Chinese chain restaurant Xibei apologizes after pre-made food controversy

(ECNS) -- Chinese restaurant chain Xibei issued a public apology on Monday after facing significant backlash over its use of pre-made dishes, a controversy that attracted widespread public scrutiny and debate.

The apology came in response to criticism initiated by prominent entrepreneur Luo Yonghao, who criticized Xibei on his Sina Weibo account after a dining experience in Xibei on Wednesday.

Luo, known for his influential livestreaming presence and candid commentary, said the majority of the dishes served were pre-made, despite their high cost. He described the meal as "disgusting" and called for government regulations to explicitly disclose the use of pre-made ingredients.

The post quickly went viral, garnering millions of comments and fueling industry discussion on food transparency and quality.

"We realized that Xibei's production processes have fallen significantly short of customer expectations and failed to meet the needs and anticipations of our customers," the letter said.

"We deeply apologize for the troubles and worries caused to customers. We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to every customer who pays attention to this matter and puts forward opinions and suggestions," it added.

Additionally, the brand said it had actively stepped up efforts to address each issue raised by customers and tried to shift certain preprocessing procedures from its central kitchen to in-store preparation.

Its adjustments involve the use of non-GMO soybean oil in dishes, and on-site preparation of lamb skewers in stores.

However, Luo said on Weibo that this matter is not over yet, because he found he was called "internet mafia" on WeChat Moment by Jia Guolong, founder of Xibei.

(By Zhang Dongfang)