1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 100 Zhou Yan is still too capable (First update)
The workers were almost unable to move, and many swallowed hard.

These pig's trotters look delicious!

No, watching this little girl eat makes it taste even better!
The braised pig's trotters are bright red and glistening with oil; the little guy's hand can sink into them when he pinches them, and he holds them and gnaws on them.

A three-and-a-half-year-old girl can bite a hole in a pig's trotter in one bite. How tender and soft must that pig's trotter be? She ate it with such relish.

Enjoying a braised pig's trotter by yourself is something many people dream of.

That little girl achieved it at just three and a half years old; it's truly enviable.

"Aunt Zhao, how much is one of these braised pig's trotters?" Wang Wei asked, unable to resist, as she was having lunch with her colleagues today.

The others also looked at Zhao Tieying, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"We haven't started selling braised pig's trotters yet, so there's no price. Today's trotters are for my family to eat," Zhao Tieying replied with a smile. She learned the recipe from Zhou Yan, and it worked very well.

"So delicious, big pig's trotters!" Zhou Momo ate with gusto, not forgetting to praise them, her short legs dangling as she swayed back and forth.

"Not for sale!"

"Why aren't you selling them? If the price isn't too high, I'd like to buy one and try it!"

The workers immediately let out a chorus of sighs.

Not only are they not selling, but they haven't even given a price!
If it's too expensive, they'll just give up on it.

He's currently in a completely suspended state.

Zhao Tieying pondered for a moment and then said, "How many people want to eat? I'll make a count. If there are many, I'll see if Zhou Yan should prepare some for everyone tomorrow. As for the price, each one won't exceed one yuan and fifty cents, but pig's trotters are not easy to buy, so the quantity should not be large."

When she bought pig's trotters in the morning, Zhou Yan told her that they would be serving braised pig's trotters later, so she temporarily had her youngest daughter sit at the door and eat pig's trotters.

Pig trotters cost 35 cents a pound, and this one pig trotter weighs about 1.2 pounds, with a cost of 4 to 5 cents.

Zhou Yan hasn't set a specific price yet, only saying it's around 1.2 yuan.

She set the price at 1.5 yuan, which left Zhou Yan enough room for pricing. If the price was lower tomorrow, the customer would feel like they got a good deal.

The workers fell silent after hearing this.

One dollar and fifty cents each?
This price seems a bit expensive.

It's more than a day's wages for a regular worker.

Pig's trotters don't have much meat, so for this price you could get a serving of minced beef with double peppers and a bowl of braised beef with ribs.

Compared to the silence of everyone else, Zhou Momo was eating pig's trotters very loudly. The tendons of the trotters were sticky on her lips, and she chewed them very loudly, shaking her little head as she ate, one bite after another, as if the braised pig's trotters in front of her were all that existed in her eyes and her world.

"Aunt Zhao, I'd like to reserve one." Wang Wei raised her hand and made a reservation decisively.

She doesn't have a man or kids to support, and her parents earn more than her, so what's wrong with spending her own money to eat a big pig's trotter?
It's just a day's wages, she can afford it!
She couldn't even imagine how happy she would be to hold a whole pig's trotter and gnaw on it.

Once Wang Wei took the lead, several more workers immediately followed suit and made appointments.

If you think it's too expensive to eat alone, just find a friend to share the bill.

Eating half of it is just as satisfying!
Zhao Tieying took out a small notebook and started writing tally marks. In no time, she had reserved six.

Of course, many workers chose to wait and see, and then decide whether to eat it after the official selling price was announced.

Zhou Yan stood at the kitchen doorway and listened for a while, surprised by Zhao Tieying's words!

Aunt Zhao is truly a marketing genius! Limited supply, raising expectations—she's mastered Lei Jun's tactics perfectly.

His plan for braised pig's trotters is to sell them for 1.2 yuan each, with a profit margin of 50%, which is within the acceptable range for customers, making it a good price.

However, his mother brought forward the plan to launch braised pig's trotters.

This marketing campaign is just as good as if he did it himself.

Aunt Zhao learns things so quickly!
Customers entered the store one after another, and Zhou Momo became a living advertisement. Workers couldn't help but take a second look when they passed by, and before they knew it, they walked into the store.

Upon entering the restaurant, the dishes on the tables looked so tempting that it was impossible not to sit down and order a couple of dishes to try.

Zhou Yan's kitchen quickly became busy.

Two middle-aged men dressed in Zhongshan suits rode their bicycles to the outside of the textile factory and looked around.

"Mayor Huang, Zhou Erwa's restaurant is over there!" Old Ma pointed and said with a smile.

Huang Chen also noticed and said with a smile, "There are quite a few people here. Let's go, Lao Ma, let's have lunch here."

The two stopped the car and saw Zhou Momo happily eating a half-eaten pig's trotter.

"Isn't this the old lady's little granddaughter? She's really enjoying eating that pig's trotter." Huang Chen said with a smile. The little girl was adorable and had left a deep impression on him that day.

"Mayor Huang, you've arrived." Zhao Tieying was somewhat surprised and a little nervous to see Huang Chen. Could it be that the town leaders have come to investigate something again?

"Comrade Zhao, we've come over for lunch," Huang Chen said with a smile.

Zhao Tieying breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Then please come in quickly, there's just one table left."

When Huang Chen and Lao Ma entered the store, they found it was already packed with people. Judging from the uniforms worn by the customers, they were mostly textile factory workers, indicating that the business was booming.

After the two sat down, Zhao Tieying pointed to the menu on the wall and said, "Take a look at the menu first, and then tell me what you want to order."

"Okay." Huang Chen nodded and looked at the menu carefully.

"These vegetable prices are a bit expensive," Old Ma muttered under his breath as he glanced at the produce.

"Individual vendors pay a bit more for meat, but the vegetable prices aren't actually that high. Those big restaurants in Chengdu are what's really expensive," Huang Chen said with a smile. He was in charge of the economy and knew more about this.

The prices were normal, but the selection was a bit limited. Excluding cold dishes, there were only six dishes, all common in typical Sichuan restaurants. Only one dish, "Qiaojiao Beef," piqued his curiosity.

He didn't rush to ask, but looked around and saw a guest at the next table slurping soup from a ceramic bowl, enjoying it immensely, with sweat beading on his forehead.

On the table to the right, there was also a ceramic bowl, steaming hot, filled with beef, offal, and tendons. It looked quite bland, but when dipped into the chili powder, it immediately turned bright red and looked quite tempting.

No need to guess, this is what's known as "Qiaojiao Beef".

Zhao Tieying guarded the big pot by the door, where she made braised beef.

Just by glancing at it, I can tell there are quite a few customers.

It rained heavily last night, and the temperature has dropped significantly today.

Looking at this steaming hot beef soup, I really want a bowl to warm myself up.

Old Ma watched as well, swallowing hard.

Huang Chen had a general idea of ​​what was going on and said, "Comrade Zhao, let's order."

"Okay!" Zhao Tieying replied and walked over quickly.

Huang Chen ordered twice-cooked pork, minced beef, and a bowl of braised beef with pork belly. These were the three dishes that he observed his regular customers ordered the most.

In his experience, this method generally avoids pitfalls.

"Okay, just a moment!" Zhao Tieying walked towards the kitchen.

"Why did Mayor Huang suddenly decide to eat here?" Old Ma asked with a smile as he poured him water.

The town mayor loves to eat, but he is always frugal. He usually eats all three meals in the canteen on weekdays. Today, after returning from an inspection in the countryside, he was dragged to a restaurant for lunch, where a single dish cost more than three yuan. This is quite expensive.

“A friend of mine is passing through Suji tomorrow and will be staying overnight. I’m looking for a place to eat in advance so I can entertain him tomorrow.” Huang Chen took a sip of water and said with a smile, “I tried Zhou Yan’s braised dishes and cold dishes the other day and they were quite good, so I’m here today to try his stir-fries.”

"What kind of friend do you value so much? If you want to play it safe, wouldn't state-run restaurants have a wider variety of dishes?" Old Ma was a little puzzled, but then he thought, could it be some leader? Then he realized he had been too talkative.

“My friend is the deputy editor-in-chief of a magazine. He’s eaten too many good things and has a very discerning palate. Ordinary restaurant dishes no longer meet his standards.” Huang Chen said with a smile, “Last time he came, I took him to a state-run restaurant. Not a single dish satisfied him. Later, he wrote a letter and laughed at us in Suji for not having good food. I was furious and had to prove Suji’s cuisine right.”

"The braised dishes and cold dishes that Zhou Yan makes are quite good," Old Ma said with a smile, probably understanding the grudge between them.

Men, even if they don't steam buns, they'll fight for their pride.

As the two were talking, the braised beef was served first, and Zhao Tieying also brought them two small bowls and two dipping sauce dishes.

The steaming hot beef soup wafted over, its aroma filling the air. Several slices of blanched, pink beef, with their distinct marbling, looked incredibly tender.

"Try the soup first." Huang Chen scooped half a bowl of soup into a small bowl with a serving spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and then took a sip. His eyebrows immediately rose.

So fresh!

The beef soup has a clear color, but the flavor is exceptionally rich and delicious. A sip of the hot soup warms you up from your stomach, which is very comforting!

He finished half a bowl of soup in a few gulps and then tasted the meat in the bowl.

The beef slices are large, thin, and tender; the tripe is crisp and refreshing; the tendons are soft and chewy; and the beef intestines are smooth and tender, each with its own unique flavor. Dipping them in this specially prepared chili powder elevates the taste to another level.

it is tasty!
Huang Chen never expected to be so amazed by a bowl of clear broth beef offal.

He worked in Suji for ten years, so he must have tried Zhoucun hot pot.

Zhou Yan is from Zhoucun, but he changed the name of the soup pot, and now the taste is completely different.

They're not even the same thing!

"Great, great!" Huang Chen was overjoyed. Putting everything else aside, he felt that this braised beef dish alone would amaze his friend.

Next, the stir-fried beef with double peppers and the twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts were served.

Huang Chen picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, its surface gleaming like a lamp, a perfectly standard twice-cooked pork.

When he went to Chengdu, this friend took him to many good restaurants and eateries, so he has a good eye for food.

Pick up a piece of garlic sprout; it's soft and tender, the lean meat is slightly chewy, and the garlic sprout blooms in the middle—fatty but not oily, fragrant but not greasy.

Absolutely!

This is just as good as Rongleyuan's twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts!

After swallowing, I immediately shoveled a mouthful of rice into my mouth.

Ah!
This steamed rice is exceptionally well-made. The rice grains are distinct, fluffy, and fragrant, with a hint of the aroma of the wooden bucket. It has a sweet aftertaste and is incredibly flavorful.

Then scoop a spoonful of brightly colored shredded beef onto the rice, and shovel it in along with the rice.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the beef cubes collide with the spicy peppers in your mouth, creating a fragrant and delicious flavor that is truly a delicacy!

"Zhou Yan is incredibly talented! The banquet didn't even showcase his full potential," Huang Chen remarked.

“That’s right,” Old Ma wholeheartedly agreed.

this meal.

Huang Chen ate three bowls of rice and drank two bowls of beef soup, his belly was round and he was very satisfied.

Old Ma was similar, rubbing his slightly protruding belly and burping.

That's it!

Let's decide on this tomorrow!
　First update, please vote for me!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)