From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Jiang Chengzhe agreed to help him open a store in Shanghai, which made Feng Zhengming very happy.

"Okay, if you help me, I will have more confidence to open a store in Shanghai."

Luo Qing took the opportunity to ask, "Azhe, do you think it's okay to open a hotel in your Hong Kong city?"

Jiang Chengzhe was stunned for a moment, and he looked at Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing.

After hesitating for a while, he answered honestly.

“No, the restaurants that are recognized by most people in Hong Kong are basically the old restaurants.

Zhengming should understand that old customers go to old restaurants to eat, and in many cases they are already accustomed to the taste of the old restaurant. It is not easy to get them to change their taste and accept new tastes.

In addition, many people have left Hong Kong in recent years, especially some wealthy people with assets overseas, many of whom have chosen to leave. "

Feng Zhengming couldn't help but laugh and interjected, "They left not because they have assets overseas, but because they were worried that if they didn't leave, their past illegal businesses might be exposed and they would end up being tried, right?"

Jiang Chengzhe hesitated again, but finally nodded.

"Yes, Zhengming, you are right, but if they leave, it will definitely lead to the decline of some restaurants in Hong Kong City."

Luo Qing was a little puzzled: "Why would their departure lead to the decline of Hong Kong City's catering industry?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and answered helpfully: "It's very simple. If the people who have money to eat leave, it will be difficult to support high-end restaurants."

Jiang Chengzhe nodded: "Yes, most of those people's money may indeed come from illegal sources, but it is precisely because of their illegal sources that they dare to spend lavishly."

Feng Zhengming is very confident: "It seems that we made the right choice in choosing Shanghai. Shanghai will soon become a new wealth gathering place in Asia."

Jiang Chengzhe also agrees with this point.

“That’s right. Shanghai has a longer history of development than Hong Kong. Moreover, Shanghai is backed by the country and is a bridgehead for the country to show itself to the outside world. In this respect, it has an advantage over Hong Kong.

The most important thing is that Hong Kong only has finance, but Shanghai still has more industries.

Industry is the key to the prosperity of a city or a country in the future.”

Because Jiang Chengzhe is in Hong Kong, he can travel more smoothly to the surrounding Southeast Asian countries.

He has witnessed the situation in many Southeast Asian countries with his own eyes.

So Jiang Chengzhe is very clear that it seems that the countries in Southeast Asia are better than those in China now.

But those are nothing but rootless duckweed, very empty castles in the air.

"Before you came this time, I was invited to Europe to attend a family dinner hosted by a wealthy man from Hong Kong. After the dinner, the wealthy man invited me back.

He felt that I was well-versed in both Eastern and Western culture and should develop my career in Europe. He was even willing to invest in a restaurant for me.

He told me that Asia might face a huge dilemma in the future, and some overseas financial giants would step in to reap the benefits.”

When Feng Zhengming heard Jiang Chengzhe's words, he almost immediately thought of the impending Asian financial crisis.

It was indeed a terrible crisis that engulfed all of Southeast Asia.

The real capital tycoons overseas will completely destroy the economic miracle of Southeast Asian countries.

The domestic situation will also be affected to some extent, but it will also be an opportunity for the domestic market.

Amidst the turbulent weather, the port city will also suffer a considerable blow.

This will indeed cause a lot of overseas funds to start flowing into Shanghai.

So even though the country will also suffer a period of pain.

But once you get through that period, the first round of leap opportunities will come in the millennium.

Feng Zhengming was very clear that he also needed to plan and layout in advance in order to be able to seize the first round of leap opportunities.

After getting the first round of opportunities, Feng Zhengming became confident and decided to further promote his restaurant standards.

After all, the funds required for those things are still quite huge.

As long as he can gain a foothold in Shanghai and let the city gradually accept his standards, the resistance to promoting them across the country will naturally be much smaller.

So Feng Zhengming knew very well that he needed Jiang Chengzhe's help.

Jiang Chengzhe is just as the Hong Kong tycoon commented, he is a young chef who has truly learned both Eastern and Western cultures.

He has solid basic skills in Chinese cuisine and also has some creative ideas in Western cuisine.

He won't be bound by rules.

This is the talent Feng Zhengming needs.

He is the key helper for him to gain a foothold in Shanghai.

Because of the current national conditions and even the conditions in the next many years.

It is not easy to get the Chinese people to recognize your own standards.

But if your standards are recognized by foreigners first, then it will be easy to be recognized domestically.

In addition, Feng Zhengming also won the title of top champion in the National Cooking Skills Competition.

Everything will be easier to promote and more easily recognized by the public.

The standard concept that Feng Zhengming has already thought of is very simple.

First of all, make sure your guests are well fed.

He didn't want a little bit of food on a plate like in the future, which was called exquisiteness.

As a chef, if you can't make your guests full, you are not qualified.

The second thing is the presentation of the dish and the harmony of flavors.

Everyone has different tastes, so it is almost impossible to make a dish that everyone likes.

Therefore, according to Feng Zhengming's standards, there is no absolute deliciousness, only the harmony of taste.

Try to find the greatest common divisor possible.

It means that most people will not find it unpalatable.

The same goes for the presentation of the dish.

Feng Zhengming’s standard is that if the food on the plate is inedible, then there is no need to put it on the plate.

What the chef cooks is the dishes, so even if the presentation of the dish requires artistic elements, it must be beautiful enough.

Feng Zhengming also insists that everything on the plate must be edible.

It cannot be eaten purely as a decoration, but it can be made in a cooking skills competition and shown to the judges by looking at the plate.

But in a restaurant, everything on the plate served to customers must be edible.

Jiang Chengzhe was surprised after hearing Feng Zhengming's standards.

Are these standards simple?
very simple.

Jiang Chengzhe even feels that these should be the basics that any chef should be able to do.

But after thinking about it carefully, Jiang Chengzhe quickly realized.

These simple standards may not be met well by every chef or every restaurant.

“Hahaha, your standards are very simple, but I’m afraid they will make those restaurants and hotels very uncomfortable.”

Feng Zhengming also laughed.

Of course he knew that this set of standards would definitely make many chefs, restaurants and hotels feel uncomfortable.

The simpler the standard, the harder it is to persist in doing well and to do well.

Feng Zhengming spoke very frankly to Jiang Chengzhe.

"I will first promote it in Qilu, so that restaurants and hotels in Qilu can get familiar with it first. After that, we will open a restaurant in Shanghai and implement it in our own restaurant first."

Jiang Chengzhe asked: "Do you want foreigners to help you promote it?"

Seeing that Jiang Chengzhe had guessed this, Feng Zhengming did not hide it from him.

"Yes, I have such a plan. I want to open a restaurant in Shanghai and win the favor of some foreigners so that they can help praise our standards." Jiang Chengzhe smiled: "We can also ask Hong Kong celebrities to help promote it."

Feng Zhengming also laughed.

This is indeed a very good idea.

It's a bit strange if you think about it carefully.

It is obvious that the overall standards are more suitable for domestic use.

As a result, it requires foreigners and Hong Kong celebrities to recognize, praise and help promote it first.

Feng Zhengming, Jiang Chengzhe and Luo Qing in the room all knew it clearly.

Nowadays, this is the best way to promote and get started.

Jiang Chengzhe thought for a moment and said, "It should be fine. Zhengming's cooking is always full of creative ideas, and we all think your dishes are not Ru dishes at all."

Feng Zhengming looked helpless: "It's just that everyone has too strong a stereotype about Shandong cuisine."

After a brief pause, Feng Zhengming still pointed out everyone’s stereotype about Shandong cuisine.

"Everyone thinks Shandong cuisine must be black and sticky, and they also misunderstand that Shandong cuisine is heavy in oil and salt, and has a strong taste, and must be very salty."

Luo Qing couldn't help but ask: "How could that be? We obviously have a lot of light dishes, like stir-fried pork tenderloin, how light is that?

There is also the lotus crab, which is a dish that retains the freshness of the crab to the greatest extent possible, without any excessive seasoning. "

Luo Qing can cite many examples in one breath.

But Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe knew all this.

But it is still difficult to change other people's stereotypes about Shandong cuisine.

Feng Zhengming is very determined: "If we are going to do it in Shanghai, we must surprise everyone and change everyone's stereotype of Shandong cuisine in one fell swoop, so that everyone can truly experience the beauty of Shandong cuisine's harmony."

After saying this, Feng Zhengming looked at Jiang Chengzhe and said, "Of course, Ah Zhe, you will also have to cook some Cantonese dishes. Our restaurant in Shanghai mainly serves Shandong and Cantonese cuisines."

Jiang Chengzhe nodded happily and agreed: "Okay, a restaurant that combines Shandong cuisine and Cantonese cuisine, hahahaha, it's interesting just thinking about it."

Luo Qing watched Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe chatting happily.

She was also very happy for her husband.

In Luo Qing's eyes, such a husband with full of fighting spirit is the most attractive.

As we chatted, time passed very quickly and before we knew it, it was already dark outside.

Feng Zhengming also received a call inviting them to go downstairs to attend the welcome dinner.

Then Feng Zhengming, Luo Qing and Jiang Chengzhe went downstairs together.

While riding the elevator, I met several Hong Kong celebrities again.

The other party knew Jiang Chengzhe, so they took the initiative to greet Jiang Chengzhe.

Jiang Chengzhe introduced Feng Zhengming to the other party.

I learned that Feng Zhengming was the champion of the National Cooking Skills Competition, and was also the chef who came up with the idea for the dish "Map of the Mountains and Rivers of the Motherland" at the state banquet before his return.

This made several Hong Kong celebrities and famous people in the elevator look at him with admiration.

Everyone was very polite and took the initiative to shake hands and greet Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming shook hands and greeted them in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

Feng Zhengming responded to some of their compliments with a polite smile.

Luo Qing, standing next to Feng Zhengming, also brought him a lot of glory.

Even several celebrities from Hong Kong City praised Luo Qing for her beauty and said she could definitely become a star in Hong Kong City.

This time Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing knew that Jiang Chengzhe's previous words were not a compliment.

Feng Zhengming and his team took the elevator to the third floor of the hotel, where their welcome dinner was held.

I said goodbye to several Hong Kong celebrities in the elevator.

Luo Qing held Feng Zhengming's arm, and they followed Jiang Chengzhe to the restaurant.

When the restaurant door opened, it was already very lively inside.

Chefs from all over the country who came for exchanges have already arrived.

Young chefs from all over the country also seem a little timid in such scenes.

The chefs participating in the state banquet from all over the country seemed somewhat restrained when facing some famous chefs and representatives from all walks of life in Hong Kong.

Now Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing were seen walking in with their heads held high.

Immediately, reporters from Hong Kong media on the scene rushed to take pictures.

At the same time, famous chefs from Hong Kong and mainland China flocked to him.

Vice President Li from Yangcheng came to Feng Zhengming first.

"Zhengming, you finally came down."

Feng Zhengming lowered his voice: "What's wrong? I see that the preparations here are going well. The atmosphere of the conversation just now was also good. Is there any big problem?"

Vice President Li smiled bitterly: "Don't you see? We need you to keep things under control here."

Feng Zhengming couldn't help laughing: "Hahaha, Senior Brother Li, you guys are really too modest. You are not worse than those famous chefs in Hong Kong. Even though they have a lot of people, the number of people participating in the state banquet is not as many as ours."

When saying this, Feng Zhengming no longer tried to lower his voice.

Naturally, many people at the scene could hear it clearly.

The state banquet chefs from the mainland seemed to have found a backbone, and their backs straightened up immediately.

In fact, the reason why Feng Zhengming came was that Vice President Li and others felt that there was a lack of someone to calm the situation.

The main reason is some young chefs who came here from all over the place.

When they came to such a scene, they obviously lost the courage to challenge Feng Zhengming face to face.

Not only did they all huddle to one side like little quails.

There are even some young chefs who took the initiative to show their goodwill to the chefs in Hong Kong City and expressed their desire to stay in Hong Kong City.

As a result, some Hong Kong chefs present today who were not so familiar with mainland chefs suddenly acted arrogantly.

But this atmosphere was directly broken by Feng Zhengming's arrival.

Feng Zhengming was wearing a well-fitting suit and there was a beautiful lady holding his arm.

He was also accompanied by Jiang Chengzhe, a young chef who has become famous in Hong Kong in recent years.

All of a sudden, the aura was enough to intimidate everyone.

At this time, Li Guansheng and the hotel owner came over together.

"Zhengming, you finally came down. We have all been waiting for you, the top scholar."

Li Guansheng first greeted Feng Zhengming, and then introduced the owner of the hotel to Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming smiled and took the initiative to shake hands with the hotel owner.

He also introduced his wife Luo Qing.

The hotel owner is also a well-known wealthy man in Hong Kong. He was quite polite when he saw Feng Zhengming and also praised Luo Qing for being very beautiful.

At this moment, the door of the big restaurant was pushed open again, and this time some people from the Special Zone came in.

Li Guansheng and the hotel owner also took the initiative to step forward.

Afterwards, he still introduced Feng Zhengming first.

Seeing that someone from the Special Administrative Region had come in person, many Hong Kong tycoons at the scene were also very polite to Feng Zhengming.

Whether it is the chefs from the mainland or the famous chefs in Hong Kong, they have finally realized the importance of Feng Zhengming, the top scholar. (End of this chapter)