World's 1st robot-operated Chinese eatery opens in S China

The world's first Chinese restaurant operated by robots has attracted plenty of diners after it officially started service in Zhujiang New Town in this Guangdong provincial capital on Monday.

The restaurant, which mainly serves Guangdong Shunde cuisine, allows robots to cook, deliver food, place orders for diners and handle most of the work in the restaurant.

"The robot chefs can actually compete with famous chefs from Shunde, which is known for its delicious dishes at home and abroad," said a diner surnamed Chen.

Chen and his friends praised the delicious food cooked by the robots after they tasted fried vegetables, steamed fish and braised pigeon in the restaurant on Monday.

A local Shunde cuisine chef surnamed Ma Huiliang said he gave the fried vegetables cooked by the robot 90 out of 100 points.

But Ma said he never worries that robots would replace chefs in the future.

"On the contrary, it is a liberating opportunity for chefs when robots can cook," he said.

"Chefs can focus their work on innovation and research for new food to better inherit and develop Chinese cuisine when robots can cook," Ma added.

Qiu Mi, assistant president of Country Garden Group, which runs the restaurant, said the restaurant now has 46 different kinds of robots that can do almost all the work of the restaurant, including welcoming clients, frying dishes, mixing wines, making dessert, cooking rice, operating a cloud rail system and delivering food.

And all the diners can see how their food is being cooked by robots in the kitchen, which is separated by transparent glass walls from the dining hall, Qiu said.

The restaurant combines new and high technology with traditional Chinese cuisine, Qiu added.