After running one of the best Chinese restaurants in Johannesburg for 26 years, Emma Chen decided to go back to her roots and serve food that she grew up with.  Her parents came from the North of China (while rice grows in the South.)  She was brought up on noodles and bread, instead of rice.

Other than the occasional wedding banquets that she and her whole family attended, most of the time they would frequent eateries which serve a few tapas type of dishes (literally called “small dishes”- some hot, often cold.) To her, these are the food for the people.

The abundant use of spring onion, coriander, garlic, chilli and Sichuan pepper corns in the Northern food means that dishes are strong in flavour, yet refreshing at the same time.