“Point your meal urn.” It’s quite a straightforward sentence that quite frankly makes absolutely no sense in English, especially when you take in to consideration that it’s the name of a restaurant!
I have to wonder what the intention here is. I mean…urn? Ye olde dictiornary says that “urn” is a noun and is “a vessel that is typically an ornamental vase on a pedestal and that is used for various purposes (as preserving the ashes of the dead after cremation)” or ” a closed vessel usually with a spigot for serving a hot beverage <a coffee urn>.”
Neither of these definitions particularly fit the name of a restaurant, so let’s assume perhaps that the restaurateur actually intended to say “plate.” “Point your meal plate here.” Sounds like the name of a classy buffet, right?
Such a bizarre title comes from the touristy little town of Shangri-La, formerly known as Zhongdian (it was renamed to attract more tourists), located in China’s Yunnan Province, quite close to the Tibetan border (hence the text in English, Tibetan and Chinese). I spent a full week in Shangri-la, though not on purpose, as I was sick the entire time I was there, which culminated in a trip to the Chinese Emergency Room!
The good news is that I had plenty of opportunities to wander the streets of the “old town” admiring all the wonderful signage available. Sadly, I never did sample the “meal urn” restaurant, as, quite frankly, I had visions going through my mind about the most common definition of “urn.” Ashes of deceased people and animals? No thank you!
