China Overseas Chinese Network, September 21. According to a comprehensive compilation report by New Zealand's Tianwei.com, the cost of food has reached a new high. A restaurant in East Auckland, New Zealand told customers that if you want to continue to enjoy lobster, crab, abalone, etc. at a suitable price, you can bring your own. meat and seafood.

　　Before the epidemic, lobsters in Chinese restaurants could be sold for as low as NZ$99 per kilogram, and now they cost NZ$260 to 320 per kilogram.

The price of mud crab has also doubled in most Asian restaurants, but it's still available for NZ$20 a kilo at Pak'nSave, a chain of discount food warehouses in New Zealand.

　　Mr Sun, the owner of Lucky Grill seafood restaurant, said many people were now not coming because it was too expensive, as dishes with lobster, crab and abalone now cost hundreds of New Zealand dollars a plate in Chinese restaurants.

　　So Mr. Sun, 46, came up with a money-saving trick.

He said it was a "win-win" for customers and restaurants, keeping menu prices affordable.

　　"I ask customers to bring their own meat and ingredients, and we'll pay to cook it for them at the restaurant."

　　"As a result, the price of a meal is much less compared to other restaurants."

　　"For me, it also saves the cost of storing such expensive materials, it saves trouble, and it also means that my menu prices don't need to keep going up."

　　Food prices hit a 13-year high in August.

　　Food prices rose 8.3% in August compared with a year earlier, the biggest gain since July 2009, when prices rose 8.4%.

　　However, Mr Sun said that by scouring weekend markets and Asian supermarkets, people can still find high-quality meat and ingredients at affordable prices.

　　"If it's cheaper, people can buy frozen instead of fresh."

　　"Whatever materials are brought in, we'll talk to people about what they want, and we'll be able to give them the highest restaurant standard for only $10 to $40 (depending on complexity)."

　　Lucky Grill is located on Aviemore Drive in Highland Park.

Usually this restaurant only serves some light Cantonese meals, such as Chinese barbecue and roast duck, but there are also à la carte menus.

　　Mr. Sun said offering toll processing makes his restaurant unique.

　　"If people go out fishing and don't know what to do after they catch the fish, they can bring it over, and I can steam it for them, or do it the way they like."

　　"Each dish is discussed and made according to the customer's preferences. As for ingredients such as abalone, we ask customers to bring it a day or two in advance if they want the ultimate taste, because then we can slow cook, Stew until tender."

　　A regular customer brought blue crabs, abalone and sea cucumbers last week for a total of NZ$180, then NZ$130 in processing fees.

　　The blue crab is eaten with two crabs, one is placed on glutinous rice, and the other is salted egg yolk.

Abalone is simmered and noodles are added; sea cucumber is fried with seasonal vegetables.

　　The regular brought his own ingredients to entertain eight friends at Lucky Grill.

Ordering these dishes at a Chinese restaurant, she said, "will easily more than double the price."

　　"I don't think it's a hassle to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients, I think it adds fun to the whole dining experience."

　　"One of the things I like about it is that I can tell how I like the dish and the owner will make it as close to what I want it to be. It's like having a personal chef."

　　The woman's husband said the overall dining experience was "like a once-in-a-lifetime food experience".

　　Mr. Sun, who opened the store six years ago, said the service began during the pandemic.

　　"Food prices have skyrocketed, but I think post-pandemic everyone needs to go out and meet friends, and affordability shouldn't be an obstacle."

　　"People can bring whatever they want, with a $10 processing fee for simple dishes, so they can get a restaurant-quality meal at a very cheap price." (Emma)