Simply whenever you assume there are already sufficient Chinese language eating places and that no extra may presumably stand out in Cairo, one other one with a novel twist opens its doorways.
Chinese language delicacies is greater than spring rolls and candy and bitter rooster—it encompasses a culinary custom with a deep cultural historical past, with a variety of methods, flavors, and tastes to discover, reflecting the sheer range of China’s provinces.
China’s huge geography additionally means there are numerous variations of a single dish, every with its personal distinctive story to inform.
What makes Chinese language delicacies particularly fascinating is the depth of delicate particulars that always go unnoticed. A easy bowl of noodles, for instance, could appear bland at first look, but it holds layers of complexity. Noodles might look related, however their flavors and textures can fluctuate extensively based mostly on substances, cooking strategies, and regional kinds.
As a long-time fan of Chinese language delicacies, I used to be intrigued to attempt YIWAN, a Chinese language restaurant within the Rehab space of New Cairo, recognized for its specialty in genuine Lanzhou Beef Noodles, a standard Chinese language technique of hand-pulling noodles. At first, the query which may come to thoughts is: what makes a bowl of noodles so particular? The reply lay within the expertise, whereby I learnt that even a meals so simple as noodles can carry a wealthy historical past.
One easy bowl of noodles, wealthy in historical past and taste
For each tradition and area, there’s a standard dish that serves as an emblem of the working class, offering the sustenance wanted to energy by means of lengthy hours of labor and fight fatigue. In northern China, that dish is the hand-pulled beef noodles of Lanzhou.
Lanzhou, also known as the “Golden Metropolis,” sits at a historic crossroads in Northwest China and has lengthy been a key cease on the traditional Silk Highway. By its iconic bowl of hand-pulled noodles, Lanzhou has become an emblem of the wealthy, interconnected tradition of the Silk Highway.
The hand-making course of is intense and never for the weak, as even celeb UK chef Gordon Ramsay, who holds a complete of 8 Michelin stars throughout eating places worldwide, admits, as he as soon as stated that “it’s important to be very match.” The approach entails taking a lump of dough and methodically stretching it to create lengthy, skinny strands of noodle.
Within the Lanzhou model, the dough is labored with drive. It’s pulled in sharp, fast tugs, and a few noodle pullers even slam the dough in opposition to their prep boards to make sure the stretching is even and the thickness stays constant.
What units this method aside is the distinct texture of the noodles, which is not like common noodles. In distinction to conventional noodles, Lanzhou noodles are typically smoother and springier, with a chewier chew.
Consuming them is taken into account by many a extra enjoyable expertise, as you possibly can effortlessly slurp them up in a single go along with your chopsticks.
If the hand-making course of wasn’t difficult sufficient, a good higher problem —but additionally essentially the most soulful a part of the dish — is the lamb broth. This wealthy, clear broth is infused with beef, tender Chinese language radish slices, an abundance of cilantro and scallions, and completed with deep crimson chili oil served on the aspect so that you can add at your choice.
Whereas the dish appears lovely sufficient when described, what actually elevated the expertise tenfold was the restaurant. The historical past and culinary craftsmanship in motion was what impressed me to go to the restaurant in individual.
Bringing Northern China to Cairo
Lately, Cairo has seen an inflow of Chinese language expats and Chinese language buyers, who’ve introduced with them a wealth of culinary traditions, together with the time-honored craft of noodle-making.
Whenever you step into most Chinese language eating places, there’s typically an expectation of overly conventional decor, generally leaning into stereotypes. Nevertheless, at YIWAN, the ambiance feels extra genuine. The open kitchen, the place noodles are hand-pulled proper earlier than your eyes, provides a novel contact, whereas the straightforward, unpretentious seating space creates a real eating expertise — one which feels extra like a spot the place locals would select to eat, quite than a tourist-centric setup.
As we chosen our seats on the far finish of the restaurant, we couldn’t assist however discover the distinguished presence of Chinese language expats, with the cooks themselves additionally being Chinese language. Earlier than we even had the possibility to position our order, we have been greeted with a heat cup of Chinese language tea. This soulful beverage, created from tea leaves cultivated in China and processed utilizing conventional strategies, set a welcoming tone for our expertise.
As we slowly sipped our heat cup of Chinese language tea, we then scoured the menu and took the recommendation of one of many waiters, who beneficial us to attempt the enduring Lanzhou Beef Noodles, that are priced at EGP 288 (USD 5.67), in addition to the Chinese language dumplings, that are priced at EGP 258 (USD 5.08). We trusted his suggestion and determined to order each, with an additional aspect of dry-fried noodles, that are priced at EGP 298 (USD 5.87), to get a greater image of how totally different noodles style, and the number of noodles that Chinese language delicacies affords.
At first, the Chinese language tea might sound uncommon, particularly since in Egypt, tea is usually served after a meal. Nevertheless, I discover this Chinese language custom to be considerate and intentional. The tea helps calm each the abdomen and the senses, getting ready you for the sensory expertise to come back.
Inside 5 minutes, the Lanzhou Beef Noodles arrived — served in a big bowl sufficiently big for 2. The waiter kindly provided one bowl every to each my sister and me. At first, it may be a bit tough to pour the noodle broth into the bowl because of the springy texture of the noodles. To make it simpler, it’s greatest to make use of a fork to softly separate the noodles, guaranteeing you don’t find yourself with too many in a single serving.
As soon as the noodles are within the bowl, the following step is to pour the broth over them, adopted by a drizzle of Chinese language crimson chili oil. In case you want a spicier dish, merely stir to combine the chili oil into the broth and noodles. Then, seize some chopsticks and begin slurping the noodles, savoring the plentiful flavors of the broth with every chew.
The mix of the noodles’ texture and the depth of the flavors rapidly attracts you right into a meditative state, the place you’re totally absorbed within the expertise, leaving little room for dialog.
The Lanzhou Beef Noodles are hearty and flavorful sufficient to face alone as a meal, due to its broth and beneficiant portion dimension. Nevertheless, for those who’d wish to discover different dishes, the Chinese language dumplings make an ideal aspect. Their tender dough, stuffed with both greens or meat, affords a satisfying distinction to the noodles, particularly when dipped within the spicy crimson chili oil.
For a special twist, attempt the dry-fried noodles, which function much less broth and extra daring, spicy flavors, with the noodles absorbing soy sauce that provides an additional kick to the dish.
Past the flavors, the expertise grew to become all of the extra significant realizing the historical past behind such an iconic dish and its significance within the lives of numerous impoverished households in northern China.
With each slurp, we tasted not simply meals, however a chunk of historical past and tradition, and by the tip of the meal, it was clear that we might be returning for a second spherical.
