400,000 yuan spent on meal for eight in Shanghai

A prince from Dubai spending 400,000 yuan ($58,378) on a meal in a Shanghai restaurant to treat his Chinese contacts has made headlines on Chinese social media.

A picture of the bill circulating online shows that 400,000 yuan was spent on 20 dishes ordered for eight diners in a restaurant in the Changning district of Shanghai on Tuesday, according to the Xinmin Evening News.

The meal was a treat from a Dubai prince to his Chinese contacts and included exclusive pre-ordered raw ingredients from all across the world, Sun Zhaoguo, the owner of the restaurant, said without revealing the specific identity of the prince. “The cost is nothing compared to Dubai standards,” Sun told The Beijing News.

Aside from the meal, they also brought alcohol and drinks worth 480,000 yuan, The Beijing News reported.

Some big ticket items on the bill included a 16,800 yuan crocodile tail soup; a 116,920 yuan wild large yellow croaker; and eight bowls of big abalone with sake, each priced at 12,800 yuan. The bill also included a 550 yuan meal for the driver and 38,000 yuan service fee. The total bill was 418,245 yuan and the host of the dinner paid 400,000 yuan after a discount.

Sun said all of the ingredients are in compliance with government regulations and no protected wild animals were used. When asked about the crocodile tail soup, Sun said crocodiles are not protected wild animals and are bred in China’s Guangdong and Fujian provinces for food.

The Changning District Market Supervision Bureau in Shanghai is investigating the case. The restaurant was operating normally as of Wednesday.