A restaurant where the toilet comes to you

Ever eaten out of a toilet? If not, here's your chance. According to Reuters, the Martun (Chinese for toilet) restaurant in Kaohsiung, China has begun serving food “in bowls shaped like Western-style toilets or Asian-style ‘squat pots.’" Originally inspired by a toilet-shaped spaceship in a Japanese cartoon, the theme is a magnet for young people seeking a relaxed, casual environment in which to gross out their friends. Martun owner Hung Lin-wen, perhaps overly proud of his idea, said that he thinks, “the theme is special, and the food is tasty." Opinions of the former vary; Reuters noted that one diner loved the food, but could barely look at it. Lest you think that we Americans would never, uh, stoop to such a concept, keep in mind that we are not strangers to explicit restaurant gimmicks. Hooters restaurants are plentiful, and, particularly in Manhattan, restaurants have a penchant for creating bathrooms that confuse diners, just for the fun of it.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

July 1, 2005 | Permalink