In a recent incident that has sparked outrage, a popular restaurant in Tianjin, Yifa Shun, was exposed for serving leftover dishes returned by customers to other diners at neighboring tables. Initially defiant in response to the accusations, the restaurant eventually had to admit to the wrongdoing. However, despite complaints filed by the customers to the Tianjin Market Supervision Administration, over two months have passed with no clear outcome.
On January 21, a video posted by a netizen from Liaoning revealed the shocking behavior at Yifa Shun restaurant in Tianjin. The video showed the staff serving the customers with leftovers from someone else’s meal that was returned. In the video, what appeared to be a staff member admitted to the incident on the spot.
When asked how they discovered the deception, the video uploader explained that the neighboring table had ordered the same dish, found a hair in it and returned it. The same dish was then served untouched to their table, connecting the dots for the customers.
According to a report by mainland media outlet “Dian Shi News,” the incident described by the parties involved occurred on a night in November 2024. During their meal, the neighboring table found a hair in a dish and returned it.
Despite witnessing the entire ordeal, the customers did not initially take it seriously. However, when their own dish arrived shortly after and was cold while the plate was warm, they suspected that the staff had served them the returned leftovers from the neighboring table.
Upon questioning the staff, they denied the allegation, claiming that the dish was freshly cooked in the kitchen and not leftovers. However, the customers raised doubts as to how a freshly cooked dish could be cold, leading to a manager eventually admitting that the dish served was indeed the leftover food returned by the neighboring table.
Ironically, the manager tried to defend the situation by stating that the dish had been “reheated.”
Following the incident, the customers retained their receipt and provided all evidence to the Tianjin Market Supervision Administration. However, the authorities stated that they could only investigate based on finding a hair in the dish, failing to address the core issue raised by the customers – that the restaurant resold returned problematic dishes to other patrons.
Repeatedly, the customers suggested and reminded the regulators to consider their complaint seriously, but two months have passed without any resolution.
Yifa Shun is a well-known Halal restaurant in Tianjin, renowned for serving Hui and local Tianjin cuisine. The incident has caused a massive uproar online, trending on social media platforms. Many netizens expressed outrage, labeling the behavior as disrespectful to consumers and a blatant disregard for food safety and hygiene standards.
Some netizens argue that this goes beyond a simple issue of customer service and touches upon the fundamental ethical bottom line of behavior.
“If a restaurant lacks the basic sense of responsibility, how can it be trusted to provide safe and reliable food services? The relevant departments should thoroughly investigate this matter and provide an explanation to consumers!”
Around the same time, another frequent customer of Yifa Shun in Tianjin shared a similar experience online. He recounted how a dish called “Five-Nut Beef Cubes” was missing some of the nuts, requested to return the dish. However, the staff refused to take it back, telling him to deal with it himself. In response, he left a negative review online, only to be mocked by the chef.