Chinese restaurant shut down after pregnant woman finds rat in hotpot soup

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Turns out a family got more than what they ordered when they recently found a dead rat in their hotpot soup.

One man, surnamed Ma, said it was his pregnant wife who discovered the rodent in their meal, as reported by Kankan News via South China Morning Post last Sept. 10. They were apparently eating in a branch of the restaurant chain Xiabu Xiabu in Weifang, Shandong province last Sept. 6, and had only taken a few bites when Ma’s wife made the discovery.

Authorities have since suspended the restaurant following the incident, the report said. Meanwhile, Ma’s wife is set to undergo a hospital check-up, with Ma sharing that the restaurant staff offered them money for an abortion if they were concerned about the baby.

“If you are worried about the baby, then we’ll give you 20,000 yuan (nearly $3,000) to abort it,” Ma said in the report, recounting what the restaurant staff told him.

The restaurant also offered them compensation in the amount of 5,000 yuan (around $700), though Ma has shared that he is ready to negotiate the amount.

Xiabu Xiabu meanwhile released a statement last Sept. 8, saying they’ve always “placed great emphasis on food security.” They vowed that they would make the required changes to improve their service.

Xiabu Xiabu has been operating since 1998 and has over 759 branches all over China, most of which are located in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianji, among others. Cody Cepeda/JB

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