China restaurant sparks debate after selling simple tomato scrambled egg dish for US$75

A Shanghai restaurant has captured attention on mainland Chinese social media for launching a special dish of stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs at an exorbitant price of 520 yuan (US$75), triggering a heated discussion.The dish itself is among the most common, affordable household food items in the country, containing ordinary ingredients – tomatoes and eggs.But the dish served at Jinlong Dabianlu Restaurant in Hongkou district in downtown Shanghai is sold at 520 yuan, dozens of times more expensive than its counterparts in other eateries, according to news portal Sina.Scrambled eggs and tomatoes is widely considered the ultimate national comfort food and the most common family dish in China. Photo: ShutterstockIn recent weeks, some bloggers visited the restaurant, ordered the dish and filmed the cooking process before sharing the clip on social media.According to these viral videos, the chef used a rather large, dark green Emu egg, instead of chicken or duck eggs.He said the eggshell was so thick that he had to use a small hammer to break it.Departing from the standard practice of using a bowl, the chef cracked the egg straight into a goblet – a touch bloggers noted “exuded a true sense of ceremony.”These are no ordinary tomatoes; they belong to a premium variety famous for being incredibly juicy. While known as the Provence Tomato in mainland China, this variety actually originates from the Netherlands.The cooking method is not special either, as shown in the videos.Rather than using a conventional bowl, the chef cracked the egg directly into a goblet, which bloggers felt “exuded a true sense of ceremony.” Photo: QQ.com“It tastes tender and smooth,” one blogger going with the handle @wangning said in his clip.The chef said they sold only one set of the dish every day.Its cost is 200 yuan (US$30), including at least 150 yuan for the Emu egg which is imported from Germany and 50 yuan for buying tomatoes.“This dish is usually served to customers who have booked in advance. So its price is not made based on the ordinary business logic for stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs,” the chef told the media.Further ReadingThe news soon became the subject of widespread discussion on mainland social media with many people astounded by the dish’s price.“I thought it was 52 yuan. That is still expensive,” one internet user said.“It looks no different from what my mum cooks,” another user said.“People who order this dish are paying for their IQ tax [meaning the cost of their foolish behaviour],” another person commented.The chef used a massive, dark green Emu egg instead of chicken or duck eggs. As pictured, these large birds have striking features—and their eggs are equally dramatic. Photo: ShutterstockBut a fourth person thought differently, stating: “The restaurant clearly marks its prices. Customers buy the food of their own free will, so there is no issue here.”The dish of stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs is so popular in China that people in different regions even quarrel online on whether it should be sweet or not.Residents in southern China tend to add sugar when cooking this dish, while people in the north do not.