Nairobi gains appetite for Chinese food

The growing number of Chinese nationals running businesses or working in Kenya has led to a rise in Chinese restaurants, especially in the capital.

Nairobi now has more than 30 restaurants offering authentic Chinese cuisine.

Food is a key aspect of Chinese culture, with a keen focus on choosing and preparing ingredients, the utensils they are cooked and served in, and the manner in which dishes are displayed or consumed.

This is experience that Chinese investors in Nairobi's hotel industry have brought to the city.

Gaby Li, food and beverage manager at Wuduria Hotel, says there is a growing appetite for Chinese food among Kenyans and other Africans. Her hotel, located near the South Sudan embassy, often gets customers from the East African country at its Chinese restaurant.

"The number of locals visiting our restaurant has increased," she says, adding that the most popular dish is chicken with cashew nuts and cucumbers.

Den Signey, executive food and beverage manager for Zen Garden, tells a similar story. She believes Africans love Chinese food because it is simple, light and a little spicy.

The most popular dishes at Bamboo, her hotel's Chinese restaurant, are spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken or pork, sizzling ginger beef and Shanghai fried rice.

Ginza, in the middle-class suburb of Kilimani, is one of Nairobi's busiest Chinese restaurants. Its executive director, Mei Hong, says 70 percent of its customers are Chinese, with locals making up the rest. The restaurant recently hosted delegates from Guangdong province in town for a conference.

Cooking authentic Chinese food is the secret to getting more customers, she says.

"Unlike African and Western food, Chinese cuisines are not deep-fried. Most is boiled, steamed, braised or baked. We don't deep-fry food, we stir-fry lightly and quickly in a little oil, and that's what we offer customers."

She adds that Chinese dishes are famous for their color, taste, aroma and appearance. This is in addition to consisting of five key flavors that must be balanced according to traditional Chinese medicine: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy.

Ginza, which also serves Japanese and African dishes, opened just over a year ago and is regularly packed, especially on weekends, Mei Hong says.

"It's part of Chinese culture to dine as a family, so most of the customers come with their children," she adds. "This may not go well with other customers because of the noise as children play, so I reserve the upper floor for Chinese customers."

She says she also buys garlic imported from China at Marikiti, a large wholesale fresh produce market.

Mei Hong, who has lived in Kenya for 15 years, has been given the nickname "Wanjiku" because of her enterprising spirit. The name comes from a tribe in Kenya that is known for its entrepreneurship.

Convinced that Chinese food is more nutritious, she has been introducing dishes to her Kenyan friends.

"I recommended steamed fish to my neighbor, who later confessed that she'd never feasted on such a sweet meal before," she recalls, adding that most Africans like Ginza's sizzling beef and chicken dishes, which they wrongly presume to be Chinese food. "Sizzling cuisines are Kenya's authentic Chinese food," she jokes.

To ensure her customers are satisfied, Mei Hong allows them into the kitchen to watch food being prepared. She says she spent about 5 million Kenyan shillings ($49,400) to equip the kitchen with quality appliances and utensils.

Seafood is the most expensive dish on her restaurant's menu because the local cost is high, with lobster the most costly. In Ginza, lobster sells for $98; in Wuduria, $69; and Zen Garden, $49.

As part of their penetration strategies, the restaurants are promoting the art of group dining with private rooms, which is common in China. They are also appealing to more Africans to try authentic Chinese cuisines as part of efforts to spread Chinese culture.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/09/2016 page29)