Eat Chinese-fried provision reports

Local Chinese chefs are willing to substitute rice items on their menus with ground provision following weeks of reported shortages of rice and flour and international reports of steady price increases.

Asking that he be only called Fai, the chief chef and manager of Fai’s Chinese Restaurant in Tunapuna yesterday said he sees the scarcity of rice as an opportunity to introduce provision such as sweet potatoes, dasheen, cassava and chinese yam to his list of food items.

“No rice, no problem,” said Fai. “We could prepare ground provision in different Chinese styles to take the place of rice in customers’ orders.”

Fai explained that for the past two weeks he has not received his quota of rice from his suppliers and his present stock is almost gone.

He went on to say that for some time now he has been contemplating innovative ways to substitute rice, one of the main items on his menu, in the event of no supply. He said his preparation method would include batter-fried provisions. Fai said he was comfortable with his flour stock.

Although chefs at other restaurants were not considering ground provision as an alternative to rice, they complained of an acute rice shortage which they fear will soon affect the operation of their businesses. An employee at Canton Palace in San Fernando said the rice shortage has started to affect them as their stocks are diminishing quickly. He said while rice is scarce they will not raise the prices of their food items.

Similarly, a chef from Jenny’s on the Boulevard, Port–of-Spain, said they have to make do with their stock. He said they have not received their quota for weeks although they have orders inside. The chef added the restaurant had enough flour to fulfill daily orders for sometime to come. The manager of the Chinese Wok of Chaguanas said they are paying “ridiculous prices” for rice, however, they have not raised their prices.

JMH Enterprises general manager Charles James yesterday revealed that rice supplies have not normalised although shipments of brown rice from Brazil are being imported to Trinidad. He said he expects another shipment on April 26 and by April 28 supplies should be on the grocery shelves. He explained that these shipments take six to eight weeks to arrive and as soon as they are distributed customers are panic buying, leaving shelves bare. He added he is expecting an arrival of basmati and jasmine rice next month.

Checks at groceries in downtown Port-of-Spain revealed that flour was still scarce. Employees at both outlets of Sing Chung Supermarket and Payless Supermarket said they have not received a regular supply of flour in weeks. They added that as soon as flour is packed on the shelves it disappears because customers are continuing to panic buy.