WORLD> Visit by Hu
|
WORLD> Visit by Hu
|
|
Restaurateur's high hopes for summit menu
By Chitralekha Basu (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-07 08:08 "When President Hu Jintao dines in Rome, I would recommend that he tastes the Montepulciano red wine and spinach fettucine in thick tomato sauce. But I would also remind him that he can get a taste of these and more right here in Beijing," said Emanuele Plata, who has been selling a slice of Italian food culture to Beijingers for the past year. The CEO of CRAI (Beijing) Commercial Ltd is the prime mover behind Piazza Italia -- billed as the biggest Italian food center outside Italy -- and keeps track of more than 2,000 imported food products on the shelves. His mission is to bring the taste of authentic and traditional Italian food to Chinese people who are interested, but not necessarily well informed. "We are not just a brand or company but also a platform for institutional campaign," said Plata, who wants Piazza Italia to host meetings, events and art shows capable of facilitatinga cultural exchanges between China and Italy. "While Premier Berlusconi had visited us last October, I would like Chinese government officials to visit us too," he said, with hopes of greater collaboration and understanding between the two cultures at the government level. Many people have already given in to the lure of the swank 3,600 sq m restaurant-cum-food store that covers three floors.
Red wine, cheese, confectionery, ham and pasta are the big sellers. Plata attributes the store's success, in part, to the lack of competition when it comes to bringing authentic Italy to Beijing. "Both the dry Martini and the cut glass in which it is served are 100 percent Italian," he says. But the biggest stumbling block to doing business in China has been the communication gap, he added. "In the absence of good translators, often it is difficult to convey to the Chinese what a certain product is really about." And then there is the embargo on certain exports into China. For instance, there are around 1,000 varieties of pork products in Italy - none of which can be imported. The same goes for fruits, except kiwi. This is precisely where the presidential delegation, visiting Italy between July 5 and 8, might play a role, he said. "Cooperation between China and Italy is very important at this juncture, in terms of consumer relations, technological exchange and forging trade ties. While the Italian economy has taken a beating, the Chinese yuan is very strong, largely because of internal demand. We need Chinese partners to penetrate into this tremendously huge market." Plata admits CRAI has struggled to become established in China compared to its forays into European countries. "One has to deal with constraints in terms of capital movement and bureaucratic tangles," he explained. But he is optimistic that the presidential visit might open up new vistas of collaboration. "I hope the two governments recognize that there's a way to go in terms of matching efforts and working together." |
