From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

While my wife, mother-in-law, and aunt were taking care of the children in the children's lunch kitchen.

Feng Zhengming was also busy in the kitchen of the old-style restaurant.

Although the lunch service had ended, he and his team were making more detailed preparations for dinner.

Tonight, the old-style restaurant will have a few rather unique guests.

The person who made the reservation with Feng Zhengming was that old man.

Moreover, the old man clearly told him that the restaurant would operate as usual in the evening, but all the private rooms on the third floor of the old villa restaurant needed to be reserved.

Feng Zhengming already had some experience with this kind of reception.

The old man reminded me that we needed some unique dishes tonight.

Feng Zhengming was naturally making preparations seriously, and the soup had been simmering since morning.

There are also various carefully selected ingredients, all of which are meticulously prepared.

Among the most noteworthy ingredients are a rather large lobster, conch that was just delivered this morning, and a selection of delicious mushrooms.

These details demonstrate the sophistication of tonight's reception dinner.

Feng Zhengming kept a close eye on the process of preparing the ingredients in the kitchen.

This wasn't the first time anyone in the kitchen had experienced something like this.

Everyone knew that tonight's reception was very important.

Therefore, everyone in the kitchen was very serious and strictly followed Feng Zhengming's various requirements.

"The soup is ready. Prepare to clean it. Clean the soup with the three kinds of swill separately."

The three types of swill used to cleanse the soup further demonstrate the importance of this clear soup tonight.

First is white swill, which is minced chicken.

Next is the red scrambled eggs soup made with minced chicken thigh meat.

After these two steps, you'll have a pot of very clear and delicious soup.

However, to enhance the rich flavor of the soup, Feng Zhengming would request that the soup be skimmed a third time with ground beef.

The resulting soup is as clear as tea, without even the slightest impurity.

With a good soup, tonight's dishes can be cooked even better.

The gong hasn't been sounded yet, and even the delivered cargo boxes haven't been opened.

The lobsters had all been taken out in advance and stunned with ice.

The lobsters are processed by designated staff in the kitchen.

As per Feng Zhengming's request, the lobster head must be preserved intact.

Also, the shrimp tail should be kept intact.

The lobster shells removed from the shells are first used to make a thick soup.

The shrimp claws also need to be completely removed beforehand.

With everything prepared, Fu Jun couldn't help but ask, "Chef, how are you going to cook the lobster tonight?"

Feng Zhengming's answer was straightforward: "Hibiscus."

Hibiscus is naturally made from egg white.

Upon hearing Feng Zhengming utter the word "Hibiscus," everyone in the kitchen naturally understood that tonight's lobster dish would be "Searching for Dragons in the Snow."

Feng Zhengming sighed, "It's a pity it's not autumn yet, otherwise I could add some crab roe and make a crab roe lobster dish."

Cai Tao: "Chef, are we going to serve this dish in the fall?"

Feng Zhengming: "We can send them. We'll contact the crab suppliers in advance and ask them to send us some better crabs this year. Some of the crabs last year weren't that good."

Fu Jun: "Chef, I heard that several crab farms have approached you before, why did you turn them all down?"

Feng Zhengming: "There have been too many fake hairy crabs in recent years. Most of them are fake crabs that have been washed and dried. They are really not safe to use. It's better to continue using the same brand as before. At least the products there are still trustworthy."

Everyone in the kitchen knows that Feng Zhengming has very strict requirements for ingredients.

Feng Zhengming had previously lost his temper due to problems with the supply of some ingredients.

They even went to the supplier in person, and the supplier almost got sued.

In the end, the supplier offered compensation, but Feng Zhengming still refused to use that supplier again.

From then on, no one dared to fool Feng Zhengming anymore.

From then on, he personally inspected the supply almost every day.

This year, all supplies were first inspected centrally before being distributed to various stores in Shanghai in batches.

Nowadays, there are all kinds of restaurants and eateries in Shanghai, including those Western restaurants with some overseas connections.

No supplier has a more complete and fresher supply than Feng Zhengming.

A few days ago, Kong Xingli came to see me specifically about the supply of goods.

Feng Zhengming only coordinated a portion of the supply for him.

In Shanghai, besides Feng Zhengming's few restaurants, only Jiang Chengzhe's restaurant shares the supply from Feng Zhengming's restaurants.

For this, Jiang Chengzhe was very grateful to Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming led his team to prepare in the kitchen for the entire afternoon.

As evening approached, he instructed the staff to get everything ready, and the kitchen staff began processing some important ingredients.

The guests invited by the old man arrived first.

When Feng Zhengming learned that the old man had arrived, he made arrangements in the kitchen and personally went out to greet him.

I saw the old man dressed in a very elegant and well-tailored Zhongshan suit, leading several other elderly people into the house.

Feng Zhengming quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Uncle, welcome."

When the old man saw Feng Zhengming, he smiled and introduced him to the guests.

"This is our top chef, you should know him, he was one of the world's top ten restaurant chefs last year."

The guests naturally all knew Feng Zhengming's name.

"Oh, I know, I know. Scholar Feng is really something else."

"Yes, it's really impressive to receive recognition from the International Gastronomy Association."

"No Chinese restaurant has ever been included in the World's Top Ten Restaurants of the Year before."

Judging from their accents, Feng Zhengming could basically tell that they were from Taiwan.

This relates to the old man's status in Shanghai's business community.

Feng Zhengming could roughly guess that these guests from Taiwan were probably here to invest in China.

Led by the waiter, the elderly gentleman and his companions went up to the third floor.

On the way upstairs, the old man chatted with a few people about the old villa.

For the elderly people who returned from Taiwan, the old-style houses were quite familiar.

Some of them had lived in such old houses before they went to Taiwan.

The old man mentioned the original owner of this old villa.

They even thought that the elderly people who had returned from Taiwan actually knew each other.

"So it was his family's. No wonder it looked familiar when I arrived. It's well-preserved, and this Scholar Feng is really thoughtful; the furniture and decorations inside are all very well maintained."

The old man smiled and said, "He really likes this kind of old house. He bought it at a high price."

The elderly people who returned from Taiwan were quite surprised to hear this.

Among the middle-aged men accompanying them, one of them couldn't help but ask a question.

"Could we cooperate with this Scholar Feng? Would you like him to help manage our hotel here?"

The middle-aged man had barely finished speaking when the old man chuckled and helped Feng Zhengming refuse.

"There's no need to ask him about that, and I'm afraid you can't afford to hire him now."

The old man's words surprised everyone who had returned from Taiwan.

The middle-aged man who had asked Feng Zhengming to help manage the hotel was still somewhat unconvinced.

"So, this Scholar Feng is quite wealthy now?" The old man replied, "His wealth is naturally not as great as yours, but he knows how to be content with what he has. He is a figure who can influence the entire catering industry in Shanghai."

This wasn't the old man deliberately praising Feng Zhengming.

In Shanghai's catering industry today, some people do indeed follow Feng Zhengming's lead.

At the chefs' association, the veteran chefs were almost all in support of Feng Zhengming.

Often, when the Shanghai Chefs Association is invited to participate in various events, Feng Zhengming is simultaneously notified and invited to appear.

The old man could naturally see that people who returned from Taiwan, especially the younger ones, always held a certain sense of superiority over the mainland.

As the old man said, the funds they had were indeed far beyond what Feng Zhengming could match.

But they couldn't possibly give all their assets to Feng Zhengming.

The conditions they offered were not very tempting to Feng Zhengming.

The old man and his entourage went upstairs to a private room on the third floor.

The sight of the furnishings brought tears to the eyes of several elderly people who had returned from Taiwan.

The furnishings here perfectly recreate what they looked like in Shanghai when they were young.

"Everything here really reminds me of the past."

"We once lived here, witnessing prosperity and experiencing war. This is our homeland."

"Yes, I was surprised to see such old furnishings again today. I'm so glad to be back today."

"That scholar Feng really put a lot of thought into restoring this place."

The old man said, "He is indeed very dedicated. His dedication is not only reflected in cooking, but also in other aspects."

There were two private rooms on the third floor, where the old man and the elderly people were sitting.

The others sat in a different room.

There is also a door connecting the two private rooms.

In another private room, the elderly people and their companions sat down.

They started talking about Feng Zhengming and the old villa restaurant again.

Is this Chef Feng really that amazing?

"His skills must be very impressive. He performed in Hong Kong before, which amazed many international chefs."

"They have the ability; otherwise, how could they have won one of the top ten restaurants of the year?"

"Today we'll see just how good his skills really are."

Soon, these people who returned from Taiwan truly witnessed Feng Zhengming's craftsmanship.

The first thing served was a soup, served to each guest in a small white porcelain soup bowl.

The waiter lifted the lid, and the aroma instantly filled the entire room.

Lily and conch soup in a small white porcelain soup bowl.

The sight of the tea-colored broth, the pure white lilies, and the thin slices of conch floating in the small soup bowl instantly stunned everyone in both rooms.

The group of people who had just returned from Taiwan never expected to taste such a soup in a restaurant like this.

The culinary skills and unique plating are approaching the level of a state banquet.

Sure enough, after a moment of surprise, the elderly people who had returned from Taiwan told the old man that the protocol was too high.

"Wow, this soup is really high-class."

"Yes, this soup is even better than the one we had at the reception."

"I originally thought the cold dishes served would have a home-style flavor."

"I never expected this soup to be so unique."

The old man smiled and said, "I didn't expect that either. Perhaps our Scholar Feng does have his own unique insights."

Everyone enjoyed the soup together.

The soup is clear, yet it has a delicious and rich flavor.

The combination of lily bulbs and conch slices is indeed quite delicious.

The fresh and sweet taste is also a great appetizer.

Several elderly people who had returned from Taiwan couldn't wait to finish the small bowl of soup.

"It's so fresh, it's really so fresh."

"This soup is indeed delicious."

"A soup this delicious, truly worthy of Scholar Feng!"

"After drinking this soup, I felt warm all over and my appetite was stimulated."

In the next room, the middle-aged people who had returned from Taiwan were also amazed by this soup.

On the one hand, the soup is indeed of a very high standard.

On the other hand, the taste of the soup was completely beyond their expectations.

These middle-aged people who returned from Taiwan, as the second generation of their own companies, can be said to have seen and experienced everything on the island.

But today's soup did have a truly unique flavor, which really amazed them.

The warm soup whetted everyone's appetite, and then everyone started eating the cold dishes.

Only when you eat it do you truly appreciate the uniqueness of cold dishes.

The ingredients may seem ordinary, but Feng Zhengming's unique design makes the cold dish truly unique.

For example, preserved eggs, which may seem like a very ordinary dish, are quite delicious when mixed with a unique sauce.

There are also unique cold dishes made by weaving eggplant shreds.

At first, none of the elderly people who had returned from Taiwan could tell what it was.
I only found out after asking the waiter that it was actually woven from eggplants.

The people in the next room were also amazed by the cold dishes.

Some of Feng Zhengming's unique ideas were things they had never heard of before.

"It seems we really underestimated the skills of this top scholar, Feng."

"I admit, I was truly impressed by his skill."

"I'm convinced. These dishes alone are impeccable."

"I wonder if we'll get to taste the dish created by Scholar Feng today."

What dish is it?

"Of course it's the 'Dragon Playing with a Pearl' dish. Many people say it's a very delicious dish. I heard that the people from the International Gastronomy Association all raved about it."

"You definitely have to try it."

Because the doors to the rooms on both sides were open, the elderly people who had returned from Taiwan could hear the noises from next door.

The elderly people looked at each other and smiled, knowing that the young people next door had finally given up.

"It seems they're truly convinced this time."

The old man laughed: "You're convinced already? The main dishes haven't even been served yet. This is just a first soup and some cold dishes."

The elderly people who returned from Taiwan all smiled.

At the same time, everyone is also looking forward to seeing what dishes Feng Zhengming will serve next.

Feng Zhengming was cooking at a leisurely pace in the kitchen.

The guests at the old-style restaurant arrived one after another tonight.

Most people don't know that the important guest on the third floor tonight has already arrived.

The other guests who came tonight also came with high expectations.

Seeing that lobster was available on tonight's menu, many customers immediately chose lobster.

Upon learning that many customers had ordered lobster, Fu Jun couldn't help but exclaim, "Luckily, the chef was well-prepared and had plenty of lobsters on hand, otherwise it would have been really difficult to handle tonight."

Feng Zhengming said with a serious expression, "Hurry up and get ready, so many guests are waiting."

Fu Jun immediately became serious, and everyone in the kitchen tensed up as well. (End of Chapter)