- Title: CHINA: Diner in Beijing attracts customers with toilet humour.
- Date: 16th December 2009
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BEIJING TOILET RESTAURANT LOGO OF TOILET RESTAURANT WAITRESS DELIVERING TWO PORTIONS OF TURD-SHAPED CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SERVED IN MINI TOILET BOWLS HANDS PUTTING ICE CREAM ON TABLE VARIOUS OF CUSTOMERS EATING ICE CREAM RESTAURANT MANAGER QIN MIN TALKING TO CUSTOMER CALCULATOR/PLASTIC TOY OF WOMAN SITTING ON TOILET FINGER PUNCHING CALCULATOR/PLASTIC TOY OF A BOY SITTING ON TOILET (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TOILET RESTAURANT MANAGER, QIN MIN SAYING: "This is not traditional. It makes people happy and relaxes them. Older customers who come here also say that dining here makes them want to laugh. They say eating here is very comfortable." VARIOUS OF CUSTOMERS HAVING DINNER ACRYLIC TOILET SEATS VARIOUS OF BEIJING RESIDENT CHEN DONGDONG HAVING DINNER WITH FRIEND CHEN HAVING FOOD OFF OF A PLATE IN SHAPE OF A TOILET SEAT CHEN HAVING DINNER WITH FRIEND SPOON GETTING FOOD OUT OF MINI TOILET BOWL (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CUSTOMER AT TOILET RESTAURANT, CHEN DONGDONG SAYING: "Nowadays everything has a theme - theme restaurant, even theme karaoke. Young people love it. Even if you decide not to like the toilet restaurant after coming here, this is still a good funny story to tell friends." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE EATING OFF OF MINI TOILET BOWLS CUSTOMER NIE JIUQIANG TAKING PHOTOS OF HIS GIRLFRIEND EATING CELL PHOTO SCREEN SHOWING PHOTOS OF TOILET RESTAURANT NIE'S GIRLFRIEND DRINKING TEA OUT OF A TURD SHAPED CUP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CUSTOMER AT TOILET RESTAURANT, NIE JIUQIANG SAYING: "First of all, crap should never be mentioned at dinner table. Crap is not related to dining experience whatsoever. The restaurant brings the two together and does it well. Some friends recommended this place so I came to check it out." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HAVING DINNER LEFTOVER FOOD IN MINI TOILET BOWLS PLASTIC TOY OF A WOMAN SITTING ON TOILET/PEOPLE EATING
- Embargoed: 31st December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA1M9THJJM48N1OYWMGFOC8JXN
- Story Text: Beijing's toilet restaurant aims to amuse customers' senses and provide a new dining experience.
A new restaurant in Beijing doesn't offer romantic candlelight dinners but it is a big draw to young people with its toilet humour.
All 50 seats in the crowded diner are made from toilet bowls. Dishes are served in mini toilet bowls and drinks in plastic urinals.
Customers wipe their hands and mouths using toilet rolls hung above their tables and dessert is chocolate ice cream in the shape of a turd.
The decorations in the small but often packed diner were collected by its manager Qin Min from all over the country.
A small glass cabinet on the wall displays a wide range of feces-related toys that customers can buy as a souvenir to remind themselves of a special dining experience.
Qin said she wants to amuse her customers' senses and make them forget their daily grind for just a moment while eating here.
"This is not traditional. It makes people happy and relaxes them. Older customers who come here also say that dining here makes them want to laugh. They say eating here is very comfortable," Qin said.
The idea of combining excrement and food is nothing new. Toilet restaurants in Taiwan, New York and other places have proven to be successful for years.
The owner of Beijing's toilet restaurant, who didn't want to be interviewed on camera, said she borrowed this idea from others.
Beijing's toilet restaurant opened 18 months ago.
Names of its specialties on the menu often make it difficult for customers to guess what exactly are in the dishes.
The most often ordered one called "Our Famed Constipation" is made from deep fried potato.
Chen Dongdong's husband ordered the dish but she didn't want to touch it.
"Nowadays everything has a theme -- theme restaurant, even theme karaoke. Young people love it. Even if you decide not to like the toilet restaurant after coming here, this is still a good funny story to tell friends," Chen said.
The restaurant draws on young people, especially university students.
Nie Jiuqiang studies interior design. He said before he came to the toilet restaurant, he never put the two together.
"First of all, crap should never be mentioned at dinner table. Crap is not related to dining experience whatsoever. The restaurant brings the two together and does it well. Some friends recommended this place so I came to check it out," Nie said.
The average price of each dish is around three to four U.S. dollars The affordable dining experiences at the restaurant have been keeping people coming back for more.
ENDS. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
