Brooklyn is one of the stars of new documentary series Takeout Kids. (Image: Archi Banal)
The third episode of the new documentary series Takeout Kids follows Brooklyn Jiang growing up around the cafe that his parents own and operate. He chats with Charlotte Muru-Lanning about repairing old gadgets, starting high school and why his mum’s fried rice is the best.
Making and fixing gadgets takes up the bulk of 12 year-old Brooklyn Jiang’s spare time.
He lives in Thames with his two younger sisters, Katelyn and Kaycee, his mum, Lim Heng and his dad, Tola Bo, who own and run Sunburst Coffee Lounge, a cafe in the centre of the town. It’s open seven days a week, from 7am to 4pm.
“I’d like to be an engineer,” he says over a Zoom call where he’s beaming in from the cafe kitchen. The dream is to work at Nasa, Apple or RocketLab one day.
Brooklyn and his family are featured in the third episode of observational documentary series Takeout Kids. The series, from director Julie Zhu, follows the everyday lives of four young New Zealanders growing up in their parents’ restaurants or takeaway shops.
Brooklyn has always liked the idea of heading to space but says his mum “won’t allow me because she wants me to be down to earth”. If space is out of the question, “I could start my own IT company that fixes things,” he concedes.
He taught himself to code in the first nationwide lockdown – “it’s just about making something,” he says. “Right now, I’m fixing old iPhones and iPads I found in the closet.”
A broken iPad has been repurposed as a jukebox for his sister and his own old iPad has been transformed into a clock. At the moment, he’s working on his most difficult project yet: fixing an iPhone that’s locked because it’s stuck on an old mobile plan.
During lunchtimes at school he’s been collaborating with a friend to build a remote-controlled boat. They’re combining his mate’s wood-making skills with his own knack for programming to get the vessel water-ready.
Every morning, Brooklyn’s dad heads to the cafe around 4am, to make a start on the house-made pies and cakes which fill the cabinets in the cafe. Back at home, his mum wakes Brooklyn and his sisters up and gets them ready for school. Brooklyn gets his wakeup call at 7am, “but I don’t actually wake up till 7.10am,” he says.
Breakfast (Milo cereal is his firm favourite) is usually at the cafe, and then he heads off to school with his sisters. The hours after school are usually spent at the cafe too. The family heads home around 5.30pm.
Sometimes Brooklyn helps with jobs around the cafe, like preparing cutlery sets. Knives and forks are swaddled in serviettes and held together by a dab of water, ready for customers. “It’s like origami,” he notes, making another fold in an origami heart he’s been working on while we chat.
Brooklyn and his sisters pack up the outside tables at Sunburst Coffee Lounge. (Image: Supplied)
Brooklyn’s parents, both originally from Cambodia, moved to New Zealand in the early 2000s. Mum Lim Heng says the experience of diaspora make for an awkward cultural in-betweenness sometimes. “You kind of lose your own language, and then you don’t get the whole English language as well.”
The fried rice recipe that Brooklyn has shared [it will be on The Spinoff on Saturday] is a reflection of techniques and tips learnt from Lim Heng’s own mother and aunties. It’s been finessed over time. And, because her three kids love it, it’s a staple dinner in the Jiang household. “My mum likes making it and she keeps on making it” but, Brooklyn says, “I still love it.”
Brooklyn’s top trick is to “always cook the rice first” and to make sure you’re using dark soy sauce. His mum adds that if you’re using frozen vegetables, cook them in the pan first to dry them out before adding the rice.
Even though Brooklyn is a keen cook, he’s felt nervous since burning his hand with some stray oil while frying salmon last year. The experience taught him a lesson though, and he’s trying to convince his dad to let him cook once a week. “Not everything will be like the salmon incident,” he says.
Already, he’s nailed cooking chicken and omelettes, but he’s eager to learn to make soups and to cook different meats. Anything but salmon.
Growing up as a “takeout kid” has equal pros and cons, reckons Brooklyn. Weekends and after school are spent at the shop, but “you kind of get used to it”. He’s realised his parents know most of the teachers from the high school because they also happen to be customers at the shop – “there are spies everywhere,” he says.
But then there’s the food: a major benefit of having parents that run a cafe. “Chocolate eclairs, sponge drops – the sweet stuff tastes real good when they’ve come right out of the oven,” he says.
This year will be Brooklyn’s first year at Thames High School. Reflecting on getting older and starting high school after eight years at the same school, Brooklyn feels “excited but scared”. It’s one step closer to being more independent, but there’s a catch: it might come with even more homework.
Watch the whole Takeout Kids series here. Made with support from NZ On Air.
Keep going!
Want to go back to Bridgerton? Or go on a pirate ship with Rhys Darby? Or turn into a red panda? Look no further than streaming services this March.
Want to go back to Bridgerton? Or go on a pirate ship with Rhys Darby? Or turn into a red panda? Look no further than streaming services this March.
What are you going to be watching in March? With thanks to our friends at Nando’s, we round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.
The biggies
Bridgerton (season 2 on Netflix from March 25)
Netflix’s one-time biggest hit returns for its second season, this time with no Duke. The second season of the streaming giant’s headboard-rattling show will move the focus from Daphne and the Duke onto Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the rakish older brother of Daphne. His love interest is Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), described in the books as “the most meddlesome woman to ever grace a London ballroom”. The way the world is going, by late March we’ll be in desperate need of some frothiness, and Bridgerton is overflowing with suds. / Sam Brooks
Our Flag Means Death (on Neon weekly from March 4)
The year is 1717 and bored English nobleman Stede Bonnet – apparently a very popular surname among the 18th century upper classes – decides to up sticks and take to the seas as a pirate. The problem: he really rather loathes violence, a predilection that becomes a growing issue as he’s confronted by the bloody reality of life on the high seas. Starring Rhys Darby as Stede and Taika Waititi as famed pirate Blackbeard (with fellow New Zealanders Simone Kessell and Dave Fane in supporting roles), this comic retelling of a vaguely true story features lots of silliness, held together by Darby as an amiable posho who’s very much out of his depth. / Catherine McGregor
Outlander (season 6 on Neon weekly from March 6)
The drought is over, and now the ginger thirst shall be quenched. Season six of our favourite time-traveling drama arrives through the stones, bringing with it new adventures and angst for the Fraser family. How will Claire recover from the trauma of last season? Can Brianna and Roger live happily ever after in the 1700s, and will Jamie enjoy more 18th century peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Oh, and there’s a war coming, but I’m sure everything will work out fine. / Tara Ward
Moon Knight (on Disney weekly from March 30)
Have you heard of this Marvel character? Me neither, but apparently Moon Knight is prominent enough that there’s a whole miniseries’ worth of material in him! Oscar Isaacs plays Moon Knight, a mercenary who suffers from dissociative identity disorder, who also happens to be a conduit for the Egyptian god Khonshu, voiced by F. Murray Abraham. I mean, sure! It’s another Marvel series, and if you haven’t stopped watching now, this probably isn’t going to be where you hop off that train. / SB
The notables
Somebody Somewhere (on Neon weekly from March 10)
If you’ve never experienced the talents of cabaret queen Bridget Everett, I’m so excited for you to watch this. Somebody Somewhere places Everett front and centre as Sam, a Kansas woman trying to find purpose and meaning in life after the death of her sister. It’s a gentle, funny, and deeply profound series – think a Midwestern Better Things – and it’s already been renewed for a second season. Everett is one of the most magnetic performers of recent years, both on stage and screen, and she brings all of that to Somebody Somewhere. Don’t miss this one. / SB
Pachinko (on Apple TV+ from March 25)
Based on the popular 2017 novel by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko is a sweeping saga that chronicles the highs and lows of a Korean immigrant family across generations, following them as they leave their home country with hopes to survive, thrive and finally succeed. Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung heads up the ensemble, and given that it comes from Kogonada (who directed an excellent film called Columbus) and Justin Chon (director of last year’s gentle romance drama Blue Bayou), it’s looking like one of the surer bets this year. / SB
Joe vs Carole (on TVNZ on Demand weekly from March 3)
Did I fall into a time warp? Is it March 2020? Is Tiger King still a thing? Apparently so. This new series stars John Cameron Mitchell (probably most famous for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but you may have seen him in Shrill) as tiger-loving, mascara-wearing Joe Exotic, and Kate MacKinnon (SNL) as tiger-loving, floral-wearing Carole Baskin. I think our appetite for Tiger King content might be mostly sated, but the cast and the creator – playwright Etan Frankel, who also served as a writer on Shameless – suggest this might be worthwhile for those who want a definitive (fictional) version of whatever the hell went down on that Florida ranch. / SB
Pieces of Her (on Netflix from March 4)
A dark thriller starring both Toni Collette and Jessica Barden (End of the F*cking World)? Yes please. Pieces of Her is the adaptation of Karin Slaughter’s novel of the same name, and follows one woman’s quest to understand her mother after a violent attack brings an unknown past to light. Produced by the team behind Big Little Lies and The Undoing, Pieces of Her is tipped to be Netflix’s next big binge watch, with plenty of twists and turns to keep thriller fans hooked. / TW
The movies
Turning Red (on Disney+ from March 11)
Praise be to the animation gods for delivering us a lively new Pixar movie, just when we need it most. Turning Red follows the gloriously dorky Meilin Lee, a 13 year old of Asian descent who is so obsessed with a Canadian boy band that she turns into a giant red panda. I’m sorry, what? That’s the power of big emotions, baby. Turning Red is full of joy and humour and delight, and I loved the trailer so much I may well turn into a giant red panda myself. / TW
Rūrangi (on Neon from March 1)
Rūrangi, a local queer gem from director Max Currie and writer Cole Meyers, finally comes to Neon. A heartwarming tale of acceptance and tolerance, Rūrangi follows a young trans activist (Elz Carrad) who returns to his hometown hoping to connect not just with his father (Kirk Torrance) but with the small community whose residents are having struggles of their own. Rūrangi is frank and unapologetically queer, with a strong main ensemble – Ramon Te Wake, Arlo Green and Kirk Torrance being special standouts – and a diverse, inclusive cast. / SB
Every Bond film ever (on Amazon Prime Video from March 30)
Exactly what it sounds like. Every Bond film, including No Time to Die, available to watch for the low, low price of an Amazon Prime Video subscription. / SB
This post is made possible by our friends at Nando’s.
The rest
Netflix
March 1
The Guardians of Justice
Worst Rommate Ever
March 2
Savage Rhythm
Against the Ice
The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure
March 3
Midnight at the Pera Palace
The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties: Season 2
The Weekend Away
Whindersson Nunes: My Own Show!
Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season 2
March 4
Pieces of Her
Making Fun
The Invisible Thread
Meskina
March 8
An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts: Season 2
Last One Standing
Autumn Girl
Taylor Tomlinson: Look At You
Chip and Potato: Season 3
March 9
Byron Baes
The Last Kingdom: Season 5
Queer Eye Germany
The Bombardment
The Andy Warhol Diaries
March 10
Love, Life and Eveyrthing in Between
Karma’s World: Season 2
Kotaro Lives Alone
March 11
Formula 1: Drive to Survive: Season 4
Life After Death with Tyler Henry
Once Upon a Time… Happily Never After
The Adam Project
March 15
Marilyn’s Eyes
Catherine Cohen: The Twist…? She’s Gorgeous.
Team Zenko Go
Adam by Eve: A live in Animation
March 16
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
Hei$t: The Great Robbery of Brazil’s Central Bank
March 17
Soil
Rescued by Ruby
March 18
Eternally Confused and Eager for Love
Alessandro Cattelan: One Simple Question
Human Resources
Standing Up
Top Boy: Season 2
Light the Night: Part 3
Cracow Monsters
Young, Famous and African
Is It Cake?
Black Crab
Windfall
Without Saying Goodbye
Animal: Season 2
March 21
In Good Hands
March 22
Jeff Foxworthy: The Good Old Days
The Principles of Pleasure
March 24
Love Like the Falling Petals
Redfern Now: Promise Me
Redfern Now: Seasons 1-2
March 25
Bridgerton: Season 2
Transformers: BotBots
March 28
Thermae Romae Novae
March 29
Mike Epps: Indiana Mike
Mighty Express: Season 6
March 30
All Hail
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King
March 31
Super PupZ
Neon
March 1
The Walking Dead: Season 10b
The Fallout
The Australian Dream
The King’s Man
Open Season
Rūrangi
March 2
Fightback: Joseph Parker
Peppa Pig: Season 3
Belushi
Horrible Histories: The Movie
Pinocchio
March 3
I Am Woman
Lowdown Dirty Criminals
Reunion
March 4
Our Flag Means Death
The Mystery of DB Cooper
The Space Between
March 5
Made In Itality
March 6
The Forever Purge
Shirley
March 7
Outlander: Season 6
March 8
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
Rusty Rivets: Season 3b
Ricki and the Flash
March 9
Catfish: The TV Show Season 8c
Santiago of the Seas: Season 1a
Power Rangers
March 10
Somebody Somewhere
March 11
The Nice Guys
March 12
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 4
March 13
Charmed: Season 4
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
March 14
WWE Untold: Bayley and Sasha Take Over Brooklyn
WWE Untold: Rey, Eddie and the Rumble
WWE Untold: Two Dudes with Attitudes
Summerslam 2021
The True Story of Wrestlemania
Wrestlemania Rewind: Hulk vs Andre
Ruthless Aggression: Enter John Cena
Ruthless Aggression: Evolution
Ruthless Aggression: It’s Time to Shake Things Up
March 15
Shining Vale
Goosebumps
March 16
Delilah
All The President’s Men
March 17
Council of Dads
Miss Potter
March 18
Young Rock: Season 2
District 9
March 19
The French Dispatch
March 20
The Rising
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
March 21
Carrie
March 22
Rocknrolla
March 23
Difficult People: Seasons 1-3
March 24
Louis Theroux: Forbidden America
Star Falls
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
March 25
Old
March 26
Atlanta: Season 3
Going in Style
March 28
Collateral Damage
March 29
Side Hustle: Season 1a
Now You See Me
Now You See Me: The Second Act
March 30
Annika
Bullitt
Gully
TVNZ on Demand
March 1
Charmed: Seasons 1-10
Dropped
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls
From the Vault: NZ’s Deadliest Disasters
Girls of the Sun
Billion Pound Cruises: All At Sea
Metal Down Under
Sudden Death: My Sister’s Silent Killer
Heart of the Sea
Manson’s Lost Girls
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B
Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow
A Sister’s Nightmare
Man on the Bus
Lennon’s Last Weekend
Unravelling Athena: The Champions of Women’s Tennis
