Chi Fan for Charity organizes tables of 10 merrymakers for its fundraising events in three Chinese cities. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chi Fan for Charity, a modern take on the traditional gala charity dinner, invites local personalities to host a table at one of the city's top restaurants. Hosts invite nine friends to purchase tickets at their table, priced from 500 to 1,500 yuan ($75-$224) per person depending on the restaurant. After the dinner in each city, guests and supporters are invited to an after-party where people mingle and share their dining experiences.

Meanwhile, the Italian embassy and the Italian Chamber of Commerce are organizing restaurant dinners around China next month to benefit earthquake victims in central Italy.

"A Future for Amatrice" has a Facebook page, a special fundraising bank account through the end of November, and a network of more than 50 restaurants in China that have joined the global campaign.

"Thanks to the great generosity of the Italian restaurateurs it is already having a great success," says Ambassador Ettore Sequi, who kicked off the program in Beijing last month with chefs from Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao. He's confident in the power of food, eager to promote "an important charity initiative through one of our strengths in the world: Italian cuisine".

The results can be significant.