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Logo of Restaurant Wah Kel

Wah Kel

Founded in 1923

The First Chinese Restaurant in Belgium

The First Sino-Belgian Restaurant in Cyberspace
Chinese Restaurant Wah Kel is unique in many ways.

First of all, it is situated in Antwerp's lively red light district, just across the famous dance club Cafe; d'Anvers and pretty close to the hottest club in Antwerp: Red & Blue. When Wah Kel was founded back in 1923, it became the first Chinese restaurant in Belgium. Nowadays, it is the first Chinese restaurant in Belgium on the Internet.

Back in the old days, Belgian people did not know much of 'exotic' food. Chinese food was something completely weird for them. E.g. chicken slices were something which Belgians had never seen before. They even thought that it was rat meat. Soy bean sprouts (basic ingredient of chop suey) were thought to be the poisonous roots of a potato. As you can imagine, the Chinese have had a hard time in convincing the Belgians that the Chinese cuisine was -- together with French cuisine -- the best in the world.

Chinese Restaurant
Wa h K e l
Verversrui 32
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
Tel: +32 - 3 - 233.64.26 & 234.08.86


Opening Hours
Monday-Thursday: 11:30 a.m. - midnight
Friday & Saturday: 11:30 a.m. - 02:00 a.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - midnight
Closed on Tuesdays (except on holidays)


TBA (To Be Announced): excerpts of TV-programs which included a report on Wah-Kel
  • The 1994 TV documentary Boulevard on restaurants, aired on BRTN (Belgian State Television).


    • The following is an article/interview by Bert VERHOYE on the 60th anniversary of restaurant Wah Kel, as published in the Belgian newspaper De Nieuwe Gazet on April 7, 1983.

    The Oldest Chinese Restaurant

    Wah Kel,
    Sixty Years of Chinese Cuisine in Antwerp

    The oldest Chinese restaurant of Antwerp, and probably of Belgium, is located on Verversrui, in the midst of the red light district of the City of the Schelde. Exactly sixty years ago, in 1923, CHIN-Wa opened the doors of an eatery with Chinese specialties catered for the European taste, a compromise between the Chinese cuisine and the perception of the Belgians on Chinese food. CHIN-Wa's business did well, and in 1947 he sold his business to YU Chi. As a sailor, YU Chi had experienced a lot. He was a clever businessman; soon he became the eminence grise (if this word can be used in this context) of the Chinese who flocked to Belgium. When YU Chi passed away in 1958, he had a funeral, worthy of a minister. Thousands of Chinese from all over Europe and many prominent Belgians (Caucasians) came to give the last respect to their mentor and councilor. YU Pun-Soy, son of YU Chi, took over the business. Restaurant Wah Kel had already become famous in Antwerp and beyond. Many a "Sinjoor" (nickname for a citizen of Antwerp) came to Wah Kel for their first experience in the Chinese cuisine.

    YU Pun-Soy is nowadays[1] running his business with his son YU Siu-Kan. Both of them are organizing this fall (autumn), by the end of September (1983) a big party to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Wah Kel.


    [Go to the Interview]

    		YU Siu-Kan: CHIN Wa was a friend of my grandfather, YU Chi. He sold the business to my grandfather. At that time, my grandfather had already a restaurant in the "Oudaan" neighborhood, but in '47 he took over the business and moved.

    Why did Chinese open restaurants in Europe?

    China was, especially before World War II, a very poor country. The part where he came from, Teisan, Canton, close to the shore, was a sailors haven. They had contact with abroad and saw what was possible elsewhere.
    My grandfather had sailed many years before opening a restaurant.
    The first mayor emigration-wave was heading for America, the second to Europe. Prior to World War II, 90% of the emigrants came from our area, Canton.
    Later on more people from Hong Kong emigrated.

    At a certain moment, there was a boom in the Chinese restaurants business.

    My father told me that the Verversrui, just before World War II, was a kind of Chinatown. The harbor really reached to the center of town, and many sailors, Chinese, arrived here. At a certain moment, there were even a dozen Chinese restaurant on the Verversrui.
    After the war, the harbor slowly moved away from Antwerp; the ships did no longer reach the city, and many sailors stay away.

    Were you born in Antwerp?

    No, in Hong Kong. I was twelve when I arrived here, and I did my secondary school here (junior & senior high school.)

    How was that?

    It was a nightmare. I had to start from scratch. Fortunately, I had learned English in Hong Kong. Imagine that you, as a Belgian, were to arrive in China.

    I don't even want to think about it.

    Well, that was how things were.

    When your grandfather passed away in '58, half of Europe was here.

    He had many, many friends, in all countries of Europe, and they came over by the hundreds. And add the thousands who lived here and the prominent people. My grandfather knew Belgium very well, and the Chinese always dropped by for advise. Anyone who wanted to open a restaurant, went to him and he took care of the paperwork. That's how he got aquainted with many civil servants and officials.

    How did your grandfather get to Antwerp?

    During World War II, he was a sailor. His ship got hit near the French coast. He managed to reach the shore, traveled to Paris and worked there for two years in a Chinese restaurant. After learning the trade, he went to Belgium, obviously to the maritime Antwerp. Then he opened a restaurant on the "Oudaan."

    Do you still have family in the People's Republic of China?

    The close relatives live in Europe. My uncle has a restaurant in Berchem, on the "Gitschotellei."[2]
    The relatives on the mothers side are still in China.
    During all these years, my father and mother have gone back. I only managed to get to Hong Kong.

    Political problems?

    No, only financial. Such a trip cost an awful lot of money. Until a couple of years ago, it was rather difficult to go to China; nowadays it has changed.

    Tell me a secret of the trade. In some Chinese restaurants, they serve "real Chinese food," with the menu in Chinese characters and so. Is that the original Chinese cuisine?

    Actually, the menu in an average Chinese restaurant is a combination of Chinese and Western; and it has the concept that "fast" is an issue.
    But there is a transition of the Chinese cuisine to the Chinese-Western cuisine.
    We have pork-kidneys on our menu. We shouldn't have tried that twenty years ago.
    In ancient times, people only went to Chinese restaurants for "chicken with curry." Chicken-slices were originally lightly cooked: its texture was very fine and soft. WRONG. The Belgians wanted them very well cooked.

    (The Flemish waiter mingles in the interview)
    The Flemish waiter: You have no idea how the Chinese cuisine can prepare something out of nothing. Take the intestines of a pig. I have already enjoyed eating them in a real Chinese cuisine.

    Tell me about the party of "Sixty Years Antwerp"
    YU Pun-Soy: (enthusiastic Chinese explanation)
    YU Siu-Kan: We are going to invite many friends, Belgian and foreign.

    Not a big folklorist party with cardboard dragons, as we love to see?

    Who knows, we are still in the preliminary phase. But it will be a very joyful party. Promised.

    [1]
    YU Pun-Soy retired a few years ago. Wah Kel is now run by his son YU Siu-Kan [Back]
    [2]
    This restaurant has already been sold after retirement of its founder (the webmaster's father) [Back]
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