Dining out with family or friends is one of life’s simple joys, meant to be savored. It’s usually an opportunity to indulge in your favorite cuisine, whether it’s Italian, a hearty steak, or perhaps a flavorful Chinese meal.
If you’re a fan of Chinese food, you’ve probably heard playful rumors suggesting that some restaurants might use unusual animals instead of chicken. While we typically dismiss these as just jokes, what if there was some truth to these claims?
While most Chinese restaurants maintain high standards, one establishment in Madrid has recently been shut down. The reason? The so-called ‘roasted duck’ on their menu was actually made from street pigeons.
If you’re a fan of Chinese cuisine, you might want to avoid Jin Gu restaurant in Madrid. Regular customers who frequented the spot for their roasted duck will likely think twice before ever ordering it again.
The incident unfolded during a police investigation, leading to the restaurant’s closure and an ongoing probe into the owners. It all began with a raid last month, and footage from the operation showed bowls of plucked, cooked pigeons in the kitchen.
The police released footage showing not only the cooked pigeons but also some unappetizing meat hanging from clotheslines inside the restaurant. Media reports revealed that the meat, which was both undated and unlabeled, was stored in malfunctioning freezers.
As if that weren’t troubling enough, authorities also discovered the kitchen’s unsanitary conditions. Police reported the presence of cockroaches and rat traps near the food prep area. The knives and cookware were found to be rusted, and there were no thermometers to check the temperatures of the meat stored in the kitchen.
But that’s not all. During their investigation, police also uncovered sea cucumbers, which are illegal under marine law.
Following these revelations, the restaurant’s owners are now under investigation, facing potential charges for animal cruelty as well as violations related to consumer protection.
Interestingly, if you look up the restaurant on Google, it still holds a 4.2 rating. Many reviews have been left over the years, including one from five years ago that reads: “The duck I think is a little dry and lots of bones, not that tasty.”
Well, it seems that review might have been more accurate than anyone could have imagined.
