Days of My China Dragon: Stories

by Chandrahas Choudhury

The Bombay restaurateur Jigar Pala has three great, overlapping passions: food, people, and conversation, all of which come together seamlessly in his life and trade. But after many years of running the high-volume, low-margin Udupi restaurant handed down to him by his late father, Jigar has in middle age decided to set himself a new challenge: Chinese! After all, Indians love Chinese food more than the Chinese themselves – and in this new world of cleavers and bamboo steamers, black bean sauce and drunken chicken, wok chi and the holy Tao, chopsticks and the songs of Teresa Teng, there will be new customers, new stories, new happiness. A whole new Bombay can be made within the walls of the China Dragon.
 
But Jigar has taken on more than he has reckoned for. For not only must he confront the hazards of empty hours, capricious chefs, flailing waiters, and customers who bring not just their appetites but their problems. But even as losses mount and the China Dragon totters, there remain the small, warming pleasures of the parade of faces and figures at the tables, the nuances of taste and temperament, the jokes that banish dullness and the situations that make time hum and sing. As Jigar sees it, a restaurant is the greatest of life’s theatres, for human beings are never more themselves than in their encounters with food.
 
Days of My China Dragon offers an insight into the restaurant trade, and a little history of modern Indian life seen from behind the counter of a shop in Prabhadevi. Once you have absorbed the spirit of the China Dragon, dear reader, you will always be hungry for life and food. Qing qing!
 
Praise for the book:
 
"The world of eating is about so much more than just food that it requires great fiction to present it in its true colours. Through these stories of a Chinese restaurant in Bombay, Days of My China Dragon offers nothing less than a magical meditation on the human condition. I have not enjoyed reading something as hilarious and moving since GV Desani's All About H Hatterr."
- Pushpesh Pant, author of India: The Cookbook
 

Genres: Food, Fiction

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2019

Reviews

[Seemita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Universally, very few things bind people the way food does. And endorsing this view emphatically, Jigar Pala opens a Chinese restaurant in Prabha Devi, Mumbai, taking a detour from his family’s legacy of well-established Udipi restaurant. Enter the ‘China Dragon’. He puts together a small yet skilled team, does up the ambience with all props authentic Chinese (almost), keeps the finances in place, spreads the word and instils an enthusiastic wave into his establishment to go that extra mile to delight customers. But does that turn out to be enough?

In ‘Days of My China Dragon’, Choudhury weaves a delightful story around a restaurateur's life. Through Pala’s palate, one bites into the bittersweet crust of a business that never sleeps; the glory achieved on the happy visage of one customer can be threatened immediately by the next with a rapidly-forming frown, a perfectly cooked meal can meet its nemesis in a clumsy waiter, a business milestone can be achieved at the exact moment of lowering shutters just the way an ancient gastronomic secret can emerge when least expected, a perfectly harmonious kitchen can be jeopardised by one weird maverick chef just as much as it can be by the neighbourhood competitor. From a couple who bonds over the restaurant’s food to a father’s advice that helps tide tough times, from an idiosyncratic urge to own a life-sized dragon statue to meeting a bulk order that leaves the team thin, this book simmers with abundant humor and insights, heart-warming tales (as only a nostalgic meal can elicit) and heart-breaking decisions.

I rounded up my visit to China Dragon in three days and I am happy to relay that it is doing fine. You might like to visit it. Here, take this sample the team asked me to offer to future customers:

Sent from Lisbon by his King to discover the sea route to India and help Portugal seize the spice trade from the Arabs, Vasco da Gama plotted the course of a small ship in a never-ending ocean for which he had no map, fought off pirates, survived storms, hunger, and scurvy, quelled numerous mutinies among his men, endured fifteen months on sea before he sighted the coast of Malabar, ingratiated himself with the king of Calicut, and voyaged back home to Lisbon triumphant with a booty of gold, black pepper, nutmeg and Old Monk rum.

Sent by me from the China Dragon to buy fifty grams of black pepper from Nagodoshi Wadi, the new waiter Pintu Masurkar missed the turn for the market, felt too shy to approach anybody for directions, fell into a manhole while looking around for street signs, fought off two children who wanted him to buy their bus fare to Dadar, was nearly run down by a car while trying to cross the road near Taj Birdy's cake shop, and jumping back onto the pavement, was surprised by a miaow near his ankle and came back to the Dragon with a bleeding kitten and a tube of Boroline.

[Rajat Ubhaykar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Days of My China Dragon is a delectable collection of short stories revolving around the business of food in Mumbai. As someone whose family has experience in the restaurant business, I can vouch for how accurately the author has captured the joys and tribulations of running a restaurant - a mercurial business that alternates between being soul satisfying, frustrating, cutthroat, and physically demanding.

This one’s a must read for all foodies, aspiring restaurateurs, and pretty much everyone who loves a story well-told. It will definitely make you appreciate the sincere effort and behind-the-scenes drama that goes into making a piping hot dish materialize on your tables. Highly recommended!

[Sookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a delightful read. There are moments of absolute hilarity and then there are profound moments underneath baleful humor. Its a collection of moments from lives we have seen around us, and the happenstances aren't out of the ordinary. The everyday stories of everyday people leading everyday life, trying to make a living, live a little, love a lot and laugh even more. Its fantastic.

Thanks Seemita, for the recommendation.

[Mitra Samal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book which is well-researched and engaging. Cooking is described in a beautiful way. And by beautiful I mean the routine kind of disappears and makes it artistic. Some sentences have an impeccable sense of humour and made me laugh out loud! The stories of China Dragon have a subtle warmth to them, just like the warmth of good food being served. Not to mention that knowing the history and tales about food is all the more interesting.

Would strongly recommend it if you’re a foodie or a book lover and if you aren’t, then maybe you will become both after reading it.

[Akshay Patki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is Bollywood style fiction. It's a collection of stories - it has coming of age story, handful of love stories, stories of comebacks, and some what of a climax and tragedy too. Bit abstract at times, but in general there is a flow in the book. There are some portions where it feels like a drag. The writing about food is good - I wish there more of it. The title somewhat misguides you about China. It's so much more about Prabhadevi/Mumbai/India than China. Another thing I felt strongly - you are left to constantly judge the protagonist for his wit or lack of thereof, belief in superstitions, rudeness towards the staff, in general you don't cheer for the story teller. May be that's deliberate.
I'd recommend this book to someone who works in food business or wants to learn inner workings typical restaurant in India.
Line that hit me most in this entire book - "has it never occurred to you that those who only eat, sir, always have an unfair position of power over those who cook?"!

[Aashima Prasad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5
Jigar Pala, a Bombay restaurateur, invites us to hear the story of his Chinese restaurant which he calls his 'baby'. So we see his baby's conception and growth intertwined with the stories of the people working at or coming to the restaurant.
The structure of the book can be defined as how Mansingh describes one of the steps for making heaven's garden soup: 'a mix of long shreds and small bits for contrast of shape and texture.'
The book brims with life. Jigar's constant passion for his business is balanced by varying levels of interest of his staff. They cheer up when the orders are coming and become careless when the business isn't that good.
It's a short read. It feels like Jigar is a new friend you've made over a cup of coffee.

[Kopal · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful novel following the life of a restaurant and the people who make it. it contained many humourous nuggets of what I least expected--business wisdom. I'm compelling my father, a seasoned and proud retailer, to read it, too. As for myself, I don't usually read books with a predominantly male cast of characters but this is such a loving exploration of a masculine world that I quite enjoyed carrying the voices of the men of China Dragon in my head.

[Ayesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and heartfelt - this book is a delight right till the end! Each character endears themself to you in a few paragraphs and I was hooked onto their journeys. By the end I felt like a regular at the China Dragon, who even recognised the taste of their dishes!

[Shefali Deshpande Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

In parts touching, revealing and coming of age. In parts it lags and drags. The style of writing is enjoyable but it doesn't keep you gripped.

[Renee Pattnaik · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”, a statement very aptly said, encapsulates the emotions of not only the characters in the novel but also the reader’s entire experience. It can be celebrated as a perfect balance of fiction and non-fiction, making the read an effortless one, naturally accelerating the reading pace.

One of those few books in our journey of reading which cannot be put down till finished and cannot be forgotten even after a long time for how it made one “feel”.

The various engrossing tales of the characters within the larger tale of “Days of My China Dragon” makes the read an extraordinarily amusing one with its usage of witty remarks here and there, without failing to explore and even nurture the deeper and philosophical themes such as human nature, passion over greed for money, realities of life like death, religion, history, culture, and politics.

Needless to mention, it not only satisfies 'one’s appetite to relish knowledge on food and cuisine but also every significant thematical concern', making the book a must read for absolutely all. The specialty lies in the fact that it is somewhat a multi-genre text meeting the expectations of all sorts of readers.

As much as I’d have loved to write more on the intricacies of certain dialogues and textual references in the novel, I would want to keep this review spoiler-free as it is highly recommended for you to consume it yourself to reap the benefits of the absolute taste of China Dragons to the fullest. Have an amazing read!

[Shayeri Das]

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯"

There is no sincere love than the love for food. And when you find a book with its chief topic as Chinese cuisine, you can't help but pick it up, at least that's what happens in my case.

The book, 'Days of my China Dragon', provides an insight into the restaurant trade and life as it seems from behind the counter of a shop in the busy lanes of Bombay, the tricks of the trade and secrets of the most authentic Chinese that can possibly land on your plate.

Be it my love for Chinese cuisine, or the excellent narrative, this book had me hooked from page one! Foodie or not, you will surely love reading this!

[Shakti Biswal · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Loved the collection of stories from a guy who owns a Chinese restaurant in Prabha Devi, Mumbai.

Gives a peek into what goes behind the scenes to create an order of food. The stories cover various actors at a restaurant viz. the chef, the waiters & gives a glimpse into their ways of working inside cramped kitchens & their journey from the country side to big cities like Mumbai for a living.

The customers dining in are a constant source of entertainment for the restaurant staff & the reader e.g. a doctor who eats four times a week at the restaurant & almost becomes family.

[Agamonee Barbaruah · Rating 3 out of 5]

May not be drop dead brilliant literature per se but enjoyable, relatable and delectable for its mention of foods. In fact, the current footfall of the once riveting Confucius Restaurant in Guwahati kept occurring to me while I read this. I ate lunch there today and I kinda got this book's subtle-but-there vibe. 😊

[Smit Zaveri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5. Some hits and some misses in this novel of stories. A tad bit abrupt though.

[Nirbhay Kanoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining, light and enjoyable read.

[Natascia Ciancibello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was delightful! Philosophical and meditative, but also funny and interesting. A very unique and memorable read.

[Sadiq Kazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Every foodie would love it....and so would every small time entrepreneur. The author is excelling with each successive outing!