Chinese Restaurant (simplified Chinese: 中餐厅; traditional Chinese: 中餐廳; pinyin: Zhōngcāntīng) is a Chinese celebrity reality show broadcast by Hunan Television. The show features five celebrities as they run a Chinese restaurant abroad in 20 days with the aim to promote Chinese Food culture. It's Vicky Zhao's first reality show as a regular guest.
The first season was taped in Thailand, and it was premiered on 22 July 2017 with 11 episodes. The second season was taped in France, and it was premiered on 20 July 2018 with 12 episodes. The third season was taped in Italy, and it was premiered on 26 July 2019 with 13 episodes. The fourth season was taped in China due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and it was premiered on 31 July 2020 with 12 episodes. The fifth season was taped in China again, and it was premiered on 30 July 2021 with 12 episodes. The sixth season was taped in China the third time, and it was premiered on 12 August 2022 with 12 episodes. The seventh season was taped in Hungary, and it was premiered on 21 July 2023 with 12 episodes. The eighth season was taped in France again, and it was premiered on 19 July 2024 with 12 episodes. The ninth season was taped in Morocco, and it premiered on 20 June 2025 with 12 episodes. The tenth season was taped in Thailand again, and it was premiered on 19 June 2026 with 12 episodes.
Contents
Cast
Season 1
Vicky Zhao
Huang Xiaoming
Zhou Dongyu
Sean Zhang
Enti Jin
Season 2
Vicky Zhao
Shu Qi
Alec Su
Karry Wang
Pax Congo
Season 3
Regular
Huang Xiaoming
Qin Hailu
Karry Wang (left in Episode 8 due to school work)
Yang Zi
Jack Lin
Recurring
Tong Zhuo (start from Episode 3)
Season 4
Huang Xiaoming
Zanilia Zhao
Sean Zhang
Jack Lin
Ariel Li
Season 5
Regular
Huang Xiaoming
Ning Jing
Zhou Ye
Tenzin Tsundue
Annabel Yao
Recurring
Gong Jun (Changsha)
Tan Jianci (Guilin)
Season 6
Huang Xiaoming
Yin Tao
Yin Zheng
Chen Linong
Zhang Ruonan
Season 7
Huang Xiaoming
Mark Chao
Yue Yunpeng
Yin Zheng
Shen Mengchen
Greg Hsu
Jelly Lin
Cheng Xiao
Season 8
Huang Xiaoming
Yin Zheng
Esther Yu
Jiang Yan
Jack Lin
Hu Yitian
Corentin Delcroix
Bill Zhai
Season 9
Huang Xiaoming
Jiang Yan
Ryan Ding
Shen Yue
Bill Zhai
Patrick Finkler
Jack Lin
Season 10
Huang Xiaoming
Karry Wang
Hannah Quinlivan
Jiang Yan
Enti Jin
Zhang Yaqi
Jack Lin
List of guests
Season 1
Cui Xinqin (Episode 4)
Mike D. Angelo (Episode 5)
Hongyok Chansakorn (Episode 5)
Boat Sirirod (Episode 5)
Season 2
Zhang Tielin (Episode 4 – 5)
Bao Bei'er (Episode 8 – 9)
Yang Zishan (Episode 8 – 9)
Huang Xiaoming (Episode 9 – 10)
Season 3
Neil Gao (Episode 3 – 5)
Shen Mengchen (Episode 6 – 7)
Du Haitao (Episode 6 – 7)
Dylan Wang (Episode 9 – 11)
Alec Su (Episode 11 – 13)
Season 4
Nemo Feng (Episode 4 – 6, 9 – 12)
Casper Chu (Episode 4 – 6, 9 – 12)
Liu Yuning (Episode 6 – 12)
Yang Chaoyue (Episode 8 – 12)
Du Haitao (Episode 9 – 12)
Karry Wang (Episode 9 – 12)
Li Zifeng (Episode 9 – 12)
Cai Cheng (Episode 9 – 12)
Joy Wang (Episode 9 – 12)
Season 6
Will Liu (Episode 4 – 6)
Vivi Wang (Episode 4 – 6)
Huang Xiaolei (Episode 6 – 7)
Hu Lianxin (Episode 6 – 7)
Wu Xingjian (Episode 6 – 7)
Na Ying (Episode 9 – 10)
Cai Guoqing (Episode 11)
Wowkie Zhang (Episode 11)
Season 7
Lai Yumeng (Episode 6)
Ge Jiabi (Episode 7 – 8)
Alyssa Chia (Episode 8 – 9)
Season 8
Deng Yaping (Episode 2 – 3)
Su Bingtian (Episode 2 – 4)
Fang Jinlong (Episode 6 – 8)
Julien Gaudfroy (Episode 7 – 8)
Peng Jingxuan (Episode 8 – 9)
Yan Xi (Episode 8 – 9)
Huang Yi (Episode 9 – 11)
Lu Chen (Episode 9 – 11)
Joyce Jonathan (Episode 12)
Season 9
Yue Yunpeng (Episode 3 – 5)
Dina Ottmani (Episode 6 – 9)
Cai Guoqing (Episode 10 – 12)
Zhang Baiqiao (Episode 10 – 12)
Season 10
Joie Qu (Episode 1, 3 – 4)
Deon Dai (Episode 3 – 4)
Yuan Yiqi (Episode 3 – 6)
Patrick Finkler (Episode 6 – 8)
Liang Feng (Episode 7)
Hai Qing (Episode 8 – 9)
Cecilia Yip (Episode 11)
Theme Song
"Chinese Restaurant" (Season 1 – 3)
Composer: Tu Yi
Lyricist:
Meng Xiao (Season 1 & 2)
Meng Xiao and Ye Feng (Season 3)
Performer:
Vicky Zhao and Huang Xiaoming (Season 1)
Zhou Dongyu (Special Edition of Season 1)
Vicky Zhao and Alec Su (Season 2)
Huang Xiaoming, Qin Hailu, Yang Zi and Karry Wang (Season 3)
"Chinese Flavor" (Season 4)
Composer: Casper Chu, Gen Neo
Lyricist: Casper Chu, Zhang Jinghao
Performer:
Huang Xiaoming, Zanilia Zhao, Sean Zhang, Jack Lin, Ariel Li, Liu Yuning and Casper Chu
Liu Yuning and Casper Chu
Casper Chu
"The Flavor of China" (Season 5)
Composer: Mo Yanlin
Lyricist: Xia Nuo
Performer: Huang Xiaoming and Ning Jing
Reception
Influences
After premiering of the first season on 22 July 2017, the canned bacon labeled "SPAM" was sold out in Chinese online shopping in several hours, which Vicky Zhao bought in a Thailand supermarket and cooking in the show. After premiering of the second season on 20 July 2018, the white stork toy was sold out in Chinese online shopping in several days, which repeated Vicky Zhao's words in the show.
Controversy
Chinese Restaurant has been accused of plagiarism in regards to its format being very similar to South Korean reality show tvN's Youn's Kitchen. Both shows are food-themed and work with the concept of overseas restaurants. Na Young-seok, producer of Youn's Kitchen responded to the claim, stating that "The [Youn's Kitchen] format is not expensive to purchase. If they purchase the format, I can help them on specific details as well."