Tao Tao Ju, a century-old Cantonese restaurant, has always been the focus of Guangzhou tourists. But recently, it has attracted attention because of a seemingly insignificant "accident" - the visit of US Treasury Secretary Yellen undoubtedly brought huge exposure to the old store, making it another big step on the road to an online celebrity restaurant.
However, just as netizens flocked to follow the trend and "check in", Tao Taoju's real experience was also exposed. The long-awaited classic Cantonese cuisine has left many diners with a bitter and disappointing taste after tasting it in one bite.
The high price, the average taste, the poor service and many other problems all make people shake their heads regrettably. It seems that this time-honored brand, which once went to the whole country, has now fallen into the "Internet celebrity trap".
It all started with the dinner of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. As a politician, she feasted in the city of Guangzhou and ordered 16 exquisite dishes, each of which is Tao Taoju's specialty. This naturally attracted the coveting of many foodie netizens, who all checked in to the "Internet celebrity store" while it was hot, just to feast on it.
However, when I actually sat down to eat, the good expectations under the impulse suffered a merciless blow in the oncoming dishes. Soon, some netizens began to complain on social media.
For example, some people are quite disappointed with the quality of the dishes, describing Tao Taoju's famous dishes as chewing wax and not being able to eat at all; Another example is that a certain Internet celebrity shrimp dumpling was praised as "13 pleats wrapped in 3 prawns", but in fact, there are only a few shrimps.
What's more, some Cantonese cuisine lovers bluntly said that the taste of many classic dishes in Tao Taoju is not as good as before. The red rice sausage is added with the "wonderful" ingredient of taro; Although the barbecued pork bun is still acceptable, it will quickly harden if it is not eaten in time; As for dishes such as pork knuckles, they have a very unbalanced salty and sweet taste, with a hint of fishy smell, which is amazing.
In addition to the food itself, the quality of service seems to be a big surprise. Some Guangzhou locals lamented that Tao Taoju's once courteous waiters are now so cold and sloppy, which makes people doubt their attitude towards diners. It is said that some waiters even ignored the ordering opinions, which greatly reduced the dining experience.
What is even more unacceptable is the unexpected act of "stealing customers". For example, some netizens ordered a few ordinary home-cooked dishes, but they were asked for hundreds of yuan by the lion's mouth; And the most unexpected thing is that there is an additional so-called "tea table fee". Some people were even slaughtered, just to drink Tao Taoju's ordinary tea, they had to pay an extra 77 yuan.
Faced with the feeling of being "slaughtered" like this, many netizens couldn't cry or laugh. After all, in the north, you can have a good meal with a drink, but in some time-honored restaurants in Guangdong, I am afraid that even a glass of boiled water will be required to "pay". I never thought that this kind of bad habit of charging fees has also become the "standard" of Tao Taoju.
All kinds of negative feedback are all hitting the reputation of Taotaoju, a century-old brand. In the past, it was like a thunderous delicacy, but now it is mediocre and even shabby; What used to be courteous and serviceful has now become arrogant and despised for diners; What's even more terrifying is that he has also learned the shameless act of "stealing customers".
It can be said that Yellen's visit brought unprecedented attention to Tao Taoju, but in turn it also exposed a series of internal diseases. is so obsessed with chasing the false name of "Internet celebrity restaurant", which is tantamount to using trap poison to isolate the world.
The pleasure of tasting food should be a pleasure for the eye. But the current Tao Tao Ju makes the diners feel violent and obscene. The greater the fame, the worse the reputation, the higher the price, and the lower the quality, no wonder some people feel that this place has become a "sweet trap".
For any restaurant to survive for a long time, the only way to do it is to go back to its roots and sincerely provide diners with high-quality taste and service. Otherwise, what's the use of having an Internet celebrity in vain? If Tao Taoju continues like this, I'm afraid that even the century-old foundation will be difficult to sustain.