Sir Keir Starmer may not be flavour of the month for some in the UK, but his culinary choices have sparked a surge of interest thousands of miles away in China. A Beijing restaurant has reported being fully booked since the prime minister dined there during his visit to the Chinese capital in January.
The Restaurant and Its Unique Appeal
Yi zuo yi wang, known in English as In and Out, is a hotspot for delicacies from Yunnan, a southwestern Chinese province. Located in the city’s trendy Sanlitun area, the restaurant also has an unusual specialism for serving up hallucinogenic mushrooms. An entourage of around 140 officials, business figures, and press members ate at the unique restaurant, chosen by Starmer on recommendation from the UK ambassador in Beijing.
Starmer’s Visit Sparks Pilgrimage
Starmer’s visit has made In and Out such a site of pilgrimage that patrons can now order from a special ‘prime minister’s menu’, as reported by The Guardian. The list, which mirrors what Starmer ordered, includes dishes such as pork ribs in plum sauce, deep-fried goat’s milk cheese, and asparagus with porcini. However, the PM did not opt for the restaurant’s signature jian shou qing mushrooms, also known as lurid bolete, which are said to have hallucinogenic effects. The Chinese name literally means ‘turns hand blue’, referring to how the fungi quickly turn bluish when sliced. The mushroom features on the cover of the bespoke Starmer menu, which includes a cartooned member of the King’s Guard wearing the fungus instead of the trademark black bearskin cap.
Chinese Fascination with British Culture
Waiters at the Yunnan restaurant report that guests now frequently ask what the ‘British prime minister’ ate. This fascination with the PM is just one aspect of Chinese interest in British culture, which spans from the Royal Family to Harry Potter and Premier League footballers. It’s a rare bout of popularity for Starmer, who has faced criticism on several fronts as his party trails in the polls and the cost of war abroad threatens to increase prices back home.
Starmer’s Popularity at Home
According to the latest YouGov polling, 70 per cent of Britons think the PM is doing a bad job. Just 22 per cent of respondents said otherwise. With Labour on course to lose hundreds of councillors in Thursday’s local election, as well as face defeat in Wales for the first time, Starmer may need a magic mushroom to cling on in office.
