By Hu Dong, a Chinese expatriate worker in Mozambique

In 2017, I started my another journey to Africa, but I was heading to Mozambique, a country I had never heard of before. After learning that the annual income of Mozambicans on average is approximately US$550 annually, I pictured a poor and highly-corrupted country in my head. Nevertheless, my mind was changed when I arrived at Maputo, the capital city. Unlike other Sub-Saharan Africa countries, the customs entry process to Mozambican territory is smooth. Meanwhile, I rarely saw cars in poor conditions, the streets are well built and arranged, the city looks like a third-tier city along the coast in Europe.

Maputo, capital city of Mozambique  (Photo/Hu Dong)

Maputo (Photo/Nick Wang)

Maputo (Photo/Nick Wang）

Maputo  (Photo/Hu Dong）

The food in Mozambique also triggered my interest. The country had been colonized by Portugal for roughly 500 years, the dining customs, cuisine methods, food and seasoning that locals use in daily life have been influenced by Portuguese, such as Peri-peri Chicken (a grilled chicken, marinated by lemon juice, ground garlic and peri peri source), Pãozinho (Portuguese style white bread), Matapa (a soup stewed by cassava leaves, ground peanut, coconut milk and etc.), Rissois (a deep fried snack of a mixture of flour and battered prawn) and vegetable salad (only vegetable with vinegar and salt). Grilled corn and cashew are also easily found along streets in the city.

Seafood Platter at Sagres Shellfish Restaurant (Photo/Hu Dong)

Mozambique turned out to be more cosmopolitan than I had anticipated. There are some dishes I didn't expect to see in this country, such as Fish and Chips which is famous in the United Kingdom. More amazingly, they taste similar to the dishes I had in the UK.

Fish and Chips at Ocean Basket (Photo/Hu Dong)

Indian Cuisine at Galaxy Restaurant (Photo/Hu Dong)

The food from rural areas is also tasty, such as Tipo Tinto. I would never have known it if I didn’t travel to such remote places. Villagers hung a broken chair on a tree along the road, which means that you can sit down and have Tipo Tinto inside the village. This is a unique experience for a Chinese person visiting Mozambique.

Thanks to globalization, I even found a few Chinese restaurants here. The influence of Chinese culture on Mozambicans is becoming  stronger. Chinese food, as a major part of Chinese culture, is spreading nationwide and bringing the Chinese and Africans much closer together.

My favorite Chinese restaurant is Yue Hua Restaurant. They provide soy milk (free and unlimited), uncongealed Tofu (available with sweet ones, which are common in southern China, as well as salty ones with stewed goat meat on top and are common in northern China), noodles, fried dough sticks, fried dumplings, steamed stuffed buns, as well as Chinese desserts such as moon-cakes, glutinous rice balls and etc. The taste is fantastic and the price is even cheaper than in China, but the restaurant only opens on Sundays.

Here are some great places to dine out in Mozambique!

Dhow Mozambique

This restaurant has the best view in Mozambique. It’s close to Hotel Cardoso (a 5-star hotel in Mozambique) and located at the top edge of a hill besides a coastal avenue. I highly recommend the Greek Salad and cocktails of Yellow Bite and Sweet Dhow.

Dhow Mozambique (Photo/Hu Dong）

Taverna Restaurant

After visiting the largest handcrafts market in Mozambique——Feima, you could choose to have a rest and to enjoy the most delicious Portuguese cuisine in Taverna Restaurant.

Feima market (Photo/Hu Dong)

Pork Platter at Taverna Restaurant (Photo/Hu Dong)

Mongo Tropical Café

Located in Ponta do Ouro (one of the most famous tourism places in Mozambique, 3 hours driving distance from Maputo), they provide the best food and cocktails.

Fruit Salad from Mongo Tropical Café  (Photo/Hu Dong)

Ponta Beach Bar

Located at the same area, the bar has a good view and delicious food.

Ponta Beach Bar  (Photo/Hu Dong)

Work can be really busy here, but I shall continue this journey. Life is boring sometimes, but there’s always a way to live it and enjoy it.

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )

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