Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

With the Qingdao branch successfully gaining a foothold and business booming, Wang Jianye's eyes have already looked beyond the mountains and seas and locked on his next potential target - the Weishan Lake area.

Weishan Lake in the mid-1990s was like a shining pearl inlaid in the land of southern Shandong. It not only had picturesque natural scenery, with sparkling water and swaying lotus flowers, but also carried a profound culinary culture.

There are abundant lake seafood resources here, and the delicacies made with fish, shrimp, crab and other ingredients are well-known. The local residents are warm and hospitable, and have a high passion and pursuit for food.

Wang Jianye keenly realized that although the Weishan Lake area has distinct regional characteristics, there is still ample room for diversified development of catering. The fusion cuisine concept of Wang's entire line of hotels may open a new chapter here.

Wang Jianye summoned Chen Yu and Master Li to his office again.

At this time, the map on the office wall became more and more complete. In addition to the strongholds in Africa and the signs of Jinan and Qingdao, the location of the Weishan Lake area was circled by Wang Jianye with a striking red pen.

Wang Jianye stood in front of the map, with the pointer in his hand gently placed on the location of Weishan Lake, his eyes firm and full of expectation, and said: "We have achieved phased success in Qingdao, but market expansion will never end.

Weishan Lake area, a place with unique charm, will be our next battlefield.

The food culture here is unique and the consumer group is also considerable. We want to bring the unique charm of fusion cuisine to Weishan Lake. What do you think of this?"

Chen Yu pushed his glasses and responded after thinking for a moment: "Mr. Wang, the Weishan Lake area has its own particularities.

Local lake seafood cuisine dominates the local market, and residents have distinct taste preferences. They love the fresh original flavor of lake seafood, and the cooking methods are mainly traditional methods such as steaming and braising.

If we want to open a restaurant here, we must conduct in-depth research on local eating habits, consumption capacity and market competition, and flexibly adjust our menu and business strategies accordingly, so that we can have a chance to gain a foothold.”

Master Li nodded slightly and added: "Indeed, the seafood from Weishan Lake is of high quality, which is an advantage we can take advantage of.

We need to deeply combine Korean-Singapore fusion cuisine with the seafood characteristics of Weishan Lake and develop new dishes that not only retain the characteristics of the hotel's fusion cuisine, but also accurately cater to the tastes of local people. This undoubtedly poses a higher challenge to our cooking skills and innovation capabilities."

Wang Jianye looked at his two capable assistants with bright eyes and said firmly: "There are many difficulties, but we have overcome countless hardships and obstacles along the way, and we will definitely be able to overcome all difficulties this time.

Xiao Chen, the task of market research and preliminary preparations will be handed over to you; Lao Li, you will lead the chef team and devote yourself to the research and development of dishes suitable for the Weishan Lake market; I will be responsible for contacting local business partners and relevant institutions in Weishan Lake.

Do you have confidence that we can work together? "

"Yes!" Chen Yu and Master Li said in unison, their voices firm and powerful, as if they could penetrate the wall and convey their inner determination.

Chen Yu quickly got to work and, through his various connections, contacted catering practitioners, market researchers and scholars familiar with local culture in the Weishan Lake area.

He worked day and night to collect information, analyze data, and frequently called contacts in Weishan Lake.

"Hello, Boss Sun! I am Chen Yu from Wang's All-inclusive Hotel.

I would like to ask you, what is the current catering market situation in Weishan Lake area? How do local people accept exotic fusion cuisine? Also, what are the distinctive characteristics of Weishan Lake residents in terms of taste and dining habits? " Chen Yu was holding the phone and writing quickly on his notebook, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

Boss Sun on the other end of the phone responded enthusiastically: "Xiao Chen, the catering market in Weishan Lake is very lively, and everyone loves to eat, especially lake seafood.

People here have a special liking for local lake seafood, which tends to be fresh and salty, and they like its original flavor. The cooking methods are also relatively traditional.

However, as the economy has developed in recent years, people are more receptive to new things from outside.”

After Chen Yu asked in detail about the local food supply, rental levels, consumption habits, and competitors, he hung up the phone.

After several weeks of unremitting efforts, he compiled a detailed research report.

At the briefing meeting, Chen Yu presented his research results to Wang Jianye and Master Li.

"Mr. Wang, Mr. Li, after in-depth research, I found that opening a store in Weishan Lake has both opportunities and challenges.

Weishan Lake residents love food and have a certain desire to explore new flavors. Our fusion cuisine concept is likely to attract customers who are looking for novel experiences.

However, we must fully consider local taste preferences and incorporate more lake seafood elements into the dishes to highlight the deliciousness of lake seafood while ensuring that the portions are affordable enough.

In addition, I suggest choosing a location near Weishan Lake Scenic Area or around a busy local market, where there is a large flow of people and many potential customers. "

Chen Yu pointed to the Weishan Lake area on the map and said seriously.

After listening to this, Master Li thought for a while and said, "Then we can combine Korean and Singaporean cuisine with the characteristics of Weishan Lake. For example, we can use fish from Weishan Lake to make Korean grilled fish, and pair Singaporean curry with shrimp from Weishan Lake to develop new dishes based on Weishan Lake seafood."

At the same time, we must pay attention to the portion and pricing of dishes, which must be in line with the consumption habits of Weishan Lake residents.”

Wang Jianye nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, let's go in this direction.

Xiao Chen, you continue to follow up on the store site selection and related procedures in Weishan Lake; Lao Li, you start developing new dishes as soon as possible.

I came to contact local business partners in Weishan Lake. "

Chef Li returned to the kitchen and immediately called a meeting of the chef team.

In the kitchen, all kinds of ingredients were neatly arranged, and the brand new kitchen utensils were shining under the light.

The chefs sat together, listening attentively to Master Li's speech.

Master Li cleared his throat and said, "Guys, we are going to expand into the Weishan Lake market, and this time the challenge is not small.

We need to combine Korean cuisine with the seafood specialties of Weishan Lake and develop dishes that the residents of Weishan Lake will like.

Everyone should use their brains and speak freely, and feel free to express any ideas. "

Chef Xiao Wang scratched his head and said, "Master, will it taste good if we combine fish from Weishan Lake with Korean grilled fish? I'm a little worried."

Master Li smiled and said, "Innovation means continuous experimentation, and there may be unexpected results.

Everyone should be bold and do it. Only by practicing can you know whether it works or not."

In the following days, the kitchen became their testing ground.

Chef Li and the chefs are constantly trying new ingredient combinations and cooking methods.

They use local seasonings from Weishan Lake such as onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, etc., combined with Korean barbecue sauce and kimchi, Singaporean curry and coconut milk, etc.

"Master, try this Korean grilled fish made with fish from Weishan Lake. I added some local bean paste, and it tastes very special."

Chef Xiao Zhang said as he held a plate of new dishes.

Master Li tasted it and his eyes lit up: "Not bad, the taste is very unique.

The deliciousness of Weishan Lake fish and the richness of bean paste give the grilled fish a different flavor.

However, the proportion of the sauce can be adjusted to make the taste richer. ”

Through a friend's introduction, Wang Jianye met Zhao Qiang, a local businessman who had extensive connections in the business circle in Weishan Lake area.

Zhao Qiang is tall, straightforward and speaks with a strong local accent.

The two met for the first time at a business exchange event. Wang Jianye extended his hand enthusiastically: "Mr. Zhao, I have heard of your name for a long time. I am honored to meet you today.

Our Wang's full range of restaurants have opened branches in many locations and are doing pretty good business.

Now we are planning to open a branch in Weishan Lake, and want to bring our fusion cuisine to friends in Weishan Lake.”

Zhao Qiang laughed heartily and shook Wang Jianye's hand vigorously: "Boss Wang, I have heard about your restaurant a long time ago.

Fusion cuisine is a new thing in Weishan Lake and has great market potential.

I can help you find a suitable store, and I can also use my connections to help you solve some local problems. "

After several communications, the two reached a cooperation intention.

Zhao Qiang began to look for a suitable store in Weishan Lake area, while Wang Jianye continued to prepare other matters for opening the store.

However, problems arose during the preparation process.

The first issue is store decoration. The local decoration team in Weishan Lake is accustomed to the traditional Chinese style and has difficulty understanding the fusion style decoration plan proposed by Chen Yu.

"Mr. Chen, we have been doing renovations for many years, and we have always done them in Chinese style. We don't quite understand how to do your fusion style."

The person in charge of the decoration team said with a frown.

Chen Yu patiently explained: "Our fusion style is to have both oriental charm and modern elements, and also reflect the multicultural characteristics of our hotel.

For example, we can add some modern metal decorations to the Chinese wooden structure and be more creative in the lighting design.”

After many communications and modifications to the design plan, the decoration team finally understood Chen Yu's intentions and began construction according to the plan.

Then, problems arose in purchasing ingredients.

Due to insufficient understanding of the local food suppliers, a batch of Weishan Lake seafood they purchased had quality problems. The fish was not fresh and the shrimps were small, which affected the quality of the dishes.

"What should we do, Mr. Wang? This batch of lake seafood cannot be used, and the new supplier has not been determined yet. The opening time is getting closer and closer."

Chen Yu said anxiously.

Wang Jianye frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Chen, contact Zhao Qiang and ask him to help recommend a reliable supplier.

We can’t lose our composure because of this little difficulty.”

With the help of Zhao Qiang, they found a reliable food supplier and solved the food problem.

Finally, the day of opening of the Weishan Lake branch arrived.

On the opening day, the store entrance was decorated with festive red lanterns and ribbons, exuding a warm atmosphere.

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood at the door of the store. Although they had done a lot of publicity, they were still a little nervous, wondering whether the customers in Weishan Lake would accept their fusion cuisine.

In the early days of opening, there was not much customer traffic.

Occasionally, customers come into the store and give mixed reviews on the dishes.

"This tastes a bit strange, and it's quite different from the food in Weishan Lake."

said a local customer, frowning.

"I think it's OK, quite creative, but some of the tastes still need some getting used to."

Another customer said.

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Chef Li were very anxious, so they decided to actively collect customer feedback and improve the dishes.

Chen Yu arranged for the waiters to politely ask customers for their opinions and suggestions after they had finished their meal.

After several days of collection and analysis, they found that the residents of Weishan Lake have relatively high requirements for the taste of dishes and prefer strong flavors and rich tastes.

The seasoning of some dishes is not strong enough to meet the taste needs of local people, and the portions of some dishes are too small for Weishan Lake residents.

In response to these problems, Chef Li immediately adjusted the dishes.

He increased the seasoning of the dishes, highlighting the characteristics of Weishan Lake's local seasonings, and at the same time increased the portion size of the dishes.

For example, the original small portion of grilled fish is changed to a large portion, and it is paired with more Weishan Lake specialty side dishes, such as cold lotus root slices, lake shrimp fried with leeks, etc.

Chen Yu also readjusted his publicity strategy.

He produced a new brochure that detailed the origin of ingredients, cooking methods and characteristics of each dish so that customers could better understand the dishes.

At the same time, he also placed advertisements in local newspapers and radio stations, inviting some local food lovers to come to the restaurant to try the food and make recommendations.

After a period of adjustment, the store's business gradually improved.

After tasting the Korean grilled fish made with fish from Weishan Lake, a local fisherman praised it highly: "This grilled fish is so delicious, the fish is very fresh, the sauce is rich in flavor, and the cold lotus root slices are also very refreshing.

I didn’t expect fusion cuisine to be so authentic.”

As word of mouth spread, more and more Weishan Lake residents visited the Weishan Lake branch of Wang's All-Series Hotels.

More and more customers came to the restaurant and business was getting better and better.

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li looked at the lively scene in the store and felt very pleased.

They know that opening a branch in Weishan Lake is just another step in their domestic market layout, and they will face more challenges in the future, but they are confident that all Wang's restaurants will become well-known catering brands in Weishan Lake and even in the whole of China, injecting new vitality into the local food culture.

After the restaurant business gradually stabilized, they were not satisfied with the status quo.

Wang Jianye decided to further expand the market. He and Chen Yu began to study the catering market in cities around Weishan Lake and planned to open more branches in the future.

Chef Li leads the chef team to continue to conduct in-depth research on the combination of Shandong cuisine and Korean-Singapore fusion cuisine, and constantly introduces new dishes.

At a food development meeting, Chef Xiao Zhao proposed a new idea: "Master, I think we can combine Weishan Lake lotus leaf rice with Korean bibimbap to create a new staple food.

The combination of the fragrance of lotus leaf rice and the rich ingredients of bibimbap may be very popular. "

After hearing this, Master Li's eyes lit up and he said, "Xiao Zhao, this is a good idea! We can give it a try.

However, the combination of ingredients and production process still needs to be carefully studied to ensure that the characteristics of both can be retained and the combination can be just right. "(End of this chapter)