A feast for the eyes: Will visually creative food be a new trend?

Ming Kitchen owner Wu Mingxuan also mentioned that since they are unable to compete with the reputations of big brands, they have to win customers with visually stimulating food.

However, some consumers are no longer satisfied simply by the bizarre appearance of the food itself, they want more of an experience. Therefore, some popular stores are marketing their products as "packages," with intriguing interior designs and themes that take customers on a journey into an unknown world.

Blank Lab, located on Sanlitun's China Red Street, is a typical example. The moment you step inside this inconspicuous store, you will feel as if you've just been transported into a futuristic laboratory by a time machine. The fluorescent lighting throughout the entire shop keeps changing colors, leading you into a mysterious experimental zone that appears to be straight out of the latest sci-fi thriller. Blank Lab became an instant destination for youngsters to have their pictures taken and posted on various social media platforms like Instagram or WeChat

To match with the lab theme, all cocktails on the menu are named after experimental subject numbers and use laboratory flasks as containers. The bubbling pink drink in the flask with a billowing cloud of smoke is one of the most popular cocktails – "Experimental Subject No.3." It contains vodka, yogurt and watermelon juice, and is popular among the female clientele.