Shanxi's robot-operated eatery serves smart dining

The aroma of sizzling garlic and soy sauce typically signals the efforts of restaurant cooks preparing dishes for customers.

However, at a newly opened restaurant in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, this familiar scent wafts from a serene kitchen operated not by human chefs, but by robots. This unique dining experience is offered at the Weikong Robot Restaurant, which opened its doors on Aug 15 in the city's Wanbailin district.

Covering an area of nearly 500 square meters, the venue is divided into a robot-operated restaurant and a Future Living Pavilion, marking a significant step in the integration of intelligent technology into everyday dining.

The restaurant, a joint venture between the Wanbailin district government and Shanghai Xunlong Robot Technology Co, is the first in Shanxi to offer a highly automated dining experience. Unlike traditional eateries, this establishment has undergone a comprehensive upgrade, automating the entire process from ordering to cooking, serving, and even dish collection.

Zhang Pan, the chief technical engineer at Xunlong, said that most existing robot restaurants rely on fixed equipment and pre-programmed processes, which limit their flexibility.

"Our wheel-based dual-arm robots are highly adaptable, mimicking human work patterns and operating independently of fixed equipment locations," he said.

The system is meticulously configured to ensure consistency in every dish by controlling cooking temperatures, ingredient sequences, and seasoning quantities, he said.

This technological precision guarantees that each meal meets the everyday dining needs of consumers.

Customers can simply scan a QR code at their table to place an order, which is then automatically relayed to the backend system. The dual-arm robots spring into action, retrieving bowls, selecting ingredients from the refrigerated storage, and transporting them to the cooking station.

The cooking robot then autonomously handles the entire cooking process, from electric heating to sequential ingredient addition and stir-frying.

The menu features beloved Shanxi home-style dishes priced between 20 and 30 yuan ($2.98-$4.47), including classics such as stir-fried battered pork fillets and fried pork with chili pepper.

Gong Yue, a 28-year-old Taiyuan resident, was impressed by the dining experience.

"Watching the entire process was fascinating. It's a unique experience, and I hope they expand the menu," he said.

Another customer, Zhang Xin, dining with her child, expressed excitement at the prospect of such robots entering home kitchens. "It's great for those who aren't skilled at cooking or simply don't want to cook," she said.

The restaurant's open kitchen, where robots handle food without human intervention, alleviates concerns about kitchen hygiene. The restaurant's manager said that the system took over three years to develop, with the team overcoming significant technical challenges in robot cooking.

Despite the high-level automation, human involvement remains essential. "Robots handle repetitive tasks like stir-frying and washing pots, but humans are still needed for initial ingredient preparation, equipment checks, and troubleshooting," said Ma Xiaoli, an employee at the restaurant.

Beyond a unique dining experience, the Future Living Pavilion offers a diverse array of activities, combining leisure with educational value. It features a wellness robot area providing massage and health monitoring services, as well as a snack zone where visitors can watch robots make coffee, ice cream, and traditional pancakes.

According to the recently released "2026 China Cooking Robot Industry Development White Paper", the market for cooking robots in China reached 38.1 billion yuan in 2025 and is expected to exceed 125 billion yuan by 2030, highlighting the immense potential for growth in the smart dining sector.

Zhang Pan emphasized that in the short term, cooking robots are not expected to disrupt the traditional restaurant sector or replace human chefs. Instead, they will drive a transformation in the culinary profession. "Chefs of the future will focus more on assessing and ensuring that robot-cooked dishes meet taste standards," he said.

Looking ahead, Zhang Pan shared the team's vision of bringing cooking robots into everyday life, making advanced culinary technology accessible to all.