Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

For Shan Wei, who had never eaten oil-splashed noodles before, it was indeed a novel experience.

I couldn't help but exclaim, "The boss is really amazing; it seems like he can cook food from anywhere."

Shi Ying nodded in agreement. As one of the earliest employees, she was naturally aware of her boss's abilities.

No matter what kind of delicious food Zhou Wen makes in the future, Shi Ying won't be too surprised.

Shan Wei's sentiments are actually the sentiments of the diners in the restaurant.

Back in 07, the spread of food was not as far-reaching as it is today.

After all, traffic problems are one thing, and short video platforms are another.

Most culinary delights are only developed in specific regions, and only a few dishes may become popular, but this still has certain limitations.

This is now also a way for Zhouji Restaurant to promote itself.

For some new diners, after seeing the restaurant's menu, they often choose dishes they have heard of before, and naturally, they are less likely to choose dishes they have never heard of before.

There might be a misunderstanding among people, who might mistakenly believe that the food was created by the owner himself.

So now when Shi Ying promotes the food in the store, she always says that it is food from such-and-such place, which will pique everyone's interest.

After all, they are probably migrant workers from other places, and they may come from other provinces.

Most locals, even when they travel outside the province, usually go to a relatively neighboring province.

Most diners have never tasted dishes like hot and sour noodles and sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce in Sichuan and Chongqing, or oil-splashed noodles in northern Shaanxi.

Open for business at noon.

"Is this oil-splashed noodle dish a specialty of SX province?" a young diner who was nearly thirty years old asked.

This diner showed great interest in the cuisines of other provinces.

Shi Ying nodded and said, "Yes, the food in SX province."

This diner is named Yu Liangwei. He is around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, which is relatively young.

I have been to the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, as well as some provinces that are relatively close to Fujian Province.

Of course, it wasn't a vacation; it was a business trip for work.

So when I went there, I didn't really get to explore the area properly. I could only enjoy the local cuisine during my meals.

After tasting them, I found that the food in each place is different and has its own unique characteristics.

A while ago, I learned about Zhouji Restaurant through a friend's introduction.

Most of the time, when I travel for work, I run back and forth between several cities in the province.

After returning this time, I took some time to have a meal at Zhou's Restaurant.

"Miss, what new products do you have in store lately?" Yu Liangwei asked after taking a sip of water.

"Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), braised pork trotter rice, and the newly added youpo noodles."

Yu Liangwei has heard of and eaten braised pork trotters rice, but he has never heard of roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) or youpo noodles (oil-splashed noodles).

"Where is this cuisine from?" Yu Liangwei wanted to find out.

"Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and Youpo Mian (oil-splashed noodles) are both culinary specialties of SX province."

"SX Province?" Yu Liangwei nodded.

"Then I'll have a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and youpo noodles (oil-splashed noodles)."

"What kind of bun would you like for your roujiamo? We currently have Baiji buns and Tongguan buns."

Yu Liangwei nodded and said, "Then I'll take one of each."

"Okay. A roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is five yuan, and a bowl of youpo noodles is also five yuan."

The price of five yuan a bowl of oil-splashed noodles is mainly because it doesn't have any toppings added.

Upon hearing this, Yu Liangwei smiled and said, "The store hasn't raised prices yet?"

Shi Ying did not answer the question; she simply smiled and shook her head.

The shop initially offered Baiji buns, but later, to give customers some different options, they introduced Tongguan buns.

Furthermore, Zhou Wen discovered that diners preferred Tongguan steamed buns, as their crispy outer shell was more readily accepted and enjoyed by them.

The process of making roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and youpo mian (oil-splashed noodles) doesn't take long; soon the pancakes and noodles are served together by Shi Ying.

"The pancake is a bit hot, you can let it cool down a bit. As for the dough, we suggest you mix it up, so the flavor will be more even and the taste will be better."

"Okay, could you please get me another bottle of soda?"

Looking at the delicious food in front of him, Yu Liangwei rubbed his hands together and then stirred the oil-splashed noodles according to Shi Ying's suggestion.

The pancake was still warm, and it was a little hot to hold for a moment.

Yu Liangwei made a "whoosh" sound, then put the pancake back into the small basket.

"It's really hot."

Yu Liangwei blew on the pancake, then took a bite.

The pancake was very crispy; one bite and crumbs scattered all over the table.

This pancake smells so good and is so crispy.

The juice also seeped into the pancake.

When Yu Liangwei took his first bite, he deliberately took a bite from the side, so this bite was simply the aroma of the pancake, plus the taste of the juice.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Liangwei opened his mouth wide and took a big bite of the pancake, the juice overflowing and dripping all over his hands.

Yu Liangwei shook his head, feeling incredibly satisfied after that bite.

The meat inside is very tender and melts in your mouth with just a gentle touch.

Instead of wiping the juice off his hands with a tissue, Yu Liangwei slurped it off with his mouth.

After finishing a bite of the pancake, he picked up a bowl of oil-splashed noodles with his chopsticks, blew on it, and then couldn't wait to taste it.

It smells so good!

The wide noodles are chewy and have a rich, oily aroma.

Although there's chili powder everywhere in the bowl, the spiciness is mostly due to the aroma.

And the green vegetables and bean sprouts weren't cooked like typical homemade fried rice, which is mushy and limp.

When you eat it, you can hear the crisp "crunch, crunch" sound.

A bowl of noodles and a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) were enough to make Yu Liangwei feel quite full.

The last thing left was a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) made with baiji buns.

Looking at the remaining roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), I wanted to pack it up, but I was afraid that it would get cold and the taste would be greatly reduced.

After some hesitation, he asked Shi Ying to get a small plastic bag.

After receiving the plastic bag, Yu Liangwei didn't rush to pack it up. Instead, he planned to take a few bites to taste it first.

He also took a bite of the plain biscuit first.

The two pancakes tasted quite different.

Tongguan cakes are crispy, while Baiji buns have a light, fragrant aroma, somewhat like the taste of regular white steamed buns.

Compared to steamed buns, this Baiji bun is more elastic, has a stronger aroma, and is full of juice inside.

If we really have to compare them, Yu Liangwei thinks they each have their own merits.

After taking a few bites, Yu Liangwei let out a burp, feeling too full to eat any more. He then put the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) into a plastic bag, tied it casually, and took it away.

Walking down the street, Yu Liangwei patted his stomach, feeling quite satisfied with the meal.

Every time I return from a business trip, I can come to Zhouji Restaurant for a good meal.

I'm already looking forward to what delicious food Zhouji Restaurant will have when I come back from my next business trip.

……