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Up to speed

By Lu Haoting (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-25 17:55

The city government's foreign affairs office and the Beijing tourism bureau early this year jointly published a book, Chinese Menu in English Version, to standardize menu translation. It recommended new English translations for more than 2,000 traditional Chinese dishes to avoid funny translations such as "chicken without a sexual life" and "bean curd made by a pockmarked woman."

"These regulations and measures were introduced because of the Olympics. But the significance goes beyond the 17-day sports event and will be conducive to sustainable and healthy development of the catering industry in the post-Olympic period," says Yang Liu, managing vice-president of the China Cuisine Association.

"The Olympics also pushed many Chinese restaurants to improve their management levels as they try to meet the high standards of catering services for the Games," Yang says.

Noble Club, a high-end restaurant located right next to the north gate of Ditan Park, has offered English-language training courses to its over 100 waiters and waitresses since the end of May. The employees had to take English tests every month and the best were awarded with cash bonuses. Finally about 30 of them wore badges saying "English service" while greeting guests during the Games. They also had to be trained in western table etiquette and religious taboos on eating and drinking.

South Beauty, an upscale catering chain based in Beijing, hired about 300 fresh college graduates before the Games and they were dispatched to 20-odd South Beauty restaurants around the city. The reason? They speak better English.

"These young people, in their early 20s, are now full-time employees at South Beauty. We hope they can stay with us for four to five years and become fresh blood in the management team of South Beauty," says Du Wei, corporate communication director of the catering chain.

"Building a talent pool is strategic to the long-term development of South Beauty. In some way, the Olympics has pushed us to put this high on our agenda even earlier," Du says.

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