electronica, we have jazzy people, like Bianca Wu, and we have indie stuff, like The Pancakes,” says Wong, naming just a few of the new directions of the industry.

“[The industry] is really chaotic at the moment, in an excellent way,” adds Chan. “It is a good turning point in Hong Kong music history.”
The scene is being pulled in all sorts of multifarious directions. And from pop and RB to hip-hop, folk and rock, there are some artists that are changing the face of Cantopop and paving its way into a new era. We profiled four of the most influential, HOCC, Khalil Fong, MC Jin and RubberBand, who, in their own way, are bringing a new breadth and depth to Hong Kong mainstream music…

Read the interview with HOCC
Read the interview with Khalil Fong
Read the interview with MC Jin
Read the interview with RubberBand

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A TVB assistant general manager told the District Court it is “inconceivable” that HK$1.2 million was paid for logistics to an outside company for the broadcaster’s anniversary show.

Au Wai-lam was testifying on the 13th day of the corruption trial of TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan, Idea Empire Advertising and Production company director Edthancy Tseng Pei- kun and TVB former head of business development Wilson Chan Wing-suen.

They have pleaded not guilty.

Au said he questioned why the Jade Singers Celebrate TVB Anniversary show was being shot in Macau in late October 2009.

But Wilson Chan said they found a sponsor paying “a big stack of money.”

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However, crew members complained about the vessel, transportation, hotel and meals for crew and artists, while Melco Crown Entertainment was dissatisfied because it said it did not get value for money for its sponsorship, including “inadequate” shots of the hotel.

Cantopop singer Leo Ku Kui-kei was sent to Macau – with Au’s endorsement – to do extra shooting before the show could be aired a month later.

Au then discussed the contract for the show with TVB group general manager Mark Lee Po-on.

They asked Wilson Chan to present the contract in November 2009, but it was not until early January 2010 that Chan handed over a contract involving Melco, TVB and Idea Empire, and a service agreement between TVB and Idea Empire.

Au said he found the two contracts suspicious since the company was not aware of their existence.

TVB received HK$4 million instead of the HK$5.2 million Melco promised to pay.

He was stunned to find Idea Empire would receive altogether HK$1.2 million from two contracts for jobs, mainly for logistics, exceeding the 20 percent ceiling for production costs.

Based on HK$3.2 million production costs, the logistics bill represented 38 percent.

The hearing continues today.

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The late Cantopop diva Anita Mui Yim-fong and filmmaker Alan Tang Kwong-wing were among those who selflessly gave their time and money to help save mainland student leaders after the June 4, 1989, crackdown.

In his memoirs, Szeto Wah describes Tang as a loyal and righteous person while Mui was generous in giving her time as well as her money.

According to Szeto’s sister Szeto Sim, Tang personally contacted activists involved in Operation Yellowbird and offered unconditional help in rescuing people. He also used those in his Macau circle, including some with triad backgrounds, to help locate and smuggle out the students.

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“Tang had a lot of influence in Macau and got involved personally to save time but he remained low- key and never claimed his share of glory,” Szeto Sim quoted her late brother as saying.

Director and actor Tang, who died of a stroke in March, aged 64, had denied his involvement when his name was first mentioned in 2009 by Chan Tat-ching, who led the operation.

There had also been speculation Mui was involved in the operation and the memoirs confirm this.

Szeto Wah described Mui’s death as “a sad loss of a comrade.”

The diva died of cancer in 2003. She was just 40. Mui hosted a concert in Canada to raise money for the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which Szeto led, but her deteriorating health prevented more such shows.

According to the memoirs, Mui repeatedly refused to host concerts in the mainland as she was totally against the crackdown.

“It should have been a golden opportunity for her to get money if she wanted,” Szeto Sim said. “But she had her beliefs and was not shaken by fame or fortune. That was why she was unique.”

Jul 12, 2011, 5:41 GMT

Abba Chan Tat-chee, 64, pleaded guilty in 2006 to six charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to steal, theft and conspiracy to defraud, the South China Morning Post said.

But sentencing was delayed in Hong Kong District Court until Monday after the trials of three co-defendants, against whom Chan testified, were concluded.

The scam, which took place from April 2004 to April 2005, involved the transfer of 25 million Hong Kong dollars from China Sciences Conservational Power, of which Chan was executive director, to bank accounts controlled or designated by Chan.

The court heard the funds had to be paid back before the company published its annual report, so Chan engaged in conspiracies to transfer 38 million Hong Kong dollars back to the firm.

Chan testified against his three co-defendants, who were senior executives of China Sciences Conservational Power and China Conservational Power Holdings, of which Chan was chairman and executive director.

The three co-defendants, who had pleaded not guilty, were convicted in June but have yet to be sentenced.

Chan’s sentence was reduced from seven years because of his cooperation, District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi said.

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PrintArticle();//–

Hong Kong – A Cantopop concert promoter was jailed for three years for embezzlement and misappropriation of 63 million Hong Kong dollars (8.1 million US dollars) of corporate funds, a newspaper report said Tuesday.

Abba Chan Tat-chee, 64, pleaded guilty in 2006 to six charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to steal, theft and conspiracy to defraud, the South China Morning Post said.

But sentencing was delayed in Hong Kong District Court until Monday after the trials of three co-defendants, against whom Chan testified, were concluded.

The scam, which took place from April 2004 to April 2005, involved the transfer of 25 million Hong Kong dollars from China Sciences Conservational Power, of which Chan was executive director, to bank accounts controlled or designated by Chan.

The court heard the funds had to be paid back before the company published its annual report, so Chan engaged in conspiracies to transfer 38 million Hong Kong dollars back to the firm.

Chan testified against his three co-defendants, who were senior executives of China Sciences Conservational Power and China Conservational Power Holdings, of which Chan was chairman and executive director.

The three co-defendants, who had pleaded not guilty, were convicted in June but have yet to be sentenced.

Chan’s sentence was reduced from seven years because of his cooperation, District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi said.

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<!–enpproperty 2011-07-03 09:42:09.0Pauline D LohHong Kong: Fifty years no changeHONG KONG, China, SAR,Britan, CPC1811048812Politics2@usa/enpproperty–>

The flags fly high at the Star Ferry end of the Ocean Terminal, each reflecting the elements that make for Hong Kong’s success, and witness to its resilience. [Photo/ China Daily]

Hong Kong is living proof that “one country two systems” has worked. It has also lived up to the promise that it will keep dancing, keep going to the races and keep the stock market alive. Pauline D Loh looks back on the last 14 years.

It was an emotional sojourn that started with a tremulous return in 1997 and that evolved into a lead role in the nation building of an economic giant. Hong Kong has come a long way from being a tremulous prodigal returning to the arms of an estranged motherland.

It was not always this easy.

Sam Hui, king of Cantopop in the ’80s and ’90s, was singing out the melancholy and trepidation buried in Hong Kong hearts at that time.

About to be deserted by her British guardians, the ex-colony was to be returned to China, an unknown presence that seemed to be glowering down at the flamboyant delinquent on its doorstep.

The people of Hong Kong, used to the laissez-faire ways of their colonial masters, were unsure of the future, uncertain of what was to become of them and greatly concerned that Beijing might take away the freedoms they had so taken for granted.

In 1984, the countdown began when China and the United Kingdom signed the Joint Declaration in the Chinese capital, starting the process of a handover of power that would be fully complete by 1997.

Under the Joint Declaration was an assurance by Beijing that it would adopt a “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and that Hong Kong would continue its previous capitalist system and way of life for a period of 50 years after 1997.

In the words of the Chinese leaders, this meant that Hong Kong could “keep dancing, keep going to the races and keep playing the stock exchange” – 舞照跳, 马照跑, 股照炒. But in those immediate years before 1997, the uncertainty in Hong Kong was almost tangible. Those who could were looking for another country to escape to.

Those who could not for various reasons could only hunker down, grit their teeth and expect the worst. It was no coincidence that Sam Hui’s songs rocketed off the charts at this time.

In one plaintive melody, he sang of how Hong Kong emigrants felt like misfits in a foreign country with strange landscapes full of tall grasses instead of skyscrapers, where they had to adapt to a new language, new lifestyle, and most of all new food.

In another, he sang of the homesickness of the Hong Kong traveler, where the sight of Mount Fuji brought memories of The Peak, and Hawaii’s harbor made him long for the fishing lights along Victoria Harbor.

It was both poetic and poignant.

As is so often the case, the gloomy anticipation was about the only punishment meted out to Hong Kong, although it did struggle to find an acceptable administration.

But as it slowly adapted to life under the red flag, it did receive a wake-up call that made the people look deep into their consciousness and decide who they wanted to be.

For the first time, they had a national identify, rather than just a reputation for being the goose that laid so many golden eggs for a faraway master.

About a quarter of the time has passed since China declared the deadline of “No change for 50 years”.

What has taken Hong Kong, and indeed the world, by surprise is this: Although the SAR has noticeably evolved in the interim, it is mainland China that has undergone the sea change as it enthusiastically embraced economic reforms that have propelled it to the top of the world economics class, so to speak.

Much of the success story in this unique political integration stems from two main factors. One is the innate resilience and pragmatism of the Hong Kong people and their determined ability to adapt, and the second, equally important, is the tolerance and space Beijing has given this special administrative region so far. In the words of one of the SAR’s leading architects: Where else in China can you find demonstrations being held every weekend right under the noses of the SAR administration?

You can contact the writer at: paulined@chinadaily.com.cn.

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By: Maida Pineda
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Chicken and Spa Egg. Photographs by Maida Pineda

For many travelers, Hong Kong is a shopping paradise. For me, it is definitely an eating destination.

Days before touching down on this city of over seven million people, I am already dreaming of my meals. I must have the traditional Peking duck. It is a drill I know all too well. The roasted duck, presented by a waiter wearing clean white gloves, is skillfully carved with the right proportion of crisp skin and meat. It then becomes a repetitive act of wrapping the duck with pancake, a drizzle of hoisin sauce, a sliver of cucumber and spring onions, to be savored over and over again.  One meal is delegated to dimsum or yumcha, and the joyous sharing of siomai, hakaw (shrimp dumplings), siopao and variations of the dumpling and bun theme over cups of hot tea.

But there is another Hong Kong dining tradition many tourists are not aware of –the cha chaan teng (CCT).  These are tea cafés introduced in Hong Kong in the 1940s, as cheap and cheerful eateries serving Western-style beverage and snacks and as an alternative to the highbrow British tradition of cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea.  Through the years, CCTs have evolved to include Western and Chinese dishes.

Open from breakfast to the wee hours of the morning, CCTs are an all-day and night dining institution where friends, lovers, families, and business associates regularly meet up for everyday meals.  All come here for the panty hose milk tea, a strong brew made from black tea with crushed egg shells for a silkier texture, and filtered through a fabric like stockings. It is then served hot or cold with evaporated milk.

CCTs are where you go for your fix of canned luncheon meat, corned beef or bacon.  Cha chaan tengs are known to be anything but healthy or hip.

Hong Kong Caesar Salad. Photographs by Maida Pineda

Returning to Hong Kong to visit my old romping grounds and to see old friends, I met up with my Filipino friend Richard, who suggested that I try Cantopop, a restaurant which opened last month right at the heart of Central in Hong Kong.

It is a hip diner with most servers wearing retro white polo shirts with an icon of a fried egg, and thick-rimmed glasses. CCTs are often located in nondescript hole-in-the-wall settings – but not this one. Cantopop is located right smack in L Place on Queen’s Road in Central, just a few steps away from the HM boutique frequented by tourists from Manila.

Positioning itself to be the CCT 2.0, it serves organic and natural farm fresh produce, hormone-free poultry, meat and eggs and No MSG in all its dishes.  Behind the stove is Margaret Xu, famous in Hong Kong for her private kitchen and use of all locally grown organic ingredients from the New Territories.  But what piqued my curiosity was the place’s use of “music eggs.” On a wet Friday lunch, the restaurant was packed with petite Margaret Xu fluttering around the kitchen and tables. Geoffrey Wu, the director of communications, explained, “You know how some farms in Japan play classical music to relax the Waygu cattle?  Well, these hens listen to different types of music both in English and Cantonese, except rock.”  He continued, “What we get are bigger and tastier egg yolks.”

Before I could raise my eyebrows and give him a skeptical look, he made me taste the Sous Vide Charsiu Fried Egg.  Charsiu is barbecued pork seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red food coloring and sherry or rice wine.  It is a staple in Hong Kong, eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Think of it as their version of pork tocino. But instead of the usual bright red Charsiu I loved, the meat was a muted brownish hue.  Since it is slow-cooked using the sous vide method of airtight plastic bags in water baths and no artificial coloring, it tastes and appears different from the usual Charsiu.  The star of this dish is definitely the egg yolk, bearing a brighter yellow orange color and a richer savory flavor, to go with the healthy non-GMO rice.

Hong Kong’s summer days have two characteristics: much humidity and lots of rain. With the rain pouring outside, a soup noodle dish had to be ordered. The Chicken and Spa Egg is really a simple dish of chicken with a poached egg and fresh, handmade egg noodles. The broth is all-natural, none of that cubed artificial stock, resulting in a soup that is not oily. The free-range chicken meat was oozing with flavor, nicely complementing the noodles, which are less chewy than commercially produced Chinese noodles.  Geoffrey insisted I taste his favorite dish, the Hong Kong Caesar Salad, with salt-baked chicken. Cooking the chicken in salt is a traditional Hakka technique employed in many Hong Kong kitchens.  Instead of making the dressing from fresh yolks, anchovies and oil, Cantopop uses Fuyu, a Chinese cheese made from fermented tofu.  The dressing innovation tastes just like Caesar dressing, only a bit stinkier.  But the salt-baked chicken is truly delicious, making me wish I had some rice to eat it with.

Tea time is never complete without toast. The Aussies have their vegemite and the Brits have their marmite. In Hong Kong, they too have their own Chinese cheese and organic honey thick toast.  The fermented tofu cheese spread is mixed with the sweet taste of organic honey.  Just like vegemite or marmite, this stinky spread is not palatable to everyone.  For me, I liken the experience to eating smelly moldy bread with honey.  I quickly washed it down with the pantyhose milk tea.

For those wanting more caffeine, there is the Yin yang, where milk tea is mixed with three parts coffee.  I was intrigued by the Old HK Egg Plunge drink, which turned out to be a raw egg in a cup of hot water with sugar.  I won’t be ordering this again. Drinking raw eggs is not exactly my cup of tea.

Cantopop prides itself in not serving canned luncheon meat or corned beef and commercially made bacon; instead they make homemade versions. I’d have to taste that next time, perhaps, in the wee hours after partying in Hong Kong.

But today, all around me, almost all the plastic seats and booths were taken despite the pouring rain.  It was mostly young professionals, with a few middle-aged folk curious if this hip restaurant could compete with their favorite CCT.

CCT regulars may not be thrilled with Cantopop’s modern version of their favorite café.  The prices are higher than their neighborhood favorite. But at the end of the meal, you can be assured you will not be thirsty from too much MSG. You have eaten healthy organic food. The food is clean, so you can enjoy your holidays without getting a bum tummy.

Its name, Cantopop, truly captures the essence of this cuisine. While this type of Hong Kong pop music may have a strong following, fans of traditional Chinese music may not love it.  The same is true for this restaurant: innovating CCT cuisine may not appeal to traditional purists. But it also makes a traditional cuisine more accessible to expats, tourists, and a younger generation of diners who may be unaware of the simple joys of eating at cha chaan tengs.  •

For more golden delicious moments in food and travel, read Maida’s blog, www.themaidastouch.blogspot.com or e-mail her at maida@maidastouch.com. Maida Pineda is also the author of “Six Degrees of Expatriation: Uncovering Lives of Expats in Singapore” and “Do’s and Don’ts in the Philippines.”

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Roaring Good Times 4 – Cross Talk

Running for the past four years, Roaring Good is Singapore’s brand of cross talk show. Catch artises such as Huang Wei Jie, Nam Yun Zhou and Ho Jin Yang as they entertain you with their witty banter and rapid conversations. Today, 8pm, Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets at S$20 and S$25. www.sistic.com.sg

IGNITE! Music Festival 2011

Join in the music and fun at IGNITE! Music Festival 2011. Organised by The Republic Cultural Centre, the annual event involves more than 300 Republic Polytechnic’s students and is one of the biggest local music festivals.

Today, 4pm to 10pm, Republic Polytechnic. Free admission. www.rp.sg/Ignite/2011

Meet Beast

Get up close and personal with the hotties from Beast in their first Asia Fan Meeting Tour. Having just made their debut album in October two years ago, Beast (better known as B2ST) is one of the hottest Asian boy bands.

Today, 5pm, The MAX Pavillion, Singapore Expo. Tickets at S$88, S$128 and S$158. www.sistic.com.sg

Brave Kids

Come celebrate your child’s achievements at the Nestle NAN Pro 3 Brave Kids event. It’ll be an exciting day of activities that will inspire, educate and challenge your little ones. Plus, exchange an empty pack of any brand of Growing Up Milk (for one year onwards) and get one free NAN Pro 3 900g tin worth S$29.80. Conditions apply.

Today, 10am to 7pm, VivoCity, Central Court B. Call 6395 8169. www.nestlebaby.com.sg

Sam Hui Live In Concert 2011

The renowned Father of Cantopop is back to dazzle with a massive brand-new concert – Sam Hui Live in Concert 2011. Performing 75 of his evergreen hits, the Cantopop star promises a spectacular night out.

Today, 8pm, Resorts World™ Convention Centre, Compass Ballroom, Resorts World Sentosa. Tickets at S$88, S$118, S$148, S$188. www.sistic.com.sg

Parenting Talk

Can’t seem to connect with your teenager these days? Come attend Parenting Talk: What Does Your Teen Really Want?, and find out what Generation “Me” is all about. Organised by Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the talk offers a guide to parenting your teen and will teach you how to pick up on important behavioural cues. Also, learn more about parenting styles and communication techniques.

Today,10am to 1pm, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, free admission. www.np.edu.sg/genme

Dutch Lady Roadshow

Find out more about Dutch Lady Growing Up Milk at the Ang Mo Kio Hub FairPrice Xtra roadshow. Come participate in the exciting games and win prizes and vouchers. From 3pm to 5pm, MediaCorp Love 97.2FM DJs will be there to play games with the shoppers. The first 100 shoppers to complete the Dutch Lady Challenge will receive a 650g sample and free gift. Plus, enjoy the roadshow special – buy one box and get 650g free. While stocks last.

Today, 12pm to 6pm, AMK Hub FairPrice Xtra.

Set The Night To Music

Take your loved one out for a romantic evening at Robertson Walk. As you wine and dine, enjoy soothing music by popular local artistes performing at the breezy Mediterranean courtyard. The Set the Night to Music programme include musicians such as jazz songstress Anne Weerapas, Nathan Hartono, Meryl Lee, Joshua Alexis and Ocular, and string quartet J’adore.

Today, 7.30pm to 10.30pm, Mediterranean courtyard at Robertson Walk. Free admission

Ecoplosion – To Heal Earth

This weekend, head to City Square Mall and learn to heal the earth and make it a better place. Come to the mall and donate or exchange used toys, books, bags and spectacles/sunglasses. There will be four zones where interesting eco learning showcases and activities will be conducted too.

Today and tomorrow, 10am to 8pm, Level 1, Atrium City Square Mall. www.citysquaremall.com.sg

NTUC at Universal Studios

Good news for all NTUC members! Due to overwhelming requests, NTUC has extended its promotion to Universal Studios Singapore. From now until end of the month, NTUC members get to enjoy 20-per-cent discount off tickets to Universal Studios Singapore. Now, that’s a great reason to take your family out for a day of fun at the theme park.

Until July 31. powerofu.sg

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