WHO:
Based in London. Born in England to Hong Kong Chinese parents. Grew up in Germany. Lived in Beijing and New York. Married to a vegetarian. Lives as a carnivore. Indulges regularly in ‘traveleating‘. Works as a film examiner at the British Board of Film Classification.
I was recently shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers 2009 New Media Award. It was a great honour as I was the only non-professional food writer among the shortlistees in all twelve categories.
- Awards for Word of Mouth Writers (Guardian Word of Mouth)
- Guild of Food Writers Awards 2009 (Guild of Food Writers)
- Guild of Food Writers Awards 2009 Shortlist (Bookseller.com)
- London’s best food blogs & websites (Time Out London)
- Food, Glorious Food! (DimSum)
- Film & Food - A Perfect Combination (DimSum)
- Good To Meet You (The Guardian)
- Behind The Scenes (LSE Magazine)
Some of my restaurant reviews and posts can also be found on Urbanspoon, London-Eating and Dim Sum.
WHAT:
World Foodie Guide explores the joys of ‘traveleating‘, travelling and eating being my two favourite pastimes. I started writing about my restaurant experiences a few years ago, when friends would ask me for dining recommendations. Unless otherwise stated, I always pay for my meals.
I eat well at home too, and like to try out new dishes from around the world (a few of the recipes have been kindly donated by my mother, husband and friends), while Chinese food etiquette (Useful Info) and special Chinese ingredients (The Larder) are subjects about which I enjoy writing.
HOW:
All posts can be found via the Page tabs at the top. You can also use Recent Posts and Most Popular Posts in the sidebar, the Search function to find something specific, or simply browse using the Tag Cloud, Categories or Archives. Two posts from the Archive are updated on the front page every five minutes, while the Second Helpings monthly summaries are also useful for locating older posts.
PHOTOS:
I am now the proud owner of the superb Leica D-LUX 4, but started with the Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone before upgrading to the Sony Cybershot W300.
My photos have been published on San Pellegrino (food & travel articles), Fodors (Mario Batali interview), Whatsonwhen (Mercato dell’Erbe, Bologna) and Square Meal (Baozi Inn).
All photos are archived in sets on Flickr. Please email me if you’d like to use any of them.
CONTACT:
Do feel free to leave me comments within individual posts. You can also email me at helen[dot]pangcorben[at]gmail[dot]com or find me on Twitter.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
Wow!
This site is great! I’ll add you to blogroll!
Thanks!
Yasmeen
http://www.ywrites.wordpress.com
Thanks Yasmeen! Keep checking back, I’ll be working very hard from next year to post more interesting content…
Helen Yuet Ling
Can you tell me how to make dumpling wrappers without using wheat flour? I have eaten noodles made with only rice flour, but not sure how to make them! (My daughter is on a gluten-free diet, so she can’t have wheat!)
Hi Sue. Gosh, that’s a tough one for me, seeing as I’ve never made dumpling wrappers before! But you could use gluten-free flour instead of normal flour (eg wheat flour), which already contains a bit of rice flour. Then add a bit more rice flour to the mixture. Have a look at my mother’s recipe - How To Make Chinese Dumplings or Jiaozi - by Pang Wu Yui Yi. It’s more tips rather than a proper recipe, but it might help. Sorry, but I’m lazy and use only ready-made wrappers!…Good luck and let me know if you’re successful! Helen Yuet Ling
Good work - I love this site!
Been looking high and low for a decent mango pudding recipe like the ones they serve in restaurants in HK (for dim sum) and none of them have been any good! Gonna give yours a try very soon!
Thanks Barry! I hope the mango pudding recipe works out for you. Let me know if you need any help, as I can just ask my friend who gave me the recipe! Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen! Warm greetings from Malaysia! Your blog has fantastic contents! Keep it up! God bless! : ) James
Hi James! Thanks for this, I really appreciate it. Will check your blog for news from Malaysia…perhaps some food-related items too?! Helen Yuet Ling
To Sue –
You can try mixing rice flour, soy flour, and ground mung/green beans and adding water to make the dumpling wrappers. Ground green beans are used in the batter for making Beijing jianbing (a type of savory crepe), which are sold on street stands with eggs and other delicious things. Perhaps these will give you a similar dough to use.
(Now I want to try a fully non-gluten wrapper when I next make dumplings! How exciting!)
To Helen –
I already love this blog and can’t wait to read further. It gives me a long list of things to look forward to on world trips (or to try to find here in Hong Kong)!
Hi Lina
Thanks for that tip! As a non-cook, I felt really flummoxed by Sue’s question. I’ll tell my mother next time about mung beans. My husband has used mung beans to make kimchi pancakes though, very tasty.
Any recommendations from HK would be most welcome! After an 11 year absence, I’m going back to HK (and Beijing) for 2 weeks in October, to show my husband around.
Helen Yuet Ling
I love your website. I am a real foodie whether it’s home cooking or going out. I was looking at restaurants in Madeira and came across your website. What was real cool is that you also review restaurants all over the world and have really great recipes that reminds me of HK/China.
Hi Sophie, it’s exciting to meet another foodie! I’m planning a big foodie trip in October, back to HK and Beijing, after a 10 year absence. Are you off to Madeira soon? It’s great there!
Helen Yuet Ling
I am off to Madeira next week. I am excited about it. That’s a coincidence I am off to HK poss Shanghai in October too to see my folks/ and for the food of course.
I hope you have a wonderful time! October’s a good time for visiting HK/China. I really really wanted to go to Shanghai too, but because it’s such an important city for me food-wise, I didn’t want to rush it. So it’s going to require a separate trip!
Let me know which restaurants you visit in Madeira…
Hey I just want to say what a great site - the past few years I have been absolutely mad about food - cooking and eating all over the place. Just wanted to say what a great site you have here and I will be checking back for recipes and foodie ideas.
Hi Wai-ling! Many thanks for checking out my blog and for the feedback. It’s always great to hear from a fellow foodie! I’ve got some fun posts planned for the near future, and trips of course (Italy, HK and Beijing this year), so do check back! My next big task is to try and make xiao long bao…
Helen Yuet Ling
Your site is such an inspiration! I just got my site up and running today and the filming I wrote to you about last month with commence shortly! I’m very excited and very inspired by you! Thanks for your kind words to me, and for all of this fabulous info on FOOD!
Hi woowoo
Congrats on getting your site up and running. No doubt it will keep you busy forever now! Thanks for checking in, and good luck with the filming…
Helen Yuet Ling
Your site is just great, I don’t know why I did not find it before.
I will be looking at it a lot as I really Love Chinese and Italian food. If I lived in London I would hang around Chinese restaurants and India restaurants, that is for sure, as both are great !
Hey Helen. Thanks for visiting my blog. I love Chinese food and so your blog is starting to become a regular destination for me.
Thank you! Your blog topics are really interesting, so I’ll be checking back with you regularly too…
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen,
I just came across your blog today and love it! I also have a foodie blog and often enjoy exploring chinese/asian cooking. I’ve added you to my blogroll since you offer such a wonderful source of information.
Keep up the great work!
Allen
Hi Allen
Many thanks for adding me to your blogroll! You are very multi-talented - I especially love the ceramic bowls and soaps…
Will keep checking your recipes. Fried tofu with pea shoot salad looks and sounds delicious!
Thanks
Helen Yuet Ling
Dear Helen,
I found your blog when I googled on Hot Pot recipe. I have linked to your Hot Pot recipe because it is very detailed. I will be checking out your other articles. Thanks for sharing….
Hello!
Thanks so much for linking to my post on hot pot. Looking forward to reading your other posts too. It’s always exciting to meet a fellow foodie!
Helen Yuet Ling
You asked which the reader preferred: boiled or pan fried Jiaodz and my family really likes the fried ones….maybe not healthier but ohhhhhhhh so good! And they love scallion rolls, I believe a Shanghai treat. All the Best, thanks for the tips, GaryinNH
Yes, fried ones are the best! I eat them so rarely anyway that it doesn’t really matter health-wise, or so I tell myself. Scallion rolls I’ve not had, but in Beijing, I had a lot of scallion pancakes (similar thing I guess), which were delicious…Yum
What a nice blog for foodies! Very informative, and you take excellent photos, too! I’ll be moving to London soon and will use this site as my reference for food-hunting
Hi Philip
Thanks for visiting! You’ll have a wonderful time in London as a foodie. Let me know what kind of food you like and I’ll try and point you in the right direction! The UK board on Chowhound is a great place for tips too, by the way…
Helen Yuet Ling
[...] An Award!!! Posted on June 4, 2008 by Tess Helen from World Foodie Guide [...]
I’m going to add you to my blogroll!! And ijust read you’ll be planning a trip back to HK! I miss that place so much! Even though I went last summer, food there is just soooo good and so much to choose from! I would write here all the stuff i ate, but then that would be a hugeee essay! I definately recommend you to try the satay king, korean bbq buffet and this other palce we went that in causeway bay or mongkok…….giggles not too sure now, but apprently loads of hk stars been there and been on newspaper prints too! =P
Hi Vivien
Thank you! Yes, I can’t wait to go back to HK (and Beijing too, where I lived in 96-97). The research on where to eat for 2 weeks will have to start soon! Thanks for your recommendations too. If you write about your HK trip on your blog (like a nostalgic post) please let me know…
Helen Yuet Ling
Was looking through blogs and i found the place in mongkok i was telling you about before. Its called 極之好粥麵茶餐廳.
site: http://www.foodeasy.com/hk/rest_review.php?id_rest=4298
The reviews arent too good, but i thought it was okie tbh and the service we got was pretty good……maybe because they knew we were foreigners?
But if you fancy going somewhere, where its been on newspaper prints and has photos of stars inside, then i would recommend it. I had the 車仔麵 which, i thought, was decent and it wasn’t too expensive lor.
Thanks for this! My problem is going to be finding places where my vegetarian husband will also be happy. Otherwise meals are going to be extremely stressful! It’s always a problem with Chinese restaurants in London, which is why I don’t go to that many. So Pearl Liang has his approval! As does Yauatcha.
I’m off to Italy this Friday, but when I come back, I’ll start researching my HK/Beijing trip properly! What fun…
Hey Helen,
just discovered your blog through wordpress - great stuff!
I´m in Argentina at the moment loving their spectacular meat… There may not be a whole lot of variety around here, but with beef this good, I don´t care!
I´m going to add you to my blogroll, maybe you could do the same if you like my site..
Cheers!
Alex
Hi Alex
Lucky you, in Argentina! It’s been on my travel wishlist forever. I absolutely want to go horseriding and feast on steak. I’ll check out your blog soon…
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi, Really like your site, I look forward to reading through it!
hi helen!
I love reading your blog! its just so well done, all the nice photos of nice food.
As a foodie myself, I was inspired by you (and a few other excellent foodblogs too) to start blogging about my fav hobby - eating!!
my website is called londoneater.com , there’s not much there yet as its still early days, but please do drop by and visit me someday, I’ll appreciate any comments + advice you can offer me.
thank you!
kang.
Kang - thanks for your comment and compliment. It’s fun food blogging, isn’t it? I have had a look at your blog recently. Keep up the hard work. It’s worth it in the end.
BTW, could you please update your blogroll to reflect my new domain name? You still have me at Wordpress.com.
Thanks!
Helen Yuet Ling
Love your site, keep coming back to see those wonderful food pix… thanks for the nice shots
Laszlo - thanks for visiting! I love using my new camera. I don’t know why I didn’t make the move from mobile camera much earlier. But I’m glad I did it. I’ll be taking a lot of photos on the trip next month to HK, Macau & Beijing, so check back then!
Helen Yuet Ling
Great site and really interesting, well-written reviews. YOu seem to enjoy the types of places we enjoy, which is to say non-stuffy, real-food gems (at least from the Italy picks)! Eat well/be well, which is kind of redundant. Ciao.
Pedalaforte - thanks for the compliment! The restaurants I choose to eat in Italy are quite different - more relaxed, good value, great food. I’ve been banned from choosing Michelin-starred places as my husband hates them (with the exception of Dal Pescatore, which we’ll be revisiting next year, and the mistake of Scrigno del Duomo, which we came across purely by chance).
Helen Yuet Ling
Good Tuesday afternoon to you, Helen ! How are you ?
i am really enjoying reading your blog - will add it to my links
Going to be in London next April - looking forward to trying several of the places you recommend.
(Food Snob sent me
Loving Annie - thanks for this! Back in HK now and with access to Wordpress after a week in Beijing. I really hope you’ll enjoy London, though the prices are astronomical compared to the part of the world I’m currently in!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi there Helen,
I really love your blog, all those adorable pictures and especially the actual “Postcard from …” series!
just wanted to leave a real big “thank you”
All the best from Germany
Bastian
Bastian - thank you to you for reading my blog! I always like to know who my readers are. There are still a few more ‘postcards’ to be published from the very long trip, but I enjoy writing them and choosing the photos.
Helen Yuet Ling
Me. Born in Hong Kong, raised in San Francisco.
Your site rocks!
With high air ticket prices, food is an element that allows us to experience culture.
Keep writing!!
Love your pictures.
If you’re in San Francisco and need food finds, let me know.
I once was a food writer for a newspaper in San Francisco.
Keep writing!!
more pix!!
Campusfork - thanks for this and good to hear from you! If I do visit SF again (haven’t been for years), I’ll definitely be in touch.
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen, thanks for dropping by my page..just added you onto my webbie.
Looking at your profile, I could only gasp at your multinational background and experience. Glad to see you publishing the interesting experience you’ve had and having on this wonderful webpage.
Keep up the good work and certainly would attempt on your recipes soon! Yummy..!
adel - thank you, you’re most kind. I’m still struggling to use my camera properly, and as for cooking, well, I’ve not cooked so much in a whole year as I have this past week. It’s been a real learning process and I’m really enjoying it. And every time I cook something, I learn a little more. Currently trying to master Chinese steamed egg!
Will check back with you soon…
Helen Yuet Ling
hi =) i found u through searching for Princi. i’ve wondered around a little and absolutely love what i’ve seen! food food and more food! *drool* from now on this will be one of the blogs i regularly read =) thank you so much!
Miyuki - thank you very much for finding me! I hope you’ll like some of my future posts too. I’m working hard on improving my photos and writing more clearly…
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi,
Just found your site and started following your tweets too! It all looks so professional, the pics look great and the food even better. Would love any advice you have to offer as I have just begun my own blog - http://direbonappetit.blogspot.com
Thanks - will keep checking back here for new ideas!
Merlotti - thank you! Good luck with the blogging. It takes up a lot of one’s time, but if you love food, it shouldn’t be a problem at all!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hello. I have been reading your articles all the time and really enjoy it. Thank you. I travel a lot, love food and also write about my food experiences on my website so we share the interests. And I am a Japanese so I loved your Katsu Curry page!
Yuko - great to meet a fellow ‘traveleater’! Thanks for leaving me a comment to say hi. I hope I made the katsu curry correctly! It’s been many many years and at the time my Japanese boyfriend and friends showed me how to make it, but I might have forgotten a couple of things. If there are any corrections to be made, do let me know!
Helen Yuet Ling
Are we related in some vague cosmic way LOL? I was born in HKG, moved at 3 to Australia, was at the LSE doing a DipSoc then MSC (Econs) in CJP 1991-93, and was a film classifier here in Au for 4yrs
aptronym - what a series of bizarre coincidences! Maybe we bumped into each other in a tight corridor in the Old Building…Lovely to meet you!
Helen Yuet Ling
I was last in London 2yrs ago and have 2 sisters living there so we may well have walked past ea other at anor point too LOL.
Forgot to mention that I actually paid a visit to the BBFC when I was at the OFLC and on holiday in London. Think that was in about 2001 or so?
Hi Helen - congrats on a fine blog and some truly mouth-watering pics! I’ve discovered it whilst doing research for the trivago travel community - perhaps you would like to also share some of your reviews and images with our members?
Regards from Cape Town,
Pierre
Pierre - thank you! I’ll have a look at Trivago very soon…
Helen Yuet Ling
Just got into your site by accident… and read further because of your splash page with Portuguese Natas on the cover :)) I am so glad I did … i love your site..!
Christina - lovely to meet a fan of pasteis de nata! Have you been to Belem? The ones there are the best I’ve had so far…Thank you so much for visiting!
Helen Yuet Ling
Thanks for your wonderful blog, we followed your advice blindly on our 4-day week-end in London for Easter and never were disappointed (except possibly one over-priced dim-sum but then again you did mention it was trendy and expensive). My husband is a picky gourmet and thanks to you our stay was a success
Armelle - thank you so much for leaving so many comments! I love hearing about other people’s experiences, so it’s much appreciated. I’m glad you had a good eating weekend in London, but I’m sorry about that dim sum lunch. You refer to Yauatcha of course (where I’m going this Saturday for a revisit review, which may be fun for you to read!). I haven’t been back in a while and I like to do revisits of my ‘favourites’ as I don’t like to recommend places that are no longer good.
Thanks again for all the feedback!
Helen Yuet Ling
It’s so unfortunate that I’ve finally found your amazing blog when I am taking off on the T98 train to Beijing tomorrow!!! I’ve managed to scribble down some notable restaurants and I look forward to going to them! Love the concept of traveleating, after all, I tend to follow my stomach when I travel! After looking at your enticing pictures, I am definitely ready to take on the 24 hour ride tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Btw, this is also super helpful since my friend is vegetarian as well!
Jamie - what a shame! But I hope you enjoy your train journey and look forward to hearing about your food adventures. My vegetarian husband had no problems in Beijing and loved the food there far more than in HK!
Helen Yuet Ling
Dear Helen
I understand from the manager at Ba Shan that you need some information… please let me know how I can help.
Thanks
Fuchsia
Hi Helen, greetings from Singapore! What a wonderful blog you have. Coincidentally, I’m married to a vegetarian too
I have a “vegetarian chap chye” recipe in my (very new) blog that you might like to take a look. I sure am gonna try your dumpling recipe! Cheers!
The Little Teochew - hello from London, and thanks for getting in touch! The link to your blog doesn’t work though, can you give it to me again?
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen, it’s http://thelittleteochew@blogspot.com
Hope you’ll enjoy browsing
Hi Helen, I really like your blog and the way you have put it together! When I find some more time I’ll definitely be visiting and trying some of your recipes!
Keep up the good work.
FatBanker - hello and thank you very much for visiting! Feel free to ask questions if you need more information about any of the recipes or posts. Sometimes I might not have thought of something to tell readers, so comments are always welcome.
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen,
I found your mouth-watering food pictures thru the search for food in Beijng.. I was borning in Beijing, and grew up in HK and now moved to UK for 3 years. Me and my BF are both love to travel and eating, that how we met at 1st place actually.. When I found your website, I was so exciting, it took me 2 hours to go thru your pix and I will spend more time here that I am sure! Thank you!
Moogly - hello & thanks for finding me! It’s nice to meet a fellow foodie. I hope you’ll come back and visit soon…
Helen Yuet Ling
I’m about to fly to London for a business trip and I will definitely be using your blog as my eating guide. Are there any MUST TRY’s you should recommend to a Chinese Australian from Sydney?
I’m loving your site - keep up the great work!
xoxo Amanda
Amanda - well, it all depends on what you like. Have a look at my favourites under London (Restaurant Reviews) and I’ve also written A Short Guide to Eating in London, which is under Useful Info. Enjoy eating in London!
Helen Yuet Ling