This is a great story. I've never had quite that unique a Chinese experience (perhaps because I stay a little more on the beaten path), but I have no doubt that it would be common in some of the more obscure locales.

This summer, I was being driven around Shanxi province and it was time for dinner. There was a specific restaurant I wanted to go to, but the driver had absolutely no clue how to get there (I had address, phone number and map, but to no avail). So I asked him to recommend a place. Well, we wound up is some over-the-top-banquet-hall -- where I imagined middle class Chinese would hold "fancy" weddings. The staff was fascinated by our presence (we were obviously the first Westerners in quite some time -- perhaps ever).

Although they had menus, we weren't really allowed to choose our own dishes -- the staff brought what they thought Westerners "would like." Of course, they didn't have the faintest clue, and I'm really not sure what I ate that night. And I really don't think I want to know. Most of it was terrible to the Western palate, but a few things were tasty, or at least edible. I think the tab for our "banquet" for 4 was less than US$10.

I guess the lesson from this is that if you want to eat well in an obscure location in China, it's probably a good idea to know what you're getting into. If you want a "cultural experience," let a local make the choices for you!