This one is kind of meh, because the topic sort of meanders. I wanted to talk about how “fancy food” in China is really about “fancy decor/service”, and the food might not actually taste that much better. Especially when they bring on the “quality ingredients” like sea cucumber and shark fin and snake. But something must be said for the comfortable private rooms, the air conditioning, and the quality serving staff. Even though you can get something at about 1/10 of the price on the streets. These restaurants are everywhere, though — many floors, mostly all private rooms, wait staff with fancy custom-designed clothes, and pitchers of juice cost 40 rmb (in comparison, a meat bun on the street is 2rmb and a bowl of wontons in a small restaurant is 8rmb).
But in the making of this comic, I started thinking about *why* these fancy banquet restaurants exist, and I guess part of it is the fact that the bill is often footed by the company, but really, it’s about the desire to treat the guests to a good time. Whether you’re wooing them for business or sharing your new-found wealth or just thanking/celebrating with your family. Which made me think about the function of food, and how 请客 (“invite guests”) is Serious Business. Since I’m mostly back in China as a visitor, I get a lot of the quality hosting …
Oh, banquets. Like you, I prefer the little neighborhood places where I can spend 10-50 RMB and get my weight in dumplings and eggplant. But I do have fond memories of the one I went to with you and your dad at the Shanghai Normal. And the banquets are fun for trying out new weird things.