'200-course durian party' helps Chinese restaurant become famous

A restaurant in the Chinese city of Shenzhen has become famous online after launching a 199 yuan (over 694,000 VND)/person buffet with more than 200 dishes featuring durian.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported today, December 28, that middle-class consumers in China have tightened their purse strings, but their demand for durian, mainly imported from Southeast Asia, continues to increase.

Workers pack frozen durian at a food factory in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Feb. 3, 2023.

In Chinese cities, durian has gone beyond its status as a fruit to become a trendy choice for young consumers. SCMP points out that the country's catering industry has recently launched "anything goes with durian" promotions, which have spawned a proliferation of durian-themed restaurants with offerings ranging from drinks and desserts to hotpot and buffets.

On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, topics like “durian barbecue” and “durian buffet” have attracted more than 1.24 billion views, according to SCMP .

In addition, a brand in China's Guangdong province specializing in durian chicken hotpot has sold more than 2.22 million hotpots, and the brand's durian sandwiches have attracted a lot of attention on social media.

Vietnam has earned 2.6 billion USD from exported durian.

A durian buffet restaurant in Shenzhen city, Guangdong province, China, has also become famous online recently for offering diners a choice of more than 200 dishes featuring Malaysian durian, including porridge and cakes, for 199 yuan (over 694,000 VND) per person, according to SCMP .

SCMP cited official figures saying that the Chinese market consumes more than 90% of the world's durian supply, with imports soaring from 430,000 tonnes, worth US$1.1 billion, in 2018 to 1.38 million tonnes, worth US$6.2 billion, from January to September 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tiec-sau-rieng-200-mon-giup-nha-hang-trung-quoc-noi-tieng-185241228100309269.htm