Why are people eating at midnight?(2)

Clark Zhu, a foodie who has made a habit of making elaborate dishes late into the night. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Wang has tried to recreate her grandmother's dish multiple times, but she admits that she has not yet been able to replicate the taste from her memory. However, said Wang, what was important for her was the actual act of making the dish, of going through each painstaking part of the process. No matter how the dish tasted, the act of doing it kept the memory of her grandmother alive, she said.

"Food isn't just about eating. It's also about a time, a place, a person, a happy memory," said Wang.

Beijing's 'midnight canteens'

Sarona Wu, a 23-year-old web editor at a Chaoyang district bookshop that is open until 10 pm every night, frequently eats out late.

As a fan of Shinya Shokudo, Wu has made a hobby out of trying to find Beijing's own "midnight canteen," a place with the kind of intimate vibe depicted in the television show. Consequently, she is a regular at Beijing's izakaya bars, Japanese-style drinking holes and bistros.

"Izakaya bars are not very big, and I like the casual atmosphere. You can see the owners or chefs making food in the open kitchen. It's like being in someone's home," said Wu.

"I sometimes get off work very late or can't eat until late for other reasons. So I go to an izakaya bar to order a bowl of Japanese noodles or my favorite fried shrimp tempura. After eating, I feel very warm."

On Monday, Wu visited an izakaya bar called Ju in Beijing's Sanlitun area. The owner of the bar, Xu Chunfeng, said that he was familiar with Shinya Shokudo, and that he felt his establishment was not dissimilar.

The bar is open until 2 am every day, and as in the television series, Xu plays the roles of owner, waiter and chef.

"[This arrangement] makes it feel more intimate, like someone's home. It means that customers are more likely to share their stories, whether they're happy or unhappy," said Xu. He said that during the six years he had been running the bar, he had heard all sorts of stories from all kinds of people, among them teachers, actors and lovelorn couples.

"People who come late at night tend to be more emotional and share more stories," said Xu. "For them, after a busy day, having a bowl of soup or noodles and someone to listen to their stories is more about comforting the heart than filling the stomach."

Although the owners of the izakaya bars Wu had been to did not devise their own dishes depending on the diner's moods, she said that they were usually very hospitable.

"You can talk to them about anything, like speaking to an old friend," said Wu. "If you hit it off with an owner, sometimes they'll even offer you the food for free."

The temptations of the night

Wei Zhizhong, a research fellow at the Modern Psychology Research Center of Wuhan University, said that the phenomenon of people cooking and eating late into the night was a response to the modern organization of life, where many worked long hours, with little time for rest or leisure.

"Eating late at night is a way for people to process and manage their mental and emotional stresses in a fast-paced society," said Wei. "For many, cooking or eating late at night is a cultural and psychological response, rather than simply a physiological one."

As for the tendency to associate late night eating binges with emotional outpourings, Wei said that this was also to be expected.

"According to research in the cognitive behavioral sciences, in the daytime, people's actions are driven primarily by reason, but in the evenings, emotions tend to play a more dominant role," said Wei.

"So for people who can't find another channel as an outlet for their negative emotions, eating at midnight or late at night can be a way of letting off steam."

In this sense, said Wei, the reason for people to eat in the wee hours was very simple.

"It can give people comfort and peace of mind," said Wei.