From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

The ingredients shown to Feng Zhengming included not only various kinds of fresh seafood, but also top-quality shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, and bird's nest.

As they were displayed one by one, Yang Bin, Xia Hui, Sun Decai, Tang Yong, Lu Haisheng, and Luo Qing, who was holding her daughter, were all somewhat surprised.

Especially Luo Qing, Xia Hui, Sun Decai, Tang Yong, and Lu Haisheng, who had eaten and seen a lot in Feng Zhengming's restaurants in Shanghai, never imagined that the ingredients could be displayed like this.

Feng Zhengming was also somewhat surprised, but what surprised him most was...

As expected, these private restaurants in Beijing have a different approach to things.

Only Cao Zhiguo was unfazed; he knew very well that displaying this kind of ingredient was actually a regular feature of this private restaurant.

Because the customers served here are all very important figures in Kyoto.

That's why the owner here specifically designed this segment to showcase the ingredients to the guests.

The goal is to make a strong first impression and let guests see how unique their establishment is.

When Cao Zhiguo first came here, he was also shocked by the sight.

Because this private restaurant even has some ingredients that you can't find anywhere else.

Feng Zhengming came to his senses and looked at the displayed ingredients.

"Master Qu, should we choose something else as the theme for today's banquet? For example, if we choose shark fin, then today's banquet will be a shark fin feast; if we choose bird's nest, then it will be a bird's nest feast?"

Qu Bo looked at Feng Zhengming: "As expected of the top scholar, it seems that he knows the rules of the past official cuisine very well."

Feng Zhengming smiled slightly: "Then let's have a sea cucumber feast today."

This choice surprised Qu Bo.

Cao Zhiguo then gave Qu Bo a smug smile.

Choosing sea cucumbers and having Qu Bo prepare a sea cucumber feast today clearly indicates that they want to test Qu Bo's abilities.

Perhaps everyone has different approaches to choosing other seats, and there may be some standards that cannot be agreed upon by each other.

However, if it's a sea cucumber banquet, then it would run into the area of ​​expertise of Feng Zhengming and his two fellow disciples.

It's worth noting that the dish that won Feng Zhengming the award at the National Culinary Competition, or rather, made him the champion, was sea cucumber.

Among the most classic Shandong dishes is braised sea cucumber with scallions, which is also very important.

When it comes to cooking sea cucumber, Shandong cuisine chefs wouldn't easily admit defeat to any other chef.

Qu Bo nodded in agreement: "Sure, if Scholar Feng wants to select the sea cucumber banquet, we are naturally willing to do it."

Feng Zhengming then asked, "How do you prepare shark fin?"

Qu Bo: "Feng Zhuangyuan can choose for himself, but we usually make braised pork."

Feng Zhengming: "The braised dish is too common. I think we should stir-fry it instead. We should also make a two-way bird's nest dish. As for the abalone, we'll leave the preparation to Chef Qu."

Qu Bo's expression changed upon hearing this.

He came over to show off the ingredients, wanting Feng Zhengming to know their strength.

To his surprise, Feng Zhengming accepted all the ingredients without hesitation and even gave him specific cooking instructions.

First of all, Feng Zhengming requested a sea cucumber feast, which already puts the chef's skills to the test.

Secondly, he didn't want to eat the traditional braised shark fin, but rather stir-fried shark fin.

There are also two ways to prepare bird's nest, which also have hidden secrets. One of the two ways is to stir-fry bird's nest, which requires the demonstration of skills and techniques.

When Feng Zhengming and his group came in and sat down, Qu Bo had somewhat underestimated Feng Zhengming.

Now he has truly put aside his previous underestimation and understands that Feng Zhengming, the top scholar, is no ordinary person.

The fact that he can order food so directly shows that he has eaten and seen a lot of food.

At least he has some knowledge of how to prepare various high-end ingredients.

Qu Bo eventually agreed to everything.

Then he led the pretty waitress who was showing him the ingredients away.

After they all left, the room fell silent.

Feng Zhengming could tell that his wife, apprentices, and students were clearly somewhat shocked.

Even his third senior brother was clearly shocked by what he had just witnessed.

After all, such a display of ingredients is something that many people rarely see.

After a long silence, it was Feng Zhengming who finally spoke.

"Don't worry, everyone. No matter how expensive this meal is, we can still afford it. Let's just consider it a chance to broaden our horizons. Maybe our restaurant can try this format in the future."

Upon hearing this, Yang Bin couldn't help but look at Cao Zhiguo.

"You shouldn't have brought us here. You wanted to show your strength to your former rivals, but now you're making your junior brother pay for it. Do you think the money we worked so hard to earn is easy to come by?"

Before the fifth senior brother could speak, Feng Zhengming spoke first with a smile.

"Third Brother, we're already here, so we can afford this meal. Don't blame Fifth Brother. Maybe Fifth Brother brought us here just to show us some culinary skills that we would never normally notice."

Yang Bin looked at Feng Zhengming: "But there's no need for that. We're not going to serve anyone."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhiguo finally couldn't help but speak up.

"I'm sorry, it was really my fault for arranging this today. I shouldn't have brought you here. How about I pay for this meal?"

Feng Zhengming: "Fifth Brother, it's just a meal. We brothers don't need to talk about money."

Cao Zhiguo was taken aback.

Yang Bin: "You little brat, wait till you get back and the senior brother finds out, see how he scolds you."

Upon hearing his third senior brother's words, Cao Zhiguo could only manage a wry smile.

He understood that his third senior brother wasn't angry with him for saying that.

If Cao Zhiguo eats this meal and his senior brother finds out when they get back, his senior brother will definitely scold him.

Feng Zhengming then said to his apprentices and students, "You should also pay close attention to this meal. There are some things you really can't learn outside. Let's see what some of the dishes from the past, served in official government offices, look like."

Xia Hui, Sun Decai, Tang Yong, and Lu Haisheng looked at each other in bewilderment.

From the moment they stepped into this courtyard house, they felt its uniqueness.

Seeing the ingredients displayed to them was even more incredible.

In their hearts, they felt that the so-called "official cuisine" was indeed a waste of the extravagance of officials in the past.

Feng Zhengming seemed to read their minds.

He smiled and explained to them the development of official cuisine.

"The three major representatives of official cuisine are Tan Family Cuisine, Confucius Family Cuisine, and Suiyuan Cuisine. But in fact, there are also some schools of official cuisine, such as the Lingnan School and the Sichuan School."

These official dishes all share a common characteristic: they all originated from the private chefs of high-ranking officials and nobles.

For those high-ranking officials and nobles, gourmet food is not just about eating so-called high-end and expensive ingredients; the beauty of gourmet food is also reflected in the cultural connotations behind it.

In the past, when high-ranking officials and nobles entertained each other, it was not just a simple meal; they also needed to indulge in a bit of refined elegance.

Of course, the cultural connotations are gone now; what remains are some dishes that look rather extravagant.

As Feng Zhengming recounted these events, not only Xia Hui, Sun Decai, Tang Yong, and Lu Haisheng listened intently with great curiosity, but even Feng Zhengming's two senior brothers listened attentively. This was because they themselves were not entirely familiar with what he was saying.

They had heard of many things before, but had not learned about them in detail.

Now that Feng Zhengming has explained it in such detail, they realize that the official cuisine is indeed quite different from what they had imagined.

While Qu Bo was preparing the sea cucumber feast, the owner of this private restaurant came to the courtyard.

The boss was puzzled to find that Qu Bo was preparing a sea cucumber feast.

"Old Qu, what brings you here? What distinguished guest has arrived?"

Qu Bo told the boss who the visitor was.

The boss's expression immediately changed: "You mean Cao Zhiguo brought his junior brother? Is it that Scholar Feng?"

Qu Bo nodded: "Yes, it's that Scholar Feng. He seems to be even more amazing than the legends say, and he also has a deep understanding of official cuisine."

Upon hearing this, the boss immediately decided to meet with Feng Zhengming.

When the boss walked to the room of Feng Zhengming and his group, he immediately heard Feng Zhengming introducing the official cuisine.

"You might think that these official dishes in the past must have been made by the private chefs of high-ranking officials and nobles, but that may not actually be the case."

You should know about Nanhai Shisanlang, right?

It is said that the father of the real-life inspiration for the character Nan Hai Shi San Lang had a very good relationship with the Tan family of Tan Family Cuisine.

When the Tan family visited the home of Shisanlang in the South China Sea, each of the thirteen concubines of Shisanlang's father cooked a dish, creating a feast that greatly impressed the Tan family.

Moreover, the earliest famous chef of Tan Family Cuisine was not some outside chef, but the sister of the second-ranked scholar in the Tan family.

It is said that Tan Bangyan's older sister was once a national chef competition champion and was known as the "Female Yi Ya" (a legendary Chinese chef).

Everyone was stunned when they heard Feng Zhengming say these things.

These are secret stories that even the third and fifth senior brothers don't know.

The shop owner at the entrance was also captivated by these stories.

The owner only came to his senses when a waiter came to serve the food, and followed the waiter into the room.

"Hello, Mr. Feng, I am the owner here, my surname is Tan."

As he spoke, the boss took out his business card and handed it to Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming glanced at the business card and smiled slightly: "I didn't expect the owner here to actually be surnamed Tan?"

Cao Zhiguo stood up and greeted his former boss.

"Hello, Mr. Tan."

Mr. Tan replied with a smile, "Hello Chef Cao, you should have let me know in advance that you were coming today. I should have given you a proper welcome."

Cao Zhiguo: "We came here on a whim."

Feng Zhengming asked, "Mr. Tan, I don't know about you and the Tan family?"

In front of outsiders, Mr. Tan always refers to himself as a junior member of the Tan family.

But just now, when I heard Feng Zhengming talking about Tan Family Cuisine at the door, he was so enthusiastic, it was as if he was the one who had personally experienced the Tan family's cuisine.

Boss Tan no longer dared to say that he was a descendant of the Tan family in front of Feng Zhengming.

"Oh, your ancestors might be distant relatives of the Tan family. To be honest, I was just talking about Tan family cuisine when I overheard Feng Zhuangyuan talking about it at the door. I realized that I probably don't know as much about Tan family cuisine as you do."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhiguo looked at Boss Tan with some disbelief.

When he worked for Boss Tan in the past, he once thought that Boss Tan was really a descendant of the Tan family.

Now that Cao Zhiguo heard what Boss Tan said, he realized that Boss Tan might not have any connection with the Tan family at all, but was just someone who shared the same surname as Tan.

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "The name Tan can be written in two characters. Boss Tan has taken over Tan Family Cuisine again and has followed many of the traditional rules. He can be considered a successor of Tan Family Cuisine."

Feng Zhengming's words filled Boss Tan with gratitude.

After all, Feng Zhengming's words were essentially giving him a way out.

Boss Tan: "Thank you, Scholar Feng. It seems that there are many things that I only have a superficial understanding of, and that I am not as thorough as Scholar Feng."

Feng Zhengming: "Haha, the old rule of Tan Family Cuisine is that a set of chopsticks and bowls must be prepared for the host every time a banquet is held, and the host must sit down and eat with everyone. Why don't you sit down and eat with us, Mr. Tan?"

Mr. Tan: "No, no need. I'm really embarrassed to sit down and eat at this table."

Feng Zhengming: "Mr. Tan, there's no need to be so formal. The reason why food is food is that there must be people who appreciate it. Some things in the Tan family cuisine of the past did deviate from the essence of food, but there's no need to be too rigid about them."

At this moment, Boss Tan looked at Feng Zhengming again and connected it with Feng Zhengming's understanding of Tan Family Cuisine.

He felt nothing but admiration for Feng Zhengming.

As the dishes were served one by one, Feng Zhengming remained untouched, waiting for the first main course to arrive.

That's the rule; since it's a sea cucumber feast, the sea cucumber dishes should be served first.

This meal truly begins with the sea cucumber dish.

Boss Tan watched as Feng Zhengming waited calmly.

He knew that he didn't need anyone to introduce him; Feng Zhengming understood the rules of official cuisine better than they did.

Sure enough, after waiting for a while, and after some other cold dishes and stir-fries were served, the first main dish, sea cucumber, was served.

Qu Bo personally served the dishes, placing the sea cucumbers on the table.

"Braised sea cucumber with scallions, please enjoy."

As Qu Bo was introducing the dish, he casually lifted the lid, and instantly the rich aroma of scallions filled the entire room.

This can also be seen as Qu Bo demonstrating his skills to the three famous Shandong cuisine chefs, Feng Zhengming, Yang Bin, and Cao Zhiguo.

Smelling the aroma of scallions, Feng Zhengming said, "That's right, it smells like Zhangqiu scallions."

Then Feng Zhengming added, "Chef Qu, your method is to drizzle scallion oil before serving the dish, right? To better bring out the aroma of scallions."

Qu Bo was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Feng Zhengming to be able to make that judgment so easily.

Feng Zhengming: "You did this because we came here, and you're worried that your braised sea cucumber with scallions isn't good enough to impress us?"

Qu Bo's expression changed again; he did indeed have such a thought.

Before Qu Bo could respond, Feng Zhengming picked up a sea cucumber from the plate with his chopsticks.

"Chef Qu suggests that when serving the sea cucumber, you can make a few cuts on it to make it easier for guests to pick it up with chopsticks. Alternatively, you can serve it one sea cucumber per person, preferably with two scallions."

One scallion was cooked with the sea cucumber, and the other was steamed in scallion oil; this way, the flavor of the scallions could be better brought out.

As he spoke, Feng Zhengming used the knife at hand to cut the sea cucumber open and gave a portion to his wife.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste."

Everyone else started eating with their chopsticks and, like Feng Zhengming, cut the sea cucumbers open with a knife.

When Xia Hui cut it open, she saw sea cucumber intestines inside: "It was made with fresh sea cucumber."

Feng Zhengming: "It's fresh sea cucumber, but dried sea cucumber can also be used. Chef Qu suggested that you stew the sea cucumber with the residue from the scallion oil later so that the sea cucumber can better absorb the scallion flavor."

From the very first main course, braised sea cucumber with scallions, this meal was destined to become Feng Zhengming's teaching session. (End of Chapter)