Fight for your right to cook

Fight for your right to cook

Martial arts meet Top Chef as singer Vanness Wu turns culinary for his new movie role

In the new action movie Kung Fu Chefs, actor-siner Vanness Wu plays a young cook who can whip up a delicious traditional Szechuan dish Fresh Water Bok-Choy (chinese cabbage).

But in real life, the best dish he can cook is simply an omelette.

The single 31-year-old was in town last week to promote his latest movie in which he plays a promising chef and martial arts fighter who takes part in a cooking competition to compete for the title of Top Chef.

We, who is in wildly popular Taiwanese boyband JVKV (formerly known as F4), tells Life! in a interview at Marina Mandarin Hotel: "The last time I cooked was many years ago. My cooking is not bad but I cook only for myself and have not really cooked for others before."

The Los Angeles-born actor is blase when comparisons about his film are made to Stephen Chow's famous Hong Kong comedy The God of Cookery (1996), which has a similar premise.

He says in his American-accented English: "There will always be comparisons so I won't worry too much about it. Just let it be."

Kung Fu Chefs is just the latest in a long line of movies with the words Kung Fu in its title, including Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Jay Chou's Kung Fu Dunk (2008) and Hollywood animated comedy Kung Fu Panda (2008).

Wu thinks the Mandarin movie industry should capitalise on the fact that martial arts is unique to the Chinese: "We should do what we are good at and not shy away from it. If something is unique and good, why stop?"

Sporting long shoulder-length black hair, Wu is dressed in a casual get-up of blue checked shirt and jeans. Although he looks tired, he is relaxed and chatty.

The actor broke into the entertainment scene with popular mange-based pioneer idol drama Meteor Garden (2001) along with fellow bandmates Jerry Yen, Vic Chou and Ken Chu.

He has come a long way from his F4 pretty boy days. Now sporting a more mature unshaven look, he says he wants to break out of his idol status.

He frankly admits that being in a boyband was not the ideal way of breaking into the entertainment scene: "There were too many riles and we had to sell this wholesome, clean-cut pretty boy image because that is what fans want. It was very restrictive and unreal."

However, he is grateful for his big break eight years ago. Now, the star is busy with his third album which will be released in Japan soon and a new unisex jewellery line he has created.

"I have loved drawing since I was young and I am glad that now I have the chance to put my designs into reality."

Even with a new movie, album and jewellery line, the busy man does not forget his fans: "I want to ask them to be careful and look after themselves. I am worried about their safety as some of them are always following me around in vehicles, and I don't want them to get hurt."

Kung Fu Chefs in showing in cinemas now.

by jocelyn lee

credits to michi@onyf4