From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming made friends with outstanding young chefs from all over the country without any scruples, and offered them generous conditions, asking them to come to Shanghai to help him open a high-end restaurant.

This has left the master chefs and chefs from all over the cuisine a little helpless.

With his fame as the national top scholar, and the clash of ideas between us as young people.

It can be said that among all the culinary industries in the country, Feng Zhengming is definitely the most attractive person to all young chefs.

What's more, he can indeed offer sufficiently favorable conditions.

As a result, many outstanding young chefs were soon invited to Shanghai.

Even though Feng Zhengming is not yet ready to open the high-end restaurant.

But these outstanding young chefs would rather come to Shanghai to join Feng Zhengming's four restaurants and follow him first.

Among them is Deng Huaichuan, the apprentice of Huaiyang cuisine master chef Zhang Quande.

Wang Hanwen, apprentice of Sichuan cuisine master chef Zeng Zhichang.

Huang Yunliang, apprentice of Fujian cuisine master chef Qiang Zhentao.

He even has two apprentices who are favored by the masters of Shanghai local cuisine, Li Yao and Han Rui.

These five people can be said to be the best among young chefs in their respective cuisines. Despite the objections of their master and mentor, they came directly to Shanghai to join Feng Zhengming.

Seeing these five people coming to him for help, Feng Zhengming naturally received them very warmly.

Feng Zhengming also arranged a separate apartment for the five people to live in.

Then Feng Zhengming took the opportunity to buy out the two Western restaurants next to his own store on the Western Restaurant Street.

After expanding his western restaurant on the street, he asked five people to join the kitchen.

After a major renovation, Feng Zhengming's Western Restaurant on the street was expanded to have two floors.

He completely opened up the kitchen, turning it into a huge semi-open kitchen.

There are ten stoves in the kitchen alone.

Feng Zhengming also purchased a variety of modern Western cooking tools.

For example, large baking ovens, integrated frying equipment, and even low-temperature slow cooking equipment that has emerged overseas.

This restaurant on Western Restaurant Street is not a formal high-end restaurant.

But after renovation and redecoration, it now looks like a high-end restaurant.

At the same time, Feng Zhengming modified the menu, which not only included Shandong cuisine and Cantonese cuisine, but also Huaiyang cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Fujian cuisine and local cuisine.

In this way, this store on the Western Restaurant Street can accommodate more customers.

Coupled with the fusion of various cuisines, it has gained a high reputation in Shanghai.

Kong Xingli's high-end restaurant had not yet opened, but he received the news from Feng Zhengming first.

He was also shocked when he read the reports in the newspaper.

"Feng Zhengming, Feng Zhengming, you are so bold. You poached all the outstanding young chefs from other places so blatantly?"

Kong Xingli never dared to imagine that he could recruit outstanding young chefs from other cuisines to work for him.

But Feng Zhengming could do it so blatantly, and those master chefs and old craftsmen couldn't do anything to him.

The key is that he has the joining of several outstanding young chefs.

He still didn't open a high-end restaurant directly, but simply expanded his own Western restaurant on the street.

In this way, we can still retain those outstanding young chefs.

Kong Xingli sighed: "Only he can do this kind of thing. If others want to do it this way, I'm afraid the young chefs won't be willing to follow suit."

Duan Jinsheng saw his master's constant sighs, and he couldn't help but ask, "Will Master Feng become our competitor this time?"

Kong Xingli looked at Duan Jinsheng and smiled bitterly: "How can we compete with him?"

Duan Jinsheng opened his mouth and wanted to say something?
But when he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't seem to say anything.

Just go to Feng Zhengming's store and you can feel his spirit.

There is such a spacious semi-open kitchen, and various traditional Chinese decorations throughout the store.

However, many of the customers sitting in the store are foreigners.

Those foreigners like to sit in a position where they can see the kitchen.

While waiting for their ordered meals, they can watch the chefs busy in the kitchen.

Especially the plating by Feng Zhengming and his team is the favorite scene for many foreigners.

You can see how Feng Zhengming and his team create beautiful, picturesque pictures on the plate.

Although most foreigners get their meals, they will use a spoon to mix the food on the plate together before eating.

But just seeing the beautiful presentation can make many people feel enjoyable.

The five new outstanding young chefs have also learned a lot of integration and adaptation under the instruction of Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe. They have integrated, improved and innovated the traditional dishes of their respective cuisines to create something new.

This innovative process makes them very enjoyable as chefs.

Especially the innovative dishes can win the likes and praises of guests.

These are things that no other restaurant or hotel can give them.

Kong Xingli looked at his disciples and said, "Your Uncle Feng can be considered a true cooking magician. We can't learn his way of cooking, so we can only cook the traditional classic dishes well."

Naturally, all the disciples agreed to Kong Xingli's request seriously.

Because news came out that Feng Zhengming's Western Restaurant on the street was expanding.

Kong Xingli can only speed up the progress.

At the same time, some time-honored brands in Shanghai are also making some changes.

Everyone felt the pressure that Feng Zhengming brought to them.

This kind of pressure can really quickly sweep across the entire catering industry.

Especially in Shanghai, an open metropolis facing the overseas world.

The momentum created by Feng Zhengming can really spread overseas.

When many companies in Shanghai receive overseas customers, many overseas customers have begun to ask to try Feng Zhengming's restaurant on Western Restaurant Street.

In particular, I really want to see the style of the national top student leading a group of young chefs.

Since customers have such demands, companies will naturally meet them.

This also leads to Feng Zhengming's store receiving orders from various large companies.

Every time Feng Zhengming receives a reservation, he will make some preparations in advance and inform the other party of some menu items in advance.

Allow the other person to choose a portion of the menu.

If the customer who made the reservation does not order his own dishes, Feng Zhengming will also provide a very decent set meal based on the number of guests he or she will be receiving.

Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe will also give out a hidden menu item every time.

This item always brings surprises to invited overseas customers.

Overseas customers will feel pleasantly surprised, and naturally their overall impression of Shanghai will improve.

Naturally, the company hosting the dinner will also gain a good impression.

Many companies are more willing to make reservations with Feng Zhengming and use his restaurant to receive overseas customers. With such a group of loyal customers, Feng Zhengming's business is naturally guaranteed.

Naturally, he would treat everyone in the kitchen very well.

Most importantly, Feng Zhengming will give young chefs great freedom.

They can try to use the cuisine they are good at to show their own imagination and creativity as young people.

Five outstanding young chefs joined, and were complemented by young apprentices.

Feng Zhengming's four stores in Shanghai have truly become a gathering place for young chefs.

It is natural that his success will attract a lot of attention.

He was also interviewed by television stations, newspapers and magazines.

During the interview, everyone was quite curious about how Feng Zhengming dared to trust the skills of the young chefs in the store.

“This is very simple. They have skills that are better than others, but they lack the opportunity to show themselves boldly. I gave them such an opportunity.

Since we are going to give them the opportunity to show themselves, why don’t we believe that their skills can do it?”

Feng Zhengming's answer left the person interviewing him speechless.

Feng Zhengming smiled: "I am still a young chef myself, right? So I choose to trust young chefs, isn't that right?"

Everyone who interviewed Feng Zhengming this time would find it very reasonable.

Considering Feng Zhengming's age, he is indeed a young chef.

Many times, people ignore his age because of his achievements.

The interviewer then asked: "Mr. Feng, your restaurant has expanded a lot now. You have recruited many young apprentices before, and now five outstanding young chefs have joined.

Are you planning to turn this restaurant into a high-end Chinese restaurant in Shanghai?"

Feng Zhengming: “Is it important whether it is advanced or not?”

This question stumped the interviewer again.

Feng Zhengming: "Isn't it because it's not a high-end restaurant that our store can't continue to operate?"

Without waiting for the interviewer to answer, Feng Zhengming continued to express his own ideas.

“I never think that a high-end restaurant must be high-end. My restaurant may not be considered a high-end restaurant in the eyes of some people, but we are running it with all our heart.

I and every young chef and apprentice in the kitchen are using our skills to bring delicious food to every customer.

Isn’t that something every restaurant should do well?”

Feng Zhengming pointed to his half-open kitchen.

“You should also be able to see that our kitchen is semi-open, allowing customers to clearly see the kitchen and even communicate with every chef in the kitchen.

The reason for this design is that I think it will allow customers to communicate better with the chefs in the kitchen.

Better communication can help the chef understand customer needs and make the dishes more palatable.

This is something that was missing in the past between our Chinese chefs and customers.”

Feng Zhengming then took out the menu.

“The prices on our menu are a bit more expensive than those in ordinary restaurants.

But our prices are not at the level of high-end restaurants.

This pricing is to allow more people to have the opportunity to taste the food, and also to allow our chefs in the kitchen to gain more inspiration from communicating with a large number of customers, so as to understand their own shortcomings. "

The entire interview process was completely dominated by Feng Zhengming.

As a result, people who came to interview were unable to ask many questions.

Because of some targeted questions prepared in advance.

Feng Zhengming often gives the corresponding answer without waiting to be asked.

However, the person interviewing him naturally couldn't let him off so easily.

Still a pretty sharp question.

"Mr. Feng, we heard that the five outstanding young chefs in your restaurant are actually the young generation's heirs of their respective cuisines, and you have poached them to come here.

Do you feel that your actions have offended their master?"

Feng Zhengming didn't find this question strange at all.

He knew that everyone who came to interview him wanted to ask him this question.

The fact that his restaurant now has five outstanding young chefs of other cuisines, who were recruited from various places, has long been a hot topic.

At one point, he was called over and questioned by several chefs with whom he had a good relationship.

Although the chefs on the phone were not angry, the meaning behind their words was very clear.

They had also recommended an apprentice to Feng Zhengming before.

As a result, Feng Zhengming poached their most satisfactory apprentice.

When faced with this question, Feng Zhengming's answer was almost the same as the one he gave to the master chefs.

“I don’t think I poached anyone. These outstanding young chefs came here because I gave them absolute trust and gave them enough freedom.

Like I said at the beginning, they are obviously very excellent, so we should give them enough trust.

In my shop, they can fully display their skills and creativity.

So they are willing to join my store and work with me to make more delicious food for more people to eat.”

The interviewer did not stop there: "What Feng Zhuangyuan meant was, don't you think you poached them?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "They all came here voluntarily."

Interviewer: “But you gave them higher wages, didn’t you?”

Feng Zhengming: "Isn't that what they deserve? They helped me attract and retain customers. I am their chef and the owner of this restaurant, so of course I should give them the rewards they deserve."

Interviewer: "So, they come to you for the high salary, don't they?"

Feng Zhengming smiled: "After graduation, didn't you return to your hometown to find a job in the corresponding field? Didn't you choose to stay in Shanghai because of the high salary offered by Shanghai?"

This question left the interviewer speechless.

Feng Zhengming: "So I think they deserve the high salary, just like you stay in Shanghai because you have the ability to stay."

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, the person interviewing him could only nod in agreement.

This part of the interview was omitted from most subsequent reports.

Apparently, the person who interviewed Feng Zhengming also felt that things should not be made too clear.

However, with the publicity from these interviews, Feng Zhengming's store naturally became more famous.

Because Feng Zhengming and his store are becoming more and more famous.

As a result, the business of his stores across Qi and Lu also became very good.

Even the 47 new apprentices who were not retained after their internship were recommended to the master chef for attention when they returned.

When some apprentices went to apply for jobs in other restaurants and hotels, they showed their internship resumes at Feng Zhengming's Shanghai store.

They can also get good salary and find jobs easily. (End of this chapter)