From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming's two stores in Beijing offer significantly different main products.

The shop that Fifth Brother was in charge of mainly promoted the four dishes from Lao Gan Rice Shop: braised pork belly, braised pork hock, four-happiness meatballs, and pig's trotters.

Meanwhile, Fifth Brother's shop focuses more on stir-fries, including various familiar stir-fries from old Beijing, as well as Peking duck, which is famous worldwide.

In the shop managed by Lü Chongshan, there are also the four dishes of Lao Gan Fanpu.

But the main product they promoted became various kinds of noodles.

This includes the most famous Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste) in old Beijing, cold sesame noodles, and braised noodles, which are the favorite of Beijing gourmets.

Of course, both stores actually carry most of the items.

However, there are some differences.

For example, in the noodles at Fifth Brother's shop, there are only two types: fried sauce noodles and cold mahjong noodles.

The noodles are all hand-pulled noodles made and rolled on the spot by apprentices trained by Lü Chongshan.

However, the branch where Fifth Brother is in charge does not serve braised noodles.

Similarly, Lu Chongshan's restaurant is slightly weaker in stir-fry dishes.

Moreover, Lu Chongshan's shop does not serve roast duck.

It's not that Feng Zhengming is biased; the main reason is that Sun Hongcheng is currently the only roast duck chef.

The two branches officially opened for business at almost the same time at 10:30 a.m.

Many people who had received advance notice flocked to the two stores.

Fifth Brother's shop is in a very good location, right on a very bustling and representative old street in the capital.

That old street isn't just frequented by tourists visiting Beijing; many locals also go there regularly.

So, not long after Fifth Brother opened for business, a queue had already formed outside the shop.

The shop that Lü Chongshan was in charge of was also located in a bustling street.

However, there may not be too many tourists from other parts of the country coming to Beijing here.

Most of them are native locals, and some are people from other places who work nearby.

Therefore, Lü Chongshan's noodles naturally have a huge advantage.

From the moment the store opened in the morning, the first group of customers who came in ordered braised pork and similar dishes, while the customers who came in afterward almost all ordered various kinds of noodles.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming made some timely adjustments, allowing customers to add braised pork and four-happiness meatballs when noodles are ordered.

You can also order braised pork knuckle or pig's trotters separately.

Then, during the entire lunch break, almost all the customers who came into the store ordered noodles.

A bowl of noodles, paired with a slice of braised pork.

The total price is no more than 20.

It can be said that it is truly a high-quality product at a low price in Beijing.

Business was really good throughout the lunch break.

However, despite the good business opportunity, Lü Chongshan did not appear particularly happy.

Seeing his expression, Feng Zhengming immediately guessed what he was thinking.

"Haha, does Lao Lü think that you've been making noodles all morning and no one has ordered stir-fries, so you haven't had a chance to show off your skills?"

Lu Chongshan looked at Feng Zhengming, whose face was full of smiles.

"Chef, I... I'm actually a very good cook too."

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhengming couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, I know, I know you're a great cook, Lao Lü."

Lu Chongshan looked helpless; he really didn't know what to say.
How could I not be happy? With such good business in just one afternoon since the new store opened, how could I not be happy?
But to say I was happy? There wasn't a single stall serving stir-fried dishes all lunchtime.

He made a bowl of noodles for lunch in the kitchen.

Even after making the hand-pulled noodles, he often felt bored out of his mind.

There are other people doing the cooking of the noodles and preparing the ingredients.

Throughout the entire afternoon, Lü Chongshan didn't even have a chance to touch the pot.

How could he be happy in this situation?
Feng Zhengming walked to Lü Chongshan's side, gently patted him, and then put his arm around him and walked to the counter in the semi-open kitchen.

"Please listen to me. Thank you all for coming today. If you think the food is good, please feel free to come again."

Also, I'd like to ask everyone, how did you all feel about the noodles at lunchtime today? Could they compare to the noodles with soybean paste and braised noodles that you old Beijing residents remember?

Upon hearing Feng Zhengming's question, all the customers stopped slurping their noodles and looked up at Feng Zhengming and Lü Chongshan beside him.

At this moment, being stared at by so many customers in the store made Lü Chongshan feel somewhat embarrassed.

Soon, an elderly gentleman spoke up: "Well, Feng Zhuangyuan, the braised noodles in your shop are just as delicious as the braised noodles I ate when I was young. They are truly authentic."

The old man spoke with a strong Beijing accent; you could tell he was a true gourmand from the capital.

Receiving the old man's approval filled Lü Chongshan with immense excitement.

Then an old lady spoke up: "Your sesame sauce cold noodles are also delicious, and they have an authentic old-fashioned flavor."

After the two elderly people spoke up, everyone else agreed that the noodles tasted absolutely delicious.

"Feng Zhuangyuan's noodles are really delicious. I've worked in Beijing for five or six years and eaten at many other places, but to be honest, none of them are as good as yours."

"Yes, I've only been working in Beijing for two years. Actually, I don't really like the taste of some of the noodles in Beijing, but your tomato and egg noodles are really delicious. They remind me of the noodles my mom used to make when I was a kid."

As he spoke, the customer picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks and said, "It's really delicious with this piece of braised pork."

Everyone in the shop was talking at once, almost all praising how delicious the noodles were.

They also praised the braised pork belly, four-happiness meatballs, braised pork hock, and pig's trotters, saying they were all delicious.

As Lü Chongshan received everyone's praise, a smile gradually spread across his face.

The greatest sense of accomplishment for a chef is to gain the recognition of diners.

Feng Zhengming smiled and introduced Lü Chongshan to everyone.

"Today's noodles were made by our Chef Lü, who is also an outstanding young chef in Shandong and my apprentice, though we haven't officially become his students yet."

He was a little nervous when he was put in charge of the store, but now that everyone thinks his noodles are delicious, I think he won't be nervous anymore.

He's also a good cook; if you're ever craving any stir-fries, you can order some to try.

Lü Chongshan turned his head and looked at Feng Zhengming in surprise.

He wasn't excited because Feng Zhengming introduced himself.

He did so because Feng Zhengming said he was his apprentice, but had not yet formally become his master.

This shows that Feng Zhengming has acknowledged that he is his apprentice.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming said it in public.

It's like stamping Lü Chongshan's seal, announcing to everyone that Lü Chongshan is his disciple.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's introduction, the customers present all turned their gazes toward Lü Chongshan.

"Impressive! As expected, a great teacher produces outstanding students."

"It's really amazing that a young chef from Shandong can make noodles like this in Beijing so well."

"Your Zhajiangmian is really delicious. This Zhajiang sauce is definitely the best in the whole city."

"And there's braised noodles. The taste of these braised noodles is probably only comparable to some small family-run shops in the capital." "If Scholar Feng hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought he hired a chef from the capital to make them."

"Yes, the taste is almost exactly the same as the old taste in Beijing."

After his initial excitement, Lü Chongshan, at Feng Zhengming's prompting, also earnestly expressed his gratitude to everyone.

"Thank you for your praise. I was really nervous and apprehensive when my mentor appointed me to be in charge of this store. But today, I feel more confident because of everyone's recognition."

Rest assured, we will actively listen to feedback and strive to make our products even better.

I will absolutely not let my master down.

After hearing Lü Chongshan's words, someone took the lead and everyone applauded him.

At this moment, Lü Chongshan truly felt extremely happy.

He finally gained recognition, and it was with his specialty, noodles.

Moreover, he was even recognized as an apprentice by Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming patted the excited Lü Chongshan: "Don't be arrogant. Remember your promise. Listen to everyone's opinions and feedback, correct any shortcomings, and make the products in the store even better."

Lü Chongshan looked at Feng Zhengming: "Master, I remember. I will not be arrogant and will work hard."

Feng Zhengming then whispered a reminder: "You also need to take on some management work in the store. I put you in charge of this store because you need to take on management responsibilities. Don't do everything by yourself."

Lu Chongshan said earnestly, "I understand, Master."

Only then did Feng Zhengming feel at ease handing the branch over to Lü Chongshan.

The business is open from noon until after 3 p.m.

Whether it was Feng Zhengming's recommendation or not, some customers actually ordered stir-fried dishes later on.

Overjoyed, Lü Chongshan meticulously prepared the stir-fried dishes ordered by the guests.

The dishes were served and received praise from many customers.

Over the years, Lü Chongshan has indeed been working hard to hone his skills in the kitchen of Huiquanlou Restaurant.

Now, Lü Chongshan's cooking skills are considered quite presentable.

After watching Lü Chongshan cook, Feng Zhengming offered some suggestions.

"Chongshan, you cooked very well, but you have to remember that the key to stir-frying is speed. So you need to ask the people in the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for you in advance. Also, don't be afraid to add too much starch. Once it's prepared, you don't have to add all of it."

However, if you add too little cornstarch slurry, it might affect your cooking progress, understand?

After listening to Feng Zhengming's advice, Lü Chongshan nodded seriously and wrote it down.

After closing the store for lunch, Feng Zhengming asked Lü Chongshan to stay and oversee the cleaning.

He and his wife, along with their daughter, drove their rented car to Fifth Brother's shop.

When Feng Zhengming arrived at the Fifth Brother's shop, he witnessed the difference between having tourists and not having tourists from other places.

Lu Chongshan's shop was already closed, but Fifth Brother's shop was still bustling with activity.

Luo Qing was also somewhat surprised: "It's almost four o'clock, and there are still so many people?"

Feng Zhengming: "This place is right next to several famous scenic spots in Beijing. Many tourists who come to Beijing will visit this area, so Fifth Brother's business is definitely better than Old Lu's."

Luo Qing thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense. There are tourist attractions in almost every direction here, so there are indeed a lot of tourists passing through."

As they were talking, more tourists came looking for the shop.

I happened to see Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing with their daughter.

The tourists who came looked him over carefully and quickly recognized him.

"You, you must be Scholar Feng? I never expected to actually run into you at a shop in the capital."

"Scholar Feng? It really is Scholar Feng."

"It really is Chef Feng."

Does Chef Feng personally greet customers at the branch store entrance?

“Chef Feng, I especially enjoy watching your cooking shows. Although you've stopped filming now, I've recorded everything you cook in each episode. My son says that my cooking skills have improved a lot since watching your shows.”

We never expected to run into you here during our trip to Beijing! May we, the three of us, take a photo with you?

Feng Zhengming smiled as he looked at the woman who had come forward to ask for a photo.

"Sister, that's great! Come on, can we do it right in front of my shop?"

The woman exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, yes!"

The woman's husband and son were also very excited.

Feng Zhengming had the family of three stand together, and because he was indeed very tall, he stood behind the boy.

Luo Qing took the camera and took a group photo of her husband and the family of three on vacation.

As a result, other tourists who came to the store also wanted to take photos with Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming did not refuse any of them and took photos with each of them.

Even though some people took photos together, none of them seemed interested in coming inside for a meal.

After taking a group photo, Feng Zhengming and his wife, along with their daughter, stepped into the store.

The store was still bustling with people; it was truly packed.

Some people were sitting and queuing near the entrance.

Like Feng Zhengming, the fifth senior brother also arranged for someone to deliver some side dishes to those waiting in line to fill their stomachs.

Some customers even felt full after eating the complimentary side dishes and simply got up and left.

Feng Zhengming saw this but didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Anyway, as long as people are willing to come, even if it's just to queue up every day for the complimentary side dishes, Feng Zhengming thinks it's a way to increase the store's popularity.

Looking around the shop, Feng Zhengming put his arm around his wife and whispered something in her ear.

“I think this area will probably be upgraded into a restaurant soon.”

Luo Qing laughed: "The shop over there by Lü Chongshan may gradually turn into a restaurant. It's just that the food you provide is too good, it's even a bit unlike what you'd expect from a dry rice shop."

Feng Zhengming: "Now that conditions are better, of course we should let everyone eat better."

The couple whispered in each other's ears, which Feng Nuanyou found very strange.

So the little girl also put her ear to it to listen.

Then Luo Qing gently bit her daughter's little ear.

Feng Nuanyou quickly turned her head: "Ouch, Mom, why did you bite me?"

Luo Qing smiled and said, "Who told you to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?"

Feng Nuanyou angrily complained to her father.

"Dad, look at your wife, you need to keep an eye on her."

The daughter's complaint amused both Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing.

Some of the customers around were also amused.

Everyone greeted Feng Zhengming and his family of three while laughing.

Feng Zhengming responded with a smile, and added, "If you have any complaints about the food, please let my fifth senior brother know. We're a new store opening, so please forgive us if we can't take care of everyone."

Hearing Feng Zhengming's words, the customers all expressed their approval, saying that the dishes, noodles, and roast duck were all excellent. (End of Chapter)