Model-turned-food-show-host Coco Chiang tells Dorothy So about her love of eating, her insect exploits and why she's not worried about putting on weight. Portrait by Calvin Sit

With her svelte figure, supermodel Coco Chiang may not immediately strike you as a hardcore foodie who gulfs down six meals a day. But when you place a plate of fresh mozzarella in front of her or ask her about her grandmother’s homemade dumplings, her eyes light up and she starts chirping happily about her favourite dishes. Now in Hong Kong to film the latest series of her popular food show The Food Court, Chiang is ready to be crowned the city’s primetime food queen.

People know you best as a supermodel. How did you become involved in the food world?

From modelling, I was given the opportunity to do movies and TV presenting. I tried a lot of different directions for television – fashion, entertainment. But in the end, I realised that I did travel and food shows the best because both these things are innate interests for me.

So when did you host your first food show?

The first food show I did was a cooking programme. That was about seven years ago. Then I moved to Taiwan for a few years and became quite familiar with the local dining scene. That’s when I hosted Taiwan Delicacies – a Cantonese show designed to introduce Hong Kong people to Taiwanese food.

And what’s your filming schedule been like lately?

We filmed a lot of our food show The Food Court overseas for the last few seasons and during that time a lot of new restaurants have popped up in Hong Kong. Our audiences want to know more about these new places so we’re going to focus on Hong Kong eateries this season.

Any new restaurants that are particularly worth recommending?

We just filmed at a restaurant in the typhoon shelter, which just reopened. A small ferry picks you up at the pier and drives out to the kitchen on the big boat where they’ll bring you food to serve on your ferry.

With all the stuff you have to eat, how do you keep so slim?

I’ve always been able to eat a lot without getting fat so I’ve never really given it much thought [laughs]. The show hasn’t changed much for me – I’d still eat a lot even if I wasn’t a food show host. 

How many meals do you eat a day?

I’m very flexible. I can eat two meals a day; sometimes I can eat six meals. I’m always hungry. There have been times during a busy filming schedule where we’d have to try five different restaurants in one go. By the last restaurant, even the cameramen would be so full, they wouldn’t even want to look at the food anymore but I will still be able to eat everything [laughs].

What’s your favourite down-and-dirty dish?

Because of my shows, I’ve had more opportunities to try different types of street snacks. But my favourite cheap eat is still Hong Kong’s traditional stir-fries. Whether I’m eating it at a dai pai dong or a proper restaurant, as long as it has a lot of ‘wok hei’ (the flavour from being cooked over a powerful flame) and comes in a giant plate at the table, then I’m happy.

Any particular restaurant you’re partial towards?

Maybe it’s because I live in Kowloon so I’m partial to restaurants on that side. I really like Sham Shui Po’s Tai Chung Wah and Man Fat Seafood Restaurant. Even though they are Cantonese restaurants, they also do a lot of other special dishes. If you go to Tai Chung Wai, you can order pork knuckle on a sizzling iron plate. It’s like a crossover with German cuisine. And at Man Fat, you can order different types of stonepot rice. It’s all very good.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Insects in Thailand, I guess. But it’s not too big of a deal because to me, it’s still meant to be food. When we film overseas, we usually try to introduce some weird foods like bugs, frog soup... things to scare the audience a little. I’m not scared of these things, but I have to act scared in front of the camera.

So is there anything you are scared to eat?

Not really. Basically anything that can be eaten, I will eat. If I don’t eat something, it’s because I think I shouldn’t – like shark’s fin. Or it’s because I like and respect the animal... like snakes.

Er, snakes?

Yes. I really like reptiles. Snakes, crocodiles, lizards... I respect them a lot so I try not to eat them. It’s not that I’m scared. If I have to try it, I will... but only very reluctantly.

Aside from eating, we know you’re a great chef. What type of things do you usually make? 

I cook everything – Chinese, Western, Southeast Asian... I like to try new dishes. If someone says I’ve nailed a dish, I won’t want to cook that any more [laughs]. It’s the whole process of cooking that I enjoy most. I like going from not knowing how to make a dish to having the finished product right in front of me.