Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

When the concepts of novel techniques such as molecular cuisine and low-temperature cooking were introduced into hotel kitchens, the chefs' eyes were filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"Everyone has heard of molecular cuisine and low-temperature cooking, right? These are now popular technologies in the catering industry. We should try to apply them to our dish creation and bring customers a new taste experience." Lao Zhang stood in the middle of the kitchen and said to everyone excitedly.

"It sounds impressive, but these technologies seem quite complicated. Can we do it?" Xiao Li asked hesitantly.

“Why not? We have been constantly challenging ourselves, and this time is no exception. As long as everyone is willing to learn and try, I believe we can make amazing dishes.” Lao Zhang encouraged.

So the chefs started their innovation journey. They first studied molecular cooking technology, and how to turn fruits into crystal clear balls became their first challenge.

"Let's start with simple fruits, such as strawberries. Think about it, how can we turn strawberries into the shape of small balls?" Lao Zhang said thoughtfully while holding a strawberry.

"Does it require any special tools or materials? I heard that molecular cuisine seems to use some special gelling agents or something like that." Xiao Wang guessed.

"That's right, let's go and see if there is a suitable gel. Then we will study the proportions and operation methods." Lao Zhang said.

After some searching and experimentation, they finally found a suitable gelling agent. The chefs carefully mixed the strawberry juice and gelling agent according to the proportions in the instructions.

"The ratio must be accurate, otherwise we may not achieve the effect we want." Lao Zhang reminded everyone while stirring.

"It feels so magical. I wonder what it will turn out like in the end." Xiao Li looked at the mixture in the pot curiously.

After mixing, they poured the liquid into small molds and put them in the refrigerator. While waiting, the chefs began to discuss the next step.

"Once these small balls are formed, how should we match them? They can't just be simple fruit balls, we have to be a little creative," said a chef.

"We can use some chocolate sauce or cream to add richness to the taste," suggested another chef.

"Well, that's a good idea. Or we can add some mint leaves to add some refreshing flavor." Lao Zhang added.

Finally, after a period of refrigeration, the fruit balls were formed. The chefs carefully took them out of the molds, and the crystal clear strawberry balls appeared in front of everyone.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! It's like a work of art." Xiao Li exclaimed.

"Don't just look at the appearance first, try it and see how it tastes." Lao Zhang picked up a small ball and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully. "Well, the taste is very unique, with the sweetness of fruit and a hint of surprise. We succeeded!"

Next, they began experimenting with low-temperature cooking techniques for the beef.

"The key to low-temperature cooking of beef is to control the temperature and time, otherwise the beef will easily be overcooked or undercooked," said Lao Zhang.

"Then what temperature should we set? And how long should it take?" Xiao Wang asked.

"Let's first look up some information and see some professional advice. Then we'll make adjustments based on our actual situation." Lao Zhang replied.

They found all kinds of information about low-temperature cooking and after careful study, they decided to put the beef into the low-temperature cooking equipment, set the temperature to 55 degrees Celsius and the time for several hours.

"It takes several hours of waiting, but it's worth it to make delicious beef," said Xiao Li with a smile.

While waiting for the beef to be cooked, the chefs were not idle. They began to prepare special seasonings, carefully mixing a unique sauce with various spices and seasonings.

"This sauce should not only highlight the deliciousness of the beef, but also match the taste after low-temperature cooking. Everyone come and try it and see how the taste needs to be adjusted." Lao Zhang handed the prepared sauce to everyone.

The chefs tasted the sauce one after another and offered their opinions and suggestions. After many adjustments, the taste of the sauce finally reached a level that everyone was satisfied with.

A few hours later, the beef was finally cooked, and the chefs couldn't wait to take it out and cut it into thin slices.

"Look at this beef, the color is so beautiful, so tender and pink." Xiao Wang said excitedly.

"Hurry up and taste it." Lao Zhang picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth, chewing it gently. "It's so tender, it melts in your mouth. With our special seasoning, it tastes great."

The chefs were so confident about the two new dishes that they decided to introduce them to customers for tasting.

When these two dishes first appeared on the menu of all Wang's restaurants, they immediately attracted the attention of customers.

The waiter enthusiastically introduced to the customer: "Today our restaurant has launched two special new dishes. One is fruit balls made using molecular cooking technology, and the other is tender beef made using low-temperature cooking methods. These two dishes are carefully developed by our chef team, and we hope to bring you a brand new taste experience."

Customers expressed their curiosity and wanted to try it.

The first table of customers who ordered these two new dishes was a young couple. When the dishes were served, they were attracted by their appearance.

"Wow, these fruit balls are so beautiful! They look like gems," the girl exclaimed.

"This beef looks tempting, I wonder how it tastes," said the boy.

They tasted the fruit balls first, and the girl showed a pleasant surprise: "This taste is amazing! It has the sweetness of strawberries and an indescribable freshness. It's really delicious."

The boy nodded and praised: "It is indeed unique. I didn't expect that fruits could be made like this."

Next, they tasted the low-temperature cooked beef.

"This beef is so tender! It melts in your mouth, and the seasoning tastes great, it's really great." The boy gave a thumbs up. The girl smiled and said to the waiter, "The chef in your restaurant is amazing, these new dishes are so surprising. We will definitely recommend them to our friends."

As word spread among customers, these two new dishes quickly became popular dishes in the restaurant. More and more customers came here just to taste these unique delicacies.

In restaurants, you can often hear customers praising these two dishes.

"I've never eaten such special fruit dishes. Wang's All-Season Restaurant is really creative." said a customer.

"This low-temperature cooked beef is simply the best beef I have ever eaten. The chefs at Wang's full-line restaurants are truly amazing," another customer also exclaimed.

But the chefs are not satisfied with the success of the dishes, they continue to improve and innovate.

"Although we have made some achievements now, we cannot stand still. We must continue to explore more possibilities to make our dishes even better," said Lao Zhang at a kitchen meeting.

"Yes, we can try to combine molecular cuisine and low-temperature cooking techniques to create more unique dishes," Xiao Li suggested.

"This is a good idea. We can think about which ingredients are suitable for this combination." Lao Zhang agreed.

So the chefs started a new round of attempts. They tried to use low-temperature cooked chicken and vegetable foam made by molecular gastronomy to create a dish that is both delicious and creative.

"This dish perfectly combines the tenderness of chicken and the light texture of vegetable foam. It is truly a brand new experience," said a chef after tasting it.

When this new dish was launched, it was once again warmly welcomed by customers. The customized catering services of Wang's full-line hotels have also become more popular because of these constantly innovative dishes.

"Your restaurant always brings us surprises. We discover new things every time we come here," an old customer said to the waiter.

"This is all the result of the hard work of our chef team. We hope to provide our customers with the best dining experience." The waiter replied with a smile.

In this process, the chefs are also constantly learning and communicating. They participate in various catering seminars to share experiences with other chefs and gain new inspiration.

Once, Lao Zhang participated in an international catering exchange event, where he saw many exquisite dishes made by foreign chefs using advanced technology, and was deeply inspired.

"There are really a lot of things we can learn from foreign chefs in terms of cooking techniques and creativity. We cannot limit ourselves to our own small circle, we need to go out more and see the outside world," Lao Zhang said to everyone after he came back.

"Yes, we have to keep learning new knowledge and techniques to keep our restaurant at the forefront of the catering industry," said Xiao Wang.

As time goes by, Wang's full range of restaurants have become more and more famous and have become the leaders in the local catering industry. All of this is inseparable from the chefs' persistent pursuit of innovation and continuous efforts.

During a busy dinner time, the restaurant was packed with customers who were enjoying the delicious food while also experiencing the unique dining culture of Wang's full-line hotels.

"The food here is not only delicious, but each dish is like a work of art, leaving people with an endless aftertaste," said a customer.

"That's right, Wang's entire chain of restaurants always brings us different surprises. I'm already a loyal fan here." Another customer also said.

……

As the hotel's popularity continues to grow, more and more customers come to the hotel, which disrupts the hotel's originally stable operating rhythm and increases the pressure of reception sharply.

Especially during the peak dining hours, there are often long queues at the entrance of the restaurant, and the restaurant is even more crowded. Customers are anxiously waiting for seats at the entrance. As time goes by, the patience of some customers is gradually exhausted.

One noon day, the sun was shining and the streets were bustling with people.

At the entrance of Wang's All-Inclusive Restaurant, a middle-aged customer in a suit stood there with a dissatisfied look on his face. He complained to his companions, "We've been waiting for so long and still haven't got a seat. Even if business is good, they can't keep us waiting. It's been almost an hour. It's such a waste of time."

Although his voice was not loud, it was still clearly audible in the noisy environment.

This scene happened to be seen by Wang Jianye who was walking out of the office, and his heart suddenly tightened.

Customer dissatisfaction is not only a complaint about waiting time, but also a question about the hotel service. If this problem cannot be solved as soon as possible, it will seriously affect the customer experience and the reputation of the hotel. Years of business experience tell him that customer satisfaction is the key to the survival and development of a hotel.

Without any hesitation, Wang Jianye immediately turned back to the hotel and urgently convened a management meeting to discuss countermeasures. In the meeting room, the atmosphere was solemn and serious, as if the air had frozen.

Wang Jianye frowned, looked at everyone firmly, and said, "Recently, the problem of customers waiting too long has become more and more serious. As we all know, this has caused dissatisfaction among customers. We cannot let customers be disappointed with us because they have to wait for a seat. This is absolutely intolerable. Let's think about it. Is there any practical way to solve this problem?"

A young manager spoke first. He pushed his glasses and said nervously, "Boss, I think we can consider expanding the restaurant and adding more dining areas. This way we can accommodate more customers and reduce waiting time. Our business is so good now. If we expand the scale, we will definitely attract more customers and increase our revenue accordingly."

Another experienced manager shook his head slightly, a worried look on his face, and said slowly: "Expanding the scale is indeed a solution, but it is not an easy task.

First of all, a large amount of capital will be required, and whether our current financial situation can support such expansion requires careful evaluation.

Moreover, finding a suitable venue is not something that can be done overnight. It takes time and effort to search and negotiate. In addition, we need to solve a series of problems such as decoration, equipment procurement, staff recruitment and training, which cannot be completed in a short time. "

Wang Jianye listened to everyone's speeches and fell into deep thought. He knew that expanding the scale was a long-term solution, but what needed to be solved urgently was the problem at hand.

After a moment, he raised his head and said firmly: "Expanding the scale is a direction, but we can't do it right away. During this period, we must start with improving operational efficiency. For example, we can optimize the ordering process and provide more rigorous and professional training for waiters so that they can serve customers more skillfully and quickly.

At the same time, reasonable seating arrangement is also key. We need to develop a more scientific seating arrangement plan to increase the turnover rate. In addition, we cannot let customers feel left out while they are waiting. We can provide some considerate services while they are waiting, such as free tea and snacks, to appease their emotions. What do you think? "(End of this chapter)