At a new restaurant you can not only enjoy the dishes on offer, but can also smash them, in a new service to help customers let out their pent-up feelings or release pressure.

Outlines of a man and a woman are painted on the walls of three "abreaction rooms" in the restaurant. "Imagining those people for whom you hate, customers blow off anger by throwing dishes against them," a staff member told the Beijing Evening News.

"A plate costs 10 yuan, while porcelain utensils vary from 30 to 200 yuan," the staff member continued, standing amidst pieces of broken porcelain all over the place. The minimum charge for the special therapy is said to be 50 yuan, about 6.6 USD.

Ever since the service was offered half a month ago, nearly 300 dishes have sacrificed themselves for the customers' mental health.

"Such behaviour is a great waste of resources," criticized Mr. Wang, "breaking plates isn't a necessarily way to ease one's temper."

Psychology expert Zong Chunshan agrees with the opinion. He says people do need measures to deal with pressure, but smashing dishes is not supposed to be one of them. What's more, the impulse for violence triggered by such behaviour may affect their daily life.

"I don't feel safe to eat in a restaurant when people around me are full of anger," Miss Lv gravely commented.

A male customer stands in one of the "abreaction rooms" in a restaurant in Beijing. The restaurant provides a new service to its customers, helping them release pressure by smashing dishes. 
 
(CRI.cn August 3, 2007)