Is Dawn the best Chinese restaurant in Cape Town? Yes. But also, no.
Yes, because this family-owned restaurant in the heart of buzzy De Waterkant is easily the most impressive Chinese eatery Cape Town has to offer.
No, because there is really no such a thing as ‘Chinese’ food.
There is food from China, yes. Or, even better, there are dishes traditional to specific regions of China. There are techniques typical of certain dishes, or culinary traditions. But one big catch-all cuisine for a single country that’s home to 1.4-billion people spread across 9.6-million square kilometres? No way. We don’t talk about ‘European’ food, so why do we default to ‘Chinese’ food? Let’s rather talk about Cantonese, Szechuan or Hunanese food?
That’s what husband-and-wife duo Ronnie Mao and Giselle Li are trying to change with their impressive new restaurant, where most of the kitchen – as well as the three chefs – and almost all of the décor was imported from China. That includes the striking koi sculptures at the entrance and the hefty rim-flow pond they swim above. Wander indoors to find an elegant space of lacquered furniture and striking booths, with a central bar serving up a cocktail collection infused with Asian flavours.
But it’s on the menu – and the attention to detail in every dish – where Dawn comes to life, tapping into regional dishes that celebrate the subtlety of flavours so often missing in what’s sold as ‘Chinese’ food. And, if you’re coming in search of sweet-and-sour pork with a fortune cookie to finish? Well, you’ll be disappointed.
Instead, look forward to a menu of remarkable plates – mostly small, to allow for sharing – that offer an entirely new perspective on the flavours of China.
Start with a steamer of dim sum, where imported flour and a depth of skill in the kitchen deliver har gow as good as any you’ll find in Hong Kong. That’s not surprising given that Li’s family hails from Canton, and these delicate dumplings are arguably the signature dish of the region. That also inspires the impressive selection of seafood plates, from steamed oysters with silky glass noodles and a hint of fresh chilli to the Crispy soft-shell crab. A dish of jellyfish and chicken leg, tossed with nuts and crisp sprouts, was a delicious eye-opener to new flavours and textures.
Mao, however, hails from Hunan, where dishes lean towards richer, heartier and spicier plates. The ‘Golden Broth’ of beef cooked in a deeply flavoured soup, swimming with glass noodles and shimeji mushrooms, is remarkable. As are the aubergines, twice-fried with a sweet, salty, sticky glaze that entirely transforms the humble eggplant. Something meaty? The pork ribs marinated in fermented tofu paste, deep-fried, are a revelation.
The list goes on, from small plates, noodles and dim sum, to the signature Peking Duck. It’s a menu that invites revisiting, as you’ll struggle to find your way past more than five or six plates, even when sharing.
While the service is still finding its feet, and the wine list needs a few tweaks, the core of Dawn remains: a menu of remarkable plates that will make you rethink just what ‘Chinese’ food can be. If you love the flavours of Asia, it’s a must in the Mother City.
Tap into a world of flavours at the Time Out Market Cape Town.