Is Hong Kong film legend Anthony Wong seriously left-turning into stand-up comedy?
Over a long lunch at his new favourite restaurant, Hong Kong movie icon Anthony Wong, 58, filled us in on his favourite food and future plans – but was he pulling our leg about starring in a stand-up comedy show?
Ever since French fine dining restaurant Root Central opened earlier this year in the new H Code building, we have reliably heard that one frequent diner has been none other than award-winning actor Anthony Wong. So we just had to invite him back for lunch.
Wong is known for playing some intense roles over the years. Who can forget his portrayal of the “char siu bao” killer in the 1993 film The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story , or his turn as a corrupt police officer in the 1998 film, Beast Cops ? Those roles won him the best actor gong at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1994 and 1999 respectively, and the Film Critics Society Awards in 1999 for the latter.
In the West, Wong is better known for his roles in films such as Infernal Affairs and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor . More recently, he has been seen in the British television crime drama White Dragon, and his latest movie back home, Still Human , where yet again he won best actor in the 2018 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards and the 2019 Hong Kong Film Awards.
I do have something coming up soon – I am going to help a friend in his show … it is stand-up comedy
I was expecting Wong to be intense in person, but as he casually breezed into the restaurant, he seemed relaxed and easy-going. He had just celebrated his 58th birthday and we were about to enjoy some good French fine dining – why wouldn’t he be?
“I like French food,” says Wong. “Two days ago, I went to visit my friend who mentioned there was a good French restaurant in Wan Chai run by a Shanghainese chef, so we are going to try that soon.”
We tucked into our first course: poached geoduck with lemongrass sauce and Thai basil oil and foam, and steamed egg with prawn and Parmesan foam. Conversation stopped while we savoured the dishes – always a good sign for the chef – in this case, Vito Chan, who helms the kitchen at Root Central. Chan has worked at some of the best fine dining eateries in town, including Amber and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and it shows in his refined dishes. At Root Central, he seeks to promote sustainability and local organic producers.
“I like to cook at home,” says Wong. “I like to cook steak. I like Tomahawk – it’s a huge steak on the bone – it’s not easy to cook. Sometimes when I try it fails. I think it’s about timing. There are lots of ways to do it. You can fry it first and then put it in the oven, or maybe you can slow cook it, or you can put it in the oven first.”
Wong is Eurasian, and I wondered if his taste buds were more Western or Chinese. He never knew his father, who left his Hong Kong Chinese mother when Wong was only four. He was brought up by his mother and recollects not liking Chinese food as a child.