Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

"Sir, what do you think of the taste of seafood and wine together?" Chen Yu asked with a smile.

The customer took a sip of the wine, nodded, and said, "This is a great combination! The freshness of the seafood and the richness of the wine complement each other, and the taste is very harmonious. Moreover, our seafood in Cape Town is very fresh, which is our pride."

While listening to the customer's answer, Chen Yu silently took note of the information in his mind.

In Nairobi, Chen Yu walked into a busy local market. The market was bustling with people, and the smell of various spices filled the air. He saw stalls filled with various meats and spices, and the stall owners were selling them enthusiastically.

Chen Yu walked to a barbecue stall and watched the stall owner skillfully roast beef. The aroma filled his nose. He bought a portion of barbecue and sat on a small stool next to him to taste it. The barbecue had a strong flavor, the spices were just right, and the meat was tender and juicy.

Chen Yu chatted with the stall owner again and learned some unique cooking methods and spice recipes about the local barbecue.

After a period of field investigation, Chen Yu collected a lot of first-hand information. He returned to the company and compiled a detailed research report.

In the conference room, Chen Yu showed Wang Jianye and Master Li his research results. He pointed to Cape Town and Nairobi on the map and said, "Mr. Wang, Master Li, after my research, Cape Town has rich seafood resources. Locals like to pair seafood with wine and have high requirements for the freshness and quality of food. Nairobi is mainly barbecued meat and various stews. Locals are very particular about the use of spices and like a lively dining atmosphere. We need to adjust our dishes and business strategies based on these characteristics."

After listening to this, Chef Li said thoughtfully: "Based on these research results, we can develop some dishes that combine our Korean and Singaporean cooking methods with local characteristics. For Cape Town, we can make some Korean seafood pancakes with South African wine sauce to highlight the freshness of seafood and the mellowness of wine; for Nairobi, we can launch Korean and Singaporean spiced grilled beef with Kenyan stew to combine Korean and Singaporean spices with the local barbecue style."

Wang Jianye nodded and said, "Okay, let's go in this direction. Lao Li, you lead the chef team to develop dishes as soon as possible; Xiao Chen, you continue to follow up on the store site selection and related procedures; I will contact local business partners to prepare for the store opening."

Chef Li returned to the kitchen and immediately called together the chef team. In the kitchen, the chefs sat together, their eyes full of expectations and challenges.

Chef Li stood in the middle and said, "Guys, we are going to develop new dishes for the Cape Town and Nairobi branches. This time is a big challenge, but also full of opportunities. We want to combine our Korean-Singapore cooking methods with local specialties to create unique delicacies. You can bring forward any ideas you have and we will discuss them together."

Chef Xiao Zhang scratched his head and said, "Master, how should we mix the flavor of Korean seafood pancake with South African wine sauce? I'm worried that it will affect the overall taste if it's not mixed well."

Master Li smiled and said, "This is indeed a key question. We can first study the characteristics of South African wine, and then combine it with our Korean seasoning method and make multiple attempts. Innovation is a process of continuous trial and improvement. Don't be afraid of failure."

In the following days, the kitchen became their testing ground. The flames on the stove were blazing, and various ingredients were boiling in the pot. Master Li and the chefs kept trying new combinations of ingredients and cooking methods.

They first made Korean seafood pancakes, mixing fresh seafood with batter and frying until golden and crispy. Then, they began to prepare the South African wine sauce. They tried different types of wine, added various seasonings, and constantly adjusted the proportions.

"Master, please try this sauce. I added a little honey and lemon juice. Does it taste richer?" Chef Xiao Zhang handed a bowl of sauce to Master Li.

Master Li tasted it, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Not bad, the sweetness of honey and the sourness of lemon juice make the taste of the sauce more balanced, it should be very good with seafood pancakes. However, we can try other seasonings to see if we can make the taste even better."

For the Korean-Sin Spiced Roast Beef with Kenyan Stew, they first studied the traditional method of Kenyan stew, and then combined the Korean spices with the beef, marinated it and roasted it.

"Master, the spice flavor of this roast beef doesn't seem to be strong enough. Is it because we didn't use enough spices?" asked Chef Xiao Wang.

Master Li looked at the roast beef and said, "It's possible. Let's increase the amount of spices and extend the marinating time to see how it works."

After countless attempts and adjustments, they finally developed satisfactory new dishes.

At the same time, Wang Jianye encountered many difficulties in contacting local business partners.

In Cape Town, when he was negotiating with a local business partner, the other party was not familiar with the Wang's full-line hotel brand and was skeptical about the cooperation.

“Mr. Wang, we have many excellent restaurants in Cape Town. What is unique about your restaurant? Why should I cooperate with you?” asked the business partner.

Wang Jianye smiled and patiently introduced: "Our Wang's All-Season Restaurant is a restaurant that combines Korean and Singaporean cuisine. At the same time, we will adjust and innovate according to local tastes and culture. We have successfully opened many branches in other countries and have rich experience and good reputation. Moreover, our dishes focus on the freshness and quality of ingredients. We believe that we can bring a brand new dining experience to consumers in Cape Town."

After many communications and exchanges, the other party finally became interested in all of Wang’s hotels, and the two parties reached a cooperation intention.

In Nairobi, Wang Jianye encountered problems with local business regulations. He spent a lot of time and energy to understand and adapt to these regulations, and communicate and negotiate with local lawyers and relevant agencies.

"Mr. Wang, these regulations are indeed very complicated. We must ensure that all procedures are legal and compliant, otherwise it will cause great trouble for our store opening." Chen Yu said worriedly.

Wang Jianye frowned and said, "I know. We must actively respond and handle relevant procedures in accordance with legal requirements. At the same time, we must maintain close communication with local business partners and ask them to help us solve some practical problems."

Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the branches in Cape Town and Nairobi were finally ready and opened one after another.

The decoration style of the Cape Town branch is full of marine elements, with blue walls and white decorations, making people feel like they are at the seaside. On the opening day, the store was decorated with flowers and ribbons, full of a festive atmosphere. A local seafood lover walked into the restaurant and was very curious when he saw the Korean seafood pancake with South African wine sauce on the menu. He ordered one, and when the dish was served, he was attracted by the aroma of the pancake and the color of the sauce.

He picked up the fork and took a bite of the pancake. His eyes lit up immediately and he said excitedly, "This pancake is so delicious. The seafood is very fresh and the wine sauce is amazing. This is the first time I have tasted such a unique combination. I didn't expect that the oriental cooking method and our local ingredients and wine can be combined so perfectly."

The decoration style of the Nairobi branch is full of African style, with local traditional handicrafts hanging on the walls, creating a lively dining atmosphere.

A local resident walked into the restaurant and ordered a plate of Korean spiced roast beef with Kenyan stew. After tasting the roast beef, he was surprised and praised: "The roast beef tastes very special, the spices are strong, the meat is very tender, and it has a different flavor from our local roast meat. And the stew is also delicious, and the combination is very delicious."

As time went by, the business of the Cape Town and Nairobi branches became better and better. With rave reviews from customers, Wang's All-inclusive Hotels became more and more well-known in Africa.

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood at the door of the Cape Town branch, watching the customers coming in and out, their hearts filled with pride and satisfaction.

Wang Jianye said with emotion: "We have encountered many difficulties and challenges along the way, but we never gave up. I am very pleased to see the current achievements. We have taken solid steps in our development in Africa, but this is just the beginning. In the future, we will continue to work hard to make all Wang's hotels shine more brilliantly in Africa."

Chen Yu and Master Li also nodded, their eyes full of confidence and expectations for the future.

……

In Africa, the branches of Wang's All-in-One Restaurant in Cape Town and Nairobi have become a bright spot in the local catering industry. However, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li are well aware that the catering industry is like sailing against the current, and if you don't move forward, you will fall behind. They keep their eyes firmly on the needs of customers and are always ready to work hard to improve the dining experience of customers.

At the Cape Town branch, warm sunlight shines through the huge French windows onto the wooden floor of the restaurant, creating a crisscross pattern of light and shadow. Customers sit at the tables in groups of three or four, enjoying the food and leisure time. A local lady with golden curly hair elegantly takes a sip of the wine in her glass, frowns slightly, and calls the waiter.

"Hello, I really like the seafood dishes and wines in your restaurant, but I find that the snacks are a bit monotonous. Can you add some snacks that are more suitable to pair with wine?" She smiled with anticipation in her eyes.

The waiter quickly wrote down the customer's feedback and reported the situation to Chen Yu, who immediately contacted Master Li after learning about it.

"Lao Li, some customers in Cape Town have given us feedback that they hope we can add some snacks that are suitable for pairing with wine. Do you think we can develop some new dishes?" Chen Yu said on the phone.

Chef Li answered without hesitation on the other end of the phone: "No problem, Manager Chen. I will gather the chef team right away, and we will definitely develop snacks that will satisfy our customers as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, Chef Li quickly walked into the kitchen, which was filled with the aroma of various ingredients. The chefs were preparing the day's dishes in an orderly manner, and when they saw Chef Li coming in, they all stopped what they were doing.

Chef Li clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention and said, "Guys, the customer has given us a new request. He hopes that we can add some snacks that are suitable for pairing with wine. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for us to innovate. Everyone, use your brains and think of some good ideas."

Chef Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up and he was the first to say, "Master, we can make Korean seafood spring rolls. This snack has a rich taste. The combination of the freshness of seafood and the crispness of the spring roll wrapper should be very suitable for pairing with wine."

Another chef, Xiao Zhang, also agreed: "Yes, and we can also add some local specialty vegetables to the spring rolls to increase some local flavor."

Master Li nodded, showing an approving look, and said, "It's a good idea, but we can be bolder. Xiao Zhao, you mentioned Korean seafood spring rolls just now. Should we add some local special spices to it? This way, we can retain the Korean flavor and better suit the tastes of Cape Town customers."

Xiao Zhao scratched his head, thought for a while, and said, "Master, I think we can give it a try. Maybe there will be unexpected results."

So the chefs immediately took action. They carefully selected fresh seafood such as shrimp, squid and shellfish, cut them into small pieces, and marinated them with various seasonings. Xiao Zhao was responsible for preparing the spring roll wrappers. He skillfully spread the spring roll wrappers and put in the marinated seafood and local specialty vegetables such as sweet and sour apricot leaves and crispy ice plants.

“Master, I think we can add some of this local spice. It has a unique taste and should enhance the flavor of the spring rolls.” Xiao Zhao picked up a handful of the spice and handed it to Master Li.

Master Li smelled it, nodded, and said, "Okay, let's add it in and try it."

In the process of wrapping the spring rolls, the chefs carefully wrap the fillings to ensure the spring rolls have a beautiful shape. Afterwards, they fry the spring rolls in oil until they are golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, Chef Xiao Zhang began to prepare fried shrimps with spices. He removed the shells and deveined the shrimps, marinated them with local special spices and Korean seasonings, coated them with flour, and fried them in oil until they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

When the first batch of Korean seafood spring rolls and fried shrimps with spices came out of the pot, the aroma filled the air. Master Li picked up a spring roll, took a bite, and said with satisfaction: "Well, it tastes very good. The freshness of seafood, the freshness of vegetables and the unique taste of spices blend well."

Xiao Zhang also tasted the fried shrimp and said, "Master, this fried shrimp is also delicious. The flavor of the spices is just right, which complements the deliciousness of the shrimp meat."

After these new snacks were served on the table, they were warmly welcomed by the customers. After tasting the Korean seafood spring rolls, the lady who made the suggestion was delighted and said to the waiter excitedly: "This spring roll is so delicious, and it goes perfectly with wine! Your response speed is really fast, I am very satisfied." (End of this chapter)