Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

In the restaurant of a hotel, you can often see such a scene: a group of American customers dressed casually come in, scan the menu, and when they see fusion dishes such as "American steak with Chinese and French sauce" and "Chinese, French and American hamburger", they frown slightly and talk to each other in a low voice.

A young man in a baseball shirt pointed at the menu and said to his companion, "Can this steak with Chinese and French sauce be delicious? Steak should be eaten in the classic way. Will adding those weird sauces ruin the taste?"

An older man wearing glasses nodded in agreement: "Yeah, this burger is the same, with braised meat and cheese, it feels a bit weird, I don't know what it tastes like."

In order to break this situation and make more customers accept and love fusion cuisine, the hotel management decided to increase the publicity and promotion of the cuisine. They organized professionals to carefully prepare promotional materials, which were carefully considered from design to content. The cover of the brochure was printed on high-quality paper.

The color combination is eye-catching yet elegant, with the "Wang's All-in-One Restaurant" logo on the top and beautiful pictures of fusion dishes below. Opening the brochure, the inner page details the characteristics and creativity of each fusion dish in English.

The team responsible for writing promotional materials has a deep understanding of the production process of each dish and the cultural integration concept behind it. When introducing "American steak with Chinese and French sauce", they described it as follows: "This 'American steak with Chinese and French sauce' is made with selected local top-quality American steaks to ensure that the meat is tender and juicy.

The sauces are our masterpieces. French sauces are famous for their exquisiteness and fineness, adding an elegant flavor to the steak; Chinese sauces are uniquely rich and mellow. The combination of the two is not a simple mixture, but a gourmet innovation that has been tried and carefully formulated countless times, which will bring you a new and rich taste experience. "

At the same time, the hotel actively invites local food bloggers and food critics to taste the dishes. These invited people are quite influential in the New York catering industry, and their comments and recommendations often influence the choices of many consumers. When food bloggers and critics received the invitation, they all arranged time to come.

On a sunny afternoon, several food bloggers and critics arrived at the restaurant. Wang Jianye personally greeted them at the door. He was dressed in a neat suit and had a sincere smile on his face. He shook hands with each guest and said, "Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to taste our dishes. I hope to get your valuable comments."

After entering the restaurant, the waiter quickly arranged seats for the guests and handed over menus. While looking at the menus, the guests exchanged their initial impressions of these fusion dishes. A food critic with a beard said: "I am quite curious about these fusion dishes. I wonder how they actually taste." A fashionable female food blogger responded: "Yes, it's quite interesting to see the promotion. It depends on whether it can live up to expectations."

Soon, fusion dishes were served one after another. "American steak with Chinese-French sauce" was placed on a beautiful plate. The steak was fried to the perfect color, and the Chinese-French sauce next to it was placed on a delicate small dish, exuding an enticing aroma. The guests picked up their knives and forks and began to taste. The bearded food critic first cut a piece of steak, dipped some sauce into his mouth, chewed it for a few times, nodded slightly, and then took a few bites in a row, saying: "Well, the steak is cooked well, and the meat is very tender. This Chinese-French sauce is indeed innovative. The delicate French sauce and the mellow Chinese sauce match well, bringing a different level to the steak." The fashionable female food blogger also said: "Indeed, I didn't expect this combination to be so harmonious and the taste is very rich."

After tasting all the dishes, the guests gave their comments and suggestions. The hotel staff carefully took notes and nodded from time to time. A food blogger wearing a hat said: "Overall, the creativity of these dishes is great and the taste is beyond my expectations. But in terms of publicity, some cultural stories behind the dishes can be highlighted so that customers can better understand this fusion."

Afterwards, these food bloggers and critics shared their experiences on their own social media platforms or professional media. One food blogger wrote: "Wang's American steak with Chinese and French sauce is an amazing dish. It perfectly combines traditional steak with unique Chinese and French sauces, and has a rich taste. It is a new star in the New York catering industry." These positive comments and sharing spread like ripples in the New York catering market, attracting more customers' attention.

In addition to the issue of customer acceptance of fusion cuisine, the high cost of catering in New York is also a major problem faced by hotels. Expenses such as food procurement, rent, and labor costs are like a heavy burden, constantly testing the hotel's operational capabilities.

In terms of food procurement, in order to ensure the quality of dishes and control costs, the hotel's procurement team traveled around. They shuttled between various food markets in New York and negotiated with many suppliers. The procurement team members took notebooks and pens and carefully recorded the type, quality, price and other information of the ingredients provided by each supplier.

A purchasing staff member carefully inspected the vegetable samples from a supplier. He picked up a lettuce, checked whether the leaves were fresh and free of pests and diseases, and then asked the supplier: "Is this lettuce produced in local farms? How much can you guarantee to supply every day? Can the price be more favorable? Our restaurant uses a large amount of it." After the supplier introduced the origin and planting methods of the lettuce, the purchasing staff carefully took notes and said that he would consider cooperation.

After many comparisons and negotiations, the purchasing team established cooperative relationships with some local farms. They purchased fresh vegetables, fruits and meat directly from the farms, reducing the intermediate links and reducing the purchasing costs. The purchasing team communicated with the farms regularly to ensure the stable supply and reliable quality of the ingredients. Every time the ingredients arrived, the chef team would also conduct strict inspections on the ingredients. A chef picked up a piece of beef that was delivered, carefully checked the texture of the meat, pressed it with his hands to feel the elasticity, and smelled it closely. After confirming that it was correct, he nodded to indicate that it had passed the inspection. In terms of labor cost control, the hotel management improved work efficiency by optimizing the work process of employees. They organized employees for training and explained in detail the work process and time allocation of each position. In terms of restaurant service, the waiters used to have some unnecessary actions and time waste in taking orders for customers, serving dishes, and cleaning the table. During the training, the management staff personally demonstrated and told the waiters how to quickly guide customers to sit down and hand over menus when they entered the door, how to accurately record and promptly convey to the kitchen when customers ordered, how to reasonably plan the route when serving dishes to avoid wasting time walking back and forth, and how to clean the table quickly without affecting other customers' meals.

In the kitchen, the chefs have also optimized the workflow. In the past, there was sometimes a lack of connection between food preparation and cooking. Now, the head chef has rearranged the work order, asking the cutting staff to prepare the ingredients in advance and arrange them neatly according to the order of dish preparation, so that the cooking chefs can use the ingredients for cooking more efficiently. At the same time, the staff positions and working hours are reasonably arranged. According to the restaurant's customer flow pattern, service staff and chefs are added during peak hours, and staff are appropriately reduced during off-peak hours to avoid unnecessary waste of manpower.

As an international metropolis, New York attracts people from all over the world, and customers have extremely high requirements for service quality. In order to meet the needs of customers, the hotel has strengthened the service training of employees, focusing on improving the professionalism and flexibility of services.

The hotel invited professional language trainers to conduct multilingual training courses for employees. In the training classroom, employees carefully learned basic communication skills in common languages ​​such as English, Spanish, and French. The trainer explained word pronunciation, grammar knowledge, and daily expressions on the podium, and the employees followed and took notes. A waiter was practicing ordering in Spanish, repeating: "Qué le gustaría ordenar? (What would you like to order?)" and practicing pronunciation and lip shape in front of the mirror.

In addition to language training, the hotel also focuses on cultivating employees' ability to meet customers' personalized needs. When a vegetarian customer walked in, the waiter immediately stepped forward and asked with a smile: "Hello, do you have any special dietary needs?" When he learned that the customer was a vegetarian, the waiter immediately said: "We have a special menu prepared for vegetarian customers, which contains a variety of delicious and nutritious vegetarian dishes. Let me introduce it to you in detail." After guiding the customer to his seat, the waiter handed over the vegetarian menu and patiently introduced the ingredients and taste of each dish.

In a corner of the restaurant, there is an area specially prepared for children. There are colorful children's chairs and small entertainment facilities such as puzzles and building blocks. When a customer with a child comes in, the waiter will take the initiative to ask the child's age and arrange a suitable children's meal for the child. A waiter put a children's meal on the table. The meal contains cute food, such as cartoon-shaped sandwiches and animal-shaped fruit pieces. The waiter smiled and said to the child, "Little friend, this is a meal specially prepared for you. Do you like it?" The child smiled happily after seeing it.

During the service, the staff always pay attention to the needs of customers. A customer wanted a cup of warm water. As soon as he signaled to the waiter, the waiter quickly responded: "Okay, I'll bring it to you right away." After a while, a cup of warm water was placed in front of the customer. The customer thanked the waiter, and the waiter smiled and replied: "You're welcome, this is what we should do."

As the operation of the Manhattan branch gradually got on track, Wang Jianye looked beyond the prosperity of Manhattan and cast his eyes on Queens, New York. Queens, a region where diverse cultures intersect and converge, is like a rich cultural treasure house, carrying the dreams and stories of immigrants from all over the world. It has a rich immigrant culture and diverse taste demands, providing a fertile ground full of potential for the catering industry.

Wang Jianye led the team to conduct a detailed site selection in Queens. They traveled through the streets and alleys of Queens and conducted inspections and assessments of various locations. In the end, they selected a location with convenient transportation and an active community. Here, the streets are wide, and bus stops and subway stations are close at hand, making it convenient for people to come and eat. The surrounding community has a strong atmosphere of life, and residents come and go, full of vitality.

After the store location was determined, the decoration work was carried out in full swing. The decoration style of this branch is unique. On the basis of continuing the fusion of Chinese, French and American cultures, it also focuses on creating a sense of community and people-friendliness. The decoration team carefully selected materials and planned the layout. The lighting design in the store is particularly attentive, using soft and warm lights. The shape of the lamps is simple but warm. The light bulbs emit a light yellow halo, which is evenly sprinkled in every corner of the restaurant, making people feel a sense of tranquility and comfort as soon as they step into the store.

The wall colors are light and elegant, mainly beige and light wood, giving people a fresh and natural feeling. In order to add to the community atmosphere, the decoration team also communicated with the local community and collected some artworks from community residents for display. These works are in various forms, including paintings, handicrafts, etc. They are carefully framed or placed, and are scattered on the walls. Each work carries the unique creativity and emotions of the community residents, adding a strong sense of life to the restaurant.

The placement of tables and chairs has also been carefully designed to be more spacious and comfortable. The distance between the tables is appropriately increased to facilitate customers to move around freely. The chairs are equipped with soft cushions, and the curvature of the backrest fits the human body curve, so people will not feel tired even if they sit for a long time. This layout design makes family dinners and gatherings with friends more comfortable and comfortable.

In terms of dish development, the chef team has invested a lot of energy in innovation by combining the multicultural characteristics of Queens. After countless attempts and adjustments, they have launched a series of refreshing dishes. Among them, "Multicultural Risotto" has become one of the signature dishes.

When making "multicultural risotto", the chefs skillfully combine Chinese fried rice, French baked rice and American risotto. First, take an appropriate amount of rice, wash it clean, and fry it with the Chinese fried rice technique until it is slightly golden, so that the rice grains are distinct and chewy. Then, borrowing from the French baked rice method, spread a layer of carefully prepared sauce on the rice. This sauce is added with Spanish seafood,

Fresh shrimp, plump clams, and Mexican chili peppers add a warm flavor to the sauce. The chefs carefully chop the seafood and chili peppers and mix them evenly into the sauce, so that every bite can taste rich. Then, sprinkle with Indian spices such as curry powder and cumin, which instantly release a rich aroma that fills the entire kitchen. Finally, bake the risotto in the oven until a golden and crispy crust forms on the surface. (End of this chapter)