I was very close to ordering the 'numb old woman'...

... but decided instead to stick with eggs and tofu.

Jingdi Meilongzhen, Shenzhen.

Some Chinese restaurants now offering rewards for finishing your food

I'm a proponent of taking home leftovers. Many people here are not. Now some are trying to change that. From the China Daily:

Diners will receive rewards if they eat all their food in restaurants or take away their leftovers, as part of efforts to reduce food waste.

Minister of Commerce Chen Deming told a conference in Beijing on Monday that some restaurants have introduced such a policy, while others are handing out coupons or awarding membership points to diners who do not squander their food.

"All these methods have proved effective and can be promoted," Chen said.

How big of a problem is food waste in China?

More than 200 billion yuan ($32 billion) worth of food, enough to feed nearly 200 million people for a year, is wasted in China annually, research by China Agricultural University has found.

After polling 2,700 diners in Chinese cities, the university concluded that at least 8 million metric tons of protein and 3 million tons of edible fat is thrown away each year.

Chen Junhai, marketing director for Wangshunge Delicacy, a Beijing restaurant chain, said: "I have worked in the catering industry for more than 20 years, and I have seen too much waste.

"People attending large banquets, such as wedding receptions, are more likely to waste food. We need to break this indecent habit."

I thought us Americans were huge food wasters, but it pales in comparison to what I've experienced here. Most restaurant dining here is family style, so it is very easy (and sometimes even considered good-mannered) to order way more food than is possible to eat in one sitting. The result is literal dishes of food barely touched being sent to the trash can to make way for the next group of over-orderers. 

Great to see restaurants starting to incentivize smarter ordering and the taking of leftovers.

A very common sight

Tall chairs

Tallest I've ever sat on. At the buffet on the top floor of Holiday Plaza. Window of the World, Shenzhen.

Logo of the Day: SuperSteak

Coco Park metro station. Futian, Shenzhen.

Possibly the world's longest menu

I wonder how long it would have been completely stretched out.

Wang's Chinese Kitchen. Kerry Center, Beijing

6 am Wednesday morning

The dinner crowd.

Luohu, Shenzhen

Automobile themed restaurants?

I'll have to check it out next time I'm in the neighborhood.

Hi-Tech Park. Nanshan, Shenzhen

I ordered popcorn chicken

I was then given popcorn and chicken.

Malones Sports Bar. Shanghai, China

That's a lot of empty baijiu bottles

From a new restaurant opening celebration Saturday night.

The most beautiful menus in the world?

Some of them are more art book then menu. Large, with big bright pictures and written histories of the restaurants. This one is from a Sichuan restaurant I ate at today.