“Shanghai Hotpot Restaurant Hit by Giant Rat Falling into Dish” has become a hot topic among netizens, sparking discussions online.
In the “Nong Xiao Guo” buffet hotpot restaurant located in Wanda Plaza in Songjiang District, Shanghai, a customer dining on August 23 witnessed a large rat falling from above directly onto the conveyor belt of dishes, and the scene was captured on camera, stirring up conversations on the internet.
On August 24, staff at the restaurant confirmed the incident as true and speculated that the rat issue may have originated from nearby shop renovations.
The staff also mentioned that following the incident, the restaurant disposed of all dishes from that day and reported the incident to the shopping mall. They refunded all customers who were dining at the time and closed the restaurant for two days for thorough cleaning. They also contacted a professional pest control company to conduct a comprehensive extermination at the restaurant.
Currently, the restaurant in question has reopened for business.
The news quickly made its way to the top trending topics on Weibo, prompting consumers to engage in discussions about kitchen safety in the food and beverage industry and rodent problems.
A Weibo user “Last Dopamine” expressed, “If I had encountered such a thing, I would have been disgusted for days.”
User “Hibernating Raccoon” humorously commented: “This hotpot restaurant should be named ‘Lucky Place Where Fillings Fall from the Sky’.”
User “Tuna Tuna Tuna” quipped: “Truly authentic fresh buffet hotpot.”
Some netizens pointed out that the hygiene of such hotpot restaurants was already questionable.
General “Vizakss”: “These conveyer belt hotpot places look unsanitary.”
User “Hong Yi Crying Yu Yan Together” remarked: “Poor hygiene attracts rats. The back kitchen environment is worrying. The rats are chubby, must have eaten quite a lot.”
User “Still on the Platform z-” stated: “Outside eateries, whether on the street or in shopping malls, are unlikely to completely eradicate rats and cockroaches. Only highly responsible five-star hotels that invest heavily may have a chance at eliminating them.”
As of now, there has been no specific investigation or punishment announcement from the local market supervision department in Shanghai regarding this incident.