Throughout the documentary, the camera functions as an objective observer. The director never comments, letting the footage speak for itself.
There are a few shocking shots in the bloody food preparation scenes. A live chicken is held up by the neck and put straight into boiling water to be de-feathered. A living snake wriggling on a dish is beheaded and cut into several parts. A fish is so fresh, it still breathes throughout the stages of preparation. A man directly pierces through the breast of a living duck with his fingers to pick out the brain. These scenes, not for the faint-hearted, horrified Western audiences and attributed to criticism received by animal rights activists and vegetarians.
Chen never contemplated deleting these scenes. "I predicted the backlash, but these scenes are inevitable when talking about Chinese dining culture. I couldn't deliberately edit this part, just because it's [gory]; it's an important part in the culture."
Auspicious dining
Superstitious and auspicious traditions are highlighted in the documentary. In Chinese society, the family is a strong unit, and the senior member in the family is highly respected. Filial piety is regarded as the most important of all good morals. A banquet celebrating a senior family member's birthday is a huge deal. The banquet must have long birthday noodles, a stand-in for longevity.
In China, after a baby is a month old, it is a customary to hold a baby banquet.
"For baby banquets, there are a dozen courses, plus red boiled eggs. People dye boiled eggs red, an auspicious color in Chinese culture, to represent prosperity. Another important dish is goat with rice pasta. It signifies abundant blessings," said Xiao Yezi, the general manager of the restaurant.
Chinese people often fight for the bill. "Chinese people care about displaying wealth and generosity. When you treat others for a meal, the host orders expensive dishes to show his hospitality. The more sumptuous the meal, the deeper the friendship seems," said Fan Yao, a manager of the restaurant.
The documentary profiles a costly wedding banquet held at West Lake Restaurant. A former waitress at the restaurant returns with her successful fiancé to hold a wedding banquet, costing an estimated one million yuan ($158,519).
"The wedding banquet is an important life event, so people spend a lot of money," said Qin Lingzhi, founder and president of the restaurant. "If the husband spends a fortune on a luxurious wedding banquet, his wife and family invites as many people as possible to show off. Other girls might envy her for marrying well," said Qin.
"None of these elaborate festivities existed when I got married. I went by foot to my husband's home," said a middle-aged employee, witnessing the festivities.
Editor: Shi Liwei
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