Chinatowns have long enraptured writers, artists and photographers as well as cooks. Our must-consume list will help you discover more sides to these cultural enclaves.
1. Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown
In this masterfully constructed tome – which features 90 recipes – Jew celebrates his roots and pays tribute to classic Chinatown fare, from orange chicken wings to mushroom mu shu.
Evocative photography showcasing San Francisco’s Chinatown from the inside out adds an extra layer of meaning to it all.
2. Interior Chinatown
With Chinatown as the omnipresent backdrop, it is a telling allegory of the Asian-American immigrant experience.
3. Made Here: Recipes and reflections from NYC’S Asian communities
An independently published cookbook coming out in November is the creation of a group of New Yorkers behind the initiative Send Chinatown Love.
Made Here will feature stories and recipes from New York’s Asian-owned restaurants, and 100 per cent of the net proceeds from sales will go towards supporting the work of Send Chinatown Love, including projects such as Gift-a-Meal, where participants can support Chinatown merchants by purchasing food and groceries that are then distributed to disadvantaged communities via non-profit organisations, food pantries and community fridges.
For details, go to sendchinatownlove.com.
4. Coronavirus: Chinatown stories
Even as the dust settles on the Covid-19 pandemic, the effect on Asian communities – particularly Chinese-owned restaurants – lingers.
‘We have the right to fight back’: US Chinatowns stand up to redevelopers
‘We have the right to fight back’: US Chinatowns stand up to redevelopers
Young has since evolved into a staunch advocate for Chinatowns across America, and continues to lobby for the survival of these community hubs through the James Beard-supported social media campaign #SupportChinatowns, which encourages diners to share their love for their favourite spots.
The “Coronavirus: Chinatown Stories” video series was recognised by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History as an important cultural work, and is available at graceyoung.com.
5. Kem Lee
He was once described by the San Francisco Examiner as “the dean of Chinatown photographers”, a title rightly earned as he meticulously documented the minutiae of Chinatown life, from the big moments – such as visits from state figures and celebrities – to the mundane, photographing ordinary folk such as shopkeepers and local families.
6. Pioneering dreams
Now in his 70s, Singaporean Quek Tiong Swee has spent most of his life documenting the Lion City; in 2013, he donated some 80,000 of his images from the 1980s to the National Heritage Board, making them available to the public.
Now he, along with 90-year-old fellow photography enthusiast Lee Wong, have 30 of their images on display in Singapore’s Maxwell MRT station until summer 2024.
Titled “Pioneering Dreams”, the exhibition depicts Singapore’s Chinatown from the 1970s to the 2010s, charting its rapid development over the decades.