Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Master Li held his chin, pondered for a moment, and nodded slowly, saying, "This idea is interesting, but we need to think about it more carefully, how to skillfully integrate the traditional craftsmanship of our Shandong cuisine into it, and not just put seafood together.

We cook fusion food, so we have to have our own characteristics.”

At this time, another chef, Xiao Li, suggested: "Master, why don't we work harder on the seasoning and use the old soup of Shandong cuisine to stew these seafood, maybe we can create different sparks."

Everyone was talking at once in the heated discussion, and from time to time they wrote and drew on paper to record their inspiration.

For the next few days and nights, the kitchen became their battlefield.

Master Li led the chefs to conduct repeated experiments, paying attention to every detail, from the proportion of ingredients to the heat and time of cooking.

Once, they stewed seafood according to the new plan, but found that the taste was too bland after it came out of the pot and the freshness of the seafood was not fully brought out.

Master Li frowned, carefully checked the amount of each seasoning, and thought about the problem.

At this time, assistant Xiao Zhao said: "Master, is it that we put the seasonings in the wrong order?" Master Li's eyes lit up and said: "That makes sense, let's try it again."

After repeated adjustments, the prototype of "Sea Flavor Luyun Yipin Pot" gradually took shape.

When making this dish, the kitchen is bustling with activity, like a fierce battle.

The chefs have clear division of labor and work in perfect harmony.

Xiao Zhang, wearing an apron, carefully peeled off the hard shell of the crab with both hands, skillfully removed the internal organs with a small spoon, and then cut the crab body into small pieces of even size with clean and neat movements.

On the other side, Xiao Li was concentrating on cleaning the fresh shrimps. He was skilled in the technique and quickly peeled off the shrimp shells, then used a thin toothpick to accurately pick out the shrimp threads.

There were also chefs on the side who were methodically preparing the seasonings commonly used in Shandong cuisine, such as onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, etc. They cut the onion and ginger into shreds, smashed the garlic into minced pieces, and arranged the spices neatly.

Master Li personally took charge of the cooking. He first put the onion, ginger and garlic into the hot oil pan. Instantly, there was a "crackling" sound and a rich aroma filled the air.

Master Li quickly stir-fried the scallions, ginger and garlic for a few times until they turned slightly yellow, then added the processed seafood.

The seafood was put into the pot, and there was a constant "sizzling" sound. Chef Li skillfully stir-fried it to ensure that every piece of seafood was evenly heated.

Then, he picked up the sweet noodle sauce and soy sauce unique to Shandong cuisine and slowly poured them along the edge of the pot, stirring as he poured so that the sauce was evenly coated on the seafood.

After stir-frying evenly, Chef Li pours the ingredients into the casserole, adds an appropriate amount of broth, covers the pot, and simmers on low heat.

As the stewing time increases, the casserole gradually overflows with fragrance. The rich aroma is like an invisible hand, gently pushing open the kitchen door and drifting towards the restaurant lobby, attracting the attention of customers in the store.

A customer who was dining sniffed and said to his companion, "This smells so good, I wonder what delicious food the kitchen is making."

At this time, a large-scale food selection event was held in Dongying.

The event was held in a square in the city center, with colorful flags flying and bustling crowds of people.

Each stall was crowded with diners, and it was very lively.

The stall of "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" is decorated in an antique style. The waiters are dressed in traditional Chinese clothes and shout loudly: "Come and try our 'Secret Yellow River Carp King', the exclusive secret recipe of the Shandong cuisine master. This is a rare opportunity! If you miss it, it will be gone!" The diners lined up in a long queue, full of anticipation.

A young man wearing glasses said to his friend in the queue: "I heard that this fish is made by a Shandong cuisine master, so it must taste good."

Finally it was his turn to taste the fish. The young man picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. He chewed it carefully and then commented: "This fish is really good. The fish is tender and the sauce is fragrant. But it feels a little lacking in novelty. It seems to be similar to the carp I ate before."

The stall of Wang's All-Season Restaurant was also crowded with people.

Chef Li stood behind the stall with a confident smile on his face, and personally served the "Sea Flavor Luyun Yipin Hot Pot" to the diners. As he served, he smiled and said, "Everyone, try our new dish, which combines Dongying seafood and Shandong cuisine, and has a unique taste."

An old lady walked up, took the bowl, took a sip, her eyes lit up immediately, and gave a thumbs up: "Oh, this dish is so rich in flavor, the freshness of the seafood and the fragrance of the Shandong cuisine seasoning are perfectly combined, delicious! I have lived for most of my life, and I have never eaten such a special dish."

A young man came over and couldn't wait to take a bite. He said excitedly while eating: "The taste of this dish is clearly layered. First, the freshness of the seafood, followed by the mellowness of the Shandong cuisine seasoning. It's amazing! Master, your cooking skills are amazing!" The diners around nodded and praised the dish.

During the voting session, the atmosphere was tense and heated.

Staff members held ballot boxes and moved among the crowd, and diners carefully filled out their ballots and voted for their favorites.

Finally, the selection results were announced.

The host stood in the center of the stage, holding a microphone, and announced loudly: "The winning dish of this food selection event is - Wang's All-System Restaurant's 'Sea Flavor Luyun Yipin Pot'!" When the employees of Wang's All-System Restaurant heard the result, they cheered and hugged each other, their faces filled with joy.

Master Li stood aside with a gratified smile on his face. He looked at his team and said with emotion: "Everyone's efforts have not been in vain. This is our joint achievement."

In front of the "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" stall, Zhang Dahai's face turned pale and his fists clenched unconsciously when he heard the result.

He looked at the crowd gradually dispersing in front of his stall, feeling disappointed. His plan for a new dish had failed.

……

Inside the "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant", the owner Zhang Dahai sat in the corner of the slightly deserted lobby, his brows knitted into a knot, his eyes fixed on the few customers who occasionally walked in at the door.

Ever since Wang's entire chain of restaurants won a food competition with their new dishes, the business of his own restaurants has plummeted.

Zhang Dahai knew that it was unrealistic to surpass all the restaurants in Wang’s chain in terms of food quality in a short period of time.

He slammed the table, startling the waiter who was clearing the dishes nearby.

"No, we can't just let them beat us like this. We have to find a breakthrough somewhere else."

Zhang Dahai said to himself.

Zhang Dahai called the manager Zhao Qiang over and said seriously, "Zhao Qiang, we lost a lot in terms of food quality, now we have to work harder on the service experience.

You immediately arrange for someone to redecorate the store and make the environment more comfortable.

In addition, we have set aside an area in the lobby to create a children's play area. Now there are many families bringing their children out to eat, so this can attract many customers.

In addition, we will launch a free shoe-shining service to provide customers with some real convenience.”

After hearing this, Zhao Qiang frowned slightly and said hesitantly, "Boss Zhang, it will cost a lot of money to redecorate the store, and how effective will this children's play area and free shoe-shining service be?"

Zhang Dahai glared at him and said loudly, "How do you know if you don't try? Your business is almost going out of business now, and you're still afraid of spending money? Hurry up and do it, the sooner the better!"

In the following days, the "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" was bustling with activity.

The renovation workers were coming in and out, and the sounds of electric saws and hammering could be heard everywhere.

Zhang Dahai stayed in the store every day to supervise the progress of the renovation. He watched the workers building the framework of the children's play area in a corner of the lobby and said to the workers: "The facilities in this play area must be solid and there must be no safety hazards. Children play here, and safety is the top priority."

The worker nodded and said, "Boss Zhang, don't worry, we are all doing the construction according to the standards."

Half a month later, "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" reopened.

The newly renovated store has a brand new look, with exquisite Dongying-style paintings hanging on the walls and the lighting becoming softer and brighter.

The children's play area is brightly colored and equipped with slides, swings and other facilities. Several children are laughing and playing in it.

There is also a special shoe-polishing area at the door, with several chairs and various shoe-polishing tools. A neatly dressed master sits there, ready to serve customers at any time.

The waiters stood at the door, enthusiastically soliciting customers: "Welcome to 'Huanghekou Restaurant', our restaurant has been newly upgraded, the environment is more comfortable, there is also a free children's play area and shoe-shining service, please come in!" A young mother with a child passed by, was attracted by the promotion at the door, and walked into the store.

As the child saw the children's play area, his eyes lit up and he broke free from his mother's hand and ran over.

The mother asked the waiter hesitantly, "Is this amusement area safe?" The waiter quickly replied with a smile, "Don't worry, ma'am, the facilities in this amusement area have been strictly inspected, and we have someone to take care of them.

You can dine in peace.”

The young mother nodded and found a seat with her child.

During the meal, the shoe shiner came over and asked politely: "Sir, Madam, do you need your shoes shined? We provide free shoe shine service here."

The young mother looked at her dirty leather shoes and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help."

Over at Wang’s entire hotel chain, Wang Jianye also received news that the “Yellow River Mouth Restaurant” was being renovated and launching new services.

He stood at the door of the restaurant, watching the customers coming in and out, and fell into deep thought.

After returning to the office, he called together Chen Yu, Master Li and other key persons in charge.

Wang Jianye said solemnly: "Everyone knows that 'Yellow River Mouth Restaurant' has made many new changes in service experience.

We can't just sit back and do nothing, we have to improve our services in all aspects.

I plan to launch a 'one-to-one butler service', where each table of customers will be assigned a dedicated waiter who will provide attentive service from ordering to serving, making customers feel treated like VIPs.

In addition, a small food culture display area is set up in the store to introduce the cultural stories behind the dishes to customers and enhance the cultural connotation of our restaurant.

What do you think?" Chen Yu pushed his glasses and spoke first: "Mr. Wang, I think this is a good idea.

Nowadays, customers pay more and more attention to service experience, and our 'one-to-one butler service' can highlight our characteristics.

Moreover, the food culture display area can also increase customers’ interest in our dishes.”

Master Li also nodded in agreement: “Yes, Mr. Wang.

This will allow customers to learn more about the food behind it while tasting it, which will definitely attract many customers.”

All Wang's restaurants immediately took action.

The waiters receive intensive training to learn how to provide “one-on-one butler-style service”.

In the training room, Chen Yu personally explained to the waiters: "Everyone remember, when serving customers, you must always pay attention to their needs.

As customers enter, they should be greeted warmly and guided to their seats.

When ordering dishes, you should introduce the characteristics and taste of the dishes in detail, and give reasonable suggestions based on the number of customers and their preferences.

When serving food, pay attention to the order and etiquette, and be gentle and steady in your movements.

Do you understand?" The waiters listened carefully and took notes from time to time.

Preparations for the food culture exhibition area are also in full swing.

The staff collected information from all over, carefully selected cultural stories related to the dishes, and made them into beautiful display boards.

The display area is located on one side of the hotel lobby. It is furnished with several tables and chairs, and the surrounding walls are covered with display boards that introduce the origin, development and historical stories behind various dishes.

Soon, the new service of all Wang’s hotels was officially launched.

A customer walked into the restaurant and was immediately greeted by a waiter, who smiled and said, "Welcome, how many people are you? I will serve you throughout the whole process."

After the customer was taken to his seat, the waiter handed over the menu and gave a detailed introduction: "Sir, our Yellow River Mouth Fresh Fish Soup is made from fresh local Yellow River fish. It is delicious and nutritious.

There is also this dish of braised Bohai prawns. The prawns are all caught from the Bohai Bay on the same day and have firm meat.

Take a look, what would you like to eat?" The customer listened to the waiter's introduction and asked questions from time to time, and the waiter answered them patiently.

During the meal, the waiter always pays attention to the customers' needs and adds water and replaces bone plates in a timely manner.

The customer walked to the food culture display area with curiosity, looked at the content on the display board, and couldn't help but sigh: "It turns out that there are so many details to a dish."

Seeing this, the waiter stepped forward and explained to the customer: “Yes, sir.

Take this peach braised pork dish for example, it combines Weifang peaches with the traditional braised pork cooking method.

The sweetness of peaches neutralizes the greasiness of braised pork, giving it a unique taste.

And there is an interesting story behind this dish…” The customer listened with great interest.

Not long after, Dongying conducted a consumer satisfaction survey.

Investigators came to the "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" and interviewed customers who were dining.

One customer said: "After the restaurant was renovated, the environment is better and the children's play area is also good, but the food here still doesn't taste as good as Wang's All Series Restaurant.

And this free shoe-shining service is not very useful to me.”

At Wang's All-inclusive Hotel, the investigator asked a customer: "Are you satisfied with the service of this hotel?" The customer smiled and replied: "Very satisfied! This 'one-to-one butler service' is so considerate, and the waiter took care of me meticulously throughout the whole process.

There is also this food culture display area, which has broadened my horizons.

I will definitely come here again for meals in the future." (End of this chapter)