Chinese Restaurant Shut Down After 'Roast Duck' Turns Out To Be Street Pigeons

Warning: Some of the details in this article may be upsetting for some readers.

A Chinese restaurant has been shut down after investigators found that its so-called 'roast duck' was actually made from dead pigeons collected off the streets.

Plenty of adventurous foodies are willing to try just about anything, even dishes like Sweden's infamous surströmming that’s been known to make people gag.

Sometimes, just seeing how a dish is made can be enough to turn you off forever, and fans of duck pancakes might be next in line.

Regulars at a Chinese restaurant in Madrid are probably swearing off crispy duck for good after finding out what they were really eating.

A police investigation led to the restaurant’s closure and the owners facing serious charges.

The Jin Gu restaurant, located in the Usera district of Madrid, was raided by police last month, and what they uncovered was pretty horrifying.

The restaurant was reportedly selling the pigeons as roasted duck Policia Muncipal de Madrid

Footage from the raid showed bowls filled with plucked, cooked pigeons.

While wood pigeons can be a delicacy at fancy restaurants, nobody wants a street pigeon scooped up and served on a plate.

Even the hardcore raw meat and raw milk enthusiasts probably wouldn’t go near that. Well, maybe not.

Inside the restaurant Policia Muncipal de Madrid

Video clips also revealed strips of meat drying on clothes horses, which is about as unsanitary as it sounds.

Local reports said police found freezers full of unlabeled, undated meat and fish that weren't properly working.

They also found cockroaches, rat traps, and a kitchen setup that would make even the worst health inspector shudder.

Officers discovered several serious health code violations Policia Municipal de Madrid

Police noted that there were no thermometers to check food storage temperatures, which poses a major risk for bacteria growth.

The cookware being used was also heavily rusted, adding to the laundry list of violations.

Authorities also found sea cucumbers, which are banned by strict marine protection laws.

Investigators are now looking into charging the owners with public health crimes, animal cruelty, and violations of consumer rights.

Street pigeons are known to carry a variety of diseases. While cooking usually kills off most bacteria, given the condition of the kitchen, it’s not exactly reassuring.

The illegal sea cucumbers Policia Muncipal de Madrid

Interestingly, Jin Gu still holds a 4.2-star rating on Google, with many positive comments.

"The duck I think is a little dry and lots of bones, not that tasty," one review from five years ago reads.