A top Chinese restaurant in Japan has been slammed for serving inferior ingredients to Chinese guests. - Photo: SCMP composite/Sina/Sohu
TOKYO: A Chinese Michelin three-star restaurant’s Tokyo branch has triggered an online backlash after being exposed for serving inferior ingredients to diners from China.
A food influencer @chapaofanpp posted onsocial media that Xin Rong Ji, a fine-dining chain restaurant specialising in Taizhou cuisine, offered cheaper ingredients for a full course priced at 88,000 yen (US$560) at its Tokyo branch.
She posted a comparison of her menu and another menu she found online.
Pricier ingredients such as Pacific geoduck and Houdan chicken on the other menu were replaced with cheaper ones like sliced whelk and squab on hers.
She said the ingredients on the other menu was what she expected when she ordered the tasting menu for her and her date.
The influencer with 7,000 followers said she further found in disbelief that Japanese diners next to her were served Chinese mitten crab and claypot rice, while she only had ordinary white rice, the mainland media outlet 36Kr reported.
She said she did not remove her original post but it was no longer visible on her page.
She questioned the restaurant’s manager, and received excuses that “Japanese people are served special staple dishes because they have the habit of eating staple food” and “the crab was not good enough because it had passed the best season”.
The blogger said she felt even more discriminated against after hearing the manager’s explanation.
The restaurant’s manager apologised to her later on a Chinese chatting app for “not learning her taste in advance”, and offered a refund. She accepted the apology and rejected the refund.
Many expressed shock over the Michelin three-star restaurant’s attitude, as it was known for meticulous service in China.
One person said Xin Rong Ji had the policy of refunding dishes that customers were unhappy with.
The restaurant, which was founded in 1995, has 30 outlets across China. Its Tokyo restaurant opened in February 2024 to “promote Chinese food culture”.
The influencer suggested that the restaurant cherish its reputation and respect every customer.
Some supported the restaurant saying it is normal for restaurants to prepare different ingredients according to different seasons. Others argued the ingredients should remain at the same level.
More people slammed the restaurant for discriminating against diners from home.
“Such discrimination is unacceptable. Even though the restaurant apologised and corrected its mistake, its reputation has been ruined,” one online observer said.
“I cannot believe the excuses and insincere apology that came from the manager of such a high-end restaurant,” said another. - South China Morning Post
