From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

While chatting with his senior brother, Feng Zhengming saw the apprentice touching some dishes with his hands while serving them on the plates.

He immediately shouted, "Wait a minute, don't you know that you can't touch the dishes with your hands when you are putting them on the plate? Bring me back the dishes you touched with your hands, quickly, do you hear me?"

When the apprentice heard Feng Zhengming's words, he was a little stunned at first.

The main reason was that Feng Zhengming did not change into the chef's uniform, so the apprentice couldn't react who he was for a moment.

As a result, Feng Zhengming shouted for a long time, but the apprentice didn't realize that he was talking about him.

It was Li Huidong who spoke again: "I mean you, Wang Zhi, take the dish in your hand back and give it to the chef to reheat it, quickly."

This time the apprentice finally realized that he was being talked about.

He finally recognized that the person who had spoken to him before was Feng Zhengming.

"Oh, I see." The apprentice quickly brought the dish back and handed it to Zhang Lei, who was in charge of this dish.

Zhang Lei took it, quickly stir-fried it in the pan, and then put it back on the plate.

Zhang Lei also taught the apprentice to keep his hands on the edge of the plate and not to touch the food with his fingers.

"You won't burn yourself if you hold the dish this way. If you extend your fingers, not only will your hands contaminate the dish, but you will also burn yourself. Be more careful next time."

After listening to Zhang Lei's instructions, the apprentice quickly agreed and served the dishes according to Zhang Lei's instructions.

Feng Zhengming watched Zhang Lei teach, smiled and looked at his senior brother: "Zhang Lei has made rapid progress and is now able to start teaching apprentices."

Hearing this, Li Huidong responded in a low voice: "Don't praise him in person. These guys in the kitchen can't help but be praised. If you praise them too much, they won't work hard."

Feng Zhengming laughed when he heard this: "Hahaha, my master said the same thing back then."

After hearing this, Li Huidong couldn't help laughing.

Just at this moment, Fifth Brother also came over.

"Zhengming, you haven't been here for a while. What's the matter? Are you really going to leave the kitchen of Huiquanlou to me and Senior Brother?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and nodded: "With the two brothers here, I will definitely feel at ease."

Cao Zhiguo was a little surprised when he heard this: "No, Zhengming, don't be ridiculous. You won't come back to cook in the future?"

Feng Zhengming explained seriously: "Fifth brother, I am assured that you and Senior Brother are in the kitchen of Huiquanlou. Whether I am the chef or not, it will not affect the business of Huiquanlou.

I have more important things to do now, and I have to hurry up and do them.”

Li Huidong nodded and added: "What he is going to do is related to the future of our Shandong cuisine."

Cao Zhiguo was a little surprised: "So exaggerated?"

"It's not an exaggeration." The eldest senior brother helped to affirm.

After hearing what his senior brother said, Cao Zhiguo also felt that what Feng Zhengming was doing was indeed very crucial.

Feng Zhengming simply told his fifth senior brother about what he was going to do.

After hearing this, the fifth brother was even more surprised: "Zhengming, what you said really concerns the future of Shandong cuisine. When I was in Beijing before, I heard that there was a restaurant recommendation guide abroad, which was a red-covered booklet.

It is said that this thing will recommend the best chefs in the world, and any restaurant that can be included in that booklet is the best restaurant in the world.

It seems to be divided into three levels: one star, two stars, and three stars."

Feng Zhengming smiled and nodded: "Yes, there are indeed special rating and recommendation guides for restaurants abroad."

The fifth brother then asked, "So Zhengming, you are planning to come up with our own set of recommendation guidelines in Qilu? We set our own standards to regulate Shandong cuisine restaurants and hotels?"

Feng Zhengming looked at his fifth senior brother in surprise: "Fifth brother, you really know everything?"

These words made the fifth senior brother feel a little proud.

"That's right. After all, I have been to the capital, so I do have some understanding of these things."

The eldest brother went on to say, "Others may not be able to accomplish this, but with you taking the lead, and with the support of our master and several other masters, especially the province, we will definitely be able to accomplish it."

"Yes, eldest brother is right. If anyone else takes the lead in this matter, even if the master and several other masters take the lead together, it may not be accomplished." The fifth brother agreed with the eldest brother's words.

"But if you take the lead, and with the support of the provincial leaders and Master, it can be done."

The two brothers knew very well that the influence of Feng Zhengming, the national number one scholar, had surpassed that of their master and several other masters.

Therefore, he took the lead in establishing a set of standards for Shandong cuisine restaurants and hotels, which will be recognized by many people.

The fifth brother also added: "But it is clear that if you take the lead in this matter, you will definitely offend many people."

The eldest brother also agreed: "Yes, once the standard begins to be implemented, it will definitely encounter resistance from all sides, and many people will begin to put pressure on you."

Feng Zhengming responded with a smile: "This is also a challenge for me."

Then he stopped smiling and spoke seriously to his two brothers.

"When the time comes, we will first conduct a comprehensive review of Huiquan Tower. Brothers, please don't blame me for being unkind."

Feng Zhengming stopped smiling and looked very serious.

The eldest brother and the fifth brother looked at each other, and then both brothers expressed their full cooperation.

"Don't worry, we will take good care of Huiquanlou and won't give you the opportunity to give a bad review."

"That's right. Senior Brother and I are in charge. It's impossible for you to give us a bad review."

Feng Zhengming listened to what his two senior brothers said and glanced towards the kitchen.

Immediately catch some of the apprentices' bad habits.

"The apprentice's bad habits must be corrected first. If it really doesn't work, Big Brother and Fifth Brother, tell me and I can fire him directly."

Hearing this, the two brothers were shocked.

Then the two brothers turned their heads and glanced at the kitchen.

Sure enough, I saw some problems with the apprentices.

"What are you guys doing at the water table? Didn't I tell you to clean up the garbage on the water table in time? Don't you smell anything?"

"How do you place the pork elbows? Today is a wedding banquet, and we must serve whole pork elbows at wedding banquets. Don't you know that? What are you guys doing?"

After hearing what Li Huidong said, several apprentices near the water platform quickly started to clean up the garbage in the pool.

The apprentice in charge of the pork elbow stopped cutting the pork elbow when he heard what Cao Zhiguo said.

Cao Zhiguo then said to Bao Feng, who was in charge of the pork elbow, "The pork elbow is covered with sugar and covered with juice. Where's your juice? Is that how you plan to serve it?"

Feng Zhengming was still not satisfied with what his fifth senior brother said, so he continued to give orders.

"Put all the elbows in a clay pot instead of a plate. Put them all in a clay pot. Cover the entire surface of the elbow with the thickened soup. Make sure the soup is on the skin of the elbow. Cover the clay pot with a lid when serving, and write the word "happiness" on the lid.

Haven’t we said all this before? Why don’t you do it now?”

Feng Zhengming's order stunned everyone in the kitchen.

Because he was not at Huiquanlou during this time, the pork elbows were indeed served on a plate.

Feng Zhengming had previously stipulated that the wedding banquet pork elbow must be served in a clay pot. It must be covered when served, and the word "happiness" must be written on the lid.

After a mistake was made in a hurry, it was temporarily cancelled by Li Huidong.

But today Feng Zhengming came back and gave the order.

Naturally, Li Huidong had to listen to his junior fellow apprentice.

"Don't just stand there, quickly change all the casseroles, go to the storeroom and get the wedding characters, get everything ready before serving, and go get back all the pork elbows that were sent out earlier."

After hearing Li Huidong's words, everyone in the kitchen immediately became busy.

Li Huidong saw this scene and apologized to his junior fellow apprentice in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, Zhengming. I cancelled the idea of ​​serving pork elbow in a casserole at the wedding banquet. Also, you haven't been home for a while, so maybe everyone was slow to respond to your orders."

Feng Zhengming, on the other hand, was not angry at all.

Because he saw that the eldest brother kept the kitchen in order.

And even if he came back, everyone in the kitchen would obey the orders of the eldest brother.

It made him feel very happy.

This was a move he had already thought of.

Only the eldest and fifth brothers have absolute prestige in the kitchen of Huiquanlou.

Only then would he be able to hand over Huiquanlou to his two senior brothers with peace of mind.

In Feng Zhengming's plan, the eldest senior brother would be the best chef in the kitchen of Huiquanlou.

Fifth Senior Brother can cooperate with First Senior Brother, and perhaps in the future Fifth Senior Brother can be allowed to work as the head chef in the kitchen of a restaurant in another place.

The third senior brother should also stay in Quancheng, mainly responsible for Feng Zhengming’s dry restaurant in Quancheng.

Moreover, with several senior brothers around, Feng Zhengming can rest assured to entrust the subsequent training of the company's branch employees to them.

We regularly send some employees from branches across the country to Quancheng for training and exchanges.

With three senior brothers in charge, there will be absolutely no problem.

In this way, Feng Zhengming can be bold and confident and travel around the province to promote the implementation of his own restaurant and hotel standards.

By the way, we can also recommend branches in various places to gradually operate.

With his three senior brothers guarding the rear, Feng Zhengming will have no worries when running.

Feng Zhengming smiled and responded to his senior brother: "Brother, you don't need to apologize to me. It is only right for you to establish your prestige in the kitchen of Huiquanlou. Only when you have established enough prestige can you help me manage Huiquanlou better."

This surprised Li Huidong a little.

It was Cao Zhiguo who quickly came to his senses.

"Hahaha, I get it. It's obvious that he wants us to guard the rear for him."

After hearing what Cao Zhiguo said, Li Huidong quickly understood.

It turned out that the junior fellow asked him to come to the kitchen of Huiquanlou not to let the senior fellow be his assistant.

The younger junior brother wants to give up the position of head chef in the kitchen of Huiquanlou to his senior brother.

After Li Huidong figured it out, he looked at his junior fellow apprentice and said, "So this is your plan."

Feng Zhengming saw that his senior brother already understood.

"Hahaha, big brother, you can't regret it now. Anyway, you can't go back to the cafeteria, and there are no other restaurants or restaurants in Quancheng worthy of you, so just be a good chef in Huiquanlou."

The fifth brother was also convinced that the eldest brother was the head chef.

But he asked curiously, "Zhengming, you handed Huiquanlou over to Senior Brother and me, and the Ganfanpu was basically handed over to Third Brother. Are you going to concentrate on promoting that set of standards?"

Feng Zhengming did not hide anything from his two senior brothers.

"Yes, we need to promote standards, do more work, and open branches. We need to open at least five branches next year."

"Five? So many?"

The two brothers exclaimed almost at the same time.

This exclamation also attracted the attention of many people in the kitchen.

Li Huidong could only ask everyone to cook seriously again.

"Be serious, don't think about eavesdropping. If you don't want to cherish this opportunity to cook, then we will do it, and you all go to the side."

After hearing what Li Huidong said, the chefs in the kitchen immediately started to cook seriously and did not dare to eavesdrop anymore.

For young chefs in the kitchen, they still cherish the opportunity to cook.

After all, they will soon have to face the provincial youth chef cooking exchange competition.

If you don't seize the opportunity to practice more before the competition, how can you surpass your opponents?
I saw other people in the kitchen continuing to be busy.

Li Huidong asked with some concern: "Opening five branches at once, isn't that too much? Not to mention whether you have that much money, if you open so many branches, do you have enough energy to manage them?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Brother, I don't have to take care of it myself."

The fifth brother was puzzled: "You don't take care of it yourself? Then who do you want to take care of it for you?"

Without waiting for Feng Zhengming to answer, the eldest senior brother understood.

"Are you planning to select the right people from the young chef cooking competition? Let those young chefs from the places where you plan to open branches help you manage their local branches?"

Feng Zhengming was somewhat surprised when his senior brother pointed it out to him.

"Brother, you actually guessed it?"

The fifth senior brother thought about it carefully and immediately praised Feng Zhengming's idea.

"This is a really good idea. Those young chefs who come to participate in the provincial young chef cooking competition must hope to get better job opportunities after showing themselves."

Li Huidong took over the conversation: "At this time, it is clear that you, the top scholar, have appeared and extended an olive branch to them, and they do not need to leave their hometowns. Then they will definitely be happy to join your company and help you manage the branches in their local areas."

After listening to the speculations and analysis of his two senior brothers, Feng Zhengming had a smile on his face.

"It seems that these things really cannot be hidden from you, Big Brother and Fifth Brother."

The fifth brother went on to say, "And Lao Liu, the reason why you must open your first branch in Yancheng is so that Lao Liu can help you manage it."

Feng Zhengming nodded: "Yes, I have also discussed this with Sixth Brother."

Cao Zhiguo looked at his eldest senior brother and said, "This guy has plotted against all of us. The second senior brother is at home, and the fourth senior brother is abroad. He can't plot against us for the time being, but we can't escape."

Li Huidong smiled and asked, "How about you plot against him as well?"

This made Cao Zhiguo depressed: "How could I have the ability to plot against him? If I had that ability, I wouldn't have returned from the capital in disgrace."

Feng Zhengming put his arms around his two brothers and said, "Fifth brother, don't be discouraged. Those people in Beijing don't know what's good. We brothers will work hard together to gain a foothold in Qi and Lu. In the future, we brothers will all become masters of Shandong cuisine." (End of this chapter)