Did you know that Caribbean nations love Chinese food? You might be surprised to learn that it’s true! From Dominica to Trinidad and Tobago to Belize, Chinese food has had a huge impact on the region. Join me as I explore the world of Dominican Chinese food!
After the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, European colonists across the Caribbean hired indentured servants to replace previously enslaved Africans. Many of the indentured servants who came to Caribbean islands were from Asian countries like China. They brought their cuisine with them, integrating Chinese flavors into a melting pot that also includes Amerindian, Creole, and African influences. Now, Chinese food is among the most popular world cuisines in the region!
For this food adventure, we visited Riverside International Restaurant & Bar in Portsmouth. This restaurant has an international menu, including many Dominican Chinese dishes. Inside, we met with Chef Steven and his staff. Steven was making spring rolls, lobster, dumplings, sweet and sour chicken, noodles, and more!
We had lots of vegetables as well. I watched him fry up some chicken pieces for the sweet & sour chicken, as well as the diced lobster. Then, he added the lobster to some stir-fried vegetables, along with a cornstarch slurry.
Elsewhere, Steven was making potstickers and cooking up the noodles in a wok while his cooks fried some egg rolls. Then, they made a spicy beef bowl that smelled amazing, some spring rolls, and the sweet & sour chicken with sesame seeds on top.
They gave us a private dining room with a large, family-style table with a Lazy Susan in the middle. They brought us potstickers, chow mein, a Szechwan beef bowl, sweet & sour chicken, fried spring rolls, lobster stir-fry, and ginger rum. I jumped on the chicken first.
The sweet and sour sauce was excellent with the crispy chicken. I also loved dipping the spring rolls into the sweet and sour sauce. It was fresh and light! Next, the potstickers were also excellent.
Next, Nate joined me to try Dominican Chinese food for the first time. He enjoyed the sweet & sour chicken, and the lobster in the stir-fry was excellent and meaty. Everything was fresh and delicious, from the chow mein and broccoli. Next, we tried the Szechwan beef bowl. It was extremely rich and flavorful and contained a nice broth and tender cabbage.
For a Szechwan dish, it wasn’t that spicy, but it was a bit numbing. It also contained some nice ginger. It reminded me of a ramen bowl. I couldn’t help but go back to the chow mein. It was too good to leave any of it!
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