1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 180 Influence Settlement in Progress… (Bonus Chapter 1233 for Monthly Tickets)

Lin Zhiqiang returned with the magazine and sat down. Meng Anhe immediately leaned over to take a look and exclaimed in surprise, "Sichuan Cuisine Magazine! This magazine is quite professional. Our office director loves reading it and subscribes to every issue, saying he wants to learn how to cook from it."

"Hmm, all of them are first-class or top-class chefs, they do look quite professional." Lin Zhiqiang flipped through the catalog and nodded in agreement.

"Here, page eighteen." Meng Anhe pointed and found the article about "Qiaojiao Beef".

Lin Zhiqiang quickly flipped through the pages and saw the photo at the beginning of the article; both of them laughed.

"This photo is quite good. It makes you look tall and handsome enough. The photography skills of this food magazine are much better than those of your architecture magazines." Lin Zhiqiang laughed, "The last photo we took of you was so bad that your face was barely visible when it was printed. It was a complete waste of your beauty."

"I even put on a full face of makeup, you're going to be the death of me!" Meng Anhe said through gritted teeth.

The two continued reading, nodding occasionally, with smiles on their faces.

“Didn’t you ask me last time how to reply to your sister? I don’t think I need to say much. Just buy a copy of ‘Sichuan Cuisine’ magazine and send it to her so she can read it herself.” Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, “Look, it has photos of Zhou Yan, photos of the dishes he makes, a professional’s summary of his character, and specific case studies.”

“When you told me all this, your sister might have suspected that we were exaggerating. But now, it’s all right. It’s an interview with a professional third-party food and cooking magazine. It’s professional and objective.”

“I’d forgotten about it if you hadn’t mentioned it. I was rushing to meet the project deadline every day and didn’t even reply to my sister’s letters.” Meng Anhe nodded with a smile. “That’s good. I’ll just send her a magazine. The interview is really well-written, and there are a lot of inside stories that we don’t know.”

Zhou Yan is a diligent and studious young man. His perseverance in recreating Qiaojiao Beef already surpasses that of most young people.

"At only twenty years old, Zhou Yan has already been interviewed by an industry magazine. He's sure to make a name for himself in the culinary world. You see, little Su Ji is definitely not the end for him." Lin Zhiqiang's smile was tinged with pride. He had always been very optimistic about Zhou Yan.

Meng Anhe flipped through a few pages of the magazine, gently closed it, and nodded, saying, "I admit, you were more accurate than me this time. To be published in an industry-specific magazine at the age of twenty, and this 'Qiaojiao Beef' is just one of his specialties. The other Sichuan dishes on the menu are no less than those of the chefs in the high-end restaurants in Chengdu. He is bound to make a name for himself in the future."

She wasn't a chef, so it was difficult for her to make an accurate assessment of Zhou Yan's skill level.

But as an architect who frequently reads industry magazines, she could roughly judge the magazine's professionalism after flipping through a few articles.

Among a group of teaching interviews with top-level and master chefs, the value of Zhou Yan's article is self-evident.

Moreover, Zhou Yan restored the tradition of a dish and gave it a sufficiently high concept and origin. This article even believes that Qiaojiao Beef may become a new calling card for Jiaozhou cuisine.

That's a very high compliment.

It has gone beyond the scope of a typical chef making a good dish.

In her experience, Zhou Yan was able to make a name for herself in the industry with this interview.

Even if it doesn't bring him direct economic benefits in the short term, this interview will be his stepping stone when he opens a shop in Jiaozhou or even Chengdu in the future.

For most people, becoming famous is something that can only be achieved by chance, not by seeking it out.

Many veteran chefs work their entire lives without ever having the chance to appear in a magazine and leave their mark on the industry.

Zhou Yan is only twenty years old, yet she already has a two-page interview, and the dishes she makes have even made it onto the cover of a magazine.

She retracted her previous regret that Zhou Yan hadn't gone to university; if one can specialize in an industry, academic qualifications become less important.

Zhou Yan may have missed a few years of schooling, but his speech, cognition, calligraphy, and professional skills are all recognized.

As for him in his family, Xia Yao and Lin Zhiqiang greatly admire him, believing that he has very advanced knowledge and unique perspectives on things.

The two little ones were completely in awe of his cooking skills and wished they could recognize him as their older brother.

"Here you go, your Mapo Tofu and Braised Pork Ribs." Zhao Hong brought the dishes out and placed them on the table.

"Jingxing, Bingwen, come and eat. You can play with your sister after you eat." Meng Anhe said, closing the magazine and handing it to Lin Zhiqiang. "Put it back so it doesn't get oily."

"Oh," the two little boys responded, scurrying over to sit down.

Lin Zhiqiang put the magazine back on the menu wall and sat down again.

The whole family's eyes were drawn to the freshly cooked, still steaming Mapo Tofu.

"It's so red! Is it spicy?" Lin Bingwen was a little conflicted.

"It smells so good! This tofu is braised with meat, it looks delicious!" Lin Jingxing swallowed hard. He was unsure what to do, so he served himself a bowl of rice first. While scooping the tofu with a spoon, he said, "Little brother, let me try it for you first. If it's too spicy, don't eat it."

"Mmm." Lin Bingwen nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and first put a piece of dried bean curd into his mouth.

"This Mapo Tofu looks quite good, almost identical to the one I had at Chen Mapo Tofu last year," Lin Zhiqiang remarked.

"Yes, it does look quite similar, and it looks better than what our cafeteria chef makes." Meng Anhe nodded in agreement. One of the chefs in their cafeteria was transferred from Chen Mapo Tofu. His Mapo Tofu was quite authentic and was a star dish in the cafeteria. He would make a big pot of it almost every day, and his colleagues would scramble to get some.

Seeing Lin Jingxing opening his mouth wide, about to shovel the whole piece of tofu into his mouth, Meng Anhe quickly said, "It's hot! It just came out of the pot, blow on it before you eat it."

Unfortunately, Lin Jingxing's mouth was faster. Before he could finish speaking, he had already shoveled the whole piece of tofu into his mouth. His eyes widened instantly, and he opened his mouth to breathe, his tongue flailing around as he tried to cool the tofu down.

hot!
It's really hot!

With a touch of your teeth and a swirling motion of your tongue, the smooth tofu melts instantly in your mouth.

Before he could even spit out the tofu, the spicy and savory flavors immediately took effect, actually suppressing some of the burning pain.

Now, he couldn't bear to part with it.

smell good!
It's spicy and numbing, and delicious!

He quickly shoveled a mouthful of rice to cool it down. The sweet and fluffy rice masked the numbing and spicy sensation on his tongue, blending perfectly with the Mapo Tofu, becoming more and more fragrant with each chew.

"Brother, is it spicy? Is it delicious?" Lin Bingwen asked, staring at him.

"It's so spicy and super hot, little brother, you definitely can't handle it. Let your older brother bear this pain for you." Lin Jingxing said, while using a ladle to scoop two more spoonfuls of Mapo Tofu into his bowl. "Brother, you're such a good person." Lin Bingwen said, looking touched.

Meng Anhe glanced at her foolish youngest son, shook her head helplessly, scooped a spoonful of Mapo Tofu into her bowl, blew on it in half, and then fed it to her.

The freshly cooked Mapo Tofu was indeed very hot, but the taste was really good!
Spicy and fragrant, crispy and tender, piping hot!
This one bite contains everything.

The seasoning was even more distinct than that of the chef in their cafeteria, yet the flavors blended together more perfectly.

It tastes even better with a bite of rice.

"This Mapo Tofu is so authentic! It feels almost identical to Chen's Mapo Tofu, and the flavor is even more vibrant." Lin Zhiqiang couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"This beef sauce is so fragrant. The broth tastes like it's made with beef bone broth, which is infused with the crispy aroma of the beef sauce. After being absorbed by the tender tofu, it's tightly coated with cornstarch and finally sprinkled with a thin layer of Sichuan peppercorn powder, making it a perfect whole."

"Besides the fermented broad beans and chili powder, this chili oil also smells of fermented black beans. All the flavors blend perfectly into this bite of tofu, it's so delicious!"

"Paired with a bowl of rice, it tastes absolutely delicious. No, no, it should be said that it's... absolutely fantastic!"

Lin Zhiqiang's heartfelt words made the customers ordering food nearby swallow hard.

If even the deputy factory director gave it such high praise, then we absolutely have to order the Mapo Tofu!
"Boss, we'd like to order a Mapo Tofu!"

"We'll have one too!"

The guests placed their orders one after another, with almost every table receiving one serving.

The customers behind them in line got impatient and quickly asked, "Auntie, could you please save us a serving of Mapo Tofu? I've never had it before."

Aunt Zhao finished writing the last stroke of the fourth tally mark, and said with a slightly apologetic smile, "Goodness, the last one has already been ordered, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

After saying that, he hung the Mapo Tofu sign in the clearance section.

The customers in line behind immediately sighed.

Mapo tofu is so famous!
This is a famous dish from Chengdu with a long history; even if you haven't tried it, you've probably heard of it.

However, Su Ji could never get authentic Mapo Tofu; even the state-run restaurants were criticized for not being authentic at all.

Zhou Yan's Mapo Tofu is now widely praised, and everyone naturally wants to try it.

For just eight cents, you get a huge portion, complete with minced beef and a mix of meat and vegetables. It's not expensive at all!

"Zhou Yan is so skilled; he does everything so well," Lin Zhiqiang remarked.

Meng Anhe was eating braised tofu skin. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, her eyes widened, and her beautiful face was full of amazement. She chewed and swallowed, exclaiming, "This tofu skin is so delicious! The aroma of beans and meat blend together perfectly. It's soft but not mushy, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. I've never eaten such delicious tofu skin before!"

"Mom, I love dried bean curd the most." Lin Bingwen put a piece of dried bean curd in her bowl: "Try it, dried bean curd is super delicious!"

Lin Jingxing, who was engrossed in eating, glanced at him and then picked up a piece of lotus root and put it in her bowl: "Mom, try this lotus root, it's crisp and delicious."

“Okay, I’ll try them all.” Meng Anhe said with a smile. She first tried the dried tofu, then the lotus root, and nodded repeatedly. “Hmm, the dried tofu is very fragrant, and it’s as tender as dried egg. The lotus root is also delicious, crisp and fragrant.”

Upon hearing this, both sons grinned.

“I’ll bring two boxes of braised food for them to try when I go up in a couple of days. I’ll also bring a separate braised vegetable dish for Director Fang. She really likes dried bean curd and makes a trip to the north of the city every week to buy braised vegetables. I think they’re not nearly as good as Zhou Yan’s,” Meng Anhe said.

"Sure." Lin Zhiqiang nodded, then asked, "Since you two are so close, should we bring her a pig's trotter for her daughter too?"

"Just bring some braised vegetables. If you bring too much, people will think you need something from them," Meng Anhe shook her head.

"Okay, I'll tell Xiao Zhou later and ask him to save some for you. Dried bean curd sticks are a best-selling item; they're always the first to sell out."

……

It's getting dark.

A bonfire was lit under a big tree at the entrance of Zhoucun village. It was especially lively today, with men and women, young and old, gathered around the fire to warm themselves and chat.

"Brother Ze, I heard that Lao Si's son is in a magazine? And what kind of interview is it?"

"Really? I heard them setting it up in the field today. Zhou Yan has only been learning to be a chef for two or three years."

"Everyone's cooking soup, so it probably won't be that fierce."

The main topic of conversation in the village today is Zhou Yan's appearance in a magazine.

This is big news in the village.

Two students from our village were admitted to universities last year, which was only mentioned briefly in the Jiaozhou Daily, without even their names being revealed.

As the representative of the Zhou family, Zhou Ze ate dinner early today and took a prominent spot on the bluestone under the tree, listening to everyone's discussion without saying a word, his mouth agape.

My nephew is doing well; he's still respected!
Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Zhou Zeqing cleared his throat and said, "The cover of the Sichuan Cuisine magazine features the beef stew made by my son Zhou Yan, and pages eighteen and nineteen are an interview with him by the magazine's deputy editor-in-chief."

The first page features a master chef teaching knife skills, and the second page features a first-class chef teaching how to make pan-fried chicken. What do you think of the quality of this?
To be honest, this is no different from becoming the top chef...

……

After Zhou Yan finished cooking the last batch of pork liver, he let out a long sigh of relief, took off his apron, and was about to leave the kitchen when a message popped up in his eyes:
[Side Quest: The previous issue of "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine has been completed! Influence points are being calculated...]

[Mission Rewards: The rarity of rewards depends on your influence!]

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(End of this chapter)