From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Since someone else had made a reservation, Feng Zhengming certainly couldn't let them down.

He personally selected the ingredients and designed and updated the menu himself.

Feng Zhengming made some changes to the original restaurant menu.

After finalizing the new menu, Feng Zhengming also had people call back to follow up on the new menu items.

Introduce each menu item to the person making the reservation, and finally determine which menu item each table will choose.
During this process, some customers repeatedly asked about certain dishes on the menu.

Feng Zhengming also asked the service staff to explain patiently.

Another thing to do is to ask the service staff to confirm with the customer if they have any dietary restrictions.

Write everything down carefully to ensure that every dish on the menu suits your taste.

Feng Zhengming's actions were naturally reported by some media outlets that were keeping an eye on him.

This report caused quite a stir and sparked a lot of discussion.

Some people think that Feng Zhengming's approach is a bit too much of a pandering to customers.

"This is hardly the kind of thing a top-scoring student in the country should be doing."

"Yes, he's the national culinary champion, so he should be the one to cook whatever the guests eat."

"This approach is too much of a pandering to customers."

"It's like a menu designed specifically to please customers."

"It's really unnecessary, it's just a meal."

Some people felt that Feng Zhengming was being too ingratiating, while others supported his approach.

"I think Feng Zhuangyuan did a good job; it shows respect for the guests."

"Yes, just like what Feng Zhuangyuan said in TV programs and interviews, he respects every customer and will do every dish carefully. This is putting his words into practice."

"That's what you call keeping your word."

"Those who say it's unnecessary are clearly those who can't do it themselves, so they don't want others to do it."

"Feng Zhuangyuan's respect for cooking is precisely what makes a chef excellent."

Of course, there are also some people who are just deliberately watching the spectacle.

Or rather, some people simply look down on Feng Zhengming.

They still believed that Feng Zhengming was just a better cook.

Therefore, various discussions emerged one after another, and with the rise of the Internet, online discussions became even more diverse.

But the more this is discussed, the more it raises Feng Zhengming's profile.

At this point, many people may not even realize it.

Because of the discussions, Feng Zhengming became more well-known, and all his stores did better business.

In fact, Feng Zhengming's actions can be seen as creating some topics of discussion.

After confirming the menu of the guests who made the reservation, Feng Zhengming made preparations according to the menu.

The discussions from the outside world are not important to Feng Zhengming and his team.

Feng Zhengming and the kitchen staff only knew that this method of pre-ordering menus would make it easier for them to prepare in advance.

For some important ingredients, you can contact the supplier in advance to prepare them.

Therefore, the reason why Feng Zhengming asked guests to choose the menu in advance and repeatedly confirmed the menu with them was actually to reduce the burden on himself and the kitchen staff.

Because the menu was confirmed in advance, they only needed to prepare the ingredients according to the menu.

Therefore, there is no need to prepare a lot of things or make preparations on the spot according to the customer's order.

Feng Zhengming also taught the kitchen staff a strategy for guiding customers in taking orders.

That is to give guests some fixed choices.

While it may seem like Feng Zhengming is letting the guests make their own choices, he is actually guiding them to choose the options he wants them to make.

The key is that customers won't feel any aversion after doing this.

Customers will feel respected by Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming and the kitchen staff also entered a more relaxed state.

Because the guests are fixed every night, the menu is also fixed.

Then there's no need to make too many preparations in advance.

Of course, although not much preparation is needed, Feng Zhengming is still very strict about the cooking process.

No flaws will be tolerated.

Feng Zhengming meticulously designs every dish, from every detail of cooking to the final plating, and even the serving of the dishes.

For example, Feng Zhengming's imitation bear paw allows customers to see a complete bear paw shape.

This often satisfies the curiosity of many guests.

When guests see a dish that looks almost exactly like the legendary bear paw, they are immediately drawn to its uniqueness.

And when you taste it later, you will be amazed by its unique flavor.

Feng Zhengming's imitation bear paw is made by hollowing out a winter melon.

The winter melon was specially selected by Feng Zhengming; it is a variety of winter melon that is soft enough to be almost completely tender without any fibrous parts.

The hollowed-out winter melon needs to be simmered to absorb the flavor before the prepared filling is stuffed into it.

In terms of filling, Feng Zhengming abandoned the traditional method of simply using minced meat as filling.

He uses a layer of mushroom mixture, a layer of meat, a layer of processed mashed potatoes, and finally a layer of vegetables.

Feng Zhengming also added stewed and tender tendons to the dish, in order to give it a texture similar to bear's paw.

This modified bear paw dish amazed all the guests.

Before tasting this dish, no guest would have imagined that someone could make imitation bear paw so delicious.

In terms of plating, Feng Zhengming completely imitated the famous dish, Hundred Flowers Bear Paw.

So visually, it gives guests the impression that it looks like a real bear paw.

But you'll know from the first bite that this isn't bear paw.

This is completely different from many imitation bear paws that try their best to imitate the taste and texture of bear paws.

Feng Zhengming doesn't pursue those things; he just wants his customers to know from the first bite that it's not bear's paw.

But after taking a bite, you'll be completely captivated by the unique flavor of the imitation bear paw.

This unique design truly earned the praise of all the guests.

After tasting it, photos of Feng Zhengming's imitation bear paw dish quickly circulated online.

Many people almost thought that Feng Zhengming had broken the law when they first saw the photo.
The way Feng Zhengming made it really resembled a bear's paw.

But everyone who has tried it says that they know it's not bear paw from the first bite, but it tastes really good.

This has made many people even more curious.

Some people even wanted to go to Feng Zhengming's restaurant at noon and order this imitation bear paw dish to try.

But we were told that the restaurant doesn't serve this dish at lunchtime.

Moreover, you have to make a reservation in advance to eat this dish.

The fact that you have to make a reservation to eat a dish has really opened the eyes of many people.

This completely reversed the previous opinion that Feng Zhengming was trying too hard to please customers. "Haha, you all said that Feng Zhengming was trying too hard to please customers, but now look what's happened, customers are being turned away when they come to order food."

"You said that Scholar Feng had no backbone, but now that he has backbone, you're not happy about it."

"The key issue is that many people want to eat imitation bear paws, but they can't, and they're very anxious about it."

"This is the real top-notch chef, making a dish you crave but can't have."

Many people who have seen the various reports about Feng Zhengming and the discussions he has sparked are increasingly admiring of him.

It's truly unexpected that a chef could generate so much discussion.

But the more this happened, the more curious everyone became about Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming was aware that many people were curious about him, so he would take some time each day to go out with his wife and daughter.

This means that many people in Shanghai often run into him by chance on the street.

Every time someone encounters him, recognizes him, and takes the initiative to greet him.

Feng Zhengming would always respond with a smile, and if someone pulled him aside to ask him some cooking questions, he would patiently explain them to them.

Sometimes, this leads to a situation where, as you talk, more and more people gather around you.

A group of people listened to Feng Zhengming talk about cooking on the street and in some small parks, as if they were in class.

When encountering people on the street, Feng Zhengming rarely uses kitchen jargon. Instead, he uses very everyday language to explain and teach people how to make dishes that look high-end in a homely way.

"You mean braised sea cucumber with scallions? Actually, that dish is very simple. I'll tell you a super easy way to make it. When you get home, buy some scallions, fry only the white part of the scallion oil, then steam the scallions and oil together, and put the sea cucumber you bought in with it and steam it together."

After you come out, make some chicken soup, add your scallion oil, scallions, and sea cucumber and cook them together.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste, and cook until the broth thickens. This will guarantee the sea cucumber tastes great.

Perhaps no one would have imagined that Feng Zhengming would be chatting with housewives, older women, and grandmothers on the street about how to make braised sea cucumber with scallions at home.

However, his explanations were quite interesting to many people.

For example, he would also teach people that if they couldn't cut meat into strips properly, they could buy the meat and freeze it first.

For example, if you want to cook various meats to be tender, you can skip the blanching process.

"After you get home, rinse it and soak it in clean water for 2 hours. Then rinse it again. Actually, you don't need to blanch it and there won't be any blood foam."

Feng Zhengming's behavior of explaining cooking to people he met by chance on the street is a prime example of this.

This naturally won him more fans, and many people felt that he was a very approachable chef.

Then these people would go to the old-style restaurant for a meal, and Feng Zhengming would give them a discount.

It really is just a matter of showing your face; once you get in, Feng Zhengming gives you a discount.

This has led many people to have ulterior motives, hoping to find an opportunity to bump into Feng Zhengming on the street.

As a result, some people with ulterior motives discovered that after their chance encounter with Feng Zhengming, they could not successfully get a discount at the old-style restaurant by using their faces.

Those who can get a direct discount from Feng Zhengming are usually people who have talked to Feng Zhengming a lot.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming determined that he was someone who genuinely enjoyed cooking.

Some people even prepare questions in advance and deliberately create opportunities to ask them after a chance encounter.

As a result, Feng Zhengming saw through the scheme and even pointed out how the other party found the problem.

Of course, Feng Zhengming runs a restaurant in Shanghai, serving many customers every noon and evening.

He still manages to find time to go shopping with his wife and daughter.

The main reason is that we booked dinner seats a month in advance.

Since dinners were pre-booked, the preparation work was much easier.

And since dinner is by reservation, the restaurant can rest after finishing with the reserved customers.

As a result, the old villa restaurant closes for business almost every night around 9 p.m.

When he has free time, Feng Zhengming spends it playing with his wife and daughter.

It means driving to each of my own branches to take a look.

To ensure the stability of each store's operations.

We will also observe some of the new staff members who have joined the stores this year.

After the Chinese New Year, many new employees joined Feng Zhengming's branch.

They are all young apprentices who have passed through layers of internal assessments to get the opportunity to work at the Shanghai branch.

The opportunity to come to the Shanghai branch is very attractive to many apprentices.

However, when they arrived at the Shanghai branch, reality often dealt them a blow.

Because the Shanghai branch is doing so well, it will be even busier.

At first, some of the apprentices who came to the branch were a little unaccustomed to it.

Of course, their discomfort actually stems from coming to a big city and wanting to experience its unique prosperity, which often leads to them being distracted and inattentive at work.

In response to this situation, Feng Zhengming specially set aside time to take them on a tour of Shanghai.

After the trip, I will earnestly advise them on some realities.

"Shanghai is a bustling metropolis with dazzling extravagance, but all of that is based on the premise that you can afford to spend that money."

I won't interfere with your spending of your wages in Shanghai, but I still want to warn you: don't let your extravagant lifestyle and your vanity sway you.

After issuing the warning, Feng Zhengming would also instruct the kitchens of each branch to strengthen their management.

No one is allowed to be late or leave early without prior notice, and anyone requesting leave must report it in advance.

In terms of personnel management, Feng Zhengming has always been quite strict.

The initial curiosity and excitement upon arriving in Shanghai will gradually be worn down by the realities of life.

Those selected to work at the Shanghai branch tend to be more stable in their mindset.

They knew they came to the Shanghai branch for two reasons: to earn more money and to learn better skills.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to become a chef who can gain more recognition.

Some people also dream of becoming the head chef at Feng Zhengming's branch.

They even dream of one day working in the kitchen of an old-style restaurant.

While arranging new apprentices, Feng Zhengming also arranged for some new young chefs to work at the Shanghai branch.

This is also what Feng Zhengming is making preparations for.

He knew very well that reopening Yanxilou in Beijing would require more manpower, so he had considered transferring all the capable chefs from the Shanghai branch to Beijing to reopen Yanxilou.

Then, the Shanghai branch will also need a new head chef.

Therefore, Feng Zhengming selected outstanding young chefs from the Qilu branch through an internal competition and sent them to the kitchens of various branches in Shanghai.

They were gradually taught how to operate these stores in Shanghai, preparing them for taking over the kitchen duties at the Shanghai branches later.

Before he knew it, Feng Zhengming had been back in Shanghai for a month after the Chinese New Year.

The two branches in Beijing have also been renovated, and the next step is to open them.

Feng Zhengming naturally made special arrangements. This time, he transferred Sun Hai, Zhu Xu, and five young chefs from Shanghai, along with Xia Hui, to be in charge of the kitchen of the old villa restaurant.

The reason Sun Hai and Zhu Xu were transferred to the restaurant's kitchen was to have them help Xia Hui keep things under control.

It wouldn't be so bad that the five young chefs in Shanghai wouldn't listen to Xia Hui's management.

This can be seen as Feng Zhengming elevating Xia Hui, Sun Hai, and Zhu Xu's status, allowing them to gain more exposure to complex kitchen management work ahead of time. (End of Chapter)