A high-end restaurant in Shanghai has garnered significant attention for presenting an “authentic” rainforest dining experience that features a dish crafted from processed elephant dung, igniting controversy and splitting public opinion online.
On April 7, a popular food blogger known as “Mixue’s Culinary Notes”, boasting over 400,000 followers on RedNote, shared a captivating video of her dining adventure in a post titled “Shanghai’s New Restaurant Pushes the Limits of Crazy”, showcasing the restaurant’s extraordinary offerings.
The establishment, celebrated for its eco-friendly cuisine, serves a range of innovative dishes including tree leaves, honey-coated ice cubes, and a dessert ingeniously made from sterilised, dried elephant faeces.
Patrons are charged 3,888 yuan (US$550) for a lavish 15-course rainforest-themed meal, not including beverages.
The two founders, one from China’s Blang ethnic group and the other from France, dedicated seven years to researching the lush rainforests of Yunnan province before “bringing the rainforest” to Shanghai, as reported by Jiupai News.
In her post, the blogger detailed her experience, beginning with a dining ritual where guests pluck a leaf straight from a potted plant, dip it in sauce, and consume it raw, while a server elaborated on the concept of “ecological fusion cuisine”.
As the meal unfolds, diners are treated to an array of unconventional dishes. One such offering requires guests to lick honey and pollen from ice cubes.
Another course showcased a bowl of “black goo”, meticulously crafted to replicate the pungent scent of the parasitic Rafflesia flower, notorious for its foul odour, while the waiter explained that it evokes the scent of decaying flesh.
The meal reaches its peak with a striking dessert called “Flowers Inserted into Elephant Dung”. This dish “creatively” features a base of elephant dung that mimics crispy crumbs, adorned with herbal perfume, fruit jam, pollen, and honey sorbet.
To fully immerse themselves in the “dung dessert”, guests are invited to climb a staircase for a “dessert tour”, where they can select their preferred herbal perfume and fruit jam to personalise their culinary experience.
Elephant dung, which is abundant in plant fibres, is frequently used in various products, including the production of A4 paper.
Though China’s Food Hygiene Law mandates that food must be non-toxic, harmless, and meet nutritional standards, it remains uncertain whether desserts made from elephant dung - despite undergoing disinfection - align with these regulations.
The unconventional cuisine has astonished many online, sparking widespread discourse and polarised opinions.
One commenter remarked: “It’s utterly disgusting and frightening. I’m from Yunnan province, but we definitely do not consume elephant dung here.”
Another added: “Affluent individuals will eat anything, and Shanghai, renowned as the Magic City, truly lives up to its moniker. This feels like a grand-scale humiliation and obedience test for the wealthy.”
Conversely, a third perspective emerged: “It’s not a conventional restaurant; it’s more akin to a novel experimental venue. If you’re seeking a unique dining experience, it’s certainly worth a try.”
More from South China Morning Post:
- China top Porsche seller, with 340 cars sold in 2 years, harassed by sex-related rumours
- China actress Ni Ni, star of Zhang Yimou’s film ‘The Flowers of War’, dubbed ‘It girl’ by fans
- Fan of China boy group throws herself at band’s moving car, raises safety, privacy concerns
- Chinese zoo dresses baby chimp in clothes, braids its hair, slammed for ‘harmful’ actions
- China’s ‘Dairy Godfather’ rises from unwanted baby to head US$410 million ice cream empire
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
