Dining with Biden: Beijing restaurant recalls visit from US president-elect

BEIJING: A Beijing restaurant owner congratulated her "old friend" and one-time customer Joe Biden on Monday after the U.S. Democratic candidate emerged victorious in a tightly fought U.S. presidential election, and invited him back to try some pork liver.

The publicity following Biden's visit nine years ago boosted business for quite a while, with many customers coming in and asking for the "Biden set," said owner Yao Yan, 66.

Biden had dined on noodles and steamed buns for lunch in August 2011 at the Yaoji Chaogan restaurant in the Chinese capital's Drum Tower district, during an official visit to Beijing as U.S. vice president.


His victory in the 2020 election has given her restaurant another lift, with one of Monday's patrons, 58-year-old lawyer Shi Longmin, admitting he decided to "tick this place off the list" after learning of Biden's previous visit.

Yao, meanwhile, hoped Biden could promote "friendly" relations between the United States and China - currently at their lowest point in decades - during his time in office.

But she also wanted the U.S. president-elect to return to her restaurant to sample some of the food he had missed out on first time around, such as its signature dish - stewed pork liver.

"There are lots of delicious flavours awaiting his arrival," Yao said.