Jozi's Chinatowns
More complicated than the universe
South Africa boasts not one but two Chinatowns, both of which are located in Johannesburg - or should that be Gam Saam ("Golden Mountain")? Anna Trapido embarks on a culinary adventure.
Woody Allen once said that "it's stupid to try and know the universe when it's an epic enough mission to crack Chinatown". Even allowing for weapons-grade levels of New York neurosis, the film director's plight and indeed the study of the cosmos seem simple when compared with the complexities of Gauteng's Afro-Asian culinary connection.
Johannesburg has two geographically, historically and culturally distinct Chinatowns. The numerous eateries therein reflect waves of immigration separated by almost unfathomable depths of time and space. In the period between the early 20th century arrival of those people who now cook in Commissioner Street and the 21st century infl ux of the restaurateurs of Derrick Avenue in Cyrildene, both South Africa and China have undergone radical social, political and economic transitions which are made manifest in the menus of the golden city.
The older of the two Chinatowns is situated in the suburb of Ferreirasdorp at the western end of Commissioner Street in Johannesburg's CBD. Chinese indentured mineworkers from Guangdong (formerly Canton) Province first settled here in the 1890s. The mineworkers were all repatriated between 1904 and 1910 but they returned home with enticing tales of the riches to be made in the city they called Gam Saam ("Golden Mountain") and a second wave of Cantonese migrants soon arrived to seek their fortunes. Despite significant emigration in the post-apartheid era, South Africa is still home to approximately 12 000 people of Chinese descent who were citizens prior to 1994. ere is a small Taiwanese community that arrived in the late 1970s but the majority of the Commissioner Street restaurants reflect the alimentary heritage of the descendents of these early 20th century immigrants.
Swallows Inn (011 838 2946) is Johannesburg'soldest surviving Chinese restaurant. Founded in 1940, the menu reflects the culinary fusion that inevitably occurs in a Diaspora community isolated from its motherland for almost a century. No longer "authentic" Cantonese food, the cuisine has evolved into an Afro-Asian gastronomic genre in its own right. Waiter George Kin (who can take your order in English, Afrikaans, Cantonese or Zulu) says: "For many years we couldn't get ingredients so Chinese spinach gave way to cabbage and so forth. Anyway, South Africans want more meat and less vegetable; they like things less spicy, so the food changed. We adapted to suit those tastes. When we South African Chinese try to emigrate and start restaurants in Canada, Canadians don't want this type of food - it's too African for them."
The bill of fare at Swallows Inn is nostalgia made manifest on a plate. Food history at its finest, the "Shanghai steak", battered spring rolls and tinned lychees with ice cream have the comforting taste of '70s childhood special-treat, slippers-and-dressing-gown Chinese restaurant outings. The sweet and sour sauce is so vividly orange that it must surely glow in the dark.
Less comforting but ultimately more delicious is Yung Chen Noodle Den (011 833 5924). Den is a pretty good term for this corner café-style eating house where there is almost invariably a vagrant peeing on the outside wall and diners puffing at high-tar cigarettes while gambling for frighteningly high stakes. But despite its name, Yung Chen is famed for its broths not its noodles. Think first-class stock bases, slivers of fresh ginger and plump wrinkly wontons, and you will get the general idea. Whatever you order, you will be served a side dish of roasted chilli and a complimentary enamel pot of yum cha tea.
TURTLES AND OX "PIZZLES"
The restaurants of Derrick Avenue in Cyrildene reflect the flavours of the estimated 300 000 post-1994 Chinese immigrants. While Commissioner Street has the jadedgravitas of a community that has lost almost all its young people to Calgary and Perth, in Cyrildene it is unusual to see a restaurateur over the age of 30. The almost total lack of English in the eateries speaks volumes as to the recent arrival of these epicurean entrepreneurs.
While the Mandarin dialect predominates, there are Manchurian, Cantonese, Shanghainese and Hong Kongstyle restaurants in the area. If you are lusting after dim sum dumplings, shrimp balls or star anise-laden steamed pork buns, the aptly named Mei Sin ("delicious") is a must. The adjoining Mei Sin Pastry (13D Derrick Avenue - no telephone) is a sweet-toothed delight with row upon row of moon cakes, egg tarts and chrysanthemum biscuits. Chef-patronne Mei Je speaks even less English than her 14-month-old baby Shu so either point and smile or call upon the assistance of the waiters in the main section of the restaurant. If you arrive to find the shop empty, check for Mei Je at the neighbouring He Ji video store because little Shu has recently learnt to walk and has taken to tottering off in search of kung fu movies with his anxious mother in hot pursuit.
Adventurous epicureans should seek out chef Zengcai Li (15 Derrick Avenue - no telephone) at the fabulous North Food restaurant. What the menu lacks in linguistic niceties it makes up for in fabulous Manchurianstyle flavours. Whether you opt for "sauted ox pizzles in abalone sauce" or "three shredded ingredients with boil briefly legumes" you really can't go wrong. Do try to save room for dessert because the caramelised taro on the pudding menu has finally revealed to me why God invented this generally unpalatable vegetable.
If nothing catches your fancy, remember that the chef is more than happy to cook up ingredients that you have bought in neighbouring butcheries and greengrocers. The Xiang Ying Meat Shop, directly opposite North Food, has a cage full of parrots at the front door (pets) and a freezer full of shrink-wrapped turtles (not pets). If you are a turtle-picking virgin, ask the surprisingly knowledgeable Zimbabwean shop assistant to help you choose a good one. Take your purchase across the road to North Food and get the chef to cook it up for you. If you ask nicely, he will even let you come into the kitchen to watch - which affords an opportunity to admire his impeccable food hygiene. For those who can't cope with little faces and paws in their stir fry, the flesh is soft and gelatinous, somewhat like oxtail.
In short, if you want a simple life, stick to studying the universe, but if you are in the market for a Gam Saam gourmet encounter, the options offered by Johannesburg's two Chinatowns are deliciously diverse.
CHINESE WHISPERS
WHERE ELSE TO GO FOR CHINESE FOOD IN GAUTENG
• Wing Hin, 27 Maroelana Street, Menlo Park, Pretoria (012 460 6180): chef Andy So's roasted pork flank with plum sauce is heaven on a plate and the Fawlty Towers quality to the service is utterly adorable. Do not attempt to order sparkling wine as the waitresses will run screaming from the restaurant if the cork makes even the slightest pop.
• The Red Chamber at Hyde Park Shopping Centre, Johannesburg (011 325 6048) is ideal for those who don' t care for the crime-and-grime factor in Commissioner Street or the bulls penises and turtle faces of Derrick Avenue. Chef-patronne Emma Chen prides herself on not using MSG (which absolutely cannot be said for any of the restaurants listed above) and her Mandarin-style hot and sour soup and prawn dumplings are as elegant as they are appetising. An upmarket gastronomic gem.
WHAT ELSE TO READ
- Colour, Confusion and Concession: The History of the Chinese in South Africa. Melanie Yap and Dianne Leong
- All Under Heaven: The Story of a Chinese Family in South Africa. Darryl Accone (David Phillip)
- A Matter of Honour: Being Chinese in South Africa by Yoon Jung Park (Jacana)
WHAT TO DRINK WITH CHINESE FOOD
Traditional thinking has it that you're better off drinking beer with Chinese food thanks to the array of flavours, the occasional oiliness and, all too often, the inclusion of monosodium glutamate which can leave your tongue feeling like it's been licking batteries for a month... However, the inaugural International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine met in Beijing last May and the result of 100 experts trying about a dozen wines with a succession of dishes is an "official pairing guide" (www.grapewallofchina.com/2008/09/02/matchpoints- icccw-wine-chinese-food-pairing-guide/).
It's worth noting how often sparkling wine was the first choice with the typically spicy, sweet and textured dishes. Th is is no doubt thanks to its relatively low alcohol and little or no oak influence, with pink bubbly in particular providing a juicy bit of fruit that complements most flavours. And as is the case with beer, the fizz also refreshes your palate for the next bite...
Photographs by Theana Calitz
