Hey! I’m Karen.
Welcome to daigasikfaan!
I’m Karen, born and raised in Hong Kong, now living in London. This blog is where I share easy, comforting East Asian recipes I love, with a focus on Cantonese food and the flavours that bring back childhood memories.
What does Daigasikfaan mean?
dai ga sik faan (大家食飯) means “everyone, let’s eat!” in Cantonese.
In our culture, we usually say sik faan! before sharing a meal with friends and family. It’s a simple phrase that brings people together.
The story behind Daigasikfaan
Growing up in such a vibrant city like Hong Kong, I was surrounded by amazing food everywhere I went. It wasn’t until I moved to the UK for university that I really discovered my love for cooking.
Like many people living abroad, I started to feel really homesick and out of place. I was living in a small town called Lancaster, where there were only a handful of Chinese restaurants and only one good Asian supermarket. I was also a student on a budget, so eating out all the time wasn’t an option either.
Learning to cook the dishes I grew up with became my way of reconnecting with my roots and finding comfort in something familiar. I started my Instagram @daigasikfaan in 2021 to document that journey, and over time it’s grown into a community of hundreds of thousands of you cooking these cozy recipes alongside me!
My biggest “wow i’m famous” moment
One of the most unforgettable moments in my journey was being featured in SCMP Young Post, a youth magazine by the South China Morning Post that I grew up reading at school. I never imagined I’d be interviewed, photographed in Tai Hang (near Causeway Bay) at a dai pai dong, holding a cup of Hong Kong milk tea, and sitting down with a journalist over coffee to share my story.
Seeing myself featured there in a printed magazine was a huge moment for me. It really made me stop and think about how far I’ve come since starting daigasikfaan. Honestly, it’s a moment I’ll never forget (PS: I even framed the physical copy! It’s the only thing my dad brags about these days lol).
I was also honoured to be featured on BBC Food, where I made pork and cabbage dumplings, Shanghainese rice cake and pork stir-fry, cumin beef biang biang noodles, and scissor-cut noodles.
It was my first time on a professional set, with four people filming, directing and supporting me as the star of the show. Honestly, I felt a bit like a fraud. Like who was I to teach people how to cook on BBC Food?! But it turned out to be an amazing experience that pushed me way outside my comfort zone, and I was so proud to share Chinese cuisine on such a huge British platform like the BBC!
Thank you!
I’m so grateful to everyone who has supported me by following my recipes and engaging with my content. Your kind messages motivate me to keep sharing stories, recipes, and videos that I hope inspire you.
Sik faan!
Karen 💙