Themed cafes a hit in China

BEIJING – A Chinese teahouse disguised as a jail, complete with cells, locks and wardens, has become the prisoner of its own success, as critics say it may corrupt young minds, state media said yesterday.

The venue, in the city of Suzhou in east China’s Jiangsu province, has been a hit with the locals since it started a week ago, the China Daily reported. Waitresses dressed as female police officers lock customers up in cages that carry the fictional names of the inmates and describe the crimes they have committed.One fictional sign describes the criminal inside as a man who was arrested after getting drunk and raping a pig.While some patrons think the concept is a great way to bond with friends, others dismiss the ethics behind it.”The signs should not be seen by under-aged people,” said Dong Jian, a 25-year-old office worker.Lu Shucheng, a Suzhou University sociologist, said that while it could not be banned, the teahouse’s negative impact should be limited by forbidding young people from the premises.Meanwhile, a restaurant in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is reportedly flush with success after opening with a toilet theme.Customers sit on toilets covered with colourful glass, while the dining tables are shaped like squat toilets, the Xinhua news agency said.”No.1 toilet ice”, the most popular dish, is made of ice balls, rice dotted with coconut and is served in a small toilet-like platter.”The dish looks like something someone would flush down a toilet,” Xinhua said, adding “the food is supposed to be kind of crappy.”Nampa-AFPWaitresses dressed as female police officers lock customers up in cages that carry the fictional names of the inmates and describe the crimes they have committed.One fictional sign describes the criminal inside as a man who was arrested after getting drunk and raping a pig.While some patrons think the concept is a great way to bond with friends, others dismiss the ethics behind it.”The signs should not be seen by under-aged people,” said Dong Jian, a 25-year-old office worker.Lu Shucheng, a Suzhou University sociologist, said that while it could not be banned, the teahouse’s negative impact should be limited by forbidding young people from the premises.Meanwhile, a restaurant in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is reportedly flush with success after opening with a toilet theme.Customers sit on toilets covered with colourful glass, while the dining tables are shaped like squat toilets, the Xinhua news agency said.”No.1 toilet ice”, the most popular dish, is made of ice balls, rice dotted with coconut and is served in a small toilet-like platter.”The dish looks like something someone would flush down a toilet,” Xinhua said, adding “the food is supposed to be kind of crappy.”Nampa-AFP