In Hangzhou, a bowl of noodles priced at 588 yuan (Chinese currency, hereinafter the same) in a noodle shop made headlines on June 24 and sparked discussions. This news quickly became a hot topic on social media platforms.
In June this year, a Chinese food exploration blogger known as “Ye Laixiang” failed a challenge where he attempted to exchange his leaf carving artwork for a meal at a restaurant in Hangzhou. Following this, the news of a bowl of noodles being priced at 558 yuan in a noodle shop sparked widespread attention.
The shop owner, Mr. Wu, disclosed to Jiupai News on June 23 that the exploration video was scripted from start to finish. Consequently, he faced online harassment, receiving hundreds of disturbing phone calls in a single day and encountering derogatory comments about the shop on social media. However, the majority of the shop’s customers were returning patrons, and their business was not affected.
Mr. Wu mentioned that the noodle shop has been operating for nearly 4 years, always clearly displaying their prices. The noodle dishes ranged in price from 38 yuan to 558 yuan, with the 558 yuan dish containing ingredients such as yellow eel, freshwater shrimp, and abalone. Pricing, according to Mr. Wu, is their right, and it’s up to the customers whether they want to eat or not – “it’s a matter of mutual consent” and does not harm anyone’s interests.
After the video was released, the shop was criticized for being an exorbitantly priced noodle shop. Furthermore, the owner’s statement about only doing business with wealthy individuals sparked controversy. Some people felt that the owner lacked empathy, commenting, “At least the blogger sent a painting, but the shop didn’t even waive the chopsticks fee.”
However, the owner revealed that the entire scripted exploration video was pre-planned by both parties, including the scene of charging for chopsticks to stir up discussion. In reality, there is no charge for chopsticks.
Many netizens also believe that there is nothing wrong with the shop’s transparent pricing strategy. One user commented, “I think transparent pricing is fine, customers who find it expensive can choose not to eat there. Just like Maotai liquor, if you think it’s expensive, you can opt for 20 yuan per jin bulk wine, don’t always bring up costs.”
On the other hand, some netizens think that a bowl of noodles priced at over five hundred yuan is too expensive. They emphasized the importance of considering costs and suggested that if all businesses were to recklessly set prices, the Price Supervision Bureau should cease operations.
A mainland Chinese self-media personality, “Xiaoman Pingwanshi,” revealed that the food exploration blogger “Ye Laixiang” has over 4 million followers on social platforms. His video content often features exchanging a leaf sculpture of a restaurant owner for a meal, following the trend of “eating around the world with a leaf,” which has gained popularity. In his previous exploration trips to cities like Chongqing and Chengdu, the leaf-carved portraits of owners always garnered him free meals and special treatment from establishments.