This is the moment a customer at a noodle restaurant in north-eastern China is saved by the owner after suddenly choking on his lunch.

CCTV footage shows the chef-owner, named only as Mr Hou in local media in Dalian, Liaoning Province, sitting at a table and taking a break on 11th December.

All of a sudden, a customer sitting two tables behind him with a plate of noodles begins gagging violently and choking.

Mr Hou jumps out of his seat as the unnamed man falls to the ground and begins to pass out.

But the quick-thinking owner wastes no time before picking up the man and starting to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre to save his life.

And with only a few swift abdominal thrusts, the customer spits out the food and is able to breathe again.

The Heimlich manoeuvre involves holding the choking person from behind and sharply compressing the bottom of the chest to force air out of the lungs and dislodge the obstacle.

Mr Hou, who said he had learned the life-saving method online, later shared footage on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Netizens applauded Mr Hou’s great customer service and his fast acting.

User ‘Xiao Xiao Zhen’ jokingly wrote: “The requirements for chefs are getting higher and higher, not only to be able to cook, but also to be able to give first aid at critical moments.”