名人飯局 Dinner Conversations

text/photo. Mandy Chou

Her Dancing Spirit

Who: Ms. Loretta Leung
World renowned dance instructor, choreographer, principal and cultural ambassador, Loretta’s dancing spirit shone all the way from China to Asian television, entertainment and numerous stages. She came to Vancouver in 1970 and established ‘Loretta Leung Dancing School’.

Where：CHILLI PADI RESTAURANT

5750 Fraser St.,Van.,B.C.V5W 2Z5
Tel: 604-323-0556 Fax: 604-323-0559
www.chillipadi.ca

In this comfortable casual but embracing style dining room, Chili Padi presents authentic dishes that define the complexity and true flavours of Malaysian cooking.

Mandy: You have travelled to Malaysia, what do you think of this Chicken and Beef Sate? Here they use sweet potatoes to make the salad dressing, kind of neat, isn’t it?

Loretta: The juicy sate is very tasty and the sauce is just perfect, not overpowering at all. They even paid attention to the side salad, what a treat!

Mandy: What about this Filet of Salmon with a dash of chilli sauce? I guess Malaysian being in the tropical climate zone, chili sauce must be a popular seasoning.

Loretta: I love the fact that Chili Padi uses local products like salmon.
The spicy chili sauce is a delicious taste enhancer. The meat is very moist. The chef did a great job with this dish.

Mandy: This plate of beans cooked with classic shrimp paste smells really good.

Loretta: This dish reminds me of a Northern Chinese dish but with different seasoning. Both are a bit spicy but very appetizing.

Mandy: Look at this pink colour drink! Chef mixed Rose water with milk and added in jelly shreds and created a refreshing and beautiful drink.

Loretta: This aromatic and not too sweet drink is a great summer beverage. I like what the chefs did today and the room is very welcoming. I’ll definitely take my family here!

Mandy: Well, now that we’ve enjoyed some wonderful Malaysian dishes, let’s talk about you. Ever since you came to Vancouver, you’ve become a real force in the local dancing scene and successfully introduced to the main stream audience the art of Chinese dance. How would you measure the loss and gain so far?

Loretta: Be contented and appreciative, no need to be down when losing, as it is a great learning experience; and don’t be over joy when winning, embrace it as an encouragement. All along, be true to yourself and work towards the direction you want to go.

Mandy: It must be very challenging to promote and develop the art of Chinese dance.

Loretta: Indeed! People may find Chinese dances too traditional.

Mandy: But all your studio’s dancing shows have been very well received!

Loretta: Thanks to my daughter and son-in-law who work very hard to bridge the gap. Audiences are now able to understand and appreciate our performances. I’m so pleased that the art of Chinese dance has rooted and grown nicely outside of China.

Thanks to Loretta, as of September, 2008, Chinese Dancing has been included as one of the high school Fine Arts courses.

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