Nick Liu to throw a pair of preview dinners for his new Asian brasserie, GwaiLo
Back in January, we reported that Nick Liu had left Niagara Street Café and was planning to open some manner of Asian brasserie later this year. As it turns out, his many fans will get a chance to taste his creative takes on Asian dishes long before that—Liu is holding a pair of preview dinners next month for GwaiLo, his as-yet location-less restaurant according to Swallow Food (a new website founded by Ivy Knight of 86’D fame and pastry chef Kristina Groeger that launched at a party at the Drake on Monday—check it out). The dinners—which will take place on March 6 and 13—are a collaboration between Liu and drink-slinger Christina Kuypers of The Black Hoof, Splendido and the Drake Hotel (follow the GwaiLo Twitter feed for more details). Oh, and the name? It’s a Cantonese term that roughly translates as “foreign devil,” which is something that Liu, a Chinese-Canadian who doesn’t speak Chinese, is used to being called. Read the entire story [Swallow Food] »
the translation is incorrect. “Gwailoi” roughly translates to ghost guy; derogatorily referring to a white guy which is used to describe white people or even more derogatorily to western chinese people who are not considered real chinese. A cantonese person would not for instance call someone from east india a “Gwailo”. Like all cultures, there are more specific derogatory slang for each specific group.
As a jook sing, I look forward to his new restaurant.