Malaysia hotpot eatery manager becomes local celebrity after viral dance, leads to overseas tour

GEORGE TOWN: An employee who gained fame for her high-quality dancing at a Malaysian branch of the renowned Chinese Haidilao hotpot chain has embarked on a tour of the brand’s Singapore outlets this month.

The 21-year-old manager at a Haidilao near Penang in northern Malaysia has captivated customers with her professional-quality dance performances and has received invitations to perform internationally.

Known online as “Little Bai”, she frequently appears in posts on TikTok, Facebook, and Xiaohongshu, and has a knack for getting her colleagues to join in on dance routines to various popular songs.

With over 100,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, she draws customers to her outlet specifically to watch her dance. Many online comments suggest that she should “debut in South Korea”.

Her rising popularity led Haidilao to arrange a “dance tour” across 10 Singapore locations from September 23 to 27. Haidilao Singapore announced the tour on social media, offering free food to diners who attended her performances.

Many were surprised that a hobby could elevate a restaurant worker to such heights.

“Little Bai has really gone viral now,” commented one Malaysian customer online.

“She is a dancer who was held back by her restaurant job,” noted another observer.

Others highlighted that a managerial position like Little Bai’s could yield a salary of at least 10,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$2,400) a month.

Haidilao is well-known for its “noodle dances”, where employees showcase elaborate techniques while preparing fresh noodles in front of patrons.

The chain has nearly 1,400 stores across Greater China and over 100 locations internationally.

For many diners, the Haidilao experience is as much about entertainment as it is about food. The restaurants are famed for offering complimentary manicures and babysitting services during meals.

In a previous interview, Haidilao’s founder and owner, Zhang Yong, shared that the company encourages front-of-house staff to provide free dishes to customers and to showcase their talents to entertain diners and themselves.

Haidilao has previously organised dance tours for its employees. In November last year, several service staff members from various mainland China Haidilao stores gained online fame for performing the folk dance ke mu san for their guests.

Translated as “subject three”, this dance hails from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in southern China and features vibrant hip movements set to catchy music.

Video clips of the dances at Haidilao have garnered over 60 million likes and 5 billion views, according to the company. – South China Morning Post