Chinese Restaurant in Kenya USAGM
Metadata
- Chinese Restaurant in Kenya USAGM
- March 8, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Chinese Restaurant in Kenya HEADLINE: Chinese Kenyan Cooks Up Beef Chow Fun and Swahili-Style Kebabs TEASER: A Kenyan-Chinese maintains culinary ties to his roots in Hong Kong while embracing his Kenyan identity. PUBLISHED AT: 03/08/2022 AT 10:30AM BYLINE: Kang-Chun Cheng CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Nairobi, Kenya VIDEOGRAPHER: Amos Wangwa PRODUCER: Amos Wangwa SCRIPT EDITORS: ELee, MAS VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, see script PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:48 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG: )) [[INTRO: Even though there has been a wave of immigrants from China to Africa in recent years, some families made that journey decades ago. VOA’s Kang-Chun Cheng has more from Nairobi about a Chinese Kenyan and his restaurant.]] ((NARRATOR)) From popcorn chicken to beef chow fun, this restaurant has been offering famous street foods from Hong Kong since it opened in 2020. But the Cantonese eatery called Dragon Eye is located in Nairobi. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “We do a lot of char siu bao, which is very popular in Hong Kong. We do the typhoon shelter crabs, typhoon shelter prawns.” ((NARRATOR)) There are also coastal Swahili-style kebabs that cannot be found anywhere else in Nairobi. Owner Henry Tin was born and raised in Mombasa. He speaks English, Kiswahili, Cantonese, and a bit of Mandarin. His father, originally from Hong Kong, arrived in Kenya by ship during World War II to escape the Japanese occupation of China. Tin worked as a maritime engineer for 18 years. An economic downturn caused his family to move to Nairobi and pivot to the restaurant industry. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “My mother was a good cook. So we cooked Chinese food. But I ate together with my house help, and my neighbors, they were all Africans. So I was used to ugali and the local food. And of course, in Mombasa I used to climb trees to get mangos and baobab and all those things, yeah.” ((NARRATOR)) Tin’s mother initially taught the staff at their first restaurant. Then his wife, a Hong Kong native and trained chef, stepped in. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “My mother passed away nearly about 15 years ago, so my wife took over.” ((NARRATOR)) In recent years, a new wave of migrants from China has arrived in Kenya to work on infrastructure projects linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Some Kenyans are wary of China’s growing presence and find it difficult to overcome the language and culture differences. But for Tin who was born and raised in Kenya, he says he feels wholly accepted by Kenyans both as a citizen and within society. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “For the past I would say 40 years, the Kenyans have learned to...I mean, you know, knowing the world and Chinese, because you know, China did a lot of investments here. In the beginning, they don’t know much about China,. Now, they know a lot about China, and the Kenyan people are very friendly, especially in Mombasa, Nairobi. I can walk about, integrate with them, talking Swahili.” ((NARRATOR)) There is also a small community of people from Hong Kong living in Nairobi. Others emigrated in search of a different life and business opportunities, such as restaurants that cater to growing Chinese populations across East Africa. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “Number one, they (Chinese) bring their culture here. A lot of Chinese also got married to the local people. They’re doing farming in Kenya.” ((NARRATOR)) Tin says it’s easier now to get more ingredients and vegetables like bok choy for his restaurant. He’s hoping a growing Chinese presence in Kenya will mean more business for him. (("For VOA News, Kang-Chun Cheng, Nairobi"))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Chinese Restaurant in Kenya HEADLINE: Chinese Kenyan Cooks Up Beef Chow Fun and Swahili-Style Kebabs TEASER: A Kenyan-Chinese maintains culinary ties to his roots in Hong Kong while embracing his Kenyan identity. PUBLISHED AT: 03/08/2022 AT 10:30AM BYLINE: Kang-Chun Cheng CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Nairobi, Kenya VIDEOGRAPHER: Amos Wangwa PRODUCER: Amos Wangwa SCRIPT EDITORS: ELee, MAS VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, see script PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:48 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG: )) [[INTRO: Even though there has been a wave of immigrants from China to Africa in recent years, some families made that journey decades ago. VOA’s Kang-Chun Cheng has more from Nairobi about a Chinese Kenyan and his restaurant.]] ((NARRATOR)) From popcorn chicken to beef chow fun, this restaurant has been offering famous street foods from Hong Kong since it opened in 2020. But the Cantonese eatery called Dragon Eye is located in Nairobi. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “We do a lot of char siu bao, which is very popular in Hong Kong. We do the typhoon shelter crabs, typhoon shelter prawns.” ((NARRATOR)) There are also coastal Swahili-style kebabs that cannot be found anywhere else in Nairobi. Owner Henry Tin was born and raised in Mombasa. He speaks English, Kiswahili, Cantonese, and a bit of Mandarin. His father, originally from Hong Kong, arrived in Kenya by ship during World War II to escape the Japanese occupation of China. Tin worked as a maritime engineer for 18 years. An economic downturn caused his family to move to Nairobi and pivot to the restaurant industry. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “My mother was a good cook. So we cooked Chinese food. But I ate together with my house help, and my neighbors, they were all Africans. So I was used to ugali and the local food. And of course, in Mombasa I used to climb trees to get mangos and baobab and all those things, yeah.” ((NARRATOR)) Tin’s mother initially taught the staff at their first restaurant. Then his wife, a Hong Kong native and trained chef, stepped in. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “My mother passed away nearly about 15 years ago, so my wife took over.” ((NARRATOR)) In recent years, a new wave of migrants from China has arrived in Kenya to work on infrastructure projects linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Some Kenyans are wary of China’s growing presence and find it difficult to overcome the language and culture differences. But for Tin who was born and raised in Kenya, he says he feels wholly accepted by Kenyans both as a citizen and within society. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “For the past I would say 40 years, the Kenyans have learned to...I mean, you know, knowing the world and Chinese, because you know, China did a lot of investments here. In the beginning, they don’t know much about China,. Now, they know a lot about China, and the Kenyan people are very friendly, especially in Mombasa, Nairobi. I can walk about, integrate with them, talking Swahili.” ((NARRATOR)) There is also a small community of people from Hong Kong living in Nairobi. Others emigrated in search of a different life and business opportunities, such as restaurants that cater to growing Chinese populations across East Africa. ((Henry Tin, Dragon Eye Owner)) “Number one, they (Chinese) bring their culture here. A lot of Chinese also got married to the local people. They’re doing farming in Kenya.” ((NARRATOR)) Tin says it’s easier now to get more ingredients and vegetables like bok choy for his restaurant. He’s hoping a growing Chinese presence in Kenya will mean more business for him. (("For VOA News, Kang-Chun Cheng, Nairobi"))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date March 8, 2022 10:48 EST
- Byline Kang-Chun Cheng
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America