Beyond the Menu

7.7

3 votes

2026

1h 15m

Documentary

Overview

Deep-fried thin strips of pork on a bed of acar, doused with a fluorescent red-and-orange, sweet-and-sour sauce: Who does not know babi panggang? In this personal documentary, first-time director Julie Ng, daughter of a Chinese-Indonesian restaurant owner, examines the origins of this iconic dish. Her journey not only leads her to an answer to the question where babi panggang comes from, but also to unknown parts of her own Chinese background. It turns out the dish is the key to a deeper understanding of what it means to be Chinese-Dutch.

Directed by Julie Ng