How did Ooty end up Loving Chinese Food?
#documentary #storiesthatmatter #chinesefood #ooty
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How did a quiet Chinese restaurant survive in a region famous for its fierce, spice-heavy palate? In this episode, we uncover the history of Shinkow’s a culinary landmark hidden in the Nilgiris. What started as a difficult journey from Guangdong, China, to India began with just six tables and an uncertain future. Today, it stands as a testament to cultural integration, surviving decades of change, a global pandemic, and a sudden wave of social media fame. Join us as we step inside the kitchen with Paos to explore the delicate art of Hakka wok cooking, the logistical endurance required to feed a packed dining room, and the simple philosophy that turned an immigrant kitchen into a permanent home in Tamil Nadu.
Location: https://share.google/cLraX7IwMTIlbhgwt
ABOUT STORIES THAT MATTER:
‘Stories That Matter’ is a documentary series by Raga Productions where we try to uplift some stories that deserve to be in the limelight. We believe every single individual in this world has a story to tell, through our initiative we try to push some stories that the media fails to cover.
Stories That Matter is owned and managed by Raga Productions.
WORK WITH US:
Email: storiesthatmatterindia@gmail.com
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/storiesthatmatter.in/?hl=en
Website: https://storiesthatmatterindia.com/
FILM PRODUCTION UNIT:
Shot by:
Shreyas Naik
Nithesh Mattu
Shashank Acharya
Edited & Coloured by:
Sakshith Kotian
Finance & Accounts:
CA Ranjith Ambalpady
Special Thanks to:
Liao Pao Chun
Music –
Epidemic Sounds – https://share.epidemicsound.com/g959co
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:31 – Sponsored Break (Odoo)
02:55 – Why Chinese Immigrants Settled in Ooty
03:27 – The Origins of Shinkow’s Restaurant
04:21 – Feeding the Local Nilgiris Community
04:51 – Where Did Indo-Chinese Food Actually Come From?
06:00 – Why Shinkow’s Refuses to Indianize Their Menu
06:29 – How Language Built a Home Away From Home
06:53 – The Hardest Years for the Historic Kitchen
07:29 – How Locals Saved Their Favorite Restaurant
07:52 – What Happens When a 70-Year-Old Kitchen Goes Viral
08:47 – Outro
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21 Comments
Check out Odoo:
https://www.odoo.com/r/O93
Thank you to Odoo for backing our independent films. 💫
MSG is served as a condiment/dip in China and has been for thousands of years. It is extracted from Sea Weed. Not unhealthy at all. It was 70s American anti-china propaganda.
"சிறப்பு ",..! வாழ்த்துகள் ,..! ❤🙏
its 2026 and MSG fear mongering is still happening smh
Where is the next generation.
chennagiddira, nice way to greet in Kannada
Chilli beef there?
I entered this restaurant looking for water and decided to eat as we took a break from motorcycling, but it turned out to be the best chinese food I've had in my life. I always keep thinking of going back to Ooty just to eat at this restaurant once again.
😲
It's 2026 the fool should know that the monosodium glutamate aka ajinomto bad myth has been destroyed.
Subscribed…. keep telling stories!!
Who is this guy saying Chinese don't use msg, ask him to get his facts checked. Just talk any rubbish and get famous. Shit coo says authentic Chinese food don't use Ajinomoto.
For those who studied in Ooty, this restaurant holds a special place. I first ate there in 1983 and it was the only place we ate during outings and ordered for house parties. We knew the menu cold and could repeat the menu number of the dish in our sleep. My favourite memory is I was assigned in the 9th class to get the house party food from the restaurant to school and I ate so much of the chilli chicken that the next day wasn’t an easy day😅. I haven’t eaten there in a long time but I hear the quality is not as good as it used to be. However, a lot of great memories there
MSG is simply a combination of sodium and glutamic acid (an amino acid). Glutamate occurs naturally in everyday foods like tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and soy sauce. Your body metabolizes the glutamate in Ajinomoto exactly the same way it metabolizes natural glutamate.
👌🙏🙏👍♥️
Cant even pronounce kolkata orcalcutta properly? Who is the narrator?
That "Chef" Fazim from Kidiyoor hotels is actually a culinary chef or became chef after preparing food in weddings? He does not have any idea about Chinese cuisine.
You have to come to Malaysia and try our spicy chinese dishes here, singapore has been harping about theirs guess where they came from 😂
Thank you for showing new places good production love your vedio ❤
My mom has told me so many stories about visiting Shinkow’s in the 1970s. I went there as a kid on our yearly trips to Ooty, and now I take my son too. It’s become a family tradition. This video brought back so many beautiful memories. ❤️
Thank you for sharing this. Please keep making videos like these—they’re a wonderful way to preserve Ooty’s memories.
Very interesting to know a Chinese family running Shinkows restaurant. It was great to see the YOUNG MAN in his nineties or eighties, still overseeing the operations since he started in 1954. The story is unfinished. What about the next generation who takes over from him? Will be delighted to know. I am sure I will visit this restaurant for a meal and a chat with the YOUNG MAN whenever I visit OOty.