From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Originally, Feng Zhengming planned to arrange everything and then head directly from Beijing to Shanghai.

To his surprise, both Beijing TV and CCTV wanted to interview him.

This caused Feng Zhengming to miss some of his trip.

First, he was interviewed by Beijing TV.

The person who interviewed Feng Zhengming was also a well-known outdoor female host on Beijing TV.

He hosts a well-known outdoor program in Beijing.

He usually shows concern for people's livelihood issues in Beijing while walking around the streets.

The reason for interviewing Feng Zhengming is twofold: firstly, Feng Zhengming's visit to Beijing was quite high-profile, given his status as the national culinary champion.

He wasn't the first one, but he's definitely the most famous one.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant in Shanghai has indeed made a great name for itself.

After being reported by Shanghai TV, its fame spread overseas through many people abroad.

Shanghai is a metropolis that has always been open to overseas markets.

Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant is naturally regarded overseas as the epitome of high-end Chinese cuisine.

All of this combined has made Feng Zhengming's fame quite overwhelming.

Secondly, before Feng Zhengming's trip to Beijing, he had just hosted two very important state banquets in the city.

Whether it's the National Day banquet or the welcome dinner for Olympic athletes, they have all become popular topics of conversation.

After some of Feng Zhengming's customized menus circulated online, some athletes even expressed their praise for Feng Zhengming's culinary skills in interviews.

This undoubtedly adds to Feng Zhengming's identity and makes everyone more curious about his opening a store in Beijing.

The female host from Beijing TV contacted Feng Zhengming in advance with great politeness.

Then Feng Zhengming arranged the interview in the kitchen of one of his branch stores.

Upon entering the kitchen, the female host's first question was straightforward.

"Chef Feng, I don't know why you chose to hold the interview here?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Because I want everyone to see my shop and my kitchen."

Female host: "It seems that Chef Feng has a lot of confidence in your kitchen?"

Feng Zhengming: "I wouldn't call it confidence, but rather an expectation for my kitchen."

"Expectations? What are you expecting?"

Feng Zhengming: "I hope this place can become a place that everyone in Beijing will remember."

"To be remembered by everyone?"

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, from now on, when people think of delicious food, they will think of my place first."

The female host of Beijing TV had to admit that Feng Zhengming was a very special person she had ever interviewed, and also a person with a very distinct personality.

"Alright, Chef Feng, would you like to give us a tour of your kitchen first?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and gave a detailed introduction to the kitchen, even pointing out the uses of some items.

The people who came to interview Beijing TV were somewhat surprised after hearing Feng Zhengming's introduction.

It felt like I had been given a lecture.

The female host steered the conversation back to the original purpose of her interview.

"Chef Feng, you were the champion of the 3rd National Culinary Competition, but in many people's eyes, your championship is the most prestigious in the four National Culinary Competitions so far. Do you think so yourself?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "The first session was definitely the most prestigious. The first session, including my master, brought together the top culinary masters from all over the country. Compared to them, I am just a junior apprentice who has just climbed halfway up the mountain."

Hearing Feng Zhengming say this, the interviewers were taken aback once again.

Feng Zhengming continued speaking.

“I was the youngest apprentice under my master, and I had several very capable senior brothers. I still remember that when I first entered the kitchen, I really didn’t know anything. I could only follow behind my senior brothers and listen to their instructions, teaching me what I should do in the kitchen.”

After a brief pause, Feng Zhengming seemed to be lost in his memories.

"That period was truly unforgettable for me. My senior brothers taught me a lot and encouraged me to keep improving. In the end, I gained my master's approval through my own efforts and successfully became his disciple."

Feng Zhengming's words really moved the female host, and everyone felt they were very inspiring.

The female host then asked, "Chef Feng, you are too modest. We all know that your restaurant in Shanghai is hailed as the top Chinese restaurant in the city."

Feng Zhengming: "That's just an empty title given by others. I think the best Chinese restaurant is the kitchen in everyone's home."

"Everyone's kitchen?" The female host was somewhat surprised by this answer.

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, in fact, everyone's initial taste experience often comes from home, so if we're talking about the world's truly top-notch Chinese restaurant, it's definitely one's own home kitchen."

Neither my mother nor my father may have prepared any delicacies.

But they must have put a lot of effort into it, preparing every meal for their child and doing everything they could to ensure the child ate well.

It must be said that Feng Zhengming's answer once again surprised everyone.

But if you think about it carefully, no one would think he's wrong.

The female host couldn't help but recall the taste of some of the dishes her parents used to cook.

A longing for home was stirred up by Feng Zhengming's words.

As a result, the female host and the people who came to interview her naturally developed a better impression of Feng Zhengming.

The interview that followed was very pleasant for both parties.

"So, Chef Feng, what are your goals in opening two branches in Beijing this time? I heard you're planning to serve Peking duck at the branches. Is this a challenge to some restaurants in Beijing?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "I really don't have that. As a junior apprentice, how could I be qualified to challenge several roast duck restaurants in Beijing?"

However, no matter where my branches are located, I always incorporate some local specialties into my menu.

Since we're in Beijing, we definitely have to try some of the city's most famous roast duck. In addition to roast duck, I've also arranged for our best pastry chef from Zhengluxing to come and make some noodles at our two shops in Beijing.

For example, the famous Beijing-style noodles with minced meat sauce and noodles with gravy are also available at both of my branches.

Hearing Feng Zhengming say this, the people at Beijing TV station were actually quite looking forward to it.

"Chef Feng, do you think these two new branches will be able to establish a firm foothold in Beijing?"

Feng Zhengming: "It should be possible. Actually, I think some of my peers in Beijing are unnecessary to be wary of me. The customers of my two branches in Beijing may not conflict with theirs."

My target customers are mainly people who work in Beijing, and I provide them with a place to eat.

Just like those foreign fast-food chains that open in China, my Feng Family Rice Shop branch is also a type of Chinese fast-food chain.

Hearing this, the female host couldn't help but ask curiously, "But I've heard that Chef Feng, your restaurants in various places all have very skilled chefs in the kitchen. That seems to be different from fast food restaurants, right?"

Feng Zhengming: "There is no difference. All my branches serve quick stir-fries, which are all about speed."

"So how can you guarantee that the chefs in the kitchen of every store are all highly skilled?"

Feng Zhengming: "I think as long as everyone puts their heart into cooking, they should be able to cook very well. In the kitchens of my various restaurants, I don't do what some restaurants do, where all the work is piled on one chef. I arrange various tasks properly."

With a clear division of labor, everyone in the kitchen cooperates effectively, so it doesn't feel like an extremely arduous task.

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, the interviewers couldn't help but feel that it made a lot of sense.

In many small restaurants, the chef is often the only one working in the kitchen.

If there aren't many customers, the chef might not feel anything.

However, if there are too many customers, the chef will definitely get annoyed if he is too busy.

If a chef becomes bored, he/she will be unable to guarantee quality control in his/her cooking.

Feng Zhengming broke down the work in the kitchen, assigning each step of a dish, from preparation to cooking, to different kitchen staff to do, thus increasing kitchen efficiency.

At the same time, it will not make any particular chef in the kitchen feel particularly overworked.

In fact, someone once said that Feng Zhengming turned the kitchen into an assembly line.

Feng Zhengming did not deny it, because in his view, the kitchen was originally an assembly line.

He simply broke down the steps into smaller steps, reducing the pressure on everyone in the kitchen.

Feng Zhengming explained these things in front of the camera.

The female host was a little confused.

"So, Chef Feng, you really think of the kitchen as a cooking assembly line?"

Feng Zhengming: "I don't like the term 'assembly line.' I prefer to think of the kitchen as a stage, and I and everyone in the kitchen are actors on this stage."

There are no main characters on this stage; we are all supporting actors, working together to create the best dishes for every customer in the restaurant.

Each and every dish we prepare with our heart is the true star of this stage.

Feng Zhengming's statement was quite unbelievable to the interviewer.

His metaphor sounded quite romantic to everyone.

Behind this romance lies the elevation of every kitchen staff member.

Everyone in the kitchen is no longer a cook; in Feng Zhengming's words, they are artists on stage.

After the interview with Beijing TV ended, Feng Zhengming was invited to participate in a program on CCTV.

The program was a talk show, and we also discussed the matter of opening a store in Beijing with Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming remained calm and answered questions fluently and with ease.

Of course, Feng Zhengming wouldn't be as autonomous in the CCTV program as he would be in an interview with Beijing TV.

However, the results were still quite good.

Although the interview with Beijing TV came first, CCTV's talk show aired first.

Feng Zhengming's appearance on CCTV's program was naturally another opportunity to promote his Beijing branch.

Many people felt that Feng Zhengming's performance on the show was somewhat like that of a friendly boy next door.

It was as if all his identities had been stripped away.

He is no longer the national culinary champion, nor the owner of Zhengluxing, nor the head chef of Shanghai's top restaurant.

He was simply a young chef, an apprentice of a master chef of Shandong cuisine.

This image greatly enhanced Feng Zhengming's approachability.

Many people who watched the show felt that Feng Zhengming was a very interesting person.

After the CCTV program aired, Beijing TV also broadcast an interview program.

This also made many people feel Feng Zhengming's love for cooking and the profession of chef.

He chatted casually in the kitchen, which only enhanced his approachable image in the eyes of outsiders.

Most importantly, through the interviews, everyone learned about Feng Zhengming's views on kitchen chefs and his efforts to raise the social status of chefs.

In particular, Feng Zhengming said to the camera that he felt the world's best Chinese restaurant was his own kitchen.

This remark certainly earned Feng Zhengming a great deal of goodwill.

Most people would agree with Feng Zhengming's statement.

Everyone feels that the dishes cooked by their parents at home are unforgettable.

It's not that the food our parents cook is particularly delicious, but as Feng Zhengming said, it's the beginning of everyone's taste buds.

The two television interviews were a great publicity boost for Feng Zhengming's Beijing branch.

Of course, because he appeared on the CCTV program, it was natural that the business of the other branches also improved.

For a time, many people went to Feng Zhengming's restaurant to eat after watching the show.

Feng Zhengming's appearance on the show really brought great goodwill to everyone.

But when you eat at the restaurant, you'll find that the food at Feng Zhengming's restaurant is indeed very good.

At least in his branches across the country, the food is absolutely tailored to the local tastes, and almost all the dishes in each store are made to order, without the situation of preparing a lot in advance and keeping it heated up.

Some people even go out of their way to eat at Feng Zhengming's four restaurants in Shanghai and his branches in various parts of Shandong.

Want to try each of Feng Zhengming's restaurants one by one and see how different they are?

You need to rank all of Feng Zhengming's branches yourself.

Of course, once the Beijing branch opens, I'll definitely go there to try it out.

Despite the high level of public interest, Feng Zhengming did not linger in Beijing. He flew directly back to Shanghai.

The old-style restaurant in Shanghai has been closed for too long, and it is indeed time for it to reopen.

His wife and Xia Hui had already returned to Shanghai ahead of time and were making some preparations.

Upon returning to Shanghai, Feng Zhengming immediately announced to the city that his old-style restaurant had reopened.

Naturally, on the first night after reopening, the phone lines were almost overwhelmed with reservation calls.

Then there were also quite a few foreign faces who came to the restaurant specifically to make reservations.

Finally, Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant reopened, and almost all the seats were booked overnight during the first month.

Feng Zhengming was somewhat helpless about this, but he could only announce that dinner reservations would be suspended for a month.

This incident once again became news, and was widely reported by many media outlets.

Many overseas media outlets have come specifically to interview Feng Zhengming.

Several well-known newspapers and magazines in Shanghai also reported extensively on how Feng Zhengming's restaurant was fully booked for a month as soon as it reopened.

However, Feng Zhengming refused all interviews, announcing that he needed quiet time to prepare for the guests.

Undoubtedly, this action further enhanced his reputation. (End of Chapter)