China: Restaurant buoys investors with 'lucky' new menu

An investor looks at screens showing stock market movements at a securities company in Beijing.

A restaurant in Beijing is attempting to turn around the fortunes of millions of Chinese investors hit by tumbling share prices by offering a "lucky" menu of stock market-themed dishes, it's reported.

Three trillion US dollars have been wiped off China's stock market over the last month, leaving millions of small investors counting their losses. The restaurant says its new range of dishes - many of which are red, a colour associated with prosperity in China - are aimed at rewarding its customers with a rebound in stock prices, the China Daily reports.

Among the dishes on offer is Red Burned Lion Head, which has the same pronunciation in Chinese as "burning market investments". Another dish of spicy crayfish urges investors to show resilience and "not give up so easily on the stock market"; while having a dish of braised pork symbolises wealth in China, according to the report.

The menu has been well-received by customers and attracted thousands of comments on China's social networking site Weibo. One user praised the idea that eating red food would "make the stock market soar", while another said "It looks like eating crayfish at this restaurant has made people think it will quietly buoy the market." Others though, have taken a more sarcastic view. "Investors, here's the answer. Help to raise stocks by opening your purses", says one. "Am I the only person who thinks this is a marketing ploy?" says another.

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