XI'AN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Months ago, Ketch Up, a Russian chain restaurant, opened its first Chinese branch in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, attracting Chinese customers by its exotic blend of cuisine, music and culture.
The restaurant, located in the Sino-Russia Silk Road Hi-Tech Innovation Park in the city, also helps ease the homesickness for Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians who work in the park.
"The food here is very tasty, the decorations are exquisite and the service is also quite professional," said Dima from Ukraine, a regular Ketch Up customer.
The restaurant has opened several overseas branches in cities including Dubai and London.
"The reason why we choose Xi'an to open our first branch in China is that we are attracted by the history and traditional culture here," said Aleksander Nevzorov, the branch's manager.
Nevzorov, 28, studied in Beijing from 2007 to 2011 as a college student. He returned to Russia after graduation and started his career in restaurant management.
Hearing about the recruitment of the manager of Ketch Up Chinese branch, Aleksander Nevzorov applied without hesitation.
"It's amazing to come back to China. There were no such things as payments via WeChat and shared bicycles when I left China, and the country has developed really fast," Nevzorov said.
Far from the downtown, the restaurant has not received many customers yet, but Nevzorov is confident to make a difference in six months to a year.
As China's society develops, more and more Chinese tend to leave the urban noise behind and enjoy delicious food during their leisure time, which will surely provide opportunities for Ketch Up, Nevzorov said.
"We are considering serving specialties of countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in Xi'an, and we believe the practice will be welcomed by Chinese and foreign customers alike," he said.
