From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

A few days later, Cheng Guosheng announced his return to Quancheng in a high-profile manner, and even made it to the Quancheng daily newspaper.

He also announced to the entire Quancheng that he had taken back the signboard of Jubin Garden and would reopen Jubin Garden.

The news spread throughout the city of Quanzhou that same day.

Naturally, Feng Zhengming also found out.

His wife Luo Qing was a little worried: "Cheng Guosheng is so high-profile, it's obviously targeting you, you better be careful."

Feng Zhengming smiled when he heard his wife's words: "What can he do to me? He can't find someone to arrest me, right?"

Luo Qing was amused by her husband's words, and thought about it carefully.

If Cheng Guosheng wants to compete with Feng Zhengming, it must be in cooking skills.

When it comes to the competition in cooking skills, Luo Qing still believes more in her husband's ability.

The daughter was in her mother's arms. Although she didn't understand what her parents were saying, she raised her little hand and clenched her fist to her father.

It was as if I was encouraging my father and cheering him up.

When Feng Zhengming saw his daughter's look, he walked up to her, hugged her and kissed her little face.

"Thank you, Youyou, for cheering for Dad. Dad will definitely work hard."

Just talked about Cheng Guosheng with my wife and daughter at home.

The phone at Feng Zhengming's home rang.

After answering the phone, Feng Zhengming simply responded.

"Okay, you guys go ahead and call them first, I'll be there in a minute."

After hanging up the phone, Feng Zhengming looked at his wife and said, "Speak of the devil, he will appear. Uncle He called and said that Cheng Guosheng went to Huiquanlou and said he wanted to visit me."

Luo Qing laughed instead: "You are now the president of the Chefs Association and the Catering Association. If he wants to open a big restaurant like that, he will definitely visit you."

Feng Zhengming corrected his wife: "He should visit Uncle Cui first."

Luo Qing asked, "Hasn't Master Cui handed over all the affairs of the association to you now?"

Feng Zhengming: "It was handed over to me, but Uncle Cui is the elder after all, and Uncle Cui and my master and several other masters are still famous Shandong cuisine chefs, so we should visit them first."

Luo Qing laughed: "Then you can use this to talk about Cheng Guosheng when you meet him."

Feng Zhengming was stunned for a moment: "Hahaha, that's a good point. I'll talk about him when we meet."

After saying goodbye to his daughter, Feng Zhengming put on his coat, took his car keys and went out.

Luo Qing held her daughter to the window and watched her father leave.

After her husband drove away, Luo Qing asked her daughter with a smile.

"Do you think Dad can win?"

Although the little girl didn't understand what her mother said, she could understand when her mother said "Dad".

The little girl immediately babbled and waved her hands.

Seeing her daughter's look, Luo Qing smiled happily: "Okay, then let's go see great grandfather."

Feng Zhengming drove to Huiquanlou. As soon as he entered, he smiled and greeted Cheng Guosheng loudly.

"Brother Cheng, it's great that you're back. Only you, Brother Cheng, are qualified to hang up the old sign of Jubin Garden again."

When Cheng Guosheng saw Feng Zhengming come in, he also stood up from the table where he was drinking tea.

When two people face each other, it is obvious to tell the huge difference between them.

Cheng Guosheng has obviously aged a lot.

Feng Zhengming still looked energetic with his neat crew cut, but his eyes showed more of the accumulation of years.

Cheng Guosheng extended his hand respectfully to Feng Zhengming.

"It's been a long time since I last saw Mr. Feng."

Feng Zhengming smiled and shook hands with Cheng Guosheng.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you. Senior Brother Cheng is still so polite."

Cheng Guosheng said calmly, "Feng Zhuangyuan, I have heard about your achievements now. You are worthy of being the champion of Shandong cuisine. Without you, Shandong cuisine would never be able to go beyond Qilu again."

Feng Zhengming responded with a smile, "I don't dare to take that credit. Even if I am not here, I believe there will be other chefs who will promote Shandong cuisine."

Cheng Guosheng shook his head: "I have been to many places in the past few years, and I think I still have a say. It is difficult for Shandong cuisine to gain a foothold abroad. Now Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine are more popular than our Shandong cuisine.

Even now, Huaiyang cuisine is gradually improving its status, and cuisines like Anhui cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Suzhou cuisine and Hangzhou cuisine also have their own popularity.

Shandong cuisine will seem outdated outside. ”

Feng Zhengming smiled and shook his head: "I don't agree with what Senior Brother Cheng said, and it's also a bit one-sided."

Then he corrected Cheng Guosheng's words.

“Shandong cuisine may seem behind the times, but it is not. If you think about most dishes from all over the country, they all have some trace of Shandong cuisine. Sichuan cuisine has made a name for itself with its spicy taste.

Cantonese cuisine has won a blue ocean with the freshness of high-end ingredients.

Other local cuisines also have their own strengths.

We cannot deny these, but we also cannot deny Shandong cuisine."

Cheng Guosheng was a little surprised by Feng Zhengming's words.

In his heart he had to admit that Feng Zhengming's summary was very accurate.

It is obvious that Feng Zhengming knows more about local cuisines than Cheng Guosheng.

Feng Zhengming continued: "Shandong cuisine has its own set of characteristics. Our seasoning may not be as prominent as that of Sichuan cuisine, nor as fresh, elegant and simple as that of Cantonese cuisine.

But Shandong cuisine relies on our techniques passed down from generation to generation, combined with our more moderate and gentle seasoning, and is the central axis that can harmonize cuisines from all over the world.”

At this moment, Cheng Guosheng realized that he was indeed no match for Feng Zhengming.

Because Feng Zhengming always sticks to his bottom line.

He is constantly learning and integrating the characteristics of other places, but he still regards Shandong cuisine as the core.

Feng Zhengming added the marks of various times to the trunk of Shandong cuisine, a long-standing tree.

Feng Zhengming has never been against food from other cuisines, nor has he resisted new things.

Likewise, he has not denied anything about Shandong cuisine from the bottom of his heart.

He wants to integrate new era elements into the long-standing Shandong cuisine.

Let the towering ancient tree of Shandong cuisine sprout new branches.

From this point of view, Cheng Guosheng is indeed much inferior to Feng Zhengming.

In fact, at this moment, Cheng Guosheng had already lost.

In this kind of clash of ideas, if one party begins to agree with the other party's views and ideas, then that party has already lost.

However, Cheng Guosheng was not prepared to continue the ideological clash with Feng Zhengming.

He still felt that since everyone was a chef, they should prove their skills.

"Mr. Feng's eloquence is indeed very impressive now, but we are chefs, so we still need to show our skills. When Jubin Garden reopens, I hope Mr. Feng can come and give us guidance."

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, Brother Cheng, you are too polite. How can I come here to guide you? The most we can do is to learn from each other."

Cheng Guosheng nodded: "Okay, then when Jubin Garden opens, I'll wait for Feng Zhuangyuan to come."

At this point, Cheng Guosheng suddenly asked: "I wonder if my good-for-nothing apprentice Zhu Xu is doing well here with you, Feng Zhuangyuan?" When Feng Zhengming heard this, he immediately understood that Cheng Guosheng wanted to take Zhu Xu back.

"Hahaha, Brother Cheng is waiting for me here? Zhu Xu is not in Quancheng. He is in Shanghai, in charge of my branch in Shanghai. If Brother Cheng wants to recruit him back, he can contact him himself.

As long as Zhu Xu is willing to come back, I will definitely not interfere with his stay or departure."

When Cheng Guosheng heard that Zhu Xu was in Shanghai, he was also shocked.

Since Zhu Xu was in Shanghai, Cheng Guosheng knew that he might not be able to get Zhu Xu back to help him.

Originally, when Cheng Guosheng learned that Zhu Xu was with Feng Zhengming, he really wanted to take Zhu Xu back.

After all, he is his most proud disciple and also the most skilled disciple under Cheng Guosheng.

But Zhu Xu is now in Shanghai, and is also in charge of Feng Zhengming's Shanghai branch.

Cheng Guosheng once again felt that his vision was not as good as Feng Zhengming's.

They can let Zhu Xu be in charge of a branch.

If it were Cheng Guosheng, he probably wouldn't be so confident in handing over the branch to Zhu Xu.

"It seems that Zhu Xu has made a career for himself. Let him stay in Shanghai. I don't need him to come back. We can't delay his future."

Feng Zhengming smiled and responded: "I think if Senior Brother Cheng asks, Zhu Xu should come back to help you."

Cheng Guosheng refused again: "No, I already have a kitchen team."

Feng Zhengming nodded: "If Senior Brother Cheng needs any help, just let me know. I will try my best to help Senior Brother Cheng. After all, Jubin Garden is a time-honored brand in our Quancheng."

Cheng Guosheng: "Yes, Jubinyuan is a time-honored brand. It was originally passed to me, but I caused problems with it. So I should make it flourish again."

Feng Zhengming: "Senior Brother Cheng should be able to do it. I believe in his skills."

Cheng Guosheng: "Thank you."

After that, Cheng Guosheng said goodbye and left, saying that he would come back to deliver the invitation later.

Feng Zhengming saw Cheng Guosheng out and watched him leave.

When Feng Zhengming returned to Huiquanlou, he saw He Yunqing coming to greet him.

"The reopening of Jubin Garden and the return of Cheng Guosheng will probably have a certain impact on us. After all, Jubin Garden was very famous in the past, and Cheng Guosheng obviously came prepared this time."

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Having one more competitor is not a bad thing for us."

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, He Yunqing thought about it and felt that it made sense.

In recent years, Feng Zhengming has not spent much time in Quancheng.

But Huiquanlou's business was not affected at all.

With Li Huidong and Cao Zhiguo in charge, the craftsmanship is absolutely reassuring.

At the same time, starting this year, Huiquanlou’s kitchen has accepted a large number of intern apprentices.

This also added some fresh blood to Huiquanlou's kitchen.

Although the abilities of those trainee apprentices were not very strong, the new ideas they brought to the kitchen enabled Huiquanlou to always launch new dishes to attract customers.

Of course, Huiquanlou’s most important trademark is the number one scholar Feng Zhengming.

Even though he is not in the kitchen of Huiquanlou, everyone knows that the dishes of Huiquanlou are designed by Feng Zhengming.

Huiquanlou’s several classic dishes are always loved by many people.

Every time seasonal dishes are available, many people must come to Huiquanlou to try them.

This is a practice of introducing different menus according to the different seasons throughout the year.

Not only is it rare in Quancheng, it is also rare in the whole country.

And these are all from Feng Zhengming's handiwork.

In Huiquanlou, you can also taste some classic dishes from different local cuisines.

Those dishes were learned from each other by famous chefs from all over the country when they came to Quancheng to exchange ideas in recent years.

Thanks to Feng Zhengming's reputation, when famous chefs from all over the country come to Quancheng to exchange ideas, Huiquanlou is definitely their first choice.

Through exchanges with various famous chefs, it is natural that Huiquanlou's cooking skills have become more unique.

Therefore, no matter from which aspect, Huiquan Tower can be regarded as the best in Quancheng.

However, Feng Zhengming and his two senior brothers had no intention of becoming number one.

Even in the Qilu Dining Recommendation Guide created by Feng Zhengming and Huang Tao.

When it comes to restaurant recommendations, Jufengde is always ranked first.

This is also the reason why Feng Zhengming can gain respect from all walks of life in Shandong cuisine.

He is not just thinking about becoming famous and having a family, he really wants Shandong cuisine to flourish.

So Cheng Guosheng came and issued a challenge.

It is completely redundant for Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming has never thought of dominating the market alone. He has always hoped that others can defeat him and that each restaurant can do better in its own classic heritage.

In this situation, Cheng Guosheng has already fallen into a disadvantage.

He Yunqing looked at Feng Zhengming with some admiration in his eyes.

Over the years in the industry, He Yunqing has experienced many changes in Huiquanlou and has partnered with chefs from different eras.

But in He Yunqing's heart, Feng Zhengming is definitely the best chef in Huiquanlou.

What he brought to Huiquanlou was a change from the inside out.

After Feng Zhengming's changes, Huiquanlou is now as famous as Jufengde and Taifenglou.

Even now, Jufengde and Taifenglou have been influenced and changed by Huiquanlou.

"Chef, it would be great if you could stay longer in Huiquanlou."

Feng Zhengming burst out laughing when he heard this: "Hahaha, Uncle He, are you blaming me, a chef, for not staying in the kitchen properly and running around all day?"

He Yunqing quickly waved his hands to explain: "No, no, Chef, that's not what I meant."

Feng Zhengming laughed again: "Uncle He was just joking with you. I know you didn't mean it, but you also know that I have expanded my business a bit, and I really can't stay in the kitchen of Huiquanlou all year round."

He Yunqing nodded: "Yes, chef, you have so many stores now, you must take care of them all."

"I can't help it. Now I feel a little regretful. Maybe I should have stayed in Quancheng and run the dry rice shop that my grandfather left for me. I wouldn't have to expand it so much, and I wouldn't have to work so hard."

He Yunqing laughed after hearing this: "Hahaha, if you do that, wouldn't it be a loss for our Shandong cuisine?"

Feng Zhengming: "Uncle He, you can't say that. It's a bit too much. I don't deserve it."

He Yunqing: "You deserve the title of head chef. Your presence has changed many people's stereotypes about Shandong cuisine. Without you, our Shandong cuisine would not be able to go beyond the land of Qilu again."

Feng Zhengming felt a little embarrassed by He Yunqing's praise.

"Uncle He, please stop praising me. It makes me feel a little embarrassed."

Feng Zhengming then said: "During this period of time in Quancheng, I will try to spend more time in Huiquanlou, and work with my fellow brothers to introduce a few more special dishes as the signature dishes of our Huiquanlou."

He Yunqing was naturally very happy: "Okay, okay, with you here as chef, we will add new things to our menu."

Feng Zhengming turned around to change his clothes, and then walked into the kitchen of Huiquanlou. (End of this chapter)