Diners distraught as fish 'comes back to life' on restaurant plate

Diners ordered a steamed flatfish at a Chinese restaurant but the fish appeared to be still alive (left). It flicked and jumped out of the dish in a split second. Photo / YouKu

A group of diners were left in distraught seeing a cooked fish jumping out of a plate while having a meal at a Chinese restaurant.

Mobile phone footage captured a flatfish, seasoned with spring onions and soy sauce, leapt out of the plate suddenly.

Two men can be seen getting off the dining table as the fish appears to be breathing and flips over, the Daily Mail reported.

The video, believed to be filmed at a Chinese city, has been uploaded to Youku, a Chinese video sharing platform, on May 2.

The steamed flatfish was placed in a bowl with ginger slices and spring onions.

Diners ordered a steamed flatfish at a Chinese restaurant but the fish appeared to be still alive (left). It flicked and jumped out of the dish in a split second. Photo / YouKu

It flicked its tail and wiggled its body before leaping out of the dish onto the table.

As it flips over, cuts to its body can be seen.

Diners stopped eating and some backed away from the table as they observed the 'zombie' fish.

The situation could be explained by the fish being not completely cooked. Fish have cells that can still respond to stimuli after the brain and the heart stops functioning, reports IFL Science.