With the Spring Festival less than a month away, the catering market across China is already heating up. In the southwestern province of Yunnan, many restaurants are signing up for online food ordering platforms.
In Yunnan's capital city of Kunming, the Xin Ren Ren Seafood Restaurant has been a notable brand name for over two decades.
Entering January, the establishment unveiled its delivery or takeout service, targeting the family feasts on the Lunar New Year's Eve in mid-February.
While serving the local cuisine tradition, the restaurant also tried to fold in some new flavors.
Its menu has incorporated the abalone consommé typical of Cantonese cooking.
Lobsters, crabs and mussels also feature prominently in its packaged offering.
According to the manager of the restaurant's headquarters, an increasing number of customers are choosing to order the festival dinner weeks ahead.
Also joining the fray are a number of hotpot restaurants, which have been perennially popular throughout the year.
Apart from offering sit-down dinners, they also provide delivery and takeout arrangements. The meat and vegetables are all carved and sliced and packaged neatly. Together with condiments, they can be delivered with ease.
On major online shopping platforms, a search of the keyword "semi-prepared festival dinner" can render hundreds of results. They range in price from less than a 100 yuan to over 3,000 yuan.
Recently, Kunming launched a campaign to become a model city of food safety.
Local food and drug authorities have been conducting spot checks regularly to ensure the hygiene of the Lunar New Year's Eve offerings.
