Guangdong Province has created the first batch of professional "food guides." In a restaurant in Zhuhai, more than twenty of the first batch of "menu chefs" from the province demonstrated their skills in ordering dishes this Monday.

These "menu chefs" were trained by the labor department and received the first level qualification of "ordering dishes".

Relevant parties said, "Guangdong never has any specialized "menu chefs." Faced with an array of alluring dishes on a menu, many diners are confused as to what to order. Currently, specialized "menu chefs" are created to serve this need, enabling Guangdong residents to enjoy finer food and drinks."

"Menu chef" trainer Mr. Feng said that it would not be easy to become a qualified "Menu chef". To be a high-caliber one requires memorizing hundreds of dishes in one's brain so that they can be "ordered" at any time.

Mr. Wang Zhiyuan, deputy director of Zhuhai Comprehensive Vocational Training Center, said that "menu chef" is a new profession and was created de novo in Guangdong for the first time. Guangdong residents have always liked fine food, therefore there is need for more "menu chefs" to serve the people. According to the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Zhuhai's catering industry now encompasses 5,000 units with retail value of more than 2.9 billion yuan (US$350 million). "Professional menu chefs" have come of age in Guangdong.

(Chinanews.cn July 7, 2005)