Hong Kong celebrity chef and actress Coco Chiang stepped into ViuTV’s cooking show Private Kitchen on Tuesday evening, bringing a blend of French culinary training and Cantonese home cooking that left host Fatboy Liang fully impressed. Chiang, who holds a Le Cordon Bleu diploma, prepared two signature dishes—lemongrass white pepper jumbo crab and charred chili sauce beef steak—while sharing candid insights about the cost of culinary education and the secret to keeping a marriage flavorful.
Chiang, widely known for her memorable line in the film Love Undercover 2: Love in the Mist, compared herself to a Chinese cleaver, versatile and capable of handling both Western and Chinese cuisine. “I’m like a Chinese chef’s knife—I can do everything,” she said, adding that her steamed pork patty is “unbeatable.” Host Fatboy, whose real name is Yeung Lok, admitted he had not eaten all day to save room for Chiang’s cooking, declaring, “I’m skipping lunch—I’m only eating your food.”
The chef revealed her culinary journey began in her 20s when she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in London to study Western cooking, later attending the Chinese Culinary Institute in Hong Kong to master Cantonese and Chinese cuisines. When Fatboy asked whether anyone with interest could attend the prestigious French school, Chiang replied bluntly: “What matters most is having money.” She explained that tuition combined with living expenses in London made the experience a significant financial commitment.
Chiang also shared that she cooks for her husband almost every day, calling it “the best way to keep him around.” Her children have become so accustomed to her home cooking that they describe meals prepared by others with the ambiguous word “interesting.” Fatboy, ever the comedian, pressed her: “Does ‘interesting’ mean it’s bad?” The exchange drew laughs, especially when Chiang referenced her iconic film line—“I bestow upon you the highest honor of the Republic of Bodonia: kiss my right foot”—and joked, “Actually, my left foot tastes better.”
When asked how often she cooks, Chiang said three meals a day whenever she is not working, emphasizing that her passion for food makes the effort effortless. She playfully noted that Fatboy is fortunate to host a show where different female guests cook for him. Fatboy, still recovering from previous episodes featuring “hell’s kitchen” moments, retorted, “You can’t say that—sometimes I worry whether their food will be good.” Chiang countered confidently, “If you invite a married woman to cook, especially one with kids, it can’t be bad.” Fatboy’s skeptical silence spoke volumes.
During the prep segment, Chiang demonstrated her knife skills by smashing lemongrass with the back of a cleaver in a single, efficient motion. Fatboy attempted to replicate the move, only to find his lemongrass intact. “Wow, it’s tougher than me! She flattened it in one hit, and mine is still whole,” he said, bewildered. With final tosses of the wok and swift spatula work, Chiang presented the jumbo crab dish, prompting Fatboy to sigh, “Your husband is really lucky.”
The episode airs as part of ViuTV’s ongoing effort to blend celebrity lifestyle content with cooking demonstrations. Beyond entertainment, Chiang’s appearance highlights the financial and personal dedication required to master both Eastern and Western culinary arts, offering viewers a realistic look at what it takes to achieve professional-level home cooking. For aspiring home chefs, her advice is clear: invest in training, practice daily, and never underestimate the power of a well-seasoned dish—or a good punchline.
