Disney to conquer Chinese taste buds with localized menu

In an attempt to win over Chinese customers, the Shanghai Disney Resort released a special menu on Wednesday.

Throughout the Shanghai Disneyland resort, restaurants will feature fare that is 70 percent Chinese and 30 percent a mix of broader Asian and Western influences，said Chen Deli, supervisor of food and beverages at Shanghai Disneyland. The resort has a total of 760 chefs, with only three from abroad, he added.

The food offered in the resort will also include special Disney-themed Shanghai cuisine, said Paul Chandler, director of the resort’s Food and Beverage Department. The menu includes a Mickey Chocolate Tart, Mickey Pork Cake, Donald Duck Waffle and Braised Pork Knuckle in Dark Soy sauce, he said.

In addition to Shanghai cuisine, the menu will also include food from other regions of China, such as Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese and Hunan cuisine.

For international flavors, Thai food, Japanese food, Korean food and Indonesian food are on offer, together with Western fast food such as hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza.

Altogether 80 percent of the food served will be prepared in a 3,000-square-meter central kitchen to ensure quality and safety and then dispatched to various restaurants, Chen said.

Accordingly, all raw materials will be trackable and consumers can inquire about their origin and suppliers. "All food will be fresh and safe," he noted.

Dong Yan, executive chef of the resort, said all vegetables will be washed by machines that are strictly maintained and that manual washing would be forbidden.

In addition, each wok or pan will only to be used for one type of dish to maintain the unique taste of each style of food.

The resort is expected to open to the public on June 16. It will consist of two themed hotels and six different "lands." There will be at least 600 eateries and restaurants providing food and drinks for tourists.