The Sporkful What Happened When China Legalized Restaurants
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Mar 23, 2026 Yebu Ji, an audio producer who grew up in China and acted as a cultural guide. Wei Hong, a Beijing-based food writer and local restaurant expert. They tour Beijing dining from a 16-course Chef 1996 tasting to Haidilao’s theatrical hot pot. Conversations probe how 1980s–90s reforms created private restaurants, the rise of refined regional dining, tech and spectacle in chains, and the social shifts behind it all.
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Chef 1996 Fine Dining Origin Story
- Dan Pashman dines at Chef 1996, a Michelin-selected Sichuan-rooted fine dining restaurant run by Wang Gong and Chef Di who began opening private restaurants after 1990s reforms.
- The 16-course meal mixes regional Sichuan techniques with Beijing refinements like tea-smoked duck and bird's nest dessert, showing culinary rootedness.
How 1990s Reforms Created China's Restaurant Boom
- Economic reforms in the 1980s–90s allowed private restaurant ownership, fueling rapid growth as people moved to cities and gained wealth.
- Deng Xiaoping's 1992 push restarted reforms so entrepreneurs like Wang could borrow, hire, and expand restaurants.
From Hometown Letter To National Restaurant Group
- Wang and Liang Di used an official hometown recommendation letter to open Meizhu Dongpo in 1996 and later built a 118-location restaurant group and packaged foods line.
- Chef Di now leads the group and opened Chef 1996 to pursue fine dining and brand elevation.