On July 14th, a Chinese internet blogger exposed a restaurant in Shanghai pricing a dish called “Boss Specialty” at 1588 yuan (RMB), which gained attention on Baidu’s hot search on July 17th and sparked discussions among netizens.
The blogger, known as “Big Head Felini”, shared a post on WeChat public account titled “Crazy, Yi Guihe”, recounting a dining experience with friends at the Yi Guihe noodle restaurant in Shanghai. During the checkout process, they found out that the dish “Boss Specialty” cost 1266 yuan after adding a sauce, prompting them to reorder, with the final bill for three people amounting to 334 yuan.
“Big Head Felini” expressed his viewpoint to the “Morning News” on July 15th, stating, “My writing is not to urge everyone to boycott this restaurant. In the age of commodity economy, businesses clearly label prices, and you can choose not to eat there. I simply find this (pricing) matter a bit crazy.”
The “Boss Specialty” refers to dishes cooked personally by the restaurant owner. The prices for “Boss Specialty” indicate: stir-fried beef tripe, shredded pork belly, and pig liver are priced at 269 yuan + 10% service charge, while the river shrimp with red sauce is 399 yuan + 10% service charge. The “Family Happiness” set (beef tripe, pork belly, and eel) costs 699 yuan + 10% service charge, and the “Five Fortunes” (pig liver, shrimp, pork belly, beef tripe, eel with side dishes) is priced at 1588 yuan + 10% service charge. When asked why a 10% service charge is added to the “Boss Specialty”, the cashier on duty that day told the media to inquire directly with the owner.
Prominent media figure, culinary researcher, and chief editor of “New Citizen Weekly” Jiang Haofeng believes, “In a market economy, as long as someone pays the bill, it’s acceptable. I am not the target consumer of this boss. If you want plain noodles, cook them at home. What’s the fuss about plain noodles, no need to pretend. As I am not clear about the cost calculation of the 1588 yuan ‘Family Happiness’, I dare not judge the ‘Boss Specialty’.”
Poet and professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Liu Yexiong opines, “The boss sets an attraction, and customers show off. Perhaps the rich and leisurely with interest can give it a try.”
Regarding the 10% service charge added to the “Boss Specialty”, Deputy General Manager of China Eastern Airlines Catering and Chinese cooking master Jiang Libin said, “It’s understandable to charge some fees when the boss personally cooks the dish. However, it’s crucial to explain the difference between the boss’s dish and those made by the kitchen staff. This is the key. Gimmicks should not be used recklessly.”
Some netizens commented, “I really don’t understand the pricing of this place, let them amuse themselves.”
A netizen named “Simple Persistence” remarked, “A regular bowl costs around 20 yuan, those who do this are not serious about long-term business.”
Others believe as long as the restaurant clearly labels prices, it’s not a problem.
A netizen named “Work Together Joe” expressed, “What’s so strange about this? The shop is advertising to attract customers and generate traffic online. As long as they create a buzz, the shop wins. Whether you eat there or not is not important.”
The noodle restaurant named Yi Guihe has been operating in Shanghai for over thirty years. Apart from offering traditional beef noodles, they also have spicy meat noodles, large intestine noodles, and Shanghai-style dishes such as braised beef, plain chicken, spicy meat, and chili sauce, which are relatively affordable. Prices include 15 yuan for two liang and 17 yuan for three liang of beef noodle soup, and 11 yuan for two liang and 13 yuan for three liang of scallion oil noodles. The local braised beef noodle soup at Yi Guihe is priced at 89 yuan.