Celebrity at Chowrasta Market

Taiwanese celebrity draws attention at Chowrasta Market

HOUSEWIVES in Penang seem to have fallen for the charm of Taiwanese celebrity chef Chen Hong.

He was at the Chowrasta Market yesterday and was instantly recognised by the marketgoers.

Some were keen to have their photographs taken with him while other fans were heard calling out his television nickname “Ah Hong” as he passed by.

Chen was embarking on a food adventure which was being filmed as a segment of his popular cooking show.

His mission is to discover lesser-known street food by sampling fare prepared by the hawkers and restaurants in Penang.

Among his fans was housewife Dimas Harun, 60, who had been watching his shows for over 10 years.

“I learned to cook Chinese food by watching the show and my family loves the taste of the dishes.”

Shaking hands with Chen made Dimas a happy lady. She was meeting her idol for the first time.

“It is surprising to see him here and I admire his friendliness,” she enthused.

Taiwanese tourist Lin Ying-Hsiu, 29, said it was hard to believe that she could meet Chen in Penang, as she had never met him in Taiwan before.

“Chen is one of the popular icons in Taiwan. I am proud to see he is popular in Malaysia too,” she said.

Chen will visit 30 hawker stalls and 20 restaurants in Batu Ferringhi, George Town, Pulau Tikus and Gurney Drive during his two-week stay in Penang.

“The state is a food paradise and I like the passion of the eatery operators here.

“They go all out to make their food tasty,” said Chen who was also unveiled as Penang’s food ambassador for Taiwan by the state government.

“I am honoured, as this is the first time that I am co-operating with a government in my career,” he said.

Chen said he would be working on a cookbook and a television programme during his visit, which is in collaboration with Food Digest magazine, and the online food portals FoodTok and Gourmet Garden.

~News courtesy of The Star~