Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

After thinking about it, David nodded: “Okay, Boss Wang.

Since you are so sincere, let's cooperate.

However, I have to make it clear to you in advance that it may take some time to adjust and adapt at the beginning, and I may not be able to fully meet your requirements immediately, but I will do so as soon as possible. "

Wang Jianye said gratefully: "Thank you so much, Mr. David! I believe we will have a pleasant cooperation.

As long as the pork supply problem can be solved, my restaurant will be able to develop stably again."

After solving the problem of supply source of some ingredients, Wang Jianye did not stop there.

He realized that in order to truly reduce dependence on imported ingredients, it was necessary to pre-process some of the ingredients locally.

Wang Jianye decided to purchase small spice grinding equipment and pickling workshop.

In an open space, workers were busy moving equipment and installing and debugging it.

Wang Jianye personally directed the operation on site, his eyes focused and determined, not missing any details.

"Master, this equipment needs to be installed more firmly, otherwise there may be problems with its operation."

Wang Jianye said to the workers who were installing the equipment.

The worker responded: “Boss Wang, don’t worry.

We will install it according to the requirements to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.”

After the equipment installation and debugging was completed, a brand new pickling workshop took shape.

Wang Jianye walked into the workshop and looked at the neatly arranged pickling vats and equipment, full of expectations: "With this pickling workshop and spice grinding equipment, many food pre-processing can be done locally, which not only ensures the freshness of the food, but also greatly reduces transportation costs and dependence on imported food."

So, chefs began to grind locally purchased spices and marinate fresh meat according to Chinese cooking requirements.

The workshop was filled with the rich aroma of spices, and the workers were busy in an orderly manner.

“The smell of these newly ground spices is so pure.

The meat will definitely taste better when marinated with these spices.”

A chef said excitedly.

Another chef echoed: "Yes, I used to worry about the lack of imported ingredients. Now that I have my own pickling workshop and grinding equipment, I feel more at ease."

As time went by, the spices grown on the farm began to yield a harvest. Although the yield was not very high, it was enough to solve the urgent problem.

Chinese supermarkets have gradually found some stable purchasing channels and can regularly provide restaurants with a lot of basic ingredients.

Good news comes from the ranch. The supply of pork customized according to Chinese requirements is becoming more and more stable.

The restaurant's food supply problem has been effectively alleviated.

There is no need to worry about being forced to close due to food shortages anymore. Various signature dishes can be supplied normally, and business is becoming more and more prosperous.

On a busy and joyful night, the restaurant was full of customers and laughter echoed in every corner.

Wang Jianye stood in the middle of the hall, looking at the lively scene, feeling filled with emotion.

Thinking back on his hard work in solving the food problem during this period, he felt filled with a sense of accomplishment.

At this time, an old customer came over and patted Wang Jianye on the shoulder: "Boss Wang, the food in your restaurant is still so delicious.

I am your loyal fan and often bring friends here!" Wang Jianye responded with a smile: "Thank you for your support! We encountered many difficulties in the supply of ingredients before, but now they are slowly being solved.

We will definitely bring you and other customers a better dining experience in the future.”

The customer asked curiously: "How did you solve the problem of ingredients? It seems to be quite difficult."

Wang Jianye proudly said: "We cooperate with local farmers to grow spices, cooperate with Chinese supermarkets and ranches to purchase ingredients, and also build our own pickling workshop and purchase grinding equipment to achieve localization of some food pre-processing.

Now we don’t have to worry about food supply.”

The customer gave a thumbs up and said, "Boss Wang, you are really courageous.

No wonder your restaurant is getting better and better.”

Wang Jianye looked at the bustling restaurant and silently vowed in his heart: "In the future, I will continue to explore and innovate, so that Chinese cuisine can take root deeper in this land.

Solving the food problem is just the beginning. I want to run the restaurant better and let more people taste authentic Chinese food.”

As the days go by, with a stable supply of food ingredients, all branches of Wang's restaurants are gradually expanding in size and becoming more and more well-known.

It not only attracted local residents and tourists, but even some local food critics came to taste it and gave it high praise.

Once, a well-known food critic came to the restaurant for dinner.

After finishing the meal, he found Wang Jianye and said, “Boss Wang, I must praise your restaurant.

From the taste of the dishes to the quality of the ingredients, everything is first-class.

You must have put a lot of effort into the food supply, right?" Wang Jianye said modestly, "Yes, we did encounter a lot of difficulties at the beginning, but after hard work, we found some solutions locally to ensure the quality of the dishes."

The food critic said with emotion: “This is really not easy.

Not only have you showcased the charm of Chinese cuisine, but you have also overcome various difficulties and innovated and developed in cross-cultural operations. This is truly remarkable.

I will recommend your hotel to more people.”

With more and more recognition and promotion, all branches of Wang's restaurants have gradually become a shining star in the catering industry of São Paulo.

Wang Jianye's efforts and innovations in solving the food problem have also become a good story in the local business community, inspiring more people who start businesses in a foreign country to bravely face difficulties and actively seek solutions.

On a sunny day, Wang Jianye once again came to the farm with which he worked.

Looking at the thriving spice crops and the vibrant scene, his heart was filled with hope.

At this time, the farmer Carlos came over and said to Wang Jianye with a smile: "Boss Wang, look how well these spices are growing.

According to the current growth trend, this year's harvest will definitely be good."

Wang Jianye said happily: "This is all thanks to your careful care, Mr. Carlos.

With these spices, the dishes in our restaurant are more delicious." Carlos smiled and responded: "Haha, Boss Wang, since cooperating with you, my farm has also undergone new changes.

And new business opportunities were discovered.

Many people showed great interest in these spices.”

Wang Jianye thought thoughtfully: "This is a good thing, Mr. Carlos.

Maybe we can work together to make this spice industry bigger and stronger, not only supplying to my restaurant, but also promoting it to more markets.”

The two stood on the ridge of the farm, looking at the beautiful scenery in front of them and imagining future development.

Wang Jianye knows that solving the food supply problem is only an important stage in the development of Chinese cuisine in South America, and there will be more challenges and opportunities in the future.

But he firmly believes that as long as he maintains the spirit of exploration and innovation, Chinese cuisine will bloom more brilliantly in this distant land and Chinese food culture will spread further and wider.

Wang Jianye himself will continue to walk firmly on this road full of challenges and hope, and contribute his own strength to the spread of Chinese food culture.

At the Wang's All-Inclusive Hotels branch in São Paulo, the restaurant becomes brightly lit and bustling as night falls.

The store was packed with customers, laughter and chatter were heard everywhere, and the aroma of Chinese food was intertwined with the warm atmosphere of South America.

However, behind this bustling and prosperous scene, the hotel's staff team faces huge challenges. Cultural differences are like an invisible wall that stands between employees from different backgrounds, bringing great difficulties to management.

The branch's staff team is diverse, including skilled Chinese chefs who are accustomed to a high-intensity, fast-paced work style, enthusiastic local waiters who work at a relatively slow pace, and employees with both South American and Chinese identities.

It is this difference in cultural background that sows the seeds of conflict in daily work.

In a Chinese kitchen, flames burn brightly on the stove and ingredients are quickly transformed into delicious dishes as the spatula stirs.

The Chinese chefs were focused, their movements were skillful, and they cooperated well with each other, racing against time in the busy and intense environment.

On the other side of the restaurant, the behavior of the local waiters made the Chinese chefs shake their heads.

Although they have warm smiles on their faces and communicate harmoniously with customers, their work efficiency is far from what Chinese chefs expect.

"Look at these local waiters. It's already so late, and the orders haven't been delivered to the kitchen yet. At this rate, how long will the customers have to wait?" Lao Zhang, a somewhat impatient Chinese chef, frowned and complained to Lao Li, the chef next to him, while he vigorously stir-fried the vegetables in the pot with the spatula in his hand, making a crackling sound.

Lao Li sighed helplessly, handed the cut side dishes to Lao Zhang, and replied: "Yes, their work pace is really too slow.

In Chinese kitchens, we value racing against time and serving food efficiently, but they don’t seem to have this awareness at all.”

The local waiters also have their own difficulties.

The South American employees are accustomed to a more relaxed and free working environment, and the strict procedures and regulations of the Chinese kitchen make them feel depressed and uncomfortable.

Andre, a young Brazilian waiter, held a menu in his hand and looked at the orderly but slightly rigid process in the kitchen. He couldn't help but mutter: "These processes are too complicated! There are so many rules to make a dish. It's really troublesome."

Maria, a colleague next to me, heard this and nodded slightly in agreement: "That's right, it doesn't feel free at all, it's not as casual as what we usually do."

During a busy peak hour, the restaurant was packed with customers and orders were flying into the kitchen like snowflakes.

The whole restaurant was filled with a tense and busy atmosphere, with waiters shuttling between tables and chefs busy at the stoves.

Andre took the order in a panic and hurried to the kitchen.

Because he was in a hurry and not familiar with the Chinese serving process, he did not serve the dishes to the table according to the prescribed route and method. Instead, he randomly found a table of seemingly suitable guests, put the dishes down and left.

This mistake happened to be seen by Lao Zhang who was checking the food delivery status at the kitchen door.

Lao Zhang's face turned livid in an instant, and he strode up to Andre and loudly scolded him in front of many customers and employees: "What's wrong with you? You don't even understand the serving process! This will affect the quality of the entire service, do you know?" Andre was frightened by this sudden rebuke and turned pale, his eyes widened, and his face was full of grievance: "I... I didn't mean it, I was just too busy and remembered it wrong.

Besides, is it that serious?" Lao Zhang got even angrier when he heard this, waving the wok in his hand and saying, "How can it not be serious? We worked so hard to make the dishes, but because you didn't serve them according to the process, the customers had a bad experience. Do you understand how much this affects the restaurant?" Andre felt that he had lost face in front of everyone, and he couldn't help but raise his voice and retorted, "Your rules are too rigid! In Brazil, we don't have so many inexplicable rules."

The two quarreled more and more fiercely, and their emotions became extremely excited.

The quarrel attracted the attention of the customers in the restaurant, and the originally lively atmosphere became awkward and tense.

The other employees gathered around, not knowing what to do.

In the chaos, some customers were even pushed and their drinks spilled all over the floor.

Upon seeing this, the restaurant manager stepped forward to dissuade them, but the two were so angry that they simply wouldn't listen.

In desperation, the manager had to call the local police.

Soon, sirens pierced the night sky and police cars roared over.

The police walked into the restaurant and took away Lao Zhang and Andre who were still arguing. The scene was chaotic for a while.

Wang Jianye was handling affairs in the office at the time. When he heard the news, he was nervous: "How can things develop to this point? The conflict caused by cultural differences cannot continue to deteriorate like this. We must find a way to resolve it."

He realized that if he did not take effective measures, the entire team would fall into greater chaos and the hotel's operations would be seriously affected.

Wang Jianye knew very well that it was urgent to resolve cultural conflicts among employees and establish a management system suitable for cross-cultural teams.

He fell into deep thought, analyzing the root causes of the problem and possible solutions.

"Cultures need to understand and tolerate each other. Only when everyone understands each other's culture can misunderstandings be eliminated."

He paced back and forth in the office, talking to himself.

After careful planning, Wang Jianye decided to organize a "Cultural Exchange Day" event.

On the day of the event, the restaurant was closed for a day and the employees gathered in the restaurant lobby.

The hall was decorated with a festive atmosphere, with the national flags of China and Brazil hanging on the walls and the tables filled with specialties of the two countries.

Wang Jianye stood in the middle of the hall and clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention: "Dear colleagues, today we hold this 'Cultural Exchange Day' to let everyone better understand each other's culture.

We come from different places and have different cultural backgrounds, but this is not a reason for conflict; rather, it is an opportunity for us to learn from each other and make progress together.

I hope everyone can open their hearts and enhance mutual understanding.”

First, the Chinese chefs made their debut.

Lao Zhang stood in front of the makeshift cooking table with great enthusiasm, picked up a Chinese wok, and began to show off his specialty - Kung Pao Chicken. (End of this chapter)