From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Led by Feng Zhengming and his junior uncle Huang Tao, two gourmets from Hong Kong, Mr. Cai and Wei Ling, participated in the judging.

There are also several veteran masters in Shanghai who can serve as professional instructors.

A recommended guide to restaurants in Shanghai was finally released after the National Day.

At first, not many people may pay attention to this recommended guide.

However, this recommended guide soon appeared in major newsstands in Shanghai, and also appeared in free newspaper counters at train stations where people could read freely.

Gradually, this recommendation guide was quickly spread among all walks of life in Shanghai.

At the beginning, many people just picked it up and flipped through it casually out of curiosity.

As a result, many people couldn't let it go.

This recommendation guide recommends many restaurants in Shanghai.

There are street snacks and various small restaurants in the streets and alleys, which are usually frequented by many Shanghai locals.

There are also three Chinese fast food restaurants owned by Feng Zhengming in Shanghai.

As well as some restaurants that Shanghai locals may be very familiar with.

This recommendation guide will include comments from Feng Zhengming, Huang Tao, Mr. Cai, Wei Ling and several Shanghai-based masters.

They introduce the restaurants recommended in the guide from various angles.

Almost everything in the restaurant is described in great detail.

There are even some photos of the various restaurants in the recommended guide.

Of course, in addition to introducing each restaurant, the most important thing in the recommendation guide is to leave the address of each restaurant, and even mark the transportation around the recommended restaurants.

At the end of this recommended guide booklet, there is a message from Feng Zhengming, the national top scholar, to people coming to Shanghai.

"Welcome everyone to Shanghai. My name is Feng Zhengming. Many of you may know that I am the champion of the 3rd National Cooking Skills Exchange Competition.

The reason why I worked with the chefs in Shanghai and invited two gourmets from Hong Kong, as well as my uncle, the famous food critic Huang Tao, to create this recommendation guide.

This is because more and more people are coming to Shanghai nowadays, whether they are coming to study, work, or travel.

Everyone must be worried about not being able to find a suitable restaurant to eat in Shanghai.

Our recommendation guide lists the restaurants in Shanghai that we think are of good value for money and provide recommendations for you. We hope that you can eat well and have enough food while studying, working and traveling in Shanghai.

If you go to the recommended guide to eat at a restaurant, you can leave us a message if you have any suggestions.

We receive feedback from everyone and will also supervise some restaurants to ask them to ensure the taste and quality of their dishes.

Finally, I wish everyone can eat well and live well. "

Feng Zhengming's words at the end of the recommendation guide moved many people.

Especially those who come to Shanghai from other places to study and work.

Many of them left their hometowns and felt somewhat alienated in this strange city of Shanghai.

Normally, I always feel that many foods in Shanghai are completely unacceptable.

However, the appearance of this recommendation guide has enabled many people to find a restaurant that suits them immediately.

The key is that the restaurants recommended by Feng Zhengming and others are not expensive.

The taste includes different flavors from all over the world.

As a result, a large number of outsiders in Shanghai regard this recommended guide as a food map of Shanghai.

The locals in Shanghai also quickly found the parts they liked from the recommended guide.

These are some small Shanghai cuisine restaurants recommended by some Shanghai cuisine chefs.

These small restaurants recommended by the chefs of Shanghai local cuisine are often not the very famous Shanghai local cuisine restaurants, but some old restaurants in small streets and alleys.

This is very useful for many people who already like the old alley style of Shanghai.

Of course, there will also be some outsiders who, based on the recommended guides, specifically look for these small local cuisine restaurants, hoping to taste the authentic local cuisine.

The recommended guidelines were published in Shanghai more than a month later.

Shanghai TV station found Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao again and wanted to interview them.

This was naturally part of Feng Zhengming's plan, as he knew the TV station would definitely look for him.

Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao were interviewed by the TV station together.

The interview program with them was soon broadcast on a local TV station in Shanghai.

During the interview, Shanghai TV first asked Feng Zhengming questions openly.

"Feng Zhuangyuan, you are a Shandong cuisine chef. Why did you think of opening a restaurant in Shanghai? And you opened four restaurants in Shanghai at once. Were you really so confident in your skills from the beginning?"

Feng Zhengming also responded quite directly: "Hahaha, I am indeed very confident in my skills."

This answer caused an exclamation at the scene.

These words were not rehearsed beforehand.

So what Feng Zhengming said at the scene was indeed a bit unexpected to everyone.

Feng Zhengming then spoke according to the lines that had been discussed in advance.

"In fact, I think that both Shandong cuisine and local cuisine are part of our Chinese cuisine. Perhaps there is a big difference in taste between Shandong cuisine and local cuisine.

But this has something to do with the tastes of people in different places. It should be said that this is what our ancients often called the different water and soil.

But in terms of cooking techniques, the cooking techniques in various parts of the country are basically the same.

Since there are common techniques, Shandong cuisine and local cuisine can also be common, as can other cuisines.”

Feng Zhengming's answer was recognized by many viewers after it was broadcast.

Everyone also thinks that there shouldn't be much difference in cooking across the country.

Afterwards, Feng Zhengming introduced his original intention of opening a store in Shanghai.

“I came to Shanghai to open a restaurant because I wanted more people to understand Shandong cuisine and not be influenced by stereotypes that make people think Shandong cuisine is sticky and black.

In fact, there are many cooking techniques for Shandong cuisine. Not all dishes are sticky and black, and not all Shandong cuisine is necessarily salty.

Just like local cuisine, not all of it is overly sweet, there are many dishes that can be adapted.”

After introducing his own restaurant, Feng Zhengming then introduced himself and his junior uncle Huang Tao, found the chefs of Shanghai local cuisine, and invited two gourmets from Hong Kong to make a recommendation guide for Shanghai restaurants.

"We made that booklet because we hope that people who come to Shanghai can eat what they like in Shanghai, and can also enjoy delicious food when studying, working and traveling in Shanghai."

This TV interview can be said to have once again raised the reputation of Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao in Shanghai.

Similarly, their recommendation guide has gradually become a must-read for many people looking for restaurants in Shanghai.

And it wasn’t long before the recommended guidelines gained popularity.

Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao invited Mr. Cai, Wei Ling, and several chefs from Shanghai to hang their specially customized signs on the restaurants recommended in the guidebook in the presence of TV stations and newspapers.

Under the follow-up reports on television and newspapers in Shanghai.

When one by one the restaurants were listed in the recommended guide, Feng Zhengming personally went to the door to put up the signs.

These restaurant owners were all very excited.

Because many of them are small street restaurants.

There are even restaurants in the family quarters in the old alleys.

These small restaurants usually serve the locals nearby or outsiders who rent nearby.

Because it is usually impossible to hire any staff to run such a small restaurant, most of the restaurants are run by the boss's family.

They work hard every day and naturally have no time to pay attention to restaurant recommendation guides.

Perhaps some of them learned about this booklet recommending some restaurants in Shanghai after watching reports on TV.

But most of them didn't expect that Feng Zhengming would come to their restaurant to hang signs for them.

The owners of these small restaurants were all surprised to receive this sign.

Feng Zhengming also smiled and expressed his views to the owners of these small restaurants.

"This sign is not only a recognition of your craftsmanship, but more of an encouragement to you. If your craftsmanship is not good enough and diners complain that you are cutting corners, I may have to unveil the sign next year."

I heard Feng Zhengming say that if the restaurant was not run well and the food was not good, he would come to unveil the sign.

The television and newspaper reporters who were filming the scene were all amazed.

Similarly, several old chefs of local cuisine, Mr. Cai and Wei Ling, also laughed at this practice.

This approach was decided after Feng Zhengming discussed it with everyone.

We want to use this brand and recommended guidelines to put some pressure on everyone.

If the small restaurant cannot stick to its deliciousness, it will definitely lose this listing and the recommendations they now have.

Most of the small restaurant owners said they would stick to their craft.

After all, for the owners of these small restaurants.

Most of them originally did business in the nearby neighborhood.

If the cooking skills are not good, the neighbors will naturally not eat it all the time.

Therefore, it is not difficult for them to stick to their craft.

After this round of listing was over, Feng Zhengming finally issued a call.

"Shanghai is our window to the outside world. Since it is going to become an international metropolis, I believe it should be more tolerant and inclusive, and there needs to be substantial progress in all aspects.

I also hope that the food here will be improved and that it can become a food city that can stand on par with the famous food capitals overseas.

I hope that all my colleagues in the catering industry in Shanghai, whether they are chefs or bosses, can improve their skills.

Maybe next year, we’ll go to your store, and maybe next year you’ll be on the recommended guide.

It has become a restaurant we recommend as a must-eat when visiting Shanghai.”

Feng Zhengming said this in front of the TV camera and newspaper reporters.

Naturally, it was reported in the newspaper the next day and was also reported as news by Shanghai TV station.

Soon, this incident caused an uproar in Shanghai.

The recommended guide was quickly sold out, forcing Huang Tao to contact the manufacturer to print more copies.

With various reports in the news and newspapers, the news gradually spread.

Not only Shanghai, but surrounding provinces have also begun to pay attention.

Later, as recommended guidelines began to appear in other parts of the country.

Feng Zhengming's Shanghai restaurant recommendation guide quickly spread across the country.

At the same time, Qilu’s restaurant recommendation guide also quickly gained attention.

Before this recommended guide to Shanghai became famous.

Qilu’s restaurant recommendation guide is only circulated within the province.

But since this book from Shanghai became famous throughout the country.

The Qilu Recommended Guide also quickly gained attention and spread from Qilu.

Wait until these two restaurant recommendation guides by Feng Zhengming cause enough of a sensation.

It is placed on the desks of nationally renowned chefs, some judges of national cooking competitions, and even on the desks of some people in Beijing who are in charge of national catering and chef management.

Everyone finally realized what a great thing Feng Zhengming, the national top scholar, had done.

The two booklets sparked a nationwide discussion on cooking and food.

Many people took the two booklets and went to various places in Shandong and Shanghai to eat at the restaurants recommended in the booklets.

Judging from the feedback from people who go there specifically to taste the food.

Almost everyone thought the restaurants recommended in the brochure were really delicious.

Perhaps not every recommended restaurant will suit everyone's taste.

But if you read the restaurant introduction in the brochure carefully.

It will be easy to find that the conditions of each restaurant are almost exactly the same as described in the introduction.

The so-called identical here does not just refer to the decoration inside and outside the restaurant.

It refers more to the evaluation of various dishes in the restaurant.

For example, some small restaurants serving local cuisine in Shanghai will have detailed instructions on their recommendation guides stating that the restaurant specializes in local cuisine, and will also include comments from Feng Zhengming, Huang Tao, Mr. Cai, Wei Ling and several Shanghai chefs.

There are subjective reviews and professional reviews.

But once you have eaten there, you will find that the reviews are really comprehensive and can match everyone's different experiences.

This pairing made many people very convinced of Feng Zhengming's recommendation of this booklet.

This will naturally promote the wider dissemination of the booklet.

At the same time, the pamphlet was widely circulated throughout the country.

Feng Zhengming arranged several stores in Shanghai and headed south to Hangzhou with his wife and daughter.

The family of three went to participate in the 4th National Cooking Skills Competition.

Of course, this time Feng Zhengming is no longer a contestant, he has become an important judge in the competition.

Because individuals were allowed to register for the competition this year, there were too many applicants for the individual competition, so trials were held in three individual competition zones set up across the country.

The three individual competition zones are Shicheng, Hangcheng and Wucheng.

All three cities specially invited Feng Zhengming to visit.

Among them, the invitation from Hangzhou was the strongest, and even the provincial leaders came to Shanghai to find Feng Zhengming.

Originally, Feng Zhengming wanted to go to Shicheng, the capital of Hebei Province in the north, to serve as a judge.

After all, they are all in the north, and most of the chefs in Shicheng will definitely focus on Shandong cuisine.

But Hangzhou’s invitation was so strong that they even contacted and booked a hotel for him, his wife and children.

In the end, Feng Zhengming felt too embarrassed to turn down Hangzhou's enthusiastic invitation.

He had no choice but to agree to go to Hangzhou, and went south to Hangzhou with his wife and daughter.

As soon as Feng Zhengming and his team got off the plane, they were warmly welcomed by Hangzhou.

The scene shocked Feng Zhengming, his wife and his one-year-old daughter.

Fortunately, the little girl doesn’t understand anything now, and because her mother often takes her to her father’s store in Shanghai, she is not shy at all.

Seeing the welcoming scene in Hangzhou, the little girl thought it was quite interesting and danced and laughed in her father's arms. (End of this chapter)