From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming's appearance in small street restaurants and food stalls is completely different from his appearance in various restaurants and big hotels.

Here he can mingle with merchants and customers, sit together with everyone to eat, drink and chat.

Some people who were drinking beer at the snack stand came up to Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming would also raise his big beer glass and drink with the customers at the snack stalls.

The two grandfathers and the masters saw Feng Zhengming like this.

I can't help but feel that he is really down to earth.

"Don't you think it's more enjoyable to drink and eat here? It's not as restrained as in those big restaurants and hotels?"

Feng Zhengming's question naturally won unanimous agreement from everyone present.

"That's right. How fun is it here to drink and eat meat?"

"Hahaha, it's still the happiest place here by the sea, feeling the sea breeze, eating seafood, and drinking draft beer."

"Those big restaurants and hotels are too boring. There are only a few dishes and it's not enjoyable to eat."

"The key is that the prices are not low. It's more enjoyable to eat at these street stalls."

The owners of the snack stalls also agreed with a smile.

"Our business at this door is all about quantity and quantity."

"That's right. We need to make sure everyone eats well. We can't just let them eat unhappily."

"That's right. We don't compete with those big restaurants and hotels. We are just some small seafood on the fishing boats guarding the seashore."

Some older customers can explain it very clearly.

"The seafood here is all the leftovers from big restaurants and hotels, but these leftover small seafood are delicious to eat."

"Yes, the price is not high, but it tastes delicious even when it is fried so casually."

"Mr. Feng, you should recommend more snack stands like this."

"Yes, yes, let outsiders come. Don't go to those big restaurants and hotels. Come here to eat."

Feng Zhengming responded with a smile: "I have already recommended it. My recommendation guide in the past few years has always recommended small restaurants and street food stalls."

As he said this, he asked several snack stalls that had obtained his recommended signs to take out their recommendation signs.

Several snack stand owners also took out those signs and hung them up.

The customers were very happy to see that the product was indeed recommended by Feng Zhengming.

"Okay, okay, this is right."

"That's right, if you want to recommend something, you have to recommend our specialties here."

"Feng Zhuangyuan's own dry rice shop branch in the island city also has our local characteristics."

"Yes, that branch of Feng Zhuangyuan's is also delicious."

"There are also these small seafoods, and they are cheap and good quality, but the queue is too long."

"Hahaha, they have good skills, of course there are so many people lining up?"

"That's true. If outsiders come to our island city, I always recommend them to go to the Feng Zhuangyuan branch."

The old masters looked at each other.

Master Cui said, "Old Yan, it is clear that he holds a very high status in everyone's mind."

Master Su: "Yes, the common people like him."

Master Sun: "This is right. If a chef cannot get everyone's support, how can he cook better?"

Master Xia: "It turns out that he is more popular with the public, that's why he is so famous."

Master Yan still looked at Feng Zhengming with satisfaction.

"He has not forgotten his roots. He knows that he came from among ordinary people, so he will insist on doing things well for ordinary people."

As a master, Master Yan knows it very well.

Feng Zhengming used to wander the streets to make a living.

Before entering Yanxilou, he had always been taken care of by many small business owners on the street.

He does odd jobs for others and they give him a living.

That's why he can easily get along with people running small businesses on the street.

Whether he was selling boxed lunches at the train station or later opened a dry lunch shop.

Now he has become the national cooking champion.

He never forgot those people who helped him.

That's why he started with street restaurants and food stalls, creating a guide to recommend them to outsiders.

With the endorsement of Feng Zhengming, the top scholar, the business of those small street restaurants and snack stands will naturally improve.

In particular, it is easier to attract tourists from other places.

For example, the island city has a geographical advantage because of its proximity to the sea.

It is easy to attract tourists from all over the world to travel here.

Then, because of Feng Zhengming's recommended guide, tourists who come here to travel will follow the recommendations in the guide and find small street restaurants and night markets to eat.

In the past few years, this led to a situation where the business of large restaurants and hotels in the island city was completely inferior to that of small restaurants and snack stands.

This is also the reason why, apart from Gao Fengyi, other restaurants in the island city are more looking forward to Feng Zhengming’s restaurant recommendation guide.

They have seen the effectiveness of the guidelines recommended by Feng Zhengming.

I also hope that my restaurant will be included in the recommendation guide and attract more customers.

But the old masters are very clear about it after following the guide recommended by Feng Zhengming.

This may be the nightmare of those big restaurants and hotels.

Because the recommendation guide can bring you more customers.

Then it will naturally give you a lot of pressure.

What if you don’t do well enough and don’t meet the recommendations in the recommended guidelines?
Feng Zhengming will definitely delete you from the recommendation guide without mercy.

So if it is removed from the recommended guidelines, there will inevitably be backlash.

So you have to pay a price to get anything.

The recommendation guide by Feng Zhengming, the national number one scholar, is a very good means of publicity, but it will also be a shackle for all large restaurants and hotels.

You have taken great pains to include the recommended guidelines, which means you agree with the standards of the recommended guidelines.

After that, Feng Zhengming can require you to use the standards of the recommended guidelines.

What if you are unwilling to follow the standards?
That's easy. Feng Zhengming will definitely remove you from the recommended guide.

Once removed, take off the sign issued by the recommended guidelines.

The restaurant's business will inevitably plummet.

As the saying goes: It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

Now that I have attracted customers thanks to the recommendation guide, how can I let go of them?
Just like the small restaurants and snack stalls on the street.

They all rely on Feng Zhengming, the national top scholar, to help with promotion.

When the old masters thought about this, they realized the deeper intention behind Feng Zhengming’s recommendation guide.

Feng Zhengming ate and drank for a while, and I don’t know if he had a good time chatting with everyone.

He stood up, walked into the snack stalls, and started making food for some of the owners himself.

"These small clams don't have to be boiled. You can peel them and fry them on an iron plate. Make sure to add oil, then beat the egg liquid and pour it on top. Sprinkle some chopped green onions on one side. Before the egg liquid is completely solidified, quickly roll it up and cut it with a spatula on the iron plate.

To make it more beautiful, you can cut it diagonally to create a diamond-shaped block. "

Feng Zhengming taught while he was making it, and at the end he even put the products in small paper bags.

"Add a bamboo skewer so that customers can eat on the go, add some soy sauce, or make a small sauce, or simply sprinkle with dried chili powder."

After making this one, Feng Zhengming then demonstrated some grilled squid to the owner of another snack stall.

"We have no shortage of squid on the coast. After killing the fresh squid, we put it directly on the iron plate and fry it. For simple flavors, we just add soy sauce and chopped green onions. For heavier flavors, we add some hot sauce."

At this point, Feng Zhengming suddenly thought: "Oh, by the way, I'll teach you how to make garlic chili sauce later."

This made the snack stand owners very excited.

"Okay, the spicy garlic sauce taught by Zhuangyuan must be delicious."

"Yes, yes. With the top scholar teaching us, our business will definitely be better in the future."

"Thank you, champion."

Feng Zhengming smiled and waved his hands: "Don't be in a hurry to thank me, I have to say it in advance, if I teach you these things, and you don't do them well, the things will not be new.

Or if they have problems with the food, I will come and cause trouble for you. Don’t blame me for turning my back on you then.”

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, the owners of the snack stalls immediately expressed their opinions.

"No, Mr. Feng, my family still relies on the snack stand to support the family, I can't ruin my reputation."

"That's right. We all make money from this stall."

"Yes, we need the stall to make money to support our family, we can't do those messy things."

"Don't worry, Mr. Feng. We absolutely guarantee that the food is fresh and won't cause any problems."

……

After hearing everyone's assurances, Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "I hope everyone's business will be prosperous. I believe that as long as everyone makes their products well, they will definitely be able to make money."

Then he made another promise: "I will also increase my efforts to promote my recommendation guide."

A dinner at a seaside night market allowed the two grandfathers and the old masters to see another side of Feng Zhengming.

Unlike when he was in the restaurant, although Feng Zhengming was polite on the surface, his demands were often very strict.

At the snack stall in the night market, Feng Zhengming was happier and freer.

Just do it as you please, if you are happy with the food and drink, then go in and make something yourself.

Even Feng Zhengming helped to greet the guests.

Sometimes if a snack stand is too busy, he will go over to help.

Seeing Feng Zhengming like this, Grandpa couldn't help but sigh.

"This is Zhengming's true self. He was always like this when he was selling lunch boxes at the train station and later when he was running a food stall."

Luo Qing: "He was at the night market snack stand, and he was able to completely relax."

Grandpa Situ: "He is helping these snack stalls to attract more business."

Master Cui: "After what happened tonight, the night market in this island city will definitely attract many people."

Master Su: "Isn't this great? How can so many people afford to eat in big restaurants and hotels? Most people who come to the island city for tourism will definitely choose to eat here."

Master Sun: "This is the real food paradise with a real flavor of fireworks."

Master Xia: "Hahaha, compared to Zhengming, I feel like we are really out of touch with reality."

Master Yan lamented: "We have been away from these street food stalls for too long."

Finally, Master Yan's words were indeed recognized by the other masters.

In the past, the master chefs were always immersed in the kitchen.

They really haven't been in contact with street food stalls for a long time.

Not to mention food stalls, the old masters rarely even pay attention to small street restaurants.

This is not because the masters are deliberately putting on airs.

The master chefs are too focused on the craftsmanship of big restaurants and hotels, and ignore the fact that street food is the choice of most people.

Now Feng Zhengming's sudden appearance has made the old masters realize it again.

It turns out that the most popular store is neither a private restaurant nor a well-known restaurant.

In fact, they are small street restaurants and street food stalls in night markets.

There are these small street restaurants, as well as street food stalls at the seaside night market.

Who else can shake Feng Zhengming's position in the provincial chef industry?
One night, the seaside night market really attracted a lot of tourists because of Feng Zhengming's arrival.

Many people rushed here from other places after receiving the notice.

With more people at the seaside night market, naturally there are fewer people in some big restaurants and hotels in the island city.

Gao Fengyi was in the restaurant's kitchen and learned that there were fewer customers tonight.

He immediately concluded that it was because of Feng Zhengming.

"If I had known earlier, I should have kept Feng Zhuangyuan until the evening."

Gao Fengyi couldn't help laughing when he heard the restaurant lobby manager's words.

"Hahaha, we can't keep him here, let alone until the evening. He's already doing me a great favor by bringing his wife and daughter here for lunch."

The lobby manager was curious: "Chef Gao, is it possible that Feng Zhuangyuan can bring in so many customers?"

Gao Fengyi: "Didn't you see everything? How's the restaurant's business tonight?"

The lobby manager said, "But Chef Gao, you are also a famous chef in Shandong cuisine. Your reputation is no less than that of Feng Zhuangyuan, especially in the island city."

Gao Fengyi: "Yes, my fame stays in the island city, but his fame spreads all over the country."

The lobby manager finally understood and realized the gap between his chef and Feng Zhuangyuan.

Gao Fengyi: "It doesn't matter, the prices in our restaurant are indeed high, although the domestic economy is developing very well nowadays and more and more people can make money.

But everyone's consumption concept is still mainly based on cheapness.

Therefore, Junior Brother Feng’s strategy was correct. He started from the public’s preferences and supported those small street restaurants and snack stalls in the night market.

If the general public can enjoy good and cheap food, people will support him more.”

The lobby manager suddenly realized: "So, our Feng Zhuangyuan is really very scheming, right?"

Gao Fengyi: "Hahaha, his plan has been in front of everyone for a long time, but some people can't let go of their pride and think that it's enough for them to just serve the rich."

This made the lobby manager feel a little embarrassed.

In fact, this is also the lobby manager's true thought.

But judging from the restaurant business today.

It seems that if we want to attract more customers, we cannot simply rely on the rich.

Gao Fengyi thought about it again and again: "It seems that we should launch the self-service restaurant as soon as possible, so that we can attract more customers.

There are more and more tourists coming to the island city nowadays. We can’t stick to the high-end route of the past. We can only increase the popularity of the restaurant by attracting more ordinary customers.”

This time, the lobby manager also agreed with Gao Fengyi's statement.

The restaurant has introduced buffet service, which should attract a large number of tourists to dine.

If we can attract enough customers, the restaurant's business will be more secure. (End of this chapter)