YanRuixiangForthosewhothinkPeking(formernameofBeijing)isinChina,comingtoEgyptwouldbeaneye-opener.There’saPekingintheupmarketMohandeseenDistrictofGiza,thecitythatharborssomeofthegreatestpyramidsofEgypt;asecondoneintheZamalekDistrictofGreaterCairofrequentedbyexpats,anotheroneinHeliopolisandsevenmore.
TheseareallbranchesofavenerableChineserestaurantopenedin1962byYanKhuYeh,awayfarerfromeastChina’sShandongProvince,homeoftherenownedphilosopherConfucius.YancametoCairointheearly1960s.
Peking,openedindowntownCairo,couldwellbethefirstChineserestaurantinEgypt.YanfacedseveralchallengeswhenhedecidedtoopenaChineserestaurantinCairo.“InacountrylikeEgypt,it’snoteasytopersuadepeopletotryandacceptinternationalcuisines,”hissonsaid.Besides,therewereadministrativeproblemslikemaintainingaccountsandtherestaurantwasabouttoclose.Yanturnedtohisson,YanRuixiang,tosavetheventure.
Anewplot
YanRuixiangwasinaquandary.Originallyastudentofmedicine,hehadalreadychangedhiscareerplanonce,decidingtomakefilmsinstead.HehadalsomadehisfirstfilminArabic,WaadWaMaktoub,but,hedecidedtocometohisfather’said.
“Itwasanunpalatablethoughtthatafamilyprojectwouldbomb,”hesaid.“SoIchangedmycareertosavetherestaurantandembarkedonanewdreamtobuildachainofrestaurants.Chinesecuisinebecamemyfate.”
Hisnewfatehasservedhimverywell.Besidesowningachainof10restaurants,hehasalsoearnedareputation.“TheEgyptianscallmetheChinesecuisineambassadorandanyonewantingtoopenaChineserestaurantcomestomeforknowhow,”YanRuixiangsaid.
HesucceededwherehisfatherfailedbecausehesaysheadaptedhisdishestoEgyptiantaste.“Wechangedthesaucesandotheringredients,”YanRuixiangexplainedhisrecipeforsuccess.“Takevinegar,forexample.Egyptiansdon’tlikeblackvinegar,soweuseapplevinegar.Tofuisanotherexample.Thelocalsherewantitfriedwithvegetables,notwithdrysaucelikeinChina.”
AshebeganbuildinghisChinesecuisineempire,YanRuixiangstartedbringingoverChinesechefstoEgyptandtheytrainedtheEgyptianschefs.
WhenChinAfricavisitedthePekingbranchinCairo,thecustomersbaredtheirhearts.MarlettePablo,a26-year-oldColombianteachingEnglishataBritishSchoolinSixthofOctoberCityinEgypt,saidshehadfoundthatthebestChinesefoodadapteditselftothelocaltasteineverycountrywhereitwasintroduced.“Ilikeiteverywhere,”shesaid.“Whateverthechange,thesoulremainsthesameandthedishesarealwaysdelicious.”
JonAlbert,a28-year-oldAmericanpharmacistwholivesinAlexandriaCityinnorthernEgypt,wastuckingintohischopsueywithrelish.“ThefirsttimeItriedChinesefoodwasintheUnitedStatesmorethan10yearsago,”Albertsaid.“IlikeditsomuchthatIbegantoeatChinesefoodregularly.Iwouldeatitatleastonceamonth.”
EatingwithAlbertwashisEgyptianfriendMohammedHosam,a27-year-oldengineer.“Chinesefoodisdistinctiveandaboveall,healthy.Myfavoritedishissweetandsourchicken,”Hosamadded.
AyaOmar,a21-year-oldEgyptianstudyingbusinessattheGermanUniversityinCairo,hasafetishaboutKungPaoChicken,asweet-spicydishfromSichuanProvincefamousforitshotdishes,wherethechickenisaccompaniedbymoundsofpeanutsandchilipepper.“IeatiteveryThursdaytoforgetthepressuresoftheweeksincetheweekendstartsonFriday,”shesaid.“IintendtotraveltoChinatolearnChinesecuisineatitsplaceoforigin.”
SherinTarek,a20-year-oldEgyptianstudyingeconomicsattheAmericanUniversityinCairo,saidbesideseatingChinesefoodandlikingit,shehasalsobeenreadingalotaboutChina.“Chinaisdevelopingfast,”shesaid,“especiallyineducationandindustry.”
Wooingtwomarkets
InEgypt,therearetwokindsofChinesecuisine:therestaurantsinpopularhotelsandhigh-endneighborhoodsandthestallsinpopularshoppingmallswhereChinesefoodissoldasaffordablefastfood.ChinesefastfoodjointslikePandaHouseandCantonarepopularchains,givingKFCandMcDonald’sarunfortheirmoneyinmallsliketheMallofArabia,CitystarsandFestivalCityMall.
WhilePandaHouseoriginatedfromChina,thenwenttotheUnitedStatesandalsocametoEgypt,CantonbelongstoaSaudiArabiancompany.Bothhavealotofcustomersandasaresultoftheirsuccess,havebeguntoexpandintomanycommercialcenters.However,theydon’thaveChinesechefs.
YanRuixiangsaidChinesecuisineisuniquewithalonghistory.“Itvariesfromnorthtosouthandfromeasttowest.Wecareaboutdetailslikecolor,smellandtexture.Allmealsmustbefresh,lightandhealthy,”YanRuixiangexplained.“Chinesecuisineisuniqueinitsabilitytomaintainimportantnutrientsinfoodduringcooking,andthisisinlinewiththecurrentglobaltrendoffollowinghealthyeatinghabitswithacloseconnectiontonature.”
MahmoudKedrisa50-year-oldEgyptianchefattheSheikhZayedCitybranchofPeking.“Ihavebeenworkinghereformorethan25years,”hesaid.“Themajorityofourcustomersarepeoplebetween20and40withwomenoutnumberingmen.Nearly80percentofourpatronsareEgyptiansandtherestexpatsandtourists.”
KedrpointedouthowChinesefoodissuitablefordifferentpalates:“Youcaneatitgrilled,friedorboiled.Somelikethesmokeddishesandsomethesteamedones.Thedishescanbehotorcoldwithavarietyofsauces.”
HenotedthataChinesechefcomesfromChinaeverysixmonthstoteachtheEgyptianchefsthelatestfoodtrends.Also,sometimestheEgyptianchefstraveltoChina.Besides,everysixmonthsthereisanin-housecontestamongthechefs.Thewinner’sdishisintroducedinaspecialmenuandifthecustomerslikeit,itisaddedintheprincipalmenu.The10Pekingrestaurantshaveover500employeesaltogether,mostofwhomhavebeenwiththerestaurantfornearly25years.
Foodfriendship
YanRuixiangisinvolvedinseveralculturalandtourismassociationsthathavebeenworkingtoenhanceEgypt-Chinaties.HesaidhehashadoccasionalthoughtsofreturningtoChina.“ButIamstillinlovewithAfrica,”hesaidwistfully.“Also,nowwithChinamovingclosertowardAfricathroughtheBeltandRoadInitiative,thereisalotthatChinacandowithEgypt.SostayinginEgyptwillbegood.”
YanRuixianghasonewishforhisbusiness.PerhapsChinesecuisinewillbeagoodbridgebetweenEgyptandChinaoneday.Andifthathappens,hisrestaurantswouldhavearoleinit.
InsidePeking’skitchenphotosbyKhaledMahran