Chinese Actor Tan Kai, known for his role as Ying Hui in the drama “My Sunshine”, has opened a handmade dumpling shop in his hometown of Qingdao this year. Many fans have flocked to the shop to catch a glimpse of their idol. While meeting their idol brings joy, many customers have complained about slow service and long wait times. In response to this, Tan Kai issued an apology through a live broadcast.
Reportedly, Tan Kai’s newly opened dumpling shop named “Dumplings with Time” is located at the intersection of Yan’erdao Road and Zhangzhou Second Road in Qingdao. The shop features an open kitchen design, allowing customers to witness the entire dumpling making process from kneading dough, filling, wrapping, to cooking, with each step clearly visible.
Unlike the high-priced items commonly seen in Qingdao’s market such as sea urchin dumplings and abalone beef dumplings, Tan Kai has positioned “Dumplings with Time” in the mass consumer market. The shop offers a variety of home-style flavors like shrimp with cucumber and egg, zucchini with shrimp, and pork with cabbage, with each portion of dumplings containing about 20 pieces, weighing 36-38 grams each, and priced at 20-28 yuan (RMB) per portion.
Tan Kai specifically mentioned his satisfaction when seeing delivery drivers dine in his shop. Whether his remarks were a heartfelt message to his peers remains unknown.
Recently, the Chinese entertainment industry witnessed a surprising scene: 41-year-old veteran actor Yu Qingbin was captured on video delivering takeout on the streets, causing a stir on the internet. In the video, Yu Qingbin is seen sweating profusely as he rides an electric scooter, carrying food containers and running hard. With the industry facing a winter of few acting opportunities, depleted savings, and tough times, actors like Yu Qingbin have resorted to delivering meals as a means of survival. In the video, Yu Qingbin joked that he almost forgot what he used to do.
Although Yu Qingbin is known for his notable works like “Family Feast”, “The New Border Wanderer”, “The New Xiao Shilang”, “Three Lives”, “Dark Flower”, and “Kong Xiu”, and his acting skills are well-loved and praised by audiences, some netizens have commented that there are now many actors turning to food delivery. Yu Qingbin is not the first actor to deliver meals, with his choice reflecting the current plight of many actors in the industry during this “cold winter”.
On the opening day of Tan Kai’s “Dumplings with Time” on June 26, the shop instantly became a hotspot in the city, with every seat filled inside and a long queue outside, as many fans came to witness their idol’s charm. However, as customer traffic surged, issues gradually surfaced: many customers on review platforms criticized the shop for slow service and long wait times, with some even posting that they had to wait 40 minutes before eating dumplings.
In response to the controversy, on July 3, Tan Kai apologized through a live stream, saying, “This is my first time in the food industry, please give me some time.” He explained that all dumplings are freshly handmade by a few skilled staff with new employees still undergoing training. Tan Kai expressed helplessness, stating that during the trial operation phase, managing dine-in customers was already overwhelming, hence he dared not open delivery service, as “managing both dine-in and delivery would be too much”.
Tan Kai revealed that he ate too many frozen dumplings while filming and now wants everyone to experience the taste of freshly handmade dumplings. While some customers understood this reasoning, it also sparked discontent among others. Some netizens felt that waiting 40 minutes for a serving of dumplings was “too low value for money” in today’s fast-paced life, while supporters expressed willingness to pay for the quality of handmade products, stating it’s “better than eating pre-packaged food”.
Born in January 1972 in Qingdao, Shandong province, Tan Kai graduated from the Stage Design Department of the Central Academy of Drama. Despite his handsome appearance, he entered the entertainment industry in his thirties and starred in notable works such as “The Border”, “My Sunshine”, and “My True Friend”.
With China’s economic prosperity fading, many mainland actors are left without acting opportunities. Tan Kai, who is still struggling at the age of 53, returns to his hometown in Shandong to accompany his mother during days without acting work, spending his time strolling, shopping for groceries, and cooking. Even though he now owns a dumpling shop, the complexity and fierce competition in China’s food industry are likely to bring immense pressure.