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The largest restaurant in the world is located in China and serves more than 4,000 seats per service, in more than ten rooms. It has 25 private rooms and five kitchens. Customers come from all over the country to enjoy its good food and atmosphere.
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The restaurant, located in Changsha (China), aims to be a copy of the Forbidden City. Inside there are dozens of rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 500 customers. “It’s the biggest restaurant. We come here for special occasions”slips a man. On average, 15 dishes per table. “We have abalone, salmon and shrimp,” explains a customer.
It is the largest restaurant in the world: up to 4,000 seats per service. A maze of corridors on several floors. A manager leads the France Télévisions team to meet a family who is having lunch in a private room. The establishment has 25 lounges like this one. “It’s huge, we almost got lost. The staff guided us here”admit a client.
Preparation begins at 7 a.m. Chen Hao, the restaurant’s supply manager, receives the vegetables, then the fish and seafood.They are shrimp. We’re going to make them with chili and garlic.”he describes. There is also meat: around ten suppliers parade one by one. “Pepper peppers are what we have the most today. In total, 250 kilos of goods. For lunch, we have between 700 and 800 people“, he continues.
Goat meat, tens of kilos of abalone. To feed so many mouths, seven days a week, the restaurant has five kitchens and around a hundred cooks. Spices, very popular in the region, are prepared. For Zhang Jicheng, the head chef, organization is the key to success: “To make 500 meals, we need four hours of preparation on average.”
And off we go: a line of ducks is cooking, and everyone is at their post. “Each chef is responsible for one to three dishes. For example, he is in charge of the garlic and chili shrimp. He is in charge of the braised beef, and he is in charge of the braised fish,” explains Zhang Jicheng. 11:35 a.m. is gunshot time.
A coordinator, like an orchestra conductor, launches the dishes using a walkie-talkie. Among the starters, mushrooms in chicken broth. Hundreds of plates leave the kitchens. The carts parade between customers: 53 tables that day in the main room, and an army of servers for the 15 dishes. “Each employee manages two tables, no more, to avoid errors”indicates the coordinator.
The average price is 30 euros per person. In this restaurant, birthdays, births and even weddings are celebrated. In 20 years of existence, the establishment has become an institution. “Huge buildings, a space of 58,000 m2 located in Changsha, this city of 10 million inhabitants. For many Chinese, gigantism is synonymous with quality. Some even come from all over China to enjoy this restaurant.”concludes Arnaud Boutet Special Envoy to Changsha (China).
date: 2026-02-13 03:18:00