Is this a sad sight?

Walk to the centre of London's historic Chinatown and what will you find? Perhaps a museum charting the history of Chinese immigrants in the UK? A cultural centre celebrating the richness and diversity of Chinese art and society? Well, not quite. How about a giant betting shop?




To be fair you will also find many great restaurants, community centres and lots of Chinese-run businesses and services. I just find it a little sad that this is what occupies such a prominent position in Chinatown (and the fact it wouldn't be there if there wasn't a demand for it).

Takeaway chefs from HK/China excluded in new immigration quotas

As part of our coalition government's promise to 'clamp down' on non-European Union immigration, the Home Office has announced new restrictions on the number and types of people who can migrate to the UK from outside the EU to work.

The new rules mean that, for example, someone from China or Hong Kong who wants to come to the UK to work as a chef in a takeaway will no longer be allowed to do so.

It's a blow to the Chinese catering industry which has been calling for special dispensation to employ migrant workers as part of the Strangers into Citizens campaign (see video above).

Chinese chefs will still be permitted to work in UK restaurants as long as they meet certain criteria (minimum five years' experience, income of £28,260 after accommodation and food) but takeaways are excluded.

The BBC reports:

"Immigration Minister Damian Green: "These changes will allow firms to bring in people with necessary skills without migrants becoming the first resort to fill a wide range of available jobs.

"This government is also determined to get people back to work and provide business with the skills they need from the British workforce - reducing the need for migrants at the same time as we reduce their number."

I understand the move might be logical from a domestic and political point of view - when there is record unemployment in the UK it does not make sense to encourage businesses to bring people in from faraway countries to do jobs that might be done by a British person.

But should that apply to ethnic catering? After all, can you really say that a Chinese chef working in a takeaway has actually deprived a British person of a job? Isn't the job, and the business itself generated by the ethnicity of the people involved? If British chefs are now supposed to be considered for jobs in Chinese takeaways, who is going to train them?

Personally I don't think it is that undesirable (for either the shop owners or the customers) for a Chinese takeaway to employ Chinese staff to cook Chinese food. It makes you wonder if in this case the law has been used to target something that was not actually doing any harm.

Story: BBC

Story: The Guardian

Have you spotted any 'Frozen in Time' places?

A request to bbc blog readers: Have you noticed any 'Frozen in Time' Chinese restaurants or takeaways where you are? If so, please take a pic and send it in! I'd love to add to the ones already posted.

'Frozen in Time' is a bbc blog celebration of Chinese establishments that have stood the test of time and kept their original look in an age of constant revamping and updating.

Click here to see what I mean.

So much for the new, improved Oriental City?

Eighteen months after the closure of London's much-loved 'alternative' Chinatown, Oriental City remains closed and derelict.

As reported on the bbc blog, the mall - which housed an Asian supermarket, popular Chinese restaurants and a brilliant Asian food court - was bought out by a developer who obtained planning permission from Brent council to turn the site into a shopping and residential complex. The ambitious plans even included building a school on site. As reported here, the planning permission was conditional on some part of the new development being devoted to Asian businesses.

In fact, that developer (Development Securities) decided to sell the site to another company which was subsequently unable to stump up all the cash to seal the deal. The mall is reportedly now in the hands of administrators and the planning permission that was granted will expire in June.

Story: BBC News

So no new development, no new school and no new Oriental City. Or is there?

Wikipedia reports that there are talks amongst former tenants to take back the site and re-open it for business. Good news if they spend some money to renovate the abandoned site. Not so good if they simply switch the lights back on and carry on as before - the site did need some sprucing up, in my opinion.

But furthermore, there are signs that a new development in nearby Wembley wants to stake a claim on being the 'new' Oriental City. Pacific Plaza was set-up by a former Oriental City tenant and once fully opened may offer the same type of services as the old mall.

Link: Pacific Plaza on London Randomness

It's only partially open but could Pacific Plaza take over where Oriental City left off?

Related: The bbc blog's coverage of Oriental City

Photo: Kake Pugh

Most unimaginative restaurant name ever?

Nice idea. When every combination of Imperial, Dragon, Pearl and Palace has been used up, why not go for something minimalist? Maybe other businesses can follow suit and we'll get places named simply 'The Supermarket' or 'American-style Coffee Shop'.

Okay, I admit on closer inspection the owners have covered up part of the sign - probably because the lease has just changed hands or something. Still, thought it was funny :)

Happy New Year!

Not a view of Chinatown you see everyday

The views you see here of the south-western edge of London's Chinatown probably have not been seen for decades and in a few years' time (when all the work is done) might not be seen again for decades more.




What used to be the Swiss Centre has been totally demolished and enormous building works are now going on on the site. The work has created a vast, temporary open space allowing sunlight to fill parts of Wardour, Lisle and Leicester Streets that are normally shrouded in dingy shadow.

To see it for yourself, get a lunchtime table at the front of the top floor of Joy King Lau restaurant, Leicester Street. It's the best view to be had in Chinatown right now.

Frozen in Time (#3)

Whilst searching around for 'Frozen in Time' Chinese restaurants and takeaways around London I managed to overlook the most obvious place to look - Chinatown itself.

The last few years have seen massive change in Gerrard Street (and it seems there's more on the way) with businesses opening and closing all the time. When even the ancient Kowloon Restaurant gets a makeover, you know things really are changing.

Friendly Inn, at the eastern end of Gerrard Street, has been here as long as I can remember. I think it was even here before Gerrard Street was pedestrianized and had a road running through it.




The exterior sign may look old fashioned now at first glance but it was clearly designed to suggest modernity and class in its time; You can almost picture businessmen with 70s sideburns and wearing large kipper ties coming here for a post-work dinner. Looking inside, you can see fittings and furniture that might not have changed in decades.

In all these years I've never eaten at Friendly Inn once, yet I'd love to see it remain as it is.

'Frozen in Time' is a bbc blog celebration of Chinese establishments that have stood the test of time and kept their original look in an age of constant revamping and updating. If you see any other 'frozen in time' Chinese establishments, drop me a line!

Chinatown to get £2million revamp

Photo: Wikipedia

The Evening Standard reports that London's Chinatown is to receive funding from Westminster Council to make the area more authentically Chinese.

The money will be spent on a number of improvements including the building of a wooden pagoda and the re-opening of a dedicated Tube exit from Leicester Square station.

The move is in stark contrast to the alleged plans to demolish the stone 'leung ting' shelter that sparked the 'Save Chinatown' Campaign back in 2004.

Key recommendations include:

• Basing future building projects on the principles of feng shui, an ancient system of design principles which claims to enhance health, wealth and positive energy.

• The reopening of Leicester Square Tube station's entrance of Little Newport Street and Charing Cross Road, which will give Chinatown its own dedicated Tube entrance. The entrance has been closed since 1978.

• The creation of nine dragons, replicating the carvings which adorn Beijing's Beihai Park and believed to be symbols of cosmic energy. These will help define the entrances to Chinatown.

• A new timber pagoda open to the public in Newport Place.

• Monthly craft markets showcasing the best in Chinese products.

• Gold lanterns to light the streets.

Full story: This is London

Sichuan Earthquake Fundraising Event July 26th 2008

The terrible aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake has all but disappeared from British news media but a new fund-raising group called 'Make A Tomorrow' formed by the UK Chinese community is staging a special fund-raising event this month in aid of the victims of the earthquake in China.

It will be held on Saturday July 26th at Parker McMillan, Chiswell Street, London and is billed as "a unique night of fresh music, art and photography."

Organizers hope 300-400 guests will attend, and aim to raise up to £8,000 for the appeal.

Comedians and musicians 'Dead dog in Black Bag', who have appeared on BBC3's "The Mighty Boosh", will be hosting the event. There will also be sales of limited edition artwork from Rod Hunt, Lucy Allen, Per Jose Karlen, Marina Caruso, Vicky Scott and Joanne Wong.

Music will be provided by special performances from Cherry Suico, Dan Dunnes and the Reels; with DJ Cesar and others. There will also be a raffle offering prizes such as £100 worth of London restaurant vouchers, a Spa session at a top London hotel worth £200 and other special treats. And if that doesn't grab you, there are also going to be two-for-one cocktails at the bar!

To buy tickets for this event (£16 in advance, £20 on the door) go to the Make A Tomorrow Justgiving page.

Article: BBC News: British Chinese unite in London for fundraiser

Related: Make A Tomorrow blog

Hakkasan decides shark's fin is too much to stomach

Photo: Singapura Daily

Hakkasan, Alan Yau's Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, has decided to remove shark's fin soup from its menu.

The restaurant has been serving its version of the Chinese delicacy since 2001 but decided it was time to stop after lobbying from animal rights groups. There is also a suggestion that the same groups may take their protests to Chinatown in general:

Story: Indymedia
Related: Mad Mermaids anti-shark's fin campaign

Reading some of the material on the campaign website, it's certainly hard to justify the killing of sharks purely for their fins to make soup. It does seem cruel and unnecessary, especially when you consider that the fin itself is tasteless.

However, I have to admit that I've eaten shark's fin soup and would probably still eat it if offered. For me, it's a clear case of Western sensibilities conflicting with Chinese traditions (and Chinese tradition winning).

Shark's fin soup is a dish that is almost expected at Chinese banquets (such as at weddings, for example) and whilst it looks like it will become increasingly rare in the UK and Europe, it will be hard for diners in Asia to break with this long standing tradition. Is some form of sustainable fish farming the answer?

Earthquake fundraising in Chinatown

British Chinese associations have moved quickly to start fundraising in response to the Sichuan earthquake. Volunteers from the London Chinatown Chinese Association, the BC Project (British Chinese in politics), Dimsum and others were out in force on Sunday helping to raise money.

via Richard H's Blog

Goodbye, Oriental City (my last visit)

It's not closing until June 1st, but this was probably the last time I would ever see Oriental City.

Even though there are still a few weeks of trading left, there was an unmistakable air of 'the end is nigh' about the place. The mall seemed grubby and in need of renovation. There was more graffiti than usual and generally the place was in a bit of a state. However, I can confirm that standard of the food in China City and in the food court was as good as ever.

Discount signs were all over the place but how true they were I'm not sure. I wouldn't recommend going there to bargain hunt (not until the very last days of trading anyway).

One shop had a sign saying that it was going to move to the new Wing Yip 'superstore' opening further south on Edgware Road. I wonder if a lot of the OC businesses will be relocating there?

Sorry for the low quality of the photographs, they were taken on a camera phone.

Goodbye, Oriental City.
























Related: The bbc blog's coverage of Oriental City

Have you spotted any 'Frozen in Time' places?

A request to bbc blog readers: Have you noticed any 'Frozen in Time' Chinese restaurants or takeaways where you are? If so, please take a pic and send it in! I would love to add to the two already posted.

'Frozen in Time' is a bbc blog celebration of Chinese establishments that have stood the test of time and kept their original look in an age of constant revamping and updating.

Click here to see what I mean.

Chinese security personnel fight Tibet protesters... on the streets of London.

The parade of the Olympic torch through London last Sunday turned into a debacle as several Tibet protesters broke through police cordons and managed to seriously disrupt the procession.

What was meant to be a brilliant public relations exercise designed to generate public excitement about the Beijing Olympics in 2008 turned instead into a chaotic mess that will be viewed as a success by pro-Tibet activists, and which has inadvertently managed to reinforce a negative image of China.

There has been a lot of disquiet expressed about the Chinese 'heavies' running alongside the torch during the parade and the manner in which they behaved when there was trouble.



Who were these mysterious men in tracksuits with earpieces shouting orders?

What jurisdiction did they have to manhandle members of the public, potentially causing injury to either themselves or others? Were they the ones running the show or was it the Metropolitan police, who were also there alongside them in great numbers?

You can see more footage of the clashes here.

Some observers felt that the altercations they witnessed on TV were a unpleasant taste of Communist China style policing taking place on British soil. And they didn't like it:

One protester who managed to break through the police cordon, David Allen said his anger at the parading of the torch through the capital flared at the sight of British sporting stars being guarded in the streets of London by Chinese security men. "What really got my goat was our sporting heroes being surrounded by the Chinese security heavies guarding the torch," he said. "It makes us complicit in the regime's repression. You have to ask, 'Where were these security men last week?' Beating up people in the villages of China, no doubt."

Article: International Herald Tribune

Well, that may be an exaggeration but according to Reuters, the specially selected 'torch attendants' were indeed hand picked from the ranks of the same armed police force that would have been patrolling the streets of Lhasa.

Employed by the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee (BOCOG), the "flame protection squad" was formed in August 2007 to safeguard the fire 24 hours a day on its 137,000-km (85,130-mile), 130-day relay, state media have reported.

Its members were picked from the ranks of the People's Armed Police, the security force spun off from the army that is responsible for riot control and domestic stability. Tens of thousands of "wujing", as they are called in Chinese, have been deployed to Tibet and neighbouring areas to quash recent unrest.

Article: Reuters

In an unguarded comment, London Olympics chief Sebastian Coe is reported to have said about the Chinese security guards: "One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English. They were thugs."

Article: Daily Mail

A further sense of how some British people feel about this incident can be found on the Guido Fawkes blog 'Order Order', a well known political blog specializing in British parliamentary matters. It was especially critical of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's decision to be involved in the ceremony:

Article: Chinese Goons in Downing Street

A selection of some of the comments:

"Very worrying to see UK police surpressing protesters with the help of blue track suited Chinese special forces. The touch relay has nothing to do with the Olympics and everything to do with Chinese propaganda. We in the UK are somewhat free sometimes to protest, totally unlike those long hard suffering Tibetan people."

"The Met should have arrested one or two to make a point that the Chinese may be able to shove people around in Tibet but not in Downing Street. This whole debacle did nothing for this country"

"We were deeply ashamed to watch the whole damning episode on last night's news. There's really nothing even faintly amusing that can be said about seeing this embarrassing farrago and the disgusting sight of Chinese security men taking precedence in London streets and outside No 10."

"Why should I have to pay for some Chinese Properganda ON MY SOIL? Then to top it all off there was the sight of some Chinese stormtroopers marching in formation down Downing Street pushing people and ordering them about for a photo-op"

"I particularly liked the black leather gloves sported by the chinese secret police, all the better for smacking any protesters around."

Clearly the presence of the torch attendants did not go down well. So why wasn't the whole thing managed by the UK police? Well, in the aftermath the police have blamed the Beijing Olympic Committee for making many of the key decisions about the parade and the chaos that ensued.

I have to admit it's hard to imagine experienced, local London cops running an event in such a mismanaged and chaotic way as was seen that day.

Related: Olympic Spirit Comes to Britain

Related: Clashes along Olympic torch route

London Chinatown to 'go on strike' over immigration arrests

Some businesses in Chinatown are expected to close for a 3 hour period today in protest at the arrests made by the Borders and Immigration Agency on October 11th.

Over 40 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested and taken from their places of work by the BIA.

Source: 'Diners stunned by Chinatown raids' (BBC)

The London Chinatown Chinese Association condemned what they called the heavy-handed methods used during the raids which took place during a busy lunchtime and involved some officers wearing bullet-proof vests.

For their part, the BIA has said that they are not targeting Chinese businesses in particular, and that they carry out around 60 raids every week, on different businesses all over London.

Source: 'Chinatown protest at police raid' (BBC).

Clearly Chinatown businesses are in a difficult position: It is true that an illegal immigrant is breaking the law and the authorities cannot really turn a blind eye to this.

Furthermore, illegal immigration from China is known to be closely linked to organized crime gangs and anything that can be done to break up this trade is a good thing, since it so often involves the exploitation and intimidation of workers.

However it is also true that Chinatown's busy restaurants need staff and if they want those staff to be Chinese, there simply aren't enough Chinese workers around who are both legally entitled to work and who want those particular jobs.

I think it's fair to say Chinese immigrants come here by and large with the sole intention of working and working hard, and not to take advantage of the UK's state benefits.

So whilst it is certainly a good thing that the authorities crack down on gang-related people smuggling, is there not some compromise that can be reached that would enable businesses to employ immigrant staff and still stay within the law?

The US has been examining the possibility of introducing a special 'guest worker program' to deal with situations just like this:

"Under the plan, foreign workers -- including the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States -- could apply to work for three years. Each would be matched with an employer, provided with a biometric identification card to help track his or her whereabouts, and released in the country.

"You see, we got people sneaking into our country to work. They want to provide for their families. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River," [President George W.] Bush said.

"People are coming to put food on the table. But because there is no legal way for them to do so, through a temporary worker program, they're putting pressure on our border."

Source: Washington Post.

Related: Borders and Immigration Agency
Related: London Chinese community figure named in DVD and people-smuggling investigation

'Scores on the Doors': Public can now see restaurants' hygiene scores

The level of hygiene at Chinese restaurants has long been a subject of urban myth and scare-mongering.

So it's good news that the UK Food Standards Agency has now introduced a simple, open-to-the-public, star rating system for hygiene standards at restaurants. Well, it's good news for restaurants that have good standards anyway.

The national site can be found at www.food.gov.uk and, as thisislondon reports, several famous 'celebrity chef' restaurants have been given surprisingly low scores:

Among the well-known restaurants to be awarded only one star are Marco Pierre White's Mirabelle in Mayfair, Zilli Fish in Soho, Langan's Bistro in Devonshire Street, Bank in Kingsway, Orso in Covent Garden and Villandry in Great Portland Street.

Of particular interest to this blog are the ratings for London Chinatown restaurants.

You can find their scores by searching the London section of the site here. Simply enter 'Gerrard Street' or 'Lisle Street', or whichever street your chosen restaurant is on (the borough for Chinatown is City of Westminster).

It seems that the list of Chinatown restaurants, including some of my favourites, is dominated by low-to-average scores.

Restaurants that get a 3 star (the "just above average") rating include:

E Capital (I think this recently changed hands and has a new name now)
Lee Ho Fook
Harbour City
Luxuriance
Joy King Lau

The official comment that accompanies a 3 star rating is: "Good level of legal compliance. Some more effort might be required."

Places that get no stars at all (the lowest possible rating), according to the Food Standards Agency, include a number of well-known names:

Lido
Four Seasons
London Chinatown
New China
Golden Dynasty
See Woo supermarket
Woo Sang
Yung Cheng (Lisle St.)
London Jade Garden
Furama
New Laughing Buddha

The comment that accompanies a no-star rating is: "A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety. Major effort required"

Bear in mind that inspections can take place every few months so whilst this post is correct at the time of writing, the ratings could be very different six months or a year from now.

One good thing about the website is that it allows readers to see the restaurant's response to their score, although I don't think many establishments have made use of this feature yet.

One Chinatown establishment that scored 4 stars - in fact, the only one that I could find - is Elderly Luncheon Club, Second Floor 28 - 29 Gerrard Street. Unfortunately, I don't think this is open to the public because I think it's a community centre for senior citizens!

What do you think? Would you still go to a restaurant knowing it had a no-star rating? Would you choose to go to a restaurant you wouldn't otherwise go to, based on it having a higher star rating?

One thing that's fairly certain is that making the scores public like this should encourage all restaurants to make a greater effort to maintain hygiene standards - which is good for us customers!

London Chinese community figure named in DVD and people-smuggling investigation

A BBC South East reporter has infiltrated a group of Chinese immigrants and uncovered what is alleged to be a pirate DVD selling operation that is closely linked with people smuggling from China. Furthermore, a main player in the operation is said to be He Jia-Jin, who was previously the Vice-Chairman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association.

He Jia-Jin is said to be linked to properties that were used to house the smuggled immigrants (allegedly up to 18 in one house). He is currently standing trial in Hong Kong for money laundering offences and has been arrested in the past in relation to people smuggling offences.

In 2004, Mr. He's assets were frozen by the British authorities investigating his activities. This prevented £14,000 that he had raised from the Chinese community for the families of the deceased Morecambe Bay cockle pickers from being sent to China (Source: The Times)

People smuggling is a lucrative criminal activity that burdens the smuggled immigrants with huge debts that are often enforced with threats of violence against relatives back home.

It's something that's been mentioned on this blog before but I think this shows that (as with many parts of London) behind the surface appearance of Chinatown there are murky goings on that the average tourist or restaurant diner has no idea about.

Source: BBC News.

Related: BBC South East investigation.

Related: He Jia-Jin found guilty of money laundering in Hong Kong (BBC News).

'Sweet Mandarin' becomes a worldwide phenomenon

Little did I know when I first mentioned the bbc-themed novel 'Sweet Mandarin' back in February that it would go on to become a worldwide literary phenomenon.

It's a success story that has taken author Helen Tse around the world and introduced the 'bbc' story (albeit a quite remarkable one) to a whole new audience.

If you're in Edinburgh this month, you can catch Helen discussing her book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 24th.

And here's a compilation of news clips about 'Sweet Mandarin' and some of the plaudits it has received:




Related: Helen Tse talks about her bbc-themed book, 'Sweet Mandarin'

Oriental City: Agreement Reached

Just been reported on dimsum.co.uk.

Finally, the logistical problems of temporarily re-locating Oriental City have been recognised. A deal has been struck between the OC business owners and the development company which will allow tenants to operate rent free until the centre's closure in June 2008. This would appear to be a financial boost to help soften the blow of closure.

As for the new Oriental City, all we know is that some form of new plaza will be created but there are no firm details as to what form that will take or what businesses will be located there.

The settlement means that Oriental City traders have been allowed free rent and can remain open for business until the development starts June 2008. Julian Barwick, the joint managing director of development Securities said: “We recognise that it is not possible to temporarily relocate tenants during redevelopment and because of this there is a period of uncertainty for the tenants. Therefore, we have agreed a clear timetable for close down of the package of measures including rent free from now until closure to provide assistance to tenants.”

Although when asked if the traders would be allowed to return to the New Oriental City, Dimsum was told that the practicalities of a huge redevelopment such as this means that there was no guarantee that they would all be in a position to return. Nevertheless, we were assured that the concept of Oriental City is protected, for South East Asian businesses to fill the new development.

New Liverpool Chinatown crime thriller starring David Yip

I stumbled on this purely by chance on youtube. Haven't heard anything about this movie and it's not even on imdb yet.

The film (which looks quite low budget) seems to be about a love triangle involving two warring Triad families and a westerner, and looks like it is set in Liverpool's Chinatown.



The company behind it is Absolute Imaging.