From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming and his friends finally returned to Quancheng.

Almost at the same time, Huang Tao also led Mr. Cai and Mr. Wei Ling from Gangcheng to Quancheng.

After the two sides met, Huang Tao first told Feng Zhengming about the judges in Shanghai.

"If I hadn't gone to the review this time, I wouldn't have known that there are so many restaurants in Shanghai, especially many Western-style restaurants. They really seem to have sprung up everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain."

Feng Zhengming: "This shows that our domestic economy is indeed getting better and better, and everyone's consumption capacity is gradually increasing."

Mr. Cai: "But many of them are just selling dog meat under the guise of selling mutton."

Wei Ling: "Yes, there are many people who sell fake products under the guise of selling mutton, just like the Western restaurants around your store, many of them are not authentic."

Feng Zhengming: "I think it doesn't matter whether it's authentic or not. As long as the food is delicious, the price is reasonable, and the customers are provided with the service they deserve, then it should be recognized."

Huang Tao, Mr. Cai and Wei Ling were all stunned when they heard Feng Zhengming's words.

The three of them didn't expect that Feng Zhengming would actually say such a thing.

You know, Feng Zhengming was not like this in the past.

He would probably be disgusted by those so-called Western restaurants that are not what they seem.

But now it seems that Feng Zhengming has changed his mind.

Feng Zhengming saw everyone's surprise, and he remained calm.

"What I mean is that some things just exist for a reason. The key to whether something is authentic or not does not lie in whether they hire a Western chef, but in the ingredients they use."

After Feng Zhengming said this, Huang Tao, Mr. Cai, Wei Ling and the masters present were silent for a moment.

Master Cui was the first to agree with Feng Zhengming's statement.

"Yes, what Zhengming said makes sense. Whether it is authentic depends on the materials they use. If the materials used are in line with the positioning of the restaurant and are worth paying the corresponding price, then it can be considered authentic.

But if the ingredients used are inferior, then it is deceiving the diners, and that is what should be banned.”

Several other masters also agreed with Master Cui's words.

I think the key should really be on the materials.

Mr. Cai and Wei Ling soon figured out the reason.

Huang Tao thought for a moment and asked, "Then when reviewing those restaurants, should we focus on the ingredients?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "Yes, Junior Master, the premium of a dish depends on the ingredients they use. Since they chose the evil way of piling up ingredients, then we should judge based on the raw materials."

Wei Ling laughed after hearing this: "Hahaha, it turns out that you have an idea."

Mr. Cai and the masters also laughed.

Everyone understands that Feng Zhengming's approach is equivalent to starting from the foundation of those material-pile stores.

You want to make money from domestic customers by piling up materials and taking advantage of information asymmetry.

Then let’s start with the raw materials you use.

From a professional perspective, reveal whether the materials you use are worthy of your pricing.

This method, on the one hand, provides some scientific knowledge to domestic diners, and on the other hand, it also cracks down on restaurants that sell inferior products as good ones.

Wei Ling: "It seems that we were too lenient in Shanghai."

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, it's indeed too light. To be honest, I'm really not satisfied with your preliminary review form. Some stores with obvious problems should not appear in the recommendation guide."

Although everyone saw Feng Zhengming smiling, what he said shocked everyone.

In the Shanghai recommendation guide, Feng Zhengming obviously gave more stringent standards.

He said, "Stores with obvious problems should not appear in the recommendation guide."

This means that all the stores in Shanghai that could have been recommended in the guide with one or two stars will be removed from the list.

Understanding Feng Zhengming's attitude, Mr. Cai said, "It seems that we judges are too conservative."

Master Yan could tell from Mr. Cai's words that he had some opinions about what his young apprentice said.

He smiled and helped to smooth things over.

"It's not that you are too conservative, Mr. Cai. We are all very conservative. We are not like Zhengming who is so ruthless. In this province-wide review, we were often rejected by Zhengming."

The other masters also quickly noticed it and followed suit.

"Yes, yes. Zhengming was not satisfied with our review results many times."

"He is now the top scholar in the country, and we uncles and seniors have to listen to him."

"There's nothing we can do about it. He is an authority now and everyone trusts his judgment."

"He was even more ruthless towards his own stores. You probably don't know this, but he went all over the province and fired a lot of people from the branches."

Huang Tao had already heard about this matter.

"I heard that in one branch, the entire store was fired."

This was the first time Mr. Cai and Wei Ling heard about this.

They looked at each other at first, and then looked at Feng Zhengming in surprise.

Facing the gazes of the two well-known gourmets in Hong Kong, Feng Zhengming just smiled indifferently.

"We cannot make any concessions on the bottom line. If there are problems, we must make them known. If we don't, how can we convince others that we are fair enough?"

Feng Zhengming's words made Mr. Cai and Wei Ling agree in their hearts.

Next, there will be some adjustments to the recommended guide for Shanghai.

Some restaurants with obvious problems were directly removed from the list.

Then some of the ones that originally received five stars were downgraded to four stars.

Some restaurants and inns that barely got three stars were directly downgraded to one star.

These even include several well-known old brands in Shanghai.

For example, one of the well-known Shanghainese restaurants, which originally had four stars, was downgraded to three stars by Feng Zhengming. Several other restaurants with three stars were downgraded to two stars, and one was even downgraded directly to one star.

Huang Tao was shocked when he saw the re-evaluation results given by Feng Zhengming.

"If you publish a recommendation guide like this, will the Shanghai Chefs Association contact you?"

Feng Zhengming: "Then let them come to me. Don't worry, Junior Uncle. My old house will be renovated soon. By then, I will let everyone in Shanghai and the whole country know what kind of restaurant is truly five-star."

Mr. Cai immediately laughed: "Hahaha, good, this is the momentum that our national number one scholar should have."

Wei Ling: "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to the opening of your old western-style house restaurant."

Then Mr. Cai asked: "Have you found a supplier for your store?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "I have found it. All vegetables are transported from our Qilu Vegetable Base. All other raw materials are basically purchased from their places of origin. I also asked Mr. Kofman to help me contact some overseas raw materials."

Hearing this, Mr. Cai couldn't help but sigh: "I underestimated you and forgot that you have a good relationship with Chef Kofman."

Feng Zhengming: "Don't say that. I know you also hope that I can make the Old House Restaurant a success and make it a benchmark in China. If there is any need, I will tell you and Mr. Weiling." Weiling: "Okay, as long as you ask, we will help you if we can."

Mr. Cai also nodded: "Yes, we will definitely help you as much as possible."

Feng Zhengming expressed his gratitude to the two Hong Kong gourmets.

"Thank you both. I'll let you know if I need anything."

After finalizing the list of recommended guides, Feng Zhengming released the recommended guides for Shandong and Shanghai almost simultaneously.

Feng Zhengming also personally arranged for people to hang up corresponding star-rating signs on the restaurants and dining halls on the list.

When the listing was launched, some of the old-established Shanghai restaurants were somewhat resistant.

I originally thought I deserved five stars, or at least four stars.

The result was that none of them got three stars, but instead two stars, and some even got one star.

This makes the restaurants serving local cuisine feel insulted.

Some restaurants simply resisted and refused to list at first.

After Feng Zhengming learned about this, he did not force the restaurants to put up their signs, but just asked them to keep the signs.

But soon after the recommended guidelines were distributed nationwide, things began to turn around.

Because the previous recommended guide to small restaurants and food stalls has paved the way.

Many people across the country believe in the authority of the guidelines recommended by Feng Zhengming.

After the recommendation guide for restaurants was released, many people soon began to flock to Shanghai and other places in Shandong.

Everyone wants to try them. Can the restaurants and eateries recommended by Feng Zhengming, the national number one, live up to the evaluation levels in the recommended guide?

As a result, those local restaurants that are unwilling to list themselves are in an awkward position.

If you don’t hang a sign, customers who come here because of its reputation will think they have come to the wrong place if they don’t see the sign?

But if the sign is hung up, it would be tantamount to surrendering to Feng Zhengming and accepting Feng Zhengming's authority.

However, after being questioned by some customers who came here because of its reputation.

Those one-star and two-star local cuisine restaurants in Shanghai finally lowered their noble heads and hung up their signs.

At the same time, several restaurants have begun to make some improvements in accordance with the problems pointed out in the recommended guidelines.

Like the service and the quality control of the dishes.

Especially in some of the internal arrangements, they have made some new changes.

This makes many people more convinced of Feng Zhengming's recommended guidelines.

He even wanted to correct the problems that were pointed out about him because he was on the recommended guide restaurant.

This causes some customers who come to the store according to the recommended guidelines to feel.

"Feng Zhuangyuan is too strict. I went to a one-star restaurant and thought it was very good, but I didn't expect it would only get one star."

This kind of feeling further deepens customers' confidence in the recommended guide.

Similarly, the few restaurants and hotels that have been able to obtain four or even five stars work harder to maintain their ratings.

After seeing this situation, many chefs in the culinary industry had to admit that Feng Zhengming was the best.

No one had expected that he would use this method to conduct all-round supervision of restaurants in Shanghai and Shandong.

He required all restaurants in Shanghai and across Shandong to follow the standards set in his recommended guidelines.

It seems that all of a sudden the catering industry across the country has undergone a huge change.

At the same time, other parts of the country are also thinking about whether they can also launch their own local recommendation guidelines?
Chefs associations in various places originally planned to try to imitate Feng Zhengming's method.

But the effect is obviously not ideal and does not have the authority of Feng Zhengming.

The key point is that the recommended guides issued by local chef associations always give people the feeling that they are pirated, not authoritative and fair enough, and without the certification of Feng Zhengming, the number one chef, they feel not authentic.

There was no other way. After discussing it, the local chefs associations could only try to contact Feng Zhengming.

I hope Feng Zhengming can come forward and go to various places to make a recommendation guide.

However, Feng Zhengming, who was contacted, temporarily rejected the invitations from various places.

The understanding he gave was very direct and frank.

"I'm really sorry, but I don't have enough energy and ability to review restaurants and hotels across the country. I'm also preparing for the opening of my new restaurant, so I can't promote the recommendation guide to other places for the time being."

After receiving such a reply, the first people to feel uncomfortable were the catering and culinary circles in Beijing.

As the capital, there is no recommended guide by Feng Zhengming, but Shanghai has a recommended guide.

This matter prompted the chefs and catering industry in Beijing to hold meetings to study the matter.

Even some master chefs working in Beijing were invited to attend this meeting.

At the meeting, someone suggested whether it would be possible for the National Association of Chefs to come forward and produce a separate recommendation guide in Beijing?
This is indeed a solution without going through Feng Zhengming.

But someone at the meeting immediately raised a different point of view.

"If the National Chefs Association comes forward, won't they still have to invite Feng Zhengming to a meeting to discuss the issue? Does that mean the Chefs Association will not recognize his status as the top scholar?"

When this question was raised, the meeting room fell into silence.

After all, Feng Zhengming's current status as the top scholar was achieved step by step by himself.

Therefore, the National Association of Chefs has chosen to skip him and set up a recommendation guide or other rating system on its own, which seems to be a deliberate attempt to exclude Feng Zhengming.

In the view of some chefs attending the conference, doing so might be resisted by many people.

Especially now that Feng Zhengming is becoming famous, he is considered by many to be the top representative of domestic chefs.

The Chefs Association is going to organize a rating for restaurants and hotels, but Feng Zhengming is excluded?

If you really do this, people will definitely have reason to be suspicious.

How can the Chefs Association ensure that the judging is fair and just?
The meeting came to a stalemate, with everyone discussing among themselves but no one had a unified opinion.

Finally, this meeting was held and the president of the Chefs Association came forward.

"I think we should wait a little longer. Feng Zhengming is preparing to open his old western-style house restaurant. He said he wanted to let the whole country see what the standard of a true five-star restaurant is.

We might as well just wait and see what the standard is for the five stars in his recommended guide.
After his restaurant opens and the final five-star standard is determined, we will ask him to come to Beijing and customize a recommended guide for restaurants and hotels in Beijing."

This is a statement that almost everyone can accept.

As a result, many chefs at the venue agreed with this view.

Although some restaurant and hotel owners who attended the conference were somewhat unwilling, they also understood that given the current situation, it would be difficult for them to make a recommendation guide without Feng Zhengming's help.

The meeting finally reached a consensus to wait for Feng Zhengming's old villa restaurant to open.

Just like that, everyone's eyes fell on Feng Zhengming's old western-style restaurant, waiting for it to open. (End of this chapter)