Hotpot restaurant in China issues thousands of refunds after teens "defiled" their soup

[y_p_w]

It was apparently two (drunk) 17 year olds in a private room (this is common in many Chinese restaurants) and there's no evidence that anyone consumed the soup directly. It was discovered via a social media post. It sounds like the question was about whether or not the pot was reused where later customers might have used the same equipment. Once they figured out which location it was they ended up throwing out all the equipment and disinfecting other cookery/utensils just in case, as well as issuing refunds.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c241gve4q32o​

China's biggest hotpot chain Haidilao has offered to compensate more than 4,000 diners who visited one of its Shanghai branches, where two teens urinated into their hotpot broth.​

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A video of the boys peeing into their broth pot while dining in a private room was widely shared online last month. It is not clear who might have filmed the incident.​

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Police said the 17-year-olds, who were drunk at the time, were detained soon after the incident.​

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There is no suggestion anyone consumed the affected broth. Haidilao has apologised to customers, saying it has replaced all hotpot equipment and dining utensils, as well as disinfecting other crockery and utensils.​

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https://people.com/chinese-restaurant-chain-apologizes-after-2-diners-urinated-in-soup-11696074​

Haidilao noted that it would provide refunds for customers who dined at the downtown Shanghai location between Feb. 24 and March 8, according to the outlet and Reuters. The restaurant chain has offered to compensate over 4,000 diners who had visited the branch.​

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"We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means," the company said in a statement obtained by BBC News and Reuters. "We are willing to do our utmost to take responsibility."​

This photo was from the People article. I haven't seen anything like that. I've been to hotpot places in the US, where it's typically a Korean-made portable stove either on top or built into the table. I've also seen induction hotplates. I haven't seen anything like this with four compartments. I've seen pots on top of a stove where the pot was separated into two compartments.

 

[IndyFan]

I don't know of a single thing anyone could do to make a hotpot taste worse. I had hotpot in Beijing back in 2008 and after a few things were boiled in there it tasted worse than vomit. So without the social media post, I don't think anyone would be able to tell something was wrong with it. Yuck.

 

[Kira]

it tasted worse than vomit

A pertinent St. Patrick's Day post?

Are the hotpot style of cooking rooted in the culture?
It looks like it could've developed from impoverished conditions.

 

[y_p_w]

A pertinent St. Patrick's Day post?

Are the hotpot style of cooking rooted in the culture?
It looks like it could've developed from impoverished conditions.

The claim in China is that the origins are Mongolian. Dubious at best, as the claim was that Mongolians turned over their metal helmets to cook in them. The Mongolians think it’s just a myth to make it seem more exotic. Mongolian cooking is more cooking over hot rocks. The Japanese have their own hotpot style called shabu shabu.

There’s a lot of poverty food that became expensive. Chicken wings, brisket, oxtail, tongue, etc. Especially tough cuts of meat with a lot of flavor, but that require a lot of cooking. Or one pot food like jambalaya.

 

[dubber09]

Hmm, I'd love boiled cow tongue with mustard right about now

 

[Kira]

We've a market which provides exquisite beef tongue.
An aunt has made it a 'must do' at every visit.

I think it's OK but smoking would improve the taste.

 

[goblin]

One doesn't forget their first kiss, their first drive, and the first time they see Fight Club.
The first kiss has to be bragged about, the first drive is a sweet memory, seeing Fight Club requires hard, unequivocal and decisive action.

We have to see if those two youngsters have access to projection equipment in movie theaters as well. One way or the other - they are on the right path.

 

[Vil_Riker]

Lock them up.

 

[PandaBear]

Well, there is a reason why bars and clubs have bouncers and thugs are hired to keep orders.

About hotpot. I'm not a big fan but my understanding is your broth is supposed to start with a good soup base (consommé like), and ingredients have to be fresh (no frozen fish or shrimp, meat needs to have marble and sliced thin). Main reason they are easy to open (no need to hire chef), low waste (the same raw ingredients are sold every day), and easy to quality control (no cooking, you can see the incoming ingredients being fresh or not).

If your soup taste like vomit you are probably doing it wrong. If done right they can taste like a bowl of ramen in a good ramen shop.

 

[tcp71]

Went for hot pot in Shanghai a number of years ago with work collegues. It started out with a split pot, one side spicy, the other not and ended up all spicy. It took a lot of beer to keep the heat down. There was a pork hock floating in there when the pot arrived. Actual before and after pictures from the event. Delicious as I recall:

 

[4WD]

We've a market which provides exquisite beef tongue.
An aunt has made it a 'must do' at every visit.

I think it's OK but smoking would improve the taste.

We used to have it at a restaurant in CA - pretty good.

 

[y_p_w]

Well, there is a reason why bars and clubs have bouncers and thugs are hired to keep orders.

The thing about many restaurants in China is the private rooms. None of this would have been known if someone hadn't posted it to social media thinking it would get a lot of views.