Lu Bo Lang Restaurant became the first eatery at the Yuyuan Garden Malls to reopen to customers on Tuesday.

Popular restaurants at Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden Malls are gradually reopening to the public as the city is well on its way to containing the coronavirus outbreak.

Lu Bo Lang Restaurant, one of the city's most highly regarded dining establishments, became the first eatery at the malls to reopen to customers on Tuesday.

The traditional restaurant next to the iconic Zigzag Bridge near the Ming Dynasty garden has been closed since early February along with other nearby eateries to help prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Lu Bo Lang, which is famous for serving its delicate dim sum to foreign dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II and former US president Bill Clinton, now operates on limited hours between 11am and 2pm as well as 5pm and 7pm. Only the second floor is open to customers.

The restaurant was built in 1979 when local authorities decided to open a landmark restaurant featuring authentic Chinese dim sums and Shanghai cuisine.

"The restaurant has made full disinfection and protection measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff," said Lu Yaming, general manager of the restaurant.

All staff must receive temperature checks and show their Health QR Code before entering the workplace. About 20 staff are now serving customers, including chefs, waiters and waitresses as well as cleaners.

The dining tables have been rearranged with farther between among each other.

Customers are guided to sit away from nearby diners. They are also suggested to avoid sitting face to face or having more than three diners at the same table, said Lu. The waiting area has also been removed.

Extra tableware is offered with each dish to encourage diners to use one set of chopsticks and spoons to take food from communal dishes and another set to convey food to their mouths. Staff can also separate food into portions for each diner according to their requests.

The restaurant received about 40 customers between 11am and 2pm on its first reopening day on Tuesday. The dining section on the second floor can receive 120 diners simultaneously following a major renovation last year.

"These new measures make me feel safe and using an extra pair of chopsticks and spoon is healthier and also convenient," said a diner surnamed Wang, a nearby resident and frequent visitor to the restaurant.

Customers are guided to sit apart from each other on the first opening day at Lu Bo Lang Restaurant on Tuesday.

Extra tableware is offered along with each dish to encourage diners to use one set of chopsticks and spoons to take food from communal dishes and another set to convey the food to their mouths.

Signature dim sums

Private dining compartments, popular for their views over the Zigzag Bridge and the lotus pond, are now open to smaller groups of at least three diners based on availability, Lu said. Previously, they only served groups with about 10 people.

Many signature dishes and dim sums are being served. Lu himself acts as head chef to ensure the quality of the dishes. He once cooked for more than 60 national leaders including Queen Elizabeth II and Clinton.

The classic dishes available at the restaurant now include large meatball with shrimps, squirrel-shaped Mandarin fish as well as sets of dim sum served for national leaders and their wives during the first and second China International Import Expos.

At the end of afternoon operations and at night, thorough disinfection measures will be conducted upon the main dining hall, kitchen, stairways, toilets, counters and other public areas. Tableware and tables are also sterilized regularly.

The central air-conditioning has been closed, while windows are opened more frequently to ensure ventilation.

Apart from Lu Bo Lang, other traditional eateries will gradually reopen starting Thursday under strict coronavirus prevention measures, according to the malls.

These include the century-old Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, the Shanghai Classical Hotel which opened in 1875, Chunfeng Songyue Tower, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai and Ningbo Sweet Dumpling Restaurant.

These businesses have all been affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic. The Shanghai Classical Hotel, for instance, saw its Spring Festival customers fall by about 70 percent compared with recent holiday periods.

However, they have been offering takeaway meals for nearby employees and citizens to reduce losses. The dumpling restaurant delivered uncooked sweet dumplings for residents in Huangpu District during the Lantern Festival on February 8. The classic hotel offers set meals with prices starting at 100 yuan (US$14).

Led by Lu, chefs with Lu Bo Lang made 100 sets of traditional dim sum during its closure and delivered them to doctors at the nearby Ruijin Hospital as well as police officers working during the epidemic.

Hand sanitizer is offered to each customer at Lu Bo Lang Restaurant on the first day of its reopening.

Disinfection measures for Lu Bo Lang Restaurant on the first day of its reopening.

A set of dim sum for wives of national leaders at the Lu Bo Lang Restaurant.

Large meatball with shrimp is served at the Lu Bo Lang Restaurant after its opening.

Source: SHINE

Editor: Yang Meiping