Summer Palace (a Chinese Restaurant) at China World Hotel on the East Third Ring Road is famous for its Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine. At 198 yuan, the four-course set meal of Beijing Roast duck, spicy diced chicken with peanuts, fried pork with matsutake mushrooms and stewed beancurd with minced pork in pepper sauce is only 30 percent off the menu.

"My company is near the China World Trade Center. Sometimes I go to the restaurant with my friends for dinner. Recently, I have been working from home and haven't had it for a long time." said Ms. Li who was surprised to find this affordable package and quickly ordered a single try. "It was still warm and tasted like eating in the restaurant."

Why do high-end restaurants start cheap take-out? Lin Xuemei, director of food and beverage department of China World Hotel tells reporters that many customers are at home so life is inevitably less fun. "Our takeaway packages are cost price and we hardly make any money. "But we're happy to be able to give our regular customers a taste of something familiar, and to allow more people to eat high-quality dishes."

At the end of November, Summer Palace took more than 20 orders within an hour on the first day of selling takeaway packages, and most of them were regular customers. In the afternoon, more inquiries poured in, and many of them from people who had not visited the Summer Palace. Without enough delivery staff, some customers drive up to pick it up.

Beijing CBD is not only a business center, but also the city's most concentrated high-end dining area. For example, a seafood restaurant in the JW Marriott Hotel, which has an average consumption of about 1,300 yuan on a review site, recently launched take-away packages of 298 yuan and 268 yuan respectively. The main course is Fotiaoqiang (Steamed Abalone with Shark's Fin and Fish Maw) or braised perigord truffle with fish maw, plus four snacks, two cold dishes and drinks.

"It is reasonable for high-end restaurants to adopt a low-cost strategy to give consumers some benefits." An industry insider told reporters that high-end restaurants not only have expensive food, but also meticulous service and elegant environment, which are difficult to do with takeout. "If you come to eat in the restaurant, you can overlook the bustling scenery of the CBD with great experience, so many restaurants by the window and the terrace is very difficult to book. When you eat at home, you don't have that experience at all."