Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

A large transparent glass is installed between the restaurant and the kitchen, so that customers can clearly see every step of the chefs washing, cutting and cooking vegetables while dining.

This move caused a huge response.

Many customers walked into the restaurant with curiosity, sat at the dining table, stared at the kitchen operation room behind the transparent glass, and watched with interest as the chefs carefully prepared the dishes.

The chefs were seen wearing neat work clothes, hats and masks, handling the ingredients in a standardized manner, and their every move was clearly visible.

An old customer, Mr. Li, said with emotion: "I heard those rumors before, and I was a little worried and didn't dare to come to eat here.

When I saw today that the kitchen was so clean and transparent, the ingredients were fresh, and the operations were standardized, my doubts disappeared in an instant.

I will come here to eat again in the future!" Just as the situation of the restaurant was gradually improving, Wang Jianye keenly realized that this was a great opportunity to give back to old customers and attract new customers.

He decided to launch a series of promotional activities to increase the hotel's visibility and influence.

He organized his employees to distribute coupons on the streets, which were printed with various attractive discount information: discounts for purchases over a certain amount, free special dishes, discounts, etc.

At the same time, he also posted a large poster at the entrance of the hotel, detailing the content of the promotion.

Wang Jianye stood at the entrance of the hotel, watching the busy figures of the employees, and felt a lot of emotion in his heart: "Although this crisis is difficult, it also makes us more determined to show ourselves.

I believe that as long as we treat our customers sincerely and always put quality first, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome.”

In order to make the promotion more popular, Wang Jianye personally sat at the front desk and patiently explained the details of the promotion to customers.

A young customer walked into the restaurant with a coupon and asked in confusion: "Boss, how do I use this coupon? Can it be used in combination?" Wang Jianye smiled and replied: "Hello, this coupon can only be used once the consumption is over 200 yuan, and it cannot be used in combination.

However, we have prepared several special dishes that you can try for free as long as you spend a certain amount. "

The customer listened and nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, then I'll take a look at the menu.

This promotion is really good and very attractive. "

Wang Jianye smiled and said: "Thank you for your support! We just want to give back to new and old customers so that everyone can taste the delicious food of our restaurant.

We have been working hard to bring the best food and the best service to everyone.”

Driven by promotional activities, Wang's Restaurant branches are bustling again.

New customers are attracted by the discounts and the "transparent kitchen", while old customers come back again because of their trust in the restaurant.

The restaurant was once again filled with laughter and business was even more booming than before.

Those time-honored restaurants that had spread the rumors had to secretly regret seeing that the Wang's Restaurant branch was not only not defeated by the rumors, but became more prosperous.

Boss Sun looked at the few customers in his store, feeling bitter: "Alas, I wanted to suppress Wang's Restaurant, but I ended up shooting myself in the foot."

After this incident, the market position of Wang's Restaurant branch in Zhenjiang has become more stable.

Wang Jianye used his wisdom and courage to calmly deal with the crisis and turned a setback into an opportunity for development.

His honest business philosophy and proactive attitude have won the trust and love of customers.

In the hotel, the employees are more united.

They deeply realized the power of integrity and quality from this incident.

Everyone worked together to serve customers with higher standards, laying a solid foundation for the continued prosperity of Wang's Hotel in Zhenjiang.

……

In the mid-1990s, Kaifeng's Drum Tower Street was bustling with people coming and going.

There are all kinds of shops lined up with signs, and the air is filled with the aroma of delicious food.

Wang Jianye stood at the door of the newly opened Wang's All-System Hotel branch, looking at the quaint store, his heart full of longing and expectation.

There are festive couplets on both sides of the store door, and the brand new sign shines golden in the sun.

"It's finally open for business. I hope our Xuzhou specialty dishes can make a name for themselves in Kaifeng!" Wang Jianye rubbed his hands, his eyes showing determination and confidence.

The head chef, Lao Liu, beside him also smiled, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

The decoration inside the store is quite Xuzhou-style, with Xuzhou landscape paintings hanging on the walls and wooden tables and chairs neatly arranged.

On the first day of opening, the restaurant was packed with customers and the waiters were kept busy.

However, Wang Jianye soon noticed something unusual.

Most customers frowned at the dishes on the table, but few praised them.

A local old man tasted the signature "Pengcheng Earthen Pot Chicken", put down his chopsticks, frowned and said: "This dish tastes too strong, salty, spicy and heavy. It feels like eating Jianghu food, which is far from the taste of our Kaifeng cuisine!" Wang Jianye hurriedly stepped forward, smiling, and humbly asked: "Uncle, what do you think is wrong with this dish? We will definitely change it!" The old man glanced at Wang Jianye, pointed at the dish and said: "You see, our Kaifeng cuisine pays attention to the harmony of the five flavors and the moderate texture and taste. It is that delicate and strong taste that we want.

This clay pot chicken has too much sauce and chili, which covers up the original flavor of the ingredients. "

Wang Jianye nodded repeatedly: "Uncle, you are right, we did not consider it carefully.

We will definitely improve on this.”

After seeing the old man off, Wang Jianye felt heavy-hearted.

Originally thought that Xuzhou specialty dishes would be very popular in Kaifeng, but unexpectedly reality gave him a heavy blow.

On the other side, a waiter from the century-old restaurant "Diyilou" next door passed by Wang's Restaurant and saw the dissatisfied expressions of the customers in the store. He couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "How can the fiercely cooked dishes in the north compare to the delicate and refined soup dumplings we have?" This was overheard by Wang Jianye's assistant Xiao Li, who was about to go up to argue angrily, but was stopped by Wang Jianye.

"Don't go, they are telling the truth.

We really need to reflect on this.”

Wang Jianye sighed helplessly.

At this time, he was filled with anxiety and confusion. Was the store he had worked so hard to open going to fail? At night, the night market in Kaifeng was brightly lit.

The bustling crowds shuttled between the stalls, and the aroma of delicious food filled the air.

Wang Jianye led his team of chefs to travel through the night market, carefully observing the locals' eating habits.

In front of the barbecue stall, the aroma of grilled lamb skewers is wafting in the air, and diners are eating with gusto; in the mutton soup restaurant, the food is steaming hot, and people are sipping soup and eating sesame cakes.

"You see, people in Kaifeng seem to really like eating mutton."

Chef Lao Liu pointed to a mutton soup restaurant and said. Wang Jianye nodded, thinking: "It's not enough to just see it, we have to ask them why they like mutton."

So Wang Jianye walked into a mutton soup restaurant and found a big brother who was eating.

“Hello, bro.

I see you are eating so deliciously, I want to ask why you like lamb so much?" Wang Jianye asked with a smile.

The eldest brother raised his head and smiled heartily: "We Kaifeng people have a special liking for mutton.

Lamb is warm in nature, rich in nutrients, and can be cooked in a variety of ways, so it tastes delicious no matter how you eat it.

Especially when paired with our local sesame seed cakes or stewed noodles, it’s so delicious!” Wang Jianye then asked: “Which kind of noodles do you prefer?” The eldest brother wiped his mouth and said: “Of course it’s stewed noodles! It’s chewy and smooth, and with the delicious mutton bone broth, oh, it’s so delicious!” Wang Jianye listened and took notes carefully.

After leaving the mutton soup restaurant, they went to several time-honored restaurants and found that Kaifeng people not only like mutton, but their love for pasta is beyond imagination.

Moreover, many local dishes cleverly use Kaifeng five-spice powder in the production process, giving them a unique flavor.

After returning to the restaurant, Wang Jianye called the chef team together to hold a meeting to discuss improving the dishes.

The atmosphere in the conference room was lively and everyone was discussing the matter.

“I think we can improve the clay pot chicken.

Since people in Kaifeng love to eat mutton and stewed noodles, we might as well change the clay pot chicken into mutton stewed pot.

What do you think of using mutton bone broth instead of the original soup and adding it to the local stewed noodles, Mr. Wang? "The young chef Xiao Zhang was the first to put forward his idea.

Wang Jianye's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea! It has the deliciousness of mutton and the chewiness of braised noodles.

But how to incorporate the characteristics of Xuzhou cuisine into the taste? "After thinking for a moment, Lao Liu said: "I think the sauce can be retained in moderation, but the amount of chili should be reduced, and the proportion of various seasonings should be adjusted according to the characteristics of the five flavors of Kaifeng cuisine.

This not only preserves the flavor of Xuzhou cuisine, but also suits the tastes of Kaifeng people.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After several days and nights of repeated experiments, the new dish "Bianjing Lamb Stew" was finally born.

The mutton is tender and tasty, the noodles are soaked in the umami flavor of the mutton bone broth, and the unique sauce makes it fragrant.

At the same time, they also made bold improvements to the braised pork.

By combining Xuzhou's traditional pickling method with Kaifeng's five-spice powder, the "Five-Spice Braised Pork Sandwich" was launched.

The carefully selected pork belly is marinated with Kaifeng five-spice powder, and is braised to be bright red in color. It is fat but not greasy, and is sandwiched in a crispy steamed bun, which makes people praise it as soon as they take a bite.

After launching the new dishes, Wang Jianye was still a little nervous, wondering whether customers would accept them.

However, to his pleasant surprise, customers raved about the new dishes.

"This mutton hotpot is so delicious. It has the freshness of our Kaifeng mutton soup and a unique flavor. It's really enjoyable to eat!" "This five-spice braised pork sandwich is also a must-try. It smells very fragrant!" The customers' praise finally put Wang Jianye's heart at ease.

As the new dishes gradually gain recognition, the store’s business is becoming more and more popular.

The store, which was originally deserted, is now packed every day, and there are often customers queuing at the door.

When the waiter at "Diyilou" saw the changes in Wang's Restaurant, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "I didn't expect they could really make changes. The new dishes are really good!" Wang Jianye looked at the lively scene in the store, feeling deeply moved.

From being rejected at first to being very popular now, the journey has been full of hardships.

But he knows that this is just the beginning and there will be more challenges and opportunities waiting for him in the future.

He secretly vowed to continue to expand and strengthen this fusion food business so that more people can taste this unique delicacy.

With the popularity of "Bianjing Lamb Stew" and "Five-Spice Braised Pork Sandwich" in Kaifeng, more and more people are coming here to try them.

The restaurant is often filled with diners from different places, including tourists and local Kaifeng gourmets.

Every day at noon and dinner time, the store is bustling with people, waiters are busy shuttling between tables and chairs, and the loud voices of announcing dishes and the pleasant conversations of customers are intertwined.

A tourist from afar was tasting the mutton stew and asked Wang Jianye with great interest: "Boss, this dish is really unique, how did you come up with this idea?" Wang Jianye smiled and patiently explained: "When we first opened the store, we found that Xuzhou cuisine was not very popular here.

Later, I visited many places and learned about the eating habits of Kaifeng people. I thought about combining the characteristics of the two places. I didn’t expect it to be so popular. ”

The tourists gave a thumbs up and praised: "What a great idea! This fusion cuisine has a unique flavor."

However, success is not always smooth sailing.

As the restaurant business grew, the problem of raw material procurement gradually emerged.

The demand for mutton has increased significantly, and the original stable suppliers are sometimes unable to provide sufficient and high-quality mutton in a timely manner.

Wang Jianye had to go out himself to find a new mutton supplier.

He traveled to various farms around Kaifeng and inspected them one by one.

In a remote farm, Wang Jianye looked at the flock of sheep with shiny fur in the pen and said to the farm owner: "Boss, I see that your sheep are well raised. My restaurant needs a lot of mutton. Can you guarantee the supply every day?" The farm owner looked embarrassed and said: "Boss Wang, my farm is not very large, and it is a bit difficult to supply so much mutton at once.

But if you can give me some time to scale up, I'm sure I can do that."

Wang Jianye thought about it and said, "Okay, let's see if this works.

I will pay you a part of the deposit first, so you can seize the time to expand the scale.

Let's sign a contract to guarantee the quality and quantity of mutton, what do you think? "After some discussion, the two sides reached a cooperation agreement.

After solving the problem of mutton supply, Wang Jianye turned his attention to the preparation of stewed noodles.

In order to ensure the taste and quality of the stewed noodles, he invited Lao Li, a famous local stewed noodle chef, to specially guide the chef team to learn the authentic stewed noodle making process.

"Master Li, please take the trouble to teach our chef how to make authentic Kaifeng stewed noodles."

Wang Jianye said to Master Li sincerely.

Master Li smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, Boss Wang.

This stewed noodle requires the skill of kneading, rolling and stretching the noodles, as well as the boiling of the mutton bone broth. Every step is very important.”

Under the careful guidance of Master Li, the chef team's skills in making braised noodles have become increasingly sophisticated. (End of this chapter)