春節到，去飯店吃年夜飯走俏，預訂供不應求

Spring Festival reunion dinners a hot commodity

熱門商品——年夜飯

Visitors admire replica dishes for Chinese New Year's Eve at a folk custom show in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Jan 11, 2020. [Photo/China News Service]

2020年1月11日，在陝西省西安市的一場民俗表演中，遊客們正在欣賞除夕菜餚的複製品。（圖源中新社）

It took Shanghai resident Su Zhihao several rounds of phone calls and personal visits to three restaurants to secure a reservation for a family reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year.

上海市民蘇志豪(音)打了幾輪電話，親自去了三家餐廳，才訂到了年夜飯。

A family feast on the occasion has long been an essential part of celebrating the most important festival in China, also known as Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 25 this year.

一場家庭聚餐成爲了慶祝中國最重要的節日——春節必不可少的組成部分，今年的春節是1月25日。

"Before I got married, we used to eat at home," said Su, 30. "This year, we will be joined by family from my wife's side."

30歲的蘇志豪說：“在我結婚前，我們一般都在家裏吃飯。而今年，我妻子的家人也要一起吃年夜飯。”

While Su is looking forward to the big reunion, a family feast at home is a challenge.

在他期待着大團圓的同時，在家裏吃年夜飯就成了一個挑戰。

"So we decided to go to a restaurant, but it's really difficult to find a suitable one less than a month ahead of the holiday," Su said.

他說：“所以我們決定去餐館，但在離除夕不到一個月的時間裏，很難找到一家合適的餐館。”

By suitable, Su said, he meant he had to consider the price, cuisine, location and, last but not least, availability. Reservations at major restaurants have run short in major cities despite higher prices due to the rising cost of labor and food, especially pork.

他說他指的合適，是需要考慮價格、味道、地點，還有不能忽視的是否還能預訂。儘管勞動力和食品價格在上漲，尤其是豬肉價格的上漲，但大中城市的主要餐廳仍供不應求。

"All of our tables and rooms for Spring Festival Eve have already been booked," said Wang Shijia, deputy manager of Lubolang, one of the most famous traditional restaurants in Shanghai. It has received many foreign dignitaries, including former United States president Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II.

上海最著名的傳統餐廳之一“綠波廊”的副經理王世佳(音)說：“我們所有的年夜飯餐桌和包間都已經訂滿了。”這家酒店曾接待許多外國政要，包括美國前總統比爾·克林頓和英國女王伊麗莎白二世。

With 10 dishes, three dim sums and a fruit plate, the restaurant, which just completed a renovation in October, offers festival sets for 10 people priced from 3,988 yuan to 6,888 yuan ($570-980).

10道菜、3道點心和一個水果拼盤，這家剛於10月份改造一新的餐廳提供了這種10人節日套餐，價格從3988元到6888元不等（即570-980美元）。

"Even before our reopening, our patrons were calling in, making reservations for our festival meals," Wang said.

“甚至在我們重新開業前，我們的老顧客就已經打電話來，預訂年夜飯了。”副經理說。

Similar demand is being observed in other cities such as Beijing and Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province.

北京和陝西省省會西安等其他城市也有類似的預訂需求。

Guan Na, meeting events director for Crowne Plaza Beijing Lido, said the hotel has launched set meals for the festival, catering to families of various sizes, which have proved popular.

北京麗都皇冠假日酒店的會議活動總監關娜(音)說，酒店已經推出了年夜飯套餐，爲各種規模的家庭提供餐飲服務，深受歡迎。

Dong Hui, manager of the newly opened Hualuxe hotel in Xi'an, said the hotel offered 15 tables for Spring Festival Eve meals and most had already been booked.

西安新開業的華邑酒店經理董輝(音)說，酒店將提供15桌年夜飯，大多數已經被預訂。

"Traditionally, Chinese parents make the family reunion meals at home, but as more children want their parents to save the sweat and have a good rest during the last day of the lunar year, people come to us," Dong said.

他說：“按照傳統，中國父母會在家裏做年夜飯，但隨着越來越多的孩子希望父母能在農曆年的最後一天不那麼辛苦，好好休息一下，大家就會選擇我們酒店了。”

Su, who eventually booked a 4,000 yuan meal set for 15 people in a private dining room at a restaurant, agreed that convenience is the top reason behind the demand.

蘇志豪先生最終預訂了一家餐館的包間，訂了15人4000元的年夜飯套餐，他認爲方便是在外吃團年飯的需求背後的首要原因。

"The more people we gather, the merrier the festival atmosphere," Su said, "but only when you don't have to fuss over the cooking."

他說：“人越多，越有節日氣氛，但前提是你不用操心做飯的事。”

翻譯：MS小冰晶