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Eric Khoo is making a second anthology series for HBO Asia revolving around food, 'Food Lore'

Firdaus Rahman in HBO Asia’s “Food Lore”, an anthology series created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo. (Photo: HBO)
Firdaus Rahman in HBO Asia’s “Food Lore”, an anthology series created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo. (Photo: HBO)

Acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo is making another anthology series for HBO Asia, after last year’s horror series Folklore, which featured ghouls and ghosts from around Asia. But this time, the theme of the new series is food, which is another subject that’s close to the heart of the self-professed horror fan.

Food Lore, which is still being filmed by a group of directors brought together by Khoo, will feature eight episodes, each set in a different Asian country with a different story, much like Folklore. The stories will span the genres of comedy and drama. Khoo said HBO Asia was looking at a November release for the series, but a premiere date hadn’t been confirmed.

Directors Eric Khoo (right) and Billy Christian talking about upcoming HBO Asia series “Food Lore”. (Photo: Teng Yong Ping/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)
Directors Eric Khoo (right) and Billy Christian talking about upcoming HBO Asia series “Food Lore”. (Photo: Teng Yong Ping/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

Khoo will be the showrunner once more, and will also direct one episode. Speaking to media at HBO’s press event in Hong Kong on Monday (18 March), Khoo said his episode would be “a simple love story” about a romance between two people who come from different culinary worlds – a French chef and a Malay mee siam hawker.

“We’re all very greedy people,” said Khoo. “It’s something about Asian people. Food is something that people are very passionate about.”

“What I really felt was important for the series was the diversity of Asian food and different cultures. From day one I had to have all the episodes to have mother tongue – it had to be the language of the country. That’s when you really get the flavour of it,” Khoo added.

Filming on the set of HBO Asia’s “Food Lore”, an anthology series created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo. (Photo: HBO)
Filming on the set of HBO Asia’s “Food Lore”, an anthology series created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo. (Photo: HBO)

Indonesian director Billy Christian, who is making one of the episodes in Food Lore, was also at the press event. He was pretty tight-lipped about what his episode would be about, but what he would let on was that it was a comedy.

“It’s about a mysterious woman who comes to an island and opens a food stall, and makes all the wives worry about their husbands,” Christian said. Intriguing, we must say!

HBO Asia announced at the press conference its line-up of original Asian productions for 2019, which also include science fiction series Dream Raider, Taiwanese crime drama The World Between Us, which premieres on 24 March, as well as the second season of The Teenage Psychic.

The TV network, an offshoot of its parent network HBO, has been producing original content for Asian audiences by collaborating with regional storytellers and filmmakers. Previous series made by HBO Asia include The Teenage Psychic, Miss Sherlock, Halfworlds and Serangoon Road.

This story was the result of a trip paid for by HBO Asia.

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