Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

A young chef, Xiao Wang, scratched his head and asked doubtfully: "Boss, will this work? Would it taste weird if clay pot chicken and river fish are put together?" Wang Jianye said firmly: "How can we know if we don't try? We are here to expand the market, and we will not succeed without innovation.

There must be a reason why Zhenjiang people like to eat river food so much, and we should find a way to combine the two.”

So, the chef team began intensive research and development work.

They were busy in the kitchen, with all kinds of ingredients spread out on the floor and the sound of pots and pans colliding could be heard constantly.

Wang Jianye also often participates in person and discusses and experiments with the chefs.

In the first trial, the chefs added common crucian carp, but the taste was not ideal.

The fishy smell of the fish was not completely removed, and mixed with the original taste of the clay pot chicken, it was a bit weird.

Xiao Wang frowned and said, "Boss, this won't do. The smell is too bad and it doesn't seem to go well with me."

Wang Jianye looked at the failed dish and fell into deep thought: "Could it be that there is something wrong with the choice of fish? There are so many kinds of river fish in Zhenjiang, let's try a few more."

After repeated attempts, they found that the texture and taste of Yangtze River fish were more suitable.

The fish from the Yangtze River have tender meat and come in many varieties, which can produce a rich taste when combined together.

Then there is the issue of the amount of balsamic vinegar to be used. If you put too little, it will have no effect, but if you put too much, it will cover up the taste of other ingredients.

After adjusting the dosage and tasting the food again and again, I finally found that delicate balance.

During this process, many small incidents also occurred.

Once, a chef accidentally knocked over a bottle of Zhenjiang vinegar while cooking, and the pungent sour smell instantly filled the entire kitchen.

Everyone started coughing due to the sudden sour taste, but while coughing, they unexpectedly discovered that the smell of vinegar actually brought a unique sense of freshness to the dishes.

Inspired by this, they further improved the way of using balsamic vinegar.

After countless times of debugging, the "Vinegar-flavored Mixed Fish Pot" was finally born.

When this dish was served, the Yangtze River fish in the pot were tender and juicy, tightly wrapped in the rich aroma of vinegar, and the bamboo shoots on the side absorbed the freshness of the fish and the aroma of vinegar, becoming particularly refreshing.

The noodles soaked in the soup have both the delicious taste of fish and the mellow taste of vinegar, which greatly increases your appetite.

In order to promote this new dish, Wang Jianye specially invited some local food lovers and old customers to taste it.

On a sunny afternoon, the restaurant was full of guests who came to taste the food.

Wang Jianye stood aside with great anticipation and asked a local auntie who often came here: "Auntie, would you please try this new dish and see if it suits your taste?" The auntie picked up a piece of fish, put it in her mouth and chewed it slowly.

At first, her expression was a little surprised, but then her eyes showed surprise: "Oh, this tastes so good! It has the sweetness of fish and the aroma of vinegar, and it's not greasy at all. It's much better than the clay pot chicken before."

Other guests also nodded and praised: "This new dish is good, it suits the taste of us Zhenjiang people."

Wang Jianye was not satisfied with the new dish’s success, and he turned his attention to another signature dish - braised pork.

Traditional Bazi Rou is a very representative dish of Xuzhou cuisine. The pork belly is stewed until it is soft and tasty, fat but not greasy.

But Wang Jianye wanted to incorporate the characteristics of Zhenjiang into it.

He discussed with the chefs: "We need to think about this pork belly and see how to improve it with Zhenjiang's characteristics.

What do you think of slow-cooking it with Zhenjiang rice wine? At the end, add some balsamic vinegar to it, and it might have a different flavor.”

The chef team sprang into action.

They selected the best pork belly, cut it into even-sized cubes, tied it carefully with hemp rope, put it in the pot, added Zhenjiang rice wine and simmered it slowly.

During the stewing process, the rich aroma of wine fills the entire kitchen, as if giving the dish a new soul.

When the dish is about to be served, the chef pours in an appropriate amount of Zhenjiang vinegar. With a "sizzling" sound, the unique vinegar aroma is instantly stimulated and perfectly blends with the aroma of wine and meat.

After the first pot of "Vinegar-flavored Braised Pork Belly" came out of the pot, Wang Jianye couldn't wait to taste a piece.

The soft and glutinous pork belly melts in your mouth, and the mellow aroma of rice wine spreads in your mouth, followed by the refreshing sour taste brought by the balsamic vinegar, which cleverly neutralizes the greasiness of the meat and makes the taste extremely rich.

"This is the taste!" Wang Jianye shouted excitedly.

He knew that this dish was also a success.

Soon, the "Vinegar-flavored Braised Pork" was also served on the customers' tables.

After tasting the dish, a young man in a suit gave a thumbs up and said, "This pork is so delicious! I didn't expect it could taste this good. It has the traditional meat aroma and the characteristics of Zhenjiang. It's amazing!" As the new store's business gradually got on track, Wang Jianye was always busy with various affairs.

When the store was being decorated, he personally participated in the layout planning. On the walls of the hall, he decided to place some elements that showcased the cultural fusion of Zhenjiang and Xuzhou. After some thought, he chose two large paintings, one side was a landscape painting of Xuzhou's Yunlong Lake, and the other side was a landscape painting of Zhenjiang's Jinshan Temple. He also dotted the middle with some small decorations that reflected the special cuisines of the two places.

When choosing tables and chairs, he ran around all the furniture markets in Zhenjiang, repeatedly considering the materials, styles and comfort.

In order to give customers a more welcoming experience, he also specially customized the seat back cushions with the hotel logo, and carefully selected the color and pattern of the cushions.

During the recruitment and training stage, he participated in the interview of every employee, strictly checking everything from service attitude, accent to professional skills.

For newly hired waiters, he would personally develop training plans to teach them how to greet customers warmly, introduce dishes accurately, and even go into detail about the standards of every smile and every gesture.

During training, he would demonstrate personally and have the waiters practice repeatedly to ensure that they could serve customers in the best possible condition.

With the launch of fusion dishes such as "Vinegar-flavored Mixed Fish Hotpot" and "Vinegar-flavored Braised Pork", Wang's Restaurant branch gradually opened up the market in Zhenjiang.

More and more Zhenjiang diners are attracted by these unique dishes, and the restaurant is often full.

Customers who originally came in with a try-it-out attitude became repeat customers after trying these new dishes.

One night, the restaurant was bustling with every table filled with guests.

A middle-aged lady with neatly combed hair came to dine with her family.

She ordered "Vinegar-flavored Fish Pot" and "Vinegar-flavored Pork with Stir-fried Pork". After eating for a while, she couldn't help but say to the waiter: "Your dishes are so delicious. I didn't expect Xuzhou cuisine to be so good after the improvement.

I will definitely come here more often in the future.”

As word of mouth spread, the restaurant's business is getting better and better.

Wang Jianye stood at the entrance of the hotel, watching the bustling scene of people coming and going, and felt deeply moved: "When we first opened, I never expected to encounter so many difficulties.

But now it seems that as long as we dare to innovate and change, we can find a way out.

The city of Zhenjiang has accepted us, and we have also given back to the diners here with our fusion cuisine.”

In the following days, Wang's Restaurant Zhenjiang Branch continued to develop. In addition to "Vinegar-flavored Fish Pot" and "Vinegar-flavored Braised Pork", the chef team continued to develop a series of delicacies that combine the characteristics of Xuzhou and Zhenjiang. The restaurant is often crowded with customers, and it has become the first choice for many people, whether it is a family dinner or a gathering with friends.

Wang Jianye's efforts and wisdom not only successfully solved the operational difficulties in the early stage of the new store's opening, but also established a unique banner in Zhenjiang's catering market.

With the help of fusion dishes, the business of Wang's Restaurant Zhenjiang branch is becoming more and more prosperous.

The store is bustling with people every day and the seats are always full.

The sounds of ordering food, chatting and laughing, and the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen interweave together, creating a lively and prosperous scene.

As the number of customers continues to increase, the demand for food has also increased greatly, which has brought new challenges to Wang Jianye.

Local suppliers have been serving Zhenjiang's traditional restaurants for a long time. They are accustomed to supplying some regular ingredients suitable for local cuisine. However, the supply of special ingredients required for Xuzhou cuisine is always unstable.

This is like a reef hidden beneath the calm surface, which may cause trouble to the hotel's daily operations at any time.

On a sunny morning, Wang Jianye came to the store as usual to arrange the purchase of ingredients for the day.

He was wearing a neat suit, walking hurriedly but looking somewhat solemn.

He knew that the stability of food supply was directly related to the quality of the restaurant's dishes and the success or failure of its business.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, it was filled with the smell of smoke and the chefs were busy preparing for the day's business.

Xiao Li, who was in charge of purchasing, ran over with an anxious look on his face, holding a purchase list in his hand and handed it to Wang Jianye: "Boss, something big has happened! Our original supplier of high-quality pork belly suddenly called and said they wanted to break the appointment. They want to give priority to old customers. What should we do?" Wang Jianye's heart skipped a beat and his face instantly became gloomy.

An important banquet is tomorrow, and pork belly is an indispensable ingredient for several signature dishes. If there is not enough supply, the banquet will be ruined.

He gritted his teeth and cursed in his heart: "They failed at the critical moment. This group of people is so unkind!" But as a boss, he had to stay calm.

He took a deep breath and comforted Xiao Li: "Don't worry, let's think of a solution.

Can you contact other local suppliers to see if it is possible to urgently transfer goods? Even if the price is a little higher, solve the current problem first. "

Xiao Li quickly ran to make a phone call.

Wang Jianye paced back and forth in the kitchen, his mind working rapidly.

He thought: “Local suppliers are unreliable, so I have to think of other ways.

Our old partners in Xuzhou should be able to help, but the journey is long and time is tight."

He decisively picked up the phone and called his old partner Lao Zhang in Xuzhou.

After the call was connected, Wang Jianye said anxiously: "Lao Zhang, I am Wang Jianye from Zhenjiang.

You have to help me! I'm in big trouble here. We have an important banquet, but the pork belly supplier suddenly broke the appointment, so we can't make several of our signature dishes.

Can you urgently send me a batch of high-quality pork belly?" Lao Zhang said with some embarrassment on the other end of the phone: "Jianping, I have difficulties here too.

The supply volume has been quite large recently, and the inventory is a bit tight.

But your matter is so urgent, I'll think of a solution.

How much do you want?" Wang Jianye quickly said, "I need at least 200 kilograms, preferably of high quality.

Lao Zhang, I really need you this time. I will definitely thank you later!" Lao Zhang hesitated and said, "Okay, I'll give you 200 kilograms first.

But transportation is a problem, how can we get it there?" Wang Jianye thought for a moment and said, "Let me contact a long-distance freight company and try to get it there overnight, otherwise it will be too late.

Please prepare the goods as soon as possible, and I will have the truck load them directly."

Lao Zhang responded, "Okay, I'll arrange it right away, and you can contact the freight forwarder immediately.

Hope everything goes well.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianye did not dare to delay for a moment and immediately contacted the long-distance freight company.

After some twists and turns, we finally negotiated with a freight company that was willing to transport the goods overnight.

At this time, his back was soaked with sweat, but his steps were still firm. He knew that he had to win this race against time, otherwise the reputation of the hotel would be seriously affected.

While waiting for the goods to be shipped, Xiao Li came back frustrated and told him: "Boss, I contacted several local suppliers, but they all said that they don't have that much pork belly and can't meet our needs."

Wang Jianye patted Xiao Li on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. I have already contacted Xuzhou to arrange for the transportation. It should be able to solve the urgent problem.

Now we can only hope that there are no problems during transportation.”

Night falls and the city is shrouded in darkness.

Wang Jianye stood at the door of the hotel, looking into the distance from time to time, his eyes full of expectation and anxiety.

He prayed silently in his heart: "Car, please deliver it safely on time."

Finally, late at night, a freight truck slowly drove over.

Wang Jianye hurried over and saw the car was loaded with fresh pork belly. He finally felt relieved.

He thanked the freight driver repeatedly and directed the employees to unload the goods quickly.

After this crisis, Wang Jianye deeply realized that he must establish a stable and reliable food supply system and could no longer be led by suppliers.

He decided to look for new suppliers in the towns and villages around Zhenjiang.

The next morning, Wang Jianye drove out to look for new suppliers.

His first stop was Dantu.

Outside the car window, the countryside scenery is picturesque: the tender green wheat seedlings in the fields sway in the wind, the mountains in the distance are rolling, and the farmhouses are scattered in the fields.

But Wang Jianye had no intention of enjoying the beautiful scenery at this time. His mind was full of how to find a suitable supplier.

When he arrived in Dantu, he asked around and found a famous local farmer named Lao Li.

Lao Li’s pig farm is quite large, with a group of fat pigs grunting in the pens.

Wang Jianye walked up to Lao Li with a smile, handed him his business card, and said sincerely: "Hello, Master Li! I am Wang Jianye, the owner of Zhenjiang Wang's Restaurant.

I heard that you raise pigs very well here, so I want to discuss something with you. (End of this chapter)