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Savour the flavours of Afro-Cantonese cuisine
Afro-Cantonese cooking
Afro-cantonese cuisine enthusiasts
© Richard Goode
Did you know?
The Chinese Ming-Hun Yi-Tu map of 1402 accurately depicts Southern Africa complete with inland waterways.
Afro-Cantonese cuisine has its origins in the arrival of indentured mineworkers from Guangdong (formerly Canton) Province who came to Johannesburg in the 1890s. These workers returned home with such enticing tales of the city they called Gam Saam (Golden Mountain) that by 1940 there were approximately 8000 Cantonese people living, working, eating and cooking in South Africa.
Apartheid and communism don’t mix, and the ancestors of these early immigrants found themselves cut off from their motherland for so long that an Afro-Cantonese cooking style developed. This food genre is characterised by a higher ratio of red meat to vegetables and a much gentler spicing than in classic Cantonese cuisine.
Authentic Afro-Cantonese food can be eaten at Swallows Inn, in central Johannesburg. Founded in 1938, it is rumoured that Nelson Mandela frequented this restaurant as a young lawyer and it still sells the Shanghai steak that the waiters swear was his favourite. The neighbouring Yung Chen Noodle Den is a similar food history classic.
Those who don’t like the fusion style of Afro-Cantonese cooking should rather head for the area that Johannesburg locals call ‘New Chinatown’ in Derrick Avenue, Cyrildene, where the restaurants are owned by chefs who arrived post 1994 and are consequently closer to their culinary roots.
When in Cape Town, the sizzle of the black bean pork at Jewel Tavern is well worth the slightly scary drive through the dark and dingy docks. Free State foodies rave about JC Chinese in Ladybrand. Durban’s China Plate offers all the usual suspects and some delicious dishes from the traditional menu. Try the traditional menu crispy garlic langoustines and the barbeque pork served on steaming, garlicky bok choi.
Be warned, regardless of the chef’s arrival date, South African Chinese food is full of monosodium glutamate. If you don’t do MSG, the only Chinese chef who explicitly caters for your needs is Emma Chen at the upmarket Red Chamber in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Alternatively, ask the chef to leave it out of your food.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Jewel Tavern
Cnr Duncan and Vangard Roads
Cape Town Harbour
Tel: +27 (0)21 448 1977
Swallows Inn
6 Commissioner Street
Ferreirasdorp, Johannesburg
Tel: +27 (0)11 838 2946
Yung Chen Noodle Den
4 Commissioner Street
Ferreirasdorp, Johannesburg
Tel: +27 (0)11 833 5924
Wing Hin
27 Maroelana Street
Menlo Park, Pretoria
Tel: +27 (0)12 460 6180
The Red Chamber
68 Upper Level, Hyde Park Shopping Centre,
Jan Smuts Avenue, Hyde Park
Johannesburg
Tel: +27 (0)11 325 6048
China Plate
Shop 12, Park Boulevard
11 Brownsdrift Road
Umgeni Riverside Park
Tel: +27 (0)31 564 6437
What will it cost
Chinese takeaways fit the budget-conscious, whereas upmarket Chinese restaurants, e.g. The Red Chamber in Hyde Park, Johannesburg are a little most costly. Expect to pay approximately R250 p/person for a 3-course meal excluding wine.
What's happening
The Chinese Lunar New Year and all other key Chinese festivals are marked in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Chinese lunar New Year(late January, early february) is especially festive in both old and new Chinatown - expect plenty of dragon dancing.
Best buys
Melanie Yap and Dianne Leong. Colour, Confusion and Concession; The history of the Chinese in South Africa. Jacana
Darryl Accone All Under Heaven: The story of a Chinese family in South Africa. David Phillip