Guides to restaurants serving African, Caribbean, Indian and other ethnic food across Europe.
Matonge, a popular home-away from home for Africans and other people of colour in Brussels. PHOTOS:MPHO MFENYANA
BY MPHO MFENYANA
The vibrant bustling street resembles a typical market district in any African country; the difference is it is in the middle of Brussels, the capital of the European Union.
Porte de Namur, affectionately called Matonge, after a market district in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a haven of mainly African, but also Middle Eastern and Asian fare.
The concentration of shops, restaurants and bars catering mainly to people of African descent has its roots in the 1950s, when students from the Belgian Congo lived in the area. After independence an influx of immigrants from other Francophone African countries helped transform Matonge into the hub of multicultural fellowship it is today.
Matonge's pulsating main street, Chaussee de Wavre, is lined shops selling African food and clothing, along with Pakistani and Turkish snack shops and every black woman's love- hair salons and beauty product outlets. In Galerie d'Ixelle, the groups of people chatting away in French and Lingala confirm that this is an established community.
Burundi-born Kevin Basube manages Les Amis des Grand Lacs barbershop, a place where men, especially from East Africa, gather to catch up on the latest news from home and banter in Swahili. The atmosphere is jovial, with a pub-like feel. "It's not easy living in Europe but we are fortunate to come together to share and feel rooted and closer to home. It's our sanctuary where we try to forget about what is happening in our lives but just to relax and enjoy staying connected," he explained.
Though many people of colour shop and work in Matonge, few live there. According to Mohamed El Fikri, a local merchant, accommodation is too expensive for most. A Muslim of Moroccan heritage, El Fikri, has been doing business in Matonge since the 1990s. He said its proximity to the EU's headquarters, embassies and the major thoroughfare Avenue Louise has attracted more affluent residents, and led to higher rents.
The upside however is residents are exposed to the neighbourhood's multicultural vibrancy, especially during the annual festival of "Matonge en couleurs" each June which promotes the area's diversity. Recently, however, there's been talk of modernization, which would push out most longtime establishments.
For one shopper, such a change would be a personal blow. "Where will we go when we miss home and feel like listening to familiar music and eating familiar foods? Matonge is truly a home away from home for most of us and it would be a shame should it be done away with," she said.
