From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Having said what needed to be said, Hao Zongcheng then invited Feng Zhengming and the others to taste the dishes he had prepared for the day.

The fish maw in this dish is very well prepared. The broth in the dish is made entirely from the cooking process itself, and it is very thick, even a bit sticky.

The fish maw, having absorbed the broth, is incredibly flavorful, and its unique smooth yet chewy texture makes it truly delicious.

Feng Zhengming fed his daughter a little bit, but the little girl didn't like it very much.

However, she and her uncle both really enjoy eating braised mutton.

The mutton, which had been pre-cooked until tender, was then braised.

When the meat is put into your mouth, the fat melts instantly, and the lean meat becomes tender and mushy.

The two children ate with great relish.

Pan-fried head and tail of a bluefish is a dish unique to Henan cuisine.

The fish used was a large grass carp, and the middle section of the fish was cut into chunks and braised.

But the fish meat and tail were too precious to throw away, so the Henan cuisine chef made a separate dish of pan-fried grass carp head and tail.

When Feng Zhengming ate the pan-fried head and tail of the bluefish, he actually thought it tasted pretty good.

"Senior Brother Hao, is the pan-fried head and tail of the bluefish cooked using red-braised?"

Hao Zongcheng nodded: "Yes, it's considered a red-hot dish."

Feng Zhengming: "I think the head and tail of the grass carp are very fresh, especially the head and tail of such a large grass carp, which are really very plump and delicious, so there is no need to use such heavy seasoning."

"Doesn't it need such strong seasoning?"

Seeing Hao Zongcheng's puzzled expression.

Feng Zhengming explained with a smile: "Brother Hao, have you heard of the home-style cooking in Taicheng? Their home-style cooking usually involves seafood."

Before I came to Zhengzhou, I tried the braised yellow croaker there, and I think that cooking method would also suit your pan-fried grass carp head and tail.”

Hearing Feng Zhengming say this made Hao Zongcheng fall into deep thought.

After some mental deliberation, Hao Zongcheng concluded that Feng Zhengming's method was indeed worth trying.

Feng Zhengming pointed to the broth in the plate: "The broth in braised dishes of Henan cuisine is excellent because of its natural starch. The braising process using this natural starch allows the dish to absorb a lot of flavor."

At this point, you can actually rely entirely on the broth to adjust the flavor, without needing to add any more strong seasonings.

Furthermore, the head and tail of this grass carp are a bit plain; you could try adding some mutton to go with it.

Zhou Feng couldn't help but interject, "Fish and mutton hotpot?"

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, the combination of fish and lamb is all about freshness, but it has to be done well."

After listening to Feng Zhengming's words, Hao Zongcheng thought about it carefully for a moment and felt that it was indeed a good idea.

"Feng Zhuangyuan is indeed Feng Zhuangyuan. He can always give us some guidance and inspiration. Thank you, Junior Brother Feng, for reminding me that there are indeed more adjustments and variations to this pan-fried grass carp head and tail."

Feng Zhengming: "If Senior Brother Hao finds it useful, that's good. I can't say I'm giving any guidance or inspiration. I'm just sharing some things I've eaten."

Hao Zongcheng: "You're still so humble. If you did well, you did well. Your guidance and inspiration are very important to us. What do you say, Junior Brother Yang?"

Yang Bin nodded: "That's right, I often get guidance and inspiration from my junior brother."

Feng Zhengming saw the two of them singing in unison.

"My two senior brothers are really too kind to me. Over the years, I have been seeking breakthroughs and want to make the dishes better. I can't just stay in the same place. I need to use more ingredients and seasonings."

Many times I'm truly amazed that our country is indeed getting better and better.

Many ingredients that we couldn't access in the past may now gradually become readily available.

This also presents us with many new challenges: how to keep up with the times and ensure that everyone can enjoy the flavors of new ingredients.

Upon hearing this, Hao Zongcheng and Yang Bin exchanged a glance, both of them clearly sensing what was happening.

The gap between them and Feng Zhengming is indeed very obvious.

This is not a difference in skill, but a difference in vision and mindset.

This made Hao Zongcheng even more determined to have his youngest son become Feng Zhengming's apprentice.

Even when I told Feng Zhengming that we should start learning from the very basics.

You have to start as an apprentice at a branch store and work your way up step by step.

Hao Zongcheng felt that as long as he could win Feng Zhengming's favor, all the hardships he had to endure would be worthwhile.

He decided that once he got home, he would have a serious talk with his youngest son.

The goal is to get that kid to take it seriously and start learning diligently from Feng Zhengming's Zhengcheng branch.

Towards the end of the meal, Feng Zhengming and his group once again experienced the various soups and broths of Henan cuisine.

Although Hao Zongcheng's soups are all good, drinking too much of them can get a bit greasy.

Fortunately, Sun Hai and Zhou Feng were there, and they managed to eat most of the food.

After the meal, Hao Zongcheng once again invited Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin to the kitchen to give some pointers to the other staff members.

Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin did not delay and let the children stay in the private room.

The two followed Hao Zongcheng back to the kitchen.

This was the first time Hao Zongcheng formally introduced himself to the kitchen staff who had finished their lunch break.

"I'm sure you all know these two. This is Chef Feng, our national culinary champion, and this is Chef Yang, a renowned Shandong cuisine chef. We've invited them here today to give you some pointers. Let's give them a round of applause."

Now that things have quieted down in the kitchen, everyone looked at Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin again with anticipation in their eyes.

They were all already very familiar with Feng Zhengming's name.

Many young people, especially in the kitchen, looked at Feng Zhengming with eyes full of admiration.

In the eyes of these young people, Feng Zhengming is truly their idol.

So many people can't help but wonder if they will have a chance to be noticed by Scholar Feng?

Of course, this is just a thought.

Most people knew that Feng Zhengming could not possibly take them away from here.

Feng Zhengming and his third senior brother exchanged a glance, and then he stepped forward and spoke first.

"Hello everyone, you don't need to look at me like that. Actually, I'm just like you, an ordinary cook in the kitchen. When I'm in the kitchen, the work I do every day is no different from what you do."

When Feng Zhengming said this, it was obvious that some people showed disdain on their faces.

"It seems some people don't quite believe it? How about this, let's have a competition. You each find the one with the best knife skills, and we'll have a knife skills contest, how about that?"

Upon hearing Feng Zhengming's suggestion, everyone in the kitchen immediately became excited.

How can he compare to Feng Zhengming, the national culinary champion?

If I could beat him in the kitchen, wouldn't I be able to brag about it for a long time?

The key point is that Feng Zhengming said it was a competition of knife skills, which made everyone even more eager to try.

Seeing everyone in the kitchen eager to try their skills, Hao Zongcheng felt a little worried for Feng Zhengming.

In recent years, as the head chef, Hao Zongcheng has stopped doing many of the cutting and preparation tasks himself.

So if we're really talking about knife skills, he wouldn't dare say he can do better than the professionals in the kitchen.

After some discussion, the kitchen staff elected someone who was recognized as having the best knife skills.

The other party was not young either; he was clearly older than Feng Zhengming.

"Hello, Scholar Feng, I'd like to give it a try."

Feng Zhengming: "Sure, may I ask your name?"

Hao Zongcheng quickly introduced, "Oh, he's my kitchen preparation team leader, his name is Fei Zhigao."

Then Hao Zongcheng said to Fei Zhigao, "Old Fei, are you sure you want to compete?"

Fei Zhigao nodded: "We must have a competition. We've finally met the top scholar, so we definitely have to have a contest."

Feng Zhengming: "Come on."

In the kitchen, everyone made way so that Feng Zhengming and Fei Zhigao could each stand in front of their respective workbenches.

Then Feng Zhengming asked, "How should we compete?"

Fei Zhigao turned to look at Hao Zongcheng.

Hao Zongcheng smiled and said, "Let's start with the simple things: slices, shreds, and toppings." Feng Zhengming nodded and said, "Okay, I'll listen to Senior Brother Hao."

Fei Zhigao nodded: "Okay."

Then everyone's eyes were fixed on Feng Zhengming and Fei Zhigao.

The two chose their own knives.

Fei Zhigao naturally used the knife that suited him best.

Instead, Feng Zhengming casually grabbed a kitchen knife from the back kitchen and sharpened it himself.

Everyone watched Feng Zhengming sharpen his knife, and they were all a little curious.

Is it really feasible to just pick a knife randomly and then sharpen it yourself?
Fei Zhigao stared at it for a moment and realized that he might lose.

You can tell from Feng Zhengming sharpening his knife that he has never given up his knife skills.

A chef with good knife skills must first understand knives and know how to sharpen them.

If you don't even know how to sharpen your own knife, it means you rarely use knives yourself in the kitchen.

Thinking back to when Feng Zhengming participated in the National Culinary Competition with Hao Zongcheng and the others.

Many of the chefs who participated in the competition said after they returned: Feng Zhengming's knife skills are absolutely superb.

Fei Zhigao felt that if Feng Zhengming hadn't dropped his knife, he definitely wouldn't have been a match for him.

After sharpening the knife, Feng Zhengming took it back to the table.

Next, the two of them each took a peeled potato.

The two men began to stab almost simultaneously.

Let's start with the film.

Fei Zhigao first cuts a flat surface on one side of the potato to make it stable before starting to slice it.

Feng Zhengming started directly, and from the very first piece, the onlookers knew that Fei Zhigao had lost.

The first sheet was so thin that the words could be seen through it.

Then, Feng Zhengming's knife skills were even more breathtaking.

Each piece is almost uniformly thin.

More importantly, Feng Zhengming's slice-slicing speed was even faster than Fei Zhigao's.

After Feng Zhengming finished slicing the potatoes, he showed the potato slices to everyone.

"Wow..." A gasp of surprise rang out from the kitchen.

No one really expected that Feng Zhengming could have mastered knife skills to this extent.

Even Hao Zongcheng was greatly surprised.

Feng Zhengming is already such a famous chef in the country.

He is also almost universally recognized as the top chef in the country.

But he also has such excellent knife skills.

This is truly unbelievable.

Although Fei Zhigao knew he would lose, he still tried his best to finish cutting the slices.

After slicing, the next two people were to shred the slices.

Feng Zhengming continued to demonstrate his exquisite knife skills.

The knife moved across the chopping block like a galloping horse.

Almost before anyone could see, Feng Zhengming had already finished slicing the meat.

Feng Zhengming placed the thin potato shreds into the basin of water.

The kitchen erupted in another round of "wows".

After reading it, Fei Zhigao finally put down the knife in his hand.

"I lost."

At this point, Fei Zhigao truly had no choice but to admit defeat.

In fact, from the very beginning, Feng Zhengming's potato chips, so thin that the words could be seen through them, were already far superior to Fei Zhigao's.

Now Feng Zhengming is slicing the meat into thin strips in a galloping, rapid motion.

The fine, hair-like threads in the clear water were something Fei Zhigao could never match.

Seeing that Fei Zhigao recognized him immediately, everyone in the kitchen became even more fervent in their admiration for Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Chef Fei is too kind. Actually, everyone should not be discouraged. In the kitchen, you don't necessarily have to be like me, slicing the food so thinly and cutting it into such fine strips."

I just want to show everyone that I work in the kitchen just like you all.

Now, indeed, no one questions it anymore.

The knife skills that Feng Zhengming displayed are something that most people couldn't achieve without long-term practice in the kitchen.

Clearly, this time, after witnessing Feng Zhengming's knife skills...

Everyone understood; he wasn't joking when he said he was still working in the kitchen.

With Feng Zhengming's knife skills, it's unlikely that anyone in his kitchen can surpass him.

Hao Zongcheng couldn't help but whisper a question to Yang Bin beside him.

"Isn't Feng Zhuangyuan's knife skill probably unique?"

Yang Bin nodded: "He's one of a kind. Even my master's swordsmanship is definitely inferior to his now."

Hao Zongcheng couldn't help but sigh softly, "How did they manage to train like that?"

Yang Bin: "Through continuous practice day after day, it is clear that he has never given up on any of the various tasks in the kitchen. In fact, it can be said that he is the absolute king, whether on the cutting board or the stove. No one can be more capable than him."

Hao Zongcheng believed this because he had seen it with his own eyes.

Next, in the kitchen, everyone asked Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin questions.

They raised many issues they encountered in the kitchen.

Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin were both very forthcoming with their answers.

They also explained and shared various kitchen tips with everyone in the kitchen.

After the exchange, everyone in Hao Zongcheng's kitchen learned a lot.

Young people, in particular, idolize Feng Zhengming even more.

After a brief exchange, Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin took their leave together.

On the way back to the private room, Sun Hai and Zhou Feng were still discussing the knife skills competition they had just had.

Zhou Feng was also very excited. He had witnessed Feng Zhengming's knife skills firsthand, which made him feel that his choice was right, and he hoped that he could go to Feng Zhengming's side in the future.

During his conversation with Sun Hai, Sun Hai remained relatively calm, after all, he had seen far more impressive skills than Feng Zhengming.

At the same time, he warned Zhou Feng: "It is not easy to reach the level of Junior Uncle. Just as Junior Uncle said, you must first lay a solid foundation. Only when the foundation is solid enough can you continue to improve."

Zhou Feng now truly understood the meaning, and he nodded earnestly in agreement.

Back in the private room, Feng Nuanyou was already getting a little impatient.

Seeing her father return, the little girl quickly ran to him.

"Dad, if you go in the future, you must take Youyou with you."

Feng Zhengming picked up his daughter: "Okay, Daddy will take Youyou with him next time."

Auntie came over: "This girl just likes to stick to her dad. If you let her play here for a while, she won't be happy."

Feng Nuanyou hugged her father's neck and turned to smile at her great-aunt.

Feng Zhengming called out to everyone, "Alright, let's go."

The group bid farewell to Hao Zongcheng, left his restaurant, and strolled slowly back to their hotel.

Throughout the journey, Zhou Feng excitedly recounted the kitchen knife skills competition. (End of Chapter)