A restaurant in Shanghai, China, is going viral for its rainforest-themed dining experience, which includes unusual dishes such as tree leaves and a dessert made from elephant dung, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. The upscale eatery is known for serving eco-friendly cuisine. Diners are charged 3,888 yuan (approximately ₹45,236) for a 15-course rainforest-inspired meal, excluding beverages.
According to Jiupai News, the restaurant's two founders spent seven years researching the rainforests of Yunnan province before launching this immersive dining concept in Shanghai.
A viral video on social media shows a popular food blogger, Mixue's Culinary Notes, sharing her experience at the restaurant. The meal begins with a ritual in which diners pluck a leaf from a potted plant, dip it in sauce, and eat it raw. A server then explains the idea of "ecological fusion cuisine" to the guests.
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Guests are presented with a variety of unconventional dishes. One involves licking honey and pollen off ice cubes. Another course includes a bowl of "black goo", designed to mimic the strong odour of the parasitic, foul-smelling Rafflesia flower. A server describes it as resembling the scent of decaying flesh.
For dessert, guests are served a dish titled "Flowers Inserted into Elephant Dung". It is prepared using sterilised, dried elephant dung, which is turned into crunchy crumbs and topped with herbal perfume, fruit jam, pollen, and honey sorbet.
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To complete the dessert experience, guests climb a staircase for a "dessert tour", where they can choose their preferred herbal perfume and fruit jam to personalise the final dish.
The unusual dishes have sparked mixed reactions online:
One user commented, "This is absolutely disgusting and terrifying. I am from Yunnan, but we do not eat elephant dung here."
Another wrote, "The wealthy will eat anything. Shanghai, known as the Magic City, really lives up to its name. This feels like a public test of obedience and humiliation for the rich."
Offering a different view, one user said, "It is not a typical restaurant; it is more like an experimental concept. If you are looking for something unique, it is definitely worth trying."
Would you try this rainforest-inspired dining experience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.