From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

He took his fourth senior brother and his wife back to the courtyard house they rented in Beijing.

When Wang Jialiang saw his master and mistress, he immediately stepped forward and knelt before them.

"Master, mistress, your disciple is back."

Seeing this, Zhang Lili also knelt down and kowtowed.

The master and his wife quickly stepped forward to help the fourth disciple and his wife up.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. It makes your master very happy that you and your fellow disciples are all together."

At this moment, the other senior brothers also came over.

Including Feng Zhengming, the fellow disciples and their master finally reunited in a true sense.

The master's gaze swept over the disciples in front of him.

In fact, Master Yan has had far more apprentices than just Feng Zhengming and his group in his lifetime.

But if we're talking about those who have been with their master the longest, then it must be the seven disciples in front of them.

In his master's mind, these seven disciples were supposed to be the ones to take over and support Yanxilou.

I never expected that a century-old restaurant like Yanxilou would go bankrupt under my watch.

Over the years, Master has been unable to escape that sense of self-blame.

Today, I see my apprentices still in front of me.

Thinking of how his apprentices, through their own abilities, managed to reopen the bankrupt Yanxi Restaurant in the capital.

The master suddenly felt truly relieved.

Perhaps all of this was destined long ago.

As the old saying goes, "The master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you."

The master has done all he can; now it's up to the disciples themselves.

Li Huidong, the eldest disciple, stepped forward and led his fellow disciples to kneel respectfully before their master and kowtow to him.

"Master, your disciples have gathered here today to report to you that we are about to reopen Yanxi Tower."

The master smiled and reached out to help his disciples up.

"Good, good, Master believes in you. If you brothers unite as one, you will definitely be able to make the reopened Yanxi Restaurant a success."

The fellow disciples stood up together, their faces beaming with smiles, and pledged to their master that they would all work hard.

With his master and fellow disciples all present, preparations for the opening of Feng Zhengming's Yanxi Restaurant in Beijing began in earnest.

In fact, most of the preparations were made in advance.

However, some details regarding the opening day arrangements still need to be discussed between Feng Zhengming and his master and fellow disciples.

Originally, the master didn't want to get involved. He felt that since it was his youngest apprentice who was going to reopen Yanxi Tower, he should just follow his apprentice's arrangements.

However, Feng Zhengming still consulted his master's opinion on many issues.

The master gradually became involved as well, because Feng Zhengming not only consulted his master's opinion, but also asked several of his senior brothers' opinions, and even his two grandfathers and family members joined the discussion.

The final point of discussion naturally fell on the dishes served on opening day.

Everyone felt that on the opening day, Feng Zhengming should present some innovative dishes to give the people of Beijing a shock.

Feng Zhengming, however, did not think so.

"On the opening day, we should serve the most authentic Shandong cuisine and present the classic Shandong dishes one by one to everyone who comes to congratulate us. The key is to ensure that those who come to interview us on the opening day can film the authentic Shandong cuisine we are making."

After listening to Feng Zhengming's words and thinking about them carefully, everyone felt that they made a lot of sense.

Yanxilou was, after all, a Shandong cuisine restaurant that once stood in Jinan.

Moreover, the old plaque of Yanxilou has a history of over a hundred years.

Since they intend to reopen in the capital and make Yanxilou famous, they should indeed serve Shandong cuisine.

After some discussion, everyone finally reached a consensus and decided that the main cuisine to be served when the business opened would be Shandong cuisine.

Feng Zhengming will definitely have to make some innovative dishes for publicity.

Originally, Feng Zhengming did not want to add his own innovative dishes to Yanxilou.

He hoped that Yanxilou could become more authentic, focusing primarily on traditional Shandong cuisine.

However, the master and his fellow apprentices all felt that Feng Zhengming's innovative dishes should be included.

The reason given by the master was one that even Feng Zhengming could only accept.

"You should understand that Yanxilou is located in the capital, not Jinan. If it were located in Jinan, it would naturally be best to focus on traditional Shandong cuisine."

However, in Beijing, it's not enough to just serve traditional Shandong cuisine; some innovative elements must be incorporated.

You also need to show everyone that our Shandong cuisine is innovative, not just stuck in tradition.

Feng Zhengming nodded at his master's words: "Master is right, I understand."

The general menu was finalized, focusing on traditional Shandong cuisine, interspersed with Feng Zhengming's innovative dishes.

Next, Feng Zhengming and his fellow apprentices rushed to the kitchen of Yanxi Restaurant.

Because they needed to create a menu, Feng Zhengming and his fellow apprentices were preparing to cook the dishes.

Furthermore, through his junior apprentice Huang Tao, Feng Zhengming arranged a meeting with a very famous photographer in Beijing.

Of course, Feng Zhengming also invited a food photographer from Shanghai.

The two photographers also knew each other and both acknowledged that the other was one of the top photographers in China.

Then Feng Zhengming and his fellow apprentices cooked together in the kitchen of Xinyanxi Restaurant for the first time.

It took Feng Zhengming and his fellow apprentices about a whole day to prepare all the main dishes.

Most of the time, Feng Zhengming would let his senior brothers do the work, while he would either assist them or design the final plating.

The two professional photographers were quite surprised when they saw the plating design by Feng Zhengming during the shoot.

In the past, when they photographed recipes for others, they were often required to make adjustments to the plating.

But when it came to Feng Zhengming, his plating was simply too beautiful.

The two photographers could only use lighting and some design elements on the base and background to better showcase the effect of Feng Zhengming's plating.

Often, adjusting the lighting angle and background after a dish is prepared takes a lot of time.

Fortunately, both photographers were indeed professional, and they each brought their own teams.

With the collaboration of the two teams, they were still able to photograph most of the dishes quite beautifully.

Feng Zhengming looked at the sample footage and praised with a smile, "You two are really amazing."

The two photographers smiled at each other.

"You guys are still more impressive, Feng Zhuangyuan."

"Yes, Feng Zhuangyuan, not only do you cook well, but your plating is also really great. After seeing your dishes, we finally understand what it means to have 'perfect color, aroma and taste'."

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "You haven't even tasted the dishes yet, so there's no need to jump to conclusions so early. Let's heat up the dishes we filmed and everyone can try them."

As he spoke, Feng Zhengming had someone send the photographed dishes to the kitchen.

Soon the dishes, which had already gone cold, were reheated and brought back.

Even after being heated up, the dishes still looked incredibly appetizing.

A member of the photography team asked, "Why do the dishes that have been reheated seem unchanged? They still look delicious, but the dishes we reheat at home don't taste as good?" Feng Zhengming explained, "First of all, it's about time. These dishes haven't been cold for long, nor have they been refrigerated or frozen."

Secondly, the reheating process in our kitchen, which is essentially reheating the dish, better preserves the original flavor of the dish, so the taste doesn't change much.

The menu at Yanxilou features traditional Shandong cuisine, along with dishes from other regional cuisines, as well as some innovative dishes by Feng Zhengming, totaling several hundred dishes.

This is after some reduction.

If we don't reduce the number of dishes, there could be over a thousand.

However, some dishes were not particularly outstanding, and they were also quite time-consuming and laborious to make. The key point is that they didn't taste particularly special, so Feng Zhengming, his master, and his fellow apprentices all gave up on them after discussing it.

Most of the dishes on the menu are those that can be served in multiple portions at once.

Of course, some dishes from Shandong cuisine that require specific techniques will also be retained.

For example, classic Shandong dishes like stir-fried pork kidneys and deep-fried double crispy pork.

There's also Feng Zhengming's most famous dish, stir-fried snail slices in vinegar and pepper fish soup.

These are all considered classic technical dishes, and they are all kept on the menu.

Of course, they're not cheap.

When it came to pricing, Feng Zhengming's attitude was very clear.

"All dishes must be priced high, to be worthy of the skills of our many top chefs, the ambiance of our Beijing Yanxi Restaurant, and our service quality."

Even the prices of some of Feng Zhengming's dishes were considered too expensive by his master and fellow apprentices.

Feng Zhengming's explanation was also very direct.

"Master, fellow disciples, think about it. We've brought our best disciples here to cook, and I've also selected the best waiters to provide the service."

In addition, there's the interior and exterior decoration of our Yanxi Building, as well as the overall dining environment here.

Our prices are really not expensive at all compared to the quality of our cooking.

After Feng Zhengming put it that way, the master and his fellow disciples thought about it carefully and felt that it did seem to make sense.

After all, even setting aside other factors, the cost of sourcing fresh ingredients in Beijing is still higher than in other places.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming is, after all, a legitimate head chef for state banquets.

The prices of the dishes at Yanxilou are actually quite low compared to those at Feng Zhengming's Shanghai Old House Restaurant.

However, if we compare the prices of dishes in other restaurants in the capital...

Feng Zhengming's prices are a bit higher than theirs.

Although the prices at Yanxilou are lower than those at top-tier restaurants like the Beijing Hotel, they are still lower.

However, compared to some other well-known restaurants in Beijing, Feng Zhengming's prices are indeed higher.

After several days of filming, the photos of the dishes have been taken, and the photographers in Shanghai have worked overtime to help Feng Zhengming complete the printing of the entire menu.

After receiving the full-color menu, Feng Zhengming and his master and fellow disciples looked at it for a long time.

My family members also looked at the menu together, and they all thought it was very well made.

"This looks delicious, I want to eat it as soon as I see it."

"This is the level you fellow disciples should be at."

"If this menu is displayed, Yanxilou's business will definitely be booming."

Feng Nuanyou and the group of children asked directly when they could eat.
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhengming hugged his daughter and asked with a smile, "Didn't you all eat when we were taking pictures? Haven't you had enough yet?"

Feng Nuanyou smiled and said, "No, the food that Dad and Uncles make is delicious, I can't get enough of it."

That made everyone laugh.

Li Huidong: "Our little Youyou really knows how to appreciate things."

The son, Li Xiaogang, protested, "Dad, you're being too biased! We also said it was delicious, so why don't you praise us for knowing how to appreciate it?"

Upon hearing his son's words, Li Huidong immediately put on a stern face.

"Can't you learn something good? How old is Youyou? How old are you? Still competing with your sister for attention."

His father's words made Li Xiaogang shrink back and remain silent.

The other students' children were also smiling happily on the side.

Only the third senior brother's son approached Li Xiaogang.

“It’s okay, Xiaogang. My dad is the same way. He’s just biased.”

Hearing his son's words, Yang Bin couldn't help but retort, "You talk too much, don't you?"

This time, for the reopening of Yanxilou, almost all the senior brothers brought their whole families, and even their school children took leave to come along.

Among them, the eldest sister and brother-in-law of the senior disciple Li Huidong also came with their daughter.

Feng Zhengming was very friendly to his elder sister and brother-in-law.

At this moment, he suddenly asked his brother-in-law a question.

"Brother-in-law, have you ever thought about staying in the capital? Cooperate with my senior brother, and I can make you the lobby manager of our Yanxi Restaurant. What do you say?"

This question caught Lin Jiacheng, the brother-in-law, off guard.

It was the eldest sister, Li Fenzhen, who came to her senses first: "Zhengming, how could your brother-in-law be a lobby manager?"

Feng Zhengming said earnestly, "Big sister, I really think it's a good idea. Xiaona is currently studying at a university in Beijing. If you and your brother-in-law come over, wouldn't it be more convenient to take care of her?"

These words really touched the hearts of the eldest brother's older sister and brother-in-law.

They had asked their daughter, and she clearly didn't want to go back to her hometown after being admitted to university in Beijing.

However, the couple were indeed worried if their daughter stayed in Beijing to work.

Now, according to Feng Zhengming's arrangement, Lin Jiacheng will come to Yanxilou Restaurant in Beijing to serve as the lobby manager.

Their whole family can come to the capital together.

This way, I can also take care of my daughter after she graduates.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Jiacheng couldn't help but ask first, "Zhengming, am I really capable of being the lobby manager?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "I think it's a good idea. Besides, Yanxi Restaurant in Beijing is quite large. It's not like you, my brother-in-law, are the only lobby manager. You and several other managers are working together."

I trust you, brother-in-law, that you won't let us suffer losses; you can definitely manage the restaurant well for us.

Hearing this, Lin Jiacheng finally made up his mind: "Okay, brother-in-law, thank you Zhengming for giving me this opportunity."

Li Huidong looked at his junior apprentice: "Are you trying to give me special treatment? You're letting my brother-in-law come and be the manager. How am I supposed to speak up in the kitchen?"

Feng Zhengming: "Brother, you mean recommending the worthy without avoiding relatives. My brother-in-law has the ability, and he's not even of retirement age yet. Do you expect me to invite Uncle He to help me?"

After hearing what the junior brother said, the other junior brothers also said that their brother-in-law should be able to do it.

Ultimately, Li Huidong agreed to it.

Holding the beautiful new menu, everyone eagerly awaited the opening of Yanxi Restaurant.

Three days later, all the work clothes from Yanxilou were delivered.

This includes the uniforms of the chefs and apprentices in the kitchen, and the clothes of the waiters, supervisors, and managers in the front.

All the chefs' uniforms have some clever design elements, and they are also embroidered with the character "燕" (swallow).

With everything prepared and amidst great anticipation, the opening day of Yanxi Restaurant finally arrived. (End of Chapter)