Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Since the hot dry noodles were introduced today, many customers have come to have a bowl to try.

After all, the aroma of sesame paste is enticing and somewhat similar to the local peanut sauce noodles, so many diners are curious after smelling the aroma and then order a bowl.

The situation was better in the afternoon than in the morning.

Most diners wanted to eat the authentic flavor, but a small number of diners opted for the modified hot dry noodles, which left a better impression.

Compared to the previous two dishes in June, the difference is quite obvious.

When the fried chicken skin and fresh shrimp and mushroom noodles were first introduced, they amazed the diners who tried them in just one morning, and by the afternoon there were already many repeat customers.

Some customers who had tried the food in the morning also came back in the afternoon with their friends.

In the evening, Shan Wei didn't go out to eat and have fun with his friends.

……

On the second day after the hot dry noodles were launched, Zhou Wen plans to make another cold dish today: cold shredded vegetables.

As for why a new dish was introduced every other day...

Zhou Wen thought that he still needed to speed things up and further enrich the menu to provide diners with more choices.

It also suggests that if the quality is insufficient, quantity will compensate.

Cold mixed shredded vegetables is not a regional specialty; it can be found in every region, although the ingredients may vary slightly.

Zhou Wen plans to incorporate all of them, meaning to cook them all and let diners choose three dishes to combine.

There are many choices for shredded vegetables, some of the most common being shredded lettuce, shredded carrots, shredded wood ear mushrooms, shredded cucumber, and glass noodles.

If you ask Zhou Wen what he likes most, it's probably his fans. In the summer, having a bowl of sweet and sour cold vermicelli is pure bliss.

Zhou Wen came up with this idea on the spur of the moment that evening, so he didn't inform her beforehand. Shi Ying only found out when she arrived in the morning.

When Zhou Wen and I went to the market again, we were talking about this cold shredded salad.

"Boss, which three ingredients would taste better if we were making a cold shredded salad?" Shi Ying asked.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Wen said, "Personally, I prefer to combine shredded tofu, glass noodles, and shredded kelp together."

Shi Ying nodded, intending to try the three things her boss had mentioned later.

Kelp is something you can find everywhere in Fujian Province.

The price is also cheap, less than one yuan per kilogram.

After buying the groceries, we returned to the restaurant.

Shi Ying then asked, "Boss, can you make the cold shredded three-ingredient salad now?"

"We can do it now, but let's wait a bit while I prepare the other ingredients."

Shi Ying nodded obediently.

When Zhou Wen arrived in the kitchen, he first soaked the vermicelli and kelp in water.

After finishing other tasks, it's time to prepare the cold shredded vegetables.

Roll up the bean curd sheets you bought, and you can cut the tofu into strips more easily and quickly.

The same method applies to kelp strips: first, cut the kelp in half, then roll it up and slice it.

Before preparing to make the cold shredded vegetables, Zhou Wen first prepared a basin of ice water.

After boiling the water, put the ingredients into the water one by one. Blanch the glass noodles for only a few dozen seconds. The glass noodles don't need to be blanched for too long; it's better if they have some chewiness.

After scooping them out, quickly put them into pre-prepared cold water to chill them, which will make the vermicelli more bouncy and chewy.

Kelp strips need to be cooked for a little longer, and the foam that rises to the surface needs to be skimmed off. Kelp is a seafood product, so it naturally has a fishy smell.

If it's not skimmed off in time, it will have a fishy smell.

When cooking tofu skin, add a spoonful of salt to remove the beany taste, and simply cook until done and then remove it from the water.

Put the three cooked ingredients into a bowl.

Next, we prepare the sauce.

Add two spoonfuls of ginger and garlic water as a base, then add some chopped chili peppers, salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chicken bouillon, MSG, and other seasonings in that order, and stir well.

After mixing evenly, pour the sauce over the ingredients, and finally add some chopped green onions, cilantro, and peanuts.

Zhou Wen held a chopstick in one hand, flipping it up and down to mix the prepared sauce with the ingredients.

"It's ready, have a taste."

"Okay!" Shi Ying already had the bowls and chopsticks prepared in her hands.

Then take out the three shredded ingredients from the small basin until your small bowl is almost full.

After taking a bite, Shi Ying nodded in satisfaction. The three foods—tofu strips, kelp strips, and vermicelli—each had a different taste and texture.

However, there was no strange taste or flavor mixing when they were combined; on the contrary, it was surprisingly delicious.

It's icy cold, sweet and sour, and very appetizing.

The vermicelli is smooth and bouncy, with a slightly chewy texture, while the kelp strips are crisp, tender, and refreshing, making a "crunch" sound when you bite into them.

Furthermore, the tofu strips are soft and absorbent, with a rich texture and a delicious bean flavor.

Shi Ying also thought the sauce the boss made was especially fragrant.

It's primarily savory and fragrant, with a hint of sourness and sweetness, and also a touch of numbing spiciness.

If I had to say something, Shi Ying still likes this rice noodle the most; it has a good texture and tastes great.

When Shan Wei arrived at the shop, he saw a plate of cold shredded vegetables on the table.

"You've got new products in the store again?" Shan Wei asked, somewhat surprised.

Shi Ying nodded and said, "Try this cold shredded salad..."

……

"Didn't they just release hot dry noodles yesterday? Are they releasing a new product again today?"

Now, Shi Ying no longer needs to verbally promote the products in the store. If a new product is launched, it will be written directly on the signboard at the entrance. Of course, Shi Ying will still promote it further in the store.

"Hmm, cold shredded vegetables salad." Shi Ying said, opening the menu and placing it in front of the customer.

"You can see which three you need."

The diner leaned closer to take a look and then said, "Your restaurant has quite a few choices, are all the prices the same?"

Shi Ying nodded and said, "Yes, the price is the same, five yuan a plate."

"Then I'll have a glass of vermicelli, a shredded carrot, and a shredded lettuce, all three together on one plate. And please also bring me a bowl of oil-splashed noodles."

The first dish served was shredded vegetables, which are usually prepared in a short time as a cold dish.

The diners didn't wait for the oil-splashed noodles to arrive before eating them together; instead, they first sampled the shredded vegetables.

After finishing the meal, he kept nodding his head. This was exactly the feeling he wanted from the shredded vegetables: icy cold and sweet and sour.

Because the weather is getting hotter, most people experience a loss of appetite after doing some work.

However, every dish at Zhouji Restaurant, in terms of both aroma and color, can rekindle one's appetite.

Even if you really don't have much of an appetite, sitting in an air-conditioned restaurant for a while will make things much better.

Even so, it still leads to a smaller appetite than before, but the emergence of cold shredded vegetables has solved this problem very well.