Ghana Dish, A Ghanaian Restaurant in Guangzhou, China

"Finally I found it, the elusive Ghanaian restaurant. It was not the same place I had been to 2 weeks before; it seemed more like a restaurant. The establishment even had a name, Ghana Dish, run by Madame Atta. The last place I went to was run by some old guy and it makes a big difference when Ghanaian food is served by a large Ghanaian woman. It just feels more authentic. She is from Kumasi and has been living in China for 3 years now. It was great fun chatting with her.



They have a simple menu in her restaurant and like her name card is also printed on the Ghana flag. One thing I must say about Ghanaians is that they seem to be a lot more patriotic than their African brothers. None of the other establishments I visited had any décor that defined where they were from but the Ghanaian restaurant had a few flags up on the wall and even played high life music on the stereo. They only offered a few simple dishes though like Banku, Fufu, Light Soup, Groundnut Soup, Kokonte, Gari, and rice. On order Madame Atta can also whip up some Jollof Rice, Tilapia Fish, and Okro Stew. The field managers name as is, Anyass (Alias Yellow Man)… That is usually what Ghanaians would call a fair skinned or even an albino brother.


I ordered us some Fufu and Light Soup. Fufu is actually a pounded combination of yams and plantains that are made into a ball that resembles dough. It has a sticky texture and does not really taste of anything. It is good starch though and it really fills the stomach.



The Fufu is usually eaten with Groundnut or Light Soup that is a broth cooked with chicken, mutton, or fish. Sometimes even lean cuts of beef. I like the meat with some fat and skin on it that give the soup flavor and texture. It is usually very spicy and flavorful. My cousin had no idea what he was into. The unique thing about Fufu is that you do not chew it. You have to cut a piece using your index and middle fingers, form a small dimple in the piece you have cut (using your thumb), dip the piece into the piping hot soup, and one placed in your mouth you swallow. You DO NOT chew Fufu.

Ghana Dish is the best Ghanaian Restaurant I have been to in Guangzhou. And I think it is awesome to say that because it means I have been to more than one here! As always I am blown away by how much Guangzhou has to offer and how navigable this city is even for a bloke who hardly speaks a word of Chinese. People here are extremely helpful and unprejudiced to people from all walks of life. I am looking forward to walking through the entire building floor by floor trying every eating establishment I find and meeting more people there. But don’t be expecting me to dish out invitation letters any time soon."

This article is an excerpt from the blog Indodreamin.com