17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Posh China restaurant offers US$540 meals with elephant dung desserts for ‘authentic' taste
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.
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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.
While China's Food Hygiene Law ensures food safety, it remains unclear if these elephant dung desserts - despite being disinfected - meet the necessary regulations. Photo:
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'.
The restaurant boasts a rainforest theme, reflected in both its dishes and its misty, mysterious ambience. Photo:
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.
