Chua Lam: Renowned Hong Kong-based food critic dies at 83

Chua Lam, a renowned food critic and cultural icon in the Chinese-speaking world, has died, according to his official social media account. He was 83.

The Hong Kong-based, Singaporean-born Lam died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital with family and friends by his side, a post on his Weibo account on Friday read.

“In accordance with his wishes, in order not to disturb relatives and friends, there was no ceremony and his body was cremated,” it said, without specifying the cause of his death.

Known as one of Hong Kong’s “four greatest talents”, Lam was a prolific writer and a popular host of food and travel shows.

He was the longest-living member of the four cultural icons, which also included Cantopop lyricist James Wong Jim and novelists Jin Yong and Ni Kuang.

Chua settled down in Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he produced films – including several by action star Jackie Chan.

As a producer, he had to travel the world to scout for film locations, and was later invited to write a column in a local newspaper, he told the South China Morning Post in 2016.

“So I wrote a lot about food and restaurants, and eventually people saw me as a food critic,” he said.

With writings and television appearances throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Chua soon became one of the most authoritative voices on Chinese cuisine.

In 2012, he served as one of the consultants on A Bite of China, a documentary series introducing various dishes across China.

Chua mostly retreated from public view since he fell and fractured his pelvic bone in 2023. He was injured while rushing to help his wife, who had fallen at home. She died later that year.