There are currently 31 countries that have a Chinatown in their districts. The word “Chinatown” means “the streets of the Tang people”, with tang referring to the Tang dynasty which is considered to be the greatest period of Chinese civilization. I’ve always been amazed at how there seems to be a chinatown in every country I visit. It shows how much the Chinese diasporas have reached worldwide. There’s even one in Nauru, a small island nation in Micronesia in the South Pacific.
A tidbit about Chinatowns was that they never emerged due to conscious choice. Chinatowns developed as a reaction to the racial segregation overseas Chinese faced in their new found land. As a result, they created their own chinatown quarters, with food and shops similar to home, which created a sense of community and belonging for these new migrants. Chinatowns now have evolved into an area which locals and tourists alike can immerse themselves in Chinese culture, without having the exorbitant travel fees of travelling to China.
So here are the top 10 Chinatowns from around the world to satisfy your taste buds and cultural immersion:
- Manhattan, New York City
- Vancouver, Canada
- San Francisco, California
- Havana, Cuba
- Singapore
- Binondo, Manila, Philippines
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Brisbane, Australia
- London, England
- Manchester, England
Chinatown in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Chinatown is one of Melbourne’s most popular areas. Although the cabinet makers and lodging houses which Chinatown once consisted of are now gone, they have been replaced by eating houses and top end restaurants. Within the historical structure and arches that are characteristic of Chinatown lies a well-known secret by Australian foodies: Ling Nam (204 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000)
This place is the favorite with parents (to bring their loved ones to) and drunkards (with a hankering for good food after midnight) alike. Apparently it’s been around since the 1970′s and they have a reputation as an incredibly authentic family-style-cooking restaurant, which pleases the guests. The portions are huge and very reasonably priced.
Crispy fried chicken
Despite having a piece in your chopsticks, you will get jealous when your dining partner takes another piece pictured: small size portion
This dish has a healthy crunch to it and the spices are amazing (KFC crispy chicken aficionados, you will love this chicken). The only problem is that they don’t provide knives so you have to struggle at eating it with your chopsticks. This can look very unglamorous.
Salt and Pepper Squid , Braised Vegetables, and Sweet and Sour Fish
The salt and pepper squid is excellent. Just from looking at the picture, you KNOW it’s a good one. My fellow diners were eyeing when it was still in the server’s hand, and from when it was set down on the table, it was gulped down in 10 minutes.
The braised vegetables are good; it’s not too salty and it tastes like something my grandmother would cook.
Sweet and sour fish is made with actual sweet and sour sauce which I was happy about. I had an unhappy meal once when my sweet and sour pork was just honey and lemon! The batter around the fish has a comforting, somehow buttery flavour to it as well.
I enjoyed a really satisfying meal and after writing this post, I still have a hankering for it.
Sadly, many people are still scared of Lingnam because of its filthy conditions. It was so bad in 2007 that the Melbourne council fined them $55,000 AUD and newspapers (loving the taste of controversy) gave in-depth explanations on how dirty it was. Now it’s 2010, and people are coming back. It was crowded when I went there. Honestly, I prefer it when a restaurant has been shut down or paid a heavy fine for not being clean. Once bitten twice shy, they will surely maintain high hygiene standards in case there’s another surprise check.
When you’re visiting Chinatown, you might want to grab a pack of nougats. One thing about Melbourne’s Chinatown is that it has a lot of shops selling nougats. A lot more varieties that those sold in Melbourne airports.
Nougats come from Europe and are a mixture of beaten egg whites and honey with a lot of nuts and candies in it. After describing this, I realize that these do not sound the most appetizing but they are dee-leeesh-cious! Depending on the composition of the ingredients, it can come into hard or soft forms. It also comes in flavors such as original, cappuccino, peppermint, etc.
Both forms have a nice blend of honey and nutty flavours. The hard form gives a nice satisfying crunch for those who love crunchy foods. For those with weaker teeth or hate the trouble of crunching, the soft one gives a nice gooey consistency akin to glutinous rice. Sadly I didn’t take down the address but if you see oriental shops selling sheepskin boots and other local Australian products, the nougats are there!
[Photos courtesy of Sarah Cooks, t.linn, zhaoxue, and rabbit lim]
Contacts
Ling Nam
204 Little Bourke Street
Number: 039663 2347
Prices: Expect to pay about $15-25 per pax
Hint: Its easy to miss due to its small door size unlike many other restaurants. Keep your eyes wide open!
Nougats
Prices: Aus $25 for 1kg
Aus $ 20 for 500 g,
Aus $8 for 250g
Related posts:
Are there ‘fake’ Chinese food like chicken balls and soy sauce fried rice in Australia?
Some places have regional specialty for ‘fake’ Chinese food, like in Alberta, Canada there’s a dish called Ginger Beef (which is apparently sugary beef), that is local/regional to Alberta…..
HAHA I guess its a worldwide phenomenon! There’s this place i went to in melbourne that said it served sweet and sour pork, but really.. it was honey pork.
Also interestingly enough, my thai friend once lamented that the thai restaurant i love (shall not be named here) is blasphemy! haha because they serve coconut rice (which i also love) which is not supposedly in thai tradition
I actually really dislike Chinatowns… there are so many other places to get a feel of a city’s asian culture sans visiting Chinatown! however, that said… I always visit them in whatever city I visit.
I think Vancouver’s Chinatown can be skipped though — just visit Richmond if you’re homesick for HK/ China/ Twn… ^^
I find that Chinatowns are going through many changes to reflect the current communities. For example, you’re seeing less and less Cantonese establishments in Toronto, they are moving to better (richer) locales. Instead, Vietnamese and Mainland Chinese stores are opening up, providing a much greater variety in foods. In fact, you’ll see a few Japanese and Korean places too. I think Chinatowns are becoming more dynamic, though some still need more aesthetic and hygienic appeal.