This Is Why China Can’t Have Nice Things Like Salad Bars

Salad tower at Pizza Huts in China

If you only had one plate and could make only one trip to the salad bar, what would you choose?

Take some inspiration from the pictures here — posted to LabaQ and reblogged by the good folk of Kotaku – which feature selected works from China’s culinary Rodins.

Reports Kotaku:

It’s unclear whether Pizza Hut was actually able to remove salad bars from all its restaurants in China. Kotaku‘s Beijing based writer Eric Jou says there are still salad bars in a Pizza Hut near him. Sadly though, there are no salad towers.

You can’t do buffets in China because people would sit and eat for eight hours and then try to smuggle food home. (Seriously, this is why there are no buffets in China.) And you shouldn’t do salad bars either because, I mean…

Salad tower at Pizza Huts in China 2

There’s no recouping the cost of that.

One more look, plus a video:

Salad tower at Pizza Huts in China 3

How Chinese Ingenuity Destroyed Salad Bars at Pizza Hut (Kotaku)

    8 Responses to “This Is Why China Can’t Have Nice Things Like Salad Bars”

    1. WoAi

      Yes, people have been doing these towers for years. I’ve seen it in London, although I’m sure not as expertly done as the Chinese.

      And I think there are buffets in China. I’ve been to quite a few. All of the hotels to start with. It does irritate me though. Many people don’t take what they want for themselves, but rather, grab a massive plate of everything, bring it back to the table and then share it among the group, leading to a lot of wastage.

      A good solution would be to charge for uneaten food!

      Reply
      • MrY

        There are actually places that charge, well, at least they have that threat being made. Sometimes based on uneaten weight, sometimes based on per-item charges for the more expensive stuff. As long as you’re not overly wasteful, no one is going to care though. There’s wastage, yes, but a lot of it’s due to things that look good but taste awful.

        As for the salad towers… um, that was like, “a thing” 10+ years ago. Get with the times?

        Reply
      • Anthony Tao

        I guess I wasn’t thinking about the five-star hotel breakfast brunch buffets.

        Related story: our office canteen just got rid of the all-you-can-eat aspect of lunch and dinners – too many people brought to-go tupperwear… to take away office canteen food. There’s something admirable about that, I suppose, but yeah, no, five-dollar buffets don’t exist/work here.

        Reply
    2. Med

      I’m not sure I understand this article, beacause there are buffets everywhere in big cities in China !

      The most famous are in expensive 5 stars hotel like Westins or Intercontinentals, but there are also many buffets in korean restaurants, japanese teppaniaki restaurants, hell, even in some french restaurants.

      Sure, Chinese behave differently than most of the Westerners do when they eat at a buffet. But I’m French and believe me, since I’m in China (4+ years) I’ve seen more french “classy” dudes and ladies picking free food at parties or buffet and putting it in their bags, than Chinese…

      Reply

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