South African abalone and other seafood delicacies are making a gourmet splash at a new concept restaurant near Times Square in New York City.
Mr Bao, an “ocean to table” restaurant with a distinctively South African flavour, held its grand opening on Monday at its 223m² flagship location at 110W 40th Street. The event was attended by prominent members of the South African business community.
Mzwanele Langa, consul of political & trade affairs at the South African Consulate General, praised the idea behind the restaurant, which has been seven years in the making. “The first time we became involved with this project was in 2017, when the department of trade & industry had an outward selling mission to the US,” he told the Sunday Times.
“And we had an opportunity to have the supplier of the products that are here today from South Africa, who visited and was able to partner with Mr [Anthony] Chan, president of Empress Group, which has been involved in developing, marketing and investing in quality food and beverages.
“And that’s where it started, that outward selling mission, which helped them to allow the supplier in South Africa sell the products to Mr Chan. He’s been excellent at marketing South African abalone, to the extent that he’s committed to opening up several more restaurants, each one promoting our local food and wine, with an Asian flair, in America.”
South Africa is ranked the second-highest exporter of abalone, just behind Australia, with a total export value in 2023 of $27.87m (R512.49m), and an exponential 263.97% growth over the last five years, according to Tridge, a global food sourcing and agricultural data hub.
Chan, who has lived in the US for 30 years, said he was inspired by the South African people after visiting one of the country’s largest abalone farms. “The cultured abalone in South Africa is especially succulent and full of flavour. It’s also highly versatile in the kitchen, and we have worked with our chefs to find creative ways to feature the abalone and other seafood in various culinary preparations, paired with top South African wines.”
South African Anthony Armstead, one of the US-based business partners on board, was excited about introducing one of Mzansi’s hottest exports to a global audience. “After having been taken from the ocean and put on the plate, [the abalone is] then mixed with a bit of Chinese culture, to give it a kind of Asian-African fusion-type feel,” he said.
“We are looking to bring more chefs from South Africa to add more African dishes to US menus and blend the cultures.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.