Guest: Christine Wong – James Beard Award-nominated author, plant-based cook, food photographer, and sustainability advocate.

In this episode, we chat with Christine Wong in a bustling Hong Kong cha chaan teng about her culinary journey, the art of veganizing iconic comfort foods, and how our food choices connect to culture, family, and the planet’s health.

• Key Topics & Discussion Points:
• The Spark of the Journey: How making baby food for her toddlers ignited a path to culinary authorship and plant-based advocacy.
• The Vibrant Hong Kong Table: The story behind her James Beard-nominated cookbook; a mission to preserve culinary nostalgia and disappearing food traditions with a future-forward, plant-based twist.
• The Gutsy Vegan Makeover: The creative challenges of reimagining meat- fish- and dairy-heavy classics like wonton noodle soup, steamed eggs, and beef brisket noodles without relying on processed mock meats. (Spoiler: Cabbage steaks and sweet potato puree are heroes!).
• Nostalgia vs. Innovation: Balancing deep respect for tradition with the desire to innovate, and why visual appeal and "eating with your eyes" are so important in her recipes.Cooking Philosophy & Tips:
  • Beginner-friendly recipes from her book (steamed "egg," sautéed veggies).
  • Essential tools for a small kitchen (steamer rack, long chopsticks, a good pan).
  • The importance of time, planning, and making cooking a communal, family activity.
• Family & Food Memory: The influence of her grandmothers ("Mama"), early food memories of Lunar New Year, and passing on cultural heritage to her children raised in New York.
• The Hong Kong Food Scene: The stark contrast (and surprising harmony) between street food stalls and fine dining, and the growing but gradual shift toward plant-based options in the city.
• Sustainability & Conscious Cooking: How her work, including co-authoring Living Without Plastic, ties together personal health, cultural representation, and eco-friendly kitchen choices.

Resources & Links:

• Christine's New Cookbook: The Vibrant Hong Kong Table (Chronicle Books)
• Christine's Website: https://www.consciouscooking.studio/copy-of-home
• Follow Christine on Instagram: @thevibrantveggietable and Substack: @thevibrantveggietable

Support the Show: If you enjoy Hong Kong Lit Club, leave us a 5-star review and share this episode with a friend who loves food, culture, or just a great story! Instagram: @hongkonglitclub

Award-winning author Ritu Hemnani joins us for a powerful conversation on writing as a tool for empathy and social change.

We begin with her poem, "Mind the Gap," which hijacks the London Underground's warning to frame the xenophobia faced by Asian communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ritu reveals how this mundane phrase becomes a metaphor for prejudice, bystander silence, and the fear of being targeted.

We explore her cinematic craft, moving from nostalgic Chinatown memories to a tense tube car confrontation, and how her drama background fuels her character-driven empathy.

The discussion expands to her mission as a children's author. She shares her journey to publication with the Partition-inspired verse novel Lion of the Sky and picture book Gope and Meera, driven by her belief that every child deserves to see themselves in a book.

Ritu also offers practical advice for writers and a sneak peek at her upcoming narrative non-fiction picture book, 'Their Story is Our Story.'

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Ritu’s live reading of “Mind the Gap.”
• How a TEDx Talk secured her HarperCollins book deal.
• Why writing for children is her toughest and most important audience.
• Writing tips, from daily habits to breaking through blocks.
• Our Local Linguo segment on the Cantonese phrase 「請留意月台空隙」.

Featured in this episode:

• Ritu Hemnani: Website | Instagram
• Books Mentioned: Lion of the Sky | Gope and Meera: A Migration Story
• Publication: Imprint by The Women in Publishing Society (Hong Kong)

Episode Credits:

• Host & Producer: Julia Besnard
• Guest: Ritu Hemnani
• Audio clips: "President Trump Calls Coronavirus 'Kung Flu'" BBC clip; "Coronavirus: Racism towards Chinese people in the UK on the rise" video by The Telegraphh UK.
• Hong Kong Lit Club is a production dedicated to promoting the writers of Hong Kong. Follow us on Instagram.

Subscribe now on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. If this conversation moved you, please share it with a friend and leave us a rating and review!

In this heartfelt episode, we explore Jennifer Wong’s short story "Burden", a poignant tale of family tension, cultural identity, and the silent struggles of aging in Hong Kong. Through the eyes of a child narrator, the story unveils the fractured relationship between a grandfather deemed a "fu lui" (burden) and his family, set against the cramped flats of Mei Foo and fleeting trips to Shenzhen. Writer Jennifer Wong joins us to discuss the autobiographical echoes in her work, the power of child narrators, and how Hong Kong’s spatial and economic pressures shape familial bonds.

In the Deep Dive segment, we explore the symbolic meaning of the black line drawn by the mother to exclude Grandpa from family life, how materialism and scarcity fuel tensions and mirror Hong Kong's economic strains, and why a child's voice captures family dynamics with raw honesty and inadvertent humour. We also discuss Shenzhen asa means to escape Hong Kong's cramped flats - which leads us to the "Local Linguo" segment, where Aidan and Julia unpack the meaning of "北上 (bei soeng)" – "Heading North" This phrase was inspired by Grandpa’s monthly Shenzhen trips, which echo Hong Kongers’ cross-border adventures—cheap haircuts, 24-hour hotpot, and the unspoken rivalry with mainland China. "It’s not just a direction; it’s a lifestyle!"

Where to Find Jennifer Wong

• Website/Linktree
• Instagram: @jenniferwswong
• Current Projects: A new poetry collection.

Subscribe & Follow: Hong Kong Lit Club is available on Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, etc. Join the conversation with #HongKongLitClub!