The day before yesterday, I went to Na Family Festaurant to pick out the dishes for my guests for the evening dinner, which was to be a sampling experience of Manchu/Imperial/Beijing cuisine. I was greeted at the entrance by a tall greeter dressed in a long red qipao who had the specific task of handling reservations. I told her that I made my booking for 25 people a week earlier, knowing that the restaurant is always full house and that those who come without a reservation will have to queue up for a table. The greeter flipped through the pages of bookings, and “Wen” was not found. To solve the situation, I agreed to go to their 798 branch, which had space for my party. After all, it is much larger than the Yonganli branch. However, I was told I’d have to pay a minimum of RMB7,000 for my group of 25 persons, which translated into RMB280 per person. Needless to say, I walked out of Na Jia Xiaoguan, wishing them luck with their business. I don’t doubt that they will be doing well, but not necessarily because of their super quality food, but because of the the hefty price tag, which too many Chinese are all too willing to pay now. It seems that price can often be more important than quality. The line at the restaurant’s Jianwai branch is always out the door, but honestly, the only reason to go there is for their sweet and pungent prawns. I’ve never understood the long lines to get into the restaurant.
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