From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Chapter 830: Happy New Year to Uncle Master
During the Spring Festival, Feng Zhengming brought his wife and daughter to pay New Year's greetings to his master together with his fellow brothers.

Then he took his wife and daughter to pay New Year's greetings to several master craftsmen in Quancheng.

He knew very well that the reason he could do his job so easily in Shanghai was also due to the help of several masters from Quancheng.

If it weren't for the old masters in charge, Feng Zhengming would not have left Quancheng for long.

Maybe his position as chef association president will be replaced by someone else.

If there is any matter in the provincial chefs association, it is impossible for them to inform him, the president in Shanghai, immediately.

Although for Feng Zhengming, he no longer cares about the title of president.

If he were really replaced by someone else, it wouldn't have much impact on him.

But after all, several old masters were helping him, so Feng Zhengming should indeed go and wish them a happy new year.

The old masters also appreciated Feng Zhengming's respect for them.

Of course, when Feng Zhengming visits to wish everyone a happy new year, the old masters will also take the opportunity to recommend their own apprentices.

This does not mean that the masters want to help their disciples get a good position with Feng Zhengming.

The old masters recommended Feng Zhengming, hoping that their disciples could go to the kitchen of Feng Zhengming's store to learn.

The old masters are very clear that if we talk about restaurants that cook Shandong cuisine well and can give apprentices experience, the first choice must be Feng Zhengming's restaurants.

Although you can’t go directly to Feng Zhengming’s two stores in Shanghai.

But if you could visit his several stores in Quancheng, or his five stores across the province, you could learn a lot.

The most important thing, of course, is the blessing that can be gained from reputation.

After all, I have worked in the kitchen of Zhuangyuan restaurant.

If you say this to others, you will be looked up to in the kitchens of other restaurants and hotels.

Most chefs can’t run such a big business like Feng Zhengming.

After they become apprentices, they still need to rely on their experience with their master to gain the favor of some restaurant and hotel owners in order to get better treatment or enter a famous restaurant.

In response to the recommendations from the masters, Feng Zhengming did not just give a perfunctory response.

Feng Zhengming is aware of the friendship that the old masters have shown him over the years.

He basically talked in detail with the master chefs about the things going on in the kitchen of his store.

“It’s not that there is no shortage of staff in the kitchens of my stores. I do have a shortage of staff all the time, but the requirements for the kitchens in my stores are relatively high, and all those who enter the kitchens need to be retrained.

The most important thing is that once you enter the kitchen, you must listen to the chef in each store's kitchen.

I am afraid that the people you recommend will have conflicts with the chefs in my restaurant."

Feng Zhengming didn't say that he didn't want anyone, he just wanted to say some unpleasant words first.

How do people enter the kitchen of each store?

How do you do your work after you get in?

What other requirements will there be in the kitchen?

Feng Zhengming must explain all these in advance.

After making it clear, are you still willing to work in the kitchens of your own stores? Or not? That is a personal choice.

The old masters also understood what Feng Zhengming meant.

I know it’s not easy for his stores to build a good reputation.

He has strict requirements for the kitchen staff, and these old masters can understand that.

So after chatting, the old masters all expressed it.

They will pass on the message to their disciples. As for whether they should work in the kitchens of Feng Zhengming's stores, it depends on their own choice.

Feng Zhengming was greatly relieved when he saw the wise advice of the old masters.

During the New Year's greetings, Feng Zhengming also paid special tribute to his uncle Huang Tao.

Huang Tao never expected that Feng Zhengming would take the time to visit his home to wish him a happy New Year.

Over the years, Huang Tao started out as a cook and later went to the south to become the editor-in-chief of a food magazine.

Later, I returned to Quancheng and helped Feng Zhengming to organize the Qilu Flavor magazine.

It can be said that Huang Tao also has a very rich life experience.

Some time ago, Huang Tao also had differences with Feng Zhengming on the magazine's concept.

Huang Tao wants to make some more commercial attempts.

He believes that simply attracting food lovers to buy magazines will not work.

So Huang Tao's idea was to make good use of Feng Zhengming's title as the top scholar to attract some sponsors to sponsor the magazine, and then advertise the sponsors' products in the magazine.

Of course, it started with the goal of attracting more people to buy the magazine.

In order to increase the sales of the magazine and attract sponsors, Feng Zhengming, the top scholar, must come forward to help promote the magazine.

Huang Tao even thought about having Feng Zhengming, in the name of the president of the Chefs Association, ask all chefs in the province to subscribe to a batch of magazines.

Of course, these were all rejected by Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming still hopes that the magazine can be more pure.

Food magazines are meant to introduce food and may include some food-related stories.

But a magazine cannot be filled with all kinds of advertisements.

Later, Huang Tao created a restaurant recommendation guide, which suddenly made the magazine popular, and also made some restaurants popular.

He immediately came up with another idea.

What he was thinking at the time was to simply ask restaurants from all over Qilu to come to him and ask for recommendations on seats.

This allows them to conduct paid auctions for referral positions.

At that time, if there are restaurants and hotels in need and can afford it, they can be included in the recommendation guide.

This was naturally rejected by Feng Zhengming in a stern manner.

Feng Zhengming had a special talk with Huang Tao.

It clearly states that the recommended guide is why many people buy the magazine specifically to read it.

Because the recommended guidelines are absolutely fair and objective.

If the restaurants and hotels recommended in the recommendation guide were all places where the other party had to pay to stay, then there would be no need for the recommendation guide to exist.

Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao had some unpleasantness during that incident.

Later, it was the master's mediation that helped the two people resolve their unpleasantness.

Although the disagreement between the two people's ideas was mediated by the master.

But Huang Tao still felt a little unconvinced.

I feel that Feng Zhengming's approach is too rigid.

I feel that Feng Zhengming doesn't know how to adapt.

He also thinks that Feng Zhengming doesn't care about these trivial matters because he has a big business, but he doesn't understand the ways of the world at all.

Later, when Huang Tao saw Feng Zhengming opened two branches in Shanghai and quickly became famous in Shanghai.

Huang Tao suddenly realized that he might be wrong.

It was learned that Feng Zhengming could open a store in Shanghai and attract a large number of overseas people working in Shanghai to patronize the store. He also used the large number of overseas people to attract many white-collar workers in Shanghai to patronize the store.

Huang Tao realized that he had underestimated Feng Zhengming.

It's not that he doesn't know how it should work.

But he has his own persistence.

When it comes to food, he absolutely cannot tolerate any flaws. He has to make the dish well first before he uses all means to make it work.

Huang Tao could also understand why Feng Zhengming was so strict about the recommended guidelines.

The master chefs must taste it personally, and it also needs to be combined with the experience feedback of some ordinary customers.

Huang Tao understood that Feng Zhengming wanted to establish the authority of the recommended guidelines.

Only by establishing sufficient authority can you continue to influence the operations of restaurants and hotels.

After realizing this, Huang Tao realized the gap between himself and Feng Zhengming in terms of vision.

So after Feng Zhengming came back, Huang Tao felt a little embarrassed to see him.

He never expected that Feng Zhengming would bring his wife and daughter to his home to wish him a happy New Year.

When Huang Tao's wife saw Feng Zhengming coming to their house to pay New Year's greetings, she was really smiling.

"Oh, our top scholar is so busy, but he still remembers to come and wish his uncle a happy new year. It really makes our family proud. Our old Huang has been talking about it, thinking that you, the top scholar, would not come."

Feng Zhengming smiled and responded: "Aunt, you are too polite. I must come to wish my uncle a happy new year. My uncle has helped me a lot in the past two years.

If it weren’t for my uncle’s hard work, the magazine sponsored by our Chefs Association would not have been so popular.

And if it weren’t for my uncle, our recommended guide wouldn’t have been recognized by so many people.”

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, Huang Tao couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

Huang Tao knew very well that if it weren’t for Feng Zhengming’s insistence.

According to his previous thoughts, the recommended guide might have been ruined by him.

Huang Tao hurriedly went with his wife to invite Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing to come in first.

Then Huang Tao asked his wife to take Luo Qing and the child into the house to play with their own children.

Luo Qing and her aunt both understood that Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao had something to say.

The aunt took her daughter and Luo Qing, who was holding the child, into the house.

Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao were the only ones left in the living room.

Huang Tao looked at Feng Zhengming somewhat embarrassedly.

"It turns out that you have good vision. If it weren't for your persistence, our Qilu Restaurant and Wine House Recommendation Guide would have been ruined in my hands."

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Uncle Master, you are too kind. I know your ability. The Guide will not be destroyed in your hands anyway."

Huang Tao couldn't help but ask, "Zhengming, have you ever thought about bringing our magazine to Shanghai? Especially the restaurant recommendation guide?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Uncle Master, I have been thinking about this for a long time, but I may still need your help."

Huang Tao was a little excited when he heard this: "Don't worry, I will definitely do my best to help you."

Feng Zhengming carefully told his junior uncle about some of his plans.

"My idea is this. Let's first cooperate with some well-known magazines in Shanghai. Uncle, you can be the main writer and write some related food articles. Don't write about Shandong cuisine at first, and don't introduce my restaurant.

Let's start by introducing our local cuisine in detail. By then, you may be a little busy, uncle.

Go to Shanghai a few times and do some detailed interviews and research on the various details of local cuisine.

We must understand and explain clearly the relevant aspects of local cuisine.”

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, Huang Tao roughly understood what he was thinking.

"Do you want to first introduce our local cuisine in detail so that people in Shanghai will like our food, and then gradually add some elements of other cuisines?

Finally, we will introduce some specialty restaurants and gradually let everyone accept some of our restaurant recommendations? "

Feng Zhengming smiled: "Yes, it is fun to talk with Master Uncle. Master Uncle will understand immediately."

Huang Tao smiled and said, "To be honest, I have had similar thoughts in the past."

"Really?" Feng Zhengming was a little surprised, "Uncle Master, you didn't implement it?"

Huang Tao nodded: "Yes, I am indeed good at talking, but I can't do it. My craftsmanship is really not good, so even though I can talk about some things very well, I will definitely be criticized by others if I can't do it.

People will say to me, you are talking so much, why don’t you cook for us to try?”

Huang Tao spread his hands and said, "I can't do it. My cooking skills may not be as good as your aunt's."

This made Feng Zhengming laugh.

He knew that Huang Tao's last remark that his cooking skills were not as good as his wife's was just being modest.

Huang Tao is not very proficient in cooking, but he is not the kind of person who knows nothing about it.

In fact, Huang Tao’s cooking skills are good enough to make home-cooked dishes.

Feng Zhengming also learned from his master that his junior uncle Huang Tao always said outside that his cooking skills were not good and that he basically just talked but did not do anything.

But in fact, when he is at home, Huang Tao still often cooks for his wife and daughter.

But his cooking skills are not as good as Feng Zhengming's, nor as good as most professional chefs.

Feng Zhengming avoided the topic of cooking.

"Uncle Master, I know you have been away from home for many years. You must be more familiar with the characteristics of various places. This time you are going to develop in Shanghai, and these advantages of yours will be reflected."

These words touched Huang Tao's heart.

Huang Tao has traveled to many places all over the world over the years.

He still has an appreciation for food.

Therefore, he is familiar with the cuisines of various places.

For example, he would always find the most authentic specialties from different cuisines.

In Huang Tao's own words, his cooking is certainly not as good as many professional chefs, but his taste is still very picky.

This pickyness is what makes Huang Tao so skilled in food tasting.

That's why Feng Zhengming felt at ease and handed over the food magazine of the Qilu Chefs Association to Huang Tao.

However, Huang Tao has also been influenced by external commercial elements in recent years, and he always gives priority to commercial aspects when doing things.

It also became a shackle on his development.

This time, Feng Zhengming's correction of him brought him back to the right track.

Let Huang Tao understand that he should not pursue commercial interests first.

You have to get things done first, and once you have enough influence and fame, it will naturally be easier to make a profit.

Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao talked a lot, and the two of them deduced some details of Shanghai's development.

After discussing with Huang Tao, he did give Feng Zhengming more inspiration.

Feng Zhengming knew that he couldn't do everything well.

After all, many things require help from others.

Only with more professional people helping you can you develop your career better.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

Huang Tao naturally wanted to keep Feng Zhengming at home for dinner.

Huang Tao was originally going to cook, but Feng Zhengming volunteered.

"Uncle Master, let me do it. Normally, you and Auntie would never go to my restaurant to eat. Today, I will cook a meal for you at home and make sure you can taste the flavor of my restaurant."

Huang Tao's daughter was naturally very happy and expectant.

"Great, I can enjoy the cooking skills of the top scholar at home."

In the end, Huang Tao and his wife had no choice but to let Feng Zhengming cook at home.

(End of this chapter)