dkrc Chapter 22 Mr. Wang's Suggestion
Chapter 22 Mr. Wang's Suggestion
As the most loyal customers since Xiao Lu's Farmhouse Restaurant reopened, everyone already knows General Manager Wang.
Mr. Wang was not one to mince words; he picked up his bowl and joined the staff meal.
He had eaten stir-fried beef slices in other places, but he didn't think it was a dish that could stand out.
But the dish Lu Yuan cooked looked extraordinary.
The broth is a rich red color, and the aroma of the steaming hot broth fills the air, giving it a wonderful wok hei (wok aroma)!
Only when the heat is brought to a certain level will it create this kind of sensory impact.
Mr. Wang picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Since there was no rice, he planned to taste the beef on its own.
The moment the beef touches your mouth, the perfectly blended savory and salty flavors burst forth.
As you chew the beef, its aroma is fully released; it's tender yet firm, chewy yet not dry.
Beef that has been marinated beforehand will have a smooth and tender texture, but it will lose some of its flavor.
This stir-fried beef retains a certain chewiness and aroma, making it easy to chew but with an added layer of flavor.
This method requires high-quality ingredients; the better the ingredients, the simpler the cooking method.
It also tests the chef's ability to control the heat; if you're not careful, the food will overcook.
This is also why this dish isn't very popular; many chefs are unwilling to make it or can't make it well.
"Delicious! It's got great fillings!"
After finishing one piece, Mr. Wang gave a thumbs-up in sincere praise, and then picked up another large mouthful with his chopsticks.
The meat, vermicelli, and side dishes are piled on top of the rice, and the rich broth coats the rice as you slurp it down in a few mouthfuls.
Pick up another piece of shredded potato with your chopsticks; it's fragrant, crisp, and chewy, maintaining a just-cooked texture—the taste is excellent.
The cold shredded vegetables salad followed closely behind, spicy and refreshing, with a rich aroma that lingered in the mouth even after swallowing.
These three dishes are so delicious with rice!
After only a few bites of the first course of vegetables, the bowl of rice was empty.
Aunt Li was very perceptive; she took Mr. Wang's bowl and served him rice before he even put it down.
While waiting for their meal, Mr. Wang and Lu Yuan chatted casually:
"Chef Lu, your beef and vegetable dishes are so good, why are there only a few dishes on the menu?"
"I'm just too busy!" Lu Yuan put down his chopsticks and picked up his iced tea.
"It's really busy at lunchtime; I even queued up yesterday." Mr. Wang nodded, then asked, "What about during lunchtime?"
"Everyone was in a hurry to get going this afternoon, so not many people ate," Lu Yuan replied truthfully.
Mr. Wang pondered for a moment and then said, "Why don't you just close this afternoon?"
The others immediately stopped picking up food, thinking to themselves, "What kind of outrageous words are these? Who would suggest someone close down when they're at the height of their success?"
Lu Yuan didn't show any surprise. Instead, he asked, "You mean I only accept reservations for banquets this afternoon?"
"That's right. You might as well just open one table in the afternoon and make the food look beautiful. You'll definitely earn more than individual customers."
Mr. Wang smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that this young apprentice was quick to grasp things and was definitely someone who could accomplish great things.
Lu Yuan had thought about this problem long ago, after all, selling to individual customers from morning till night is actually very tiring.
Moreover, restaurants along the national highway rarely have individual customers in the evening, which is a significant limitation.
We didn't make reservations from the beginning because we don't have a stable customer base yet.
If he has a stable customer base, he is willing to accept only one banquet table in the afternoon.
After all, he was getting a bit tired of stir-frying lamb every day and had been itching to cook some elaborate dishes for a while.
This way, parents can relax a bit and won't have to spend every day in restaurants.
Now that President Wang has made this suggestion, it's clear he has a need for it, so Lu Yuan tentatively asked:
"Mr. Wang, my banquet services aren't cheap!"
After hearing this, President Wang laughed heartily, pointed at Lu Yuan, and said with a smile:
"Master Lu, don't worry, I'd love for you to have all those good things like sea cucumber, lobster, bird's nest, abalone, and shark fin."
"Then I'll do my best!" Lu Yuan laughed and joked with President Wang.
From a chef's career perspective, the starting point is often a small restaurant on the street.
Above that are the head chefs of restaurants, the head chefs of star-rated hotels, and the executive chefs.
Above that are the extremely rare renowned Chinese chefs, even those who host state banquets.
But these identities still don't free them from the chef system; they're still stuck in the kitchen all year round, constantly busy.
What chefs truly yearn for is a small restaurant where they are in control.
There's no menu; you eat whatever I cook, and you need to make a reservation in advance.
However, this is basically a pipe dream. If you have such conditions, you are not short of money, so who would still be a chef?
Even if Lu Yuan were a reborn person, he wouldn't have such an unrealistic dream.
He wanted to offer reservation-only banquets, mainly considering local demand.
With the rapid development of the economy, bosses like Mr. Wang have a great need for high-end banquet venues.
High-end banquets don't necessarily involve a row of young ladies singing and touching each other, nor do they have to be held in a star-rated hotel.
Many business owners prefer the countryside and rural life, but Lu Yuan, having had enough of the hustle and bustle of the city in his previous life, prefers the life in the village now.
. . .
Business was booming today, but with the help of Lu Hua and the old lady, we were able to get through the mealtime relatively easily.
When the family of three closed the door to settle their accounts that evening, they were pleasantly surprised to find that they had received more than 1 yuan in total over the past few days.
Of course, this is just the turnover; the actual amount that can be taken into hand is only about 5000, but that is already an outrageous number.
Looking at the piles of large and small bills covering the kang (heated brick bed), Wei Yinghong could hardly believe it.
"It's only been a few days, but it's almost as good as a year's harvest from farming."
"Mom, what's so special about this?" Lu Yuan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), swinging his legs, and said, "Restaurants in Guangdong province can make tens of thousands a day."
"How can we compare to them? Their crops yield two or three harvests a year, and they can easily make a lot of money just by scooping things up from the sea!"
Wei Yinghong rolled her eyes at him and began to tell him the rumors she had heard from the "bard".
In fact, people in Northwest China used to have a very strong romanticized view of big cities, especially coastal cities.
They always feel that others are born rich and noble, while they themselves are born to suffer.
Lu Yuan found these rumors quite amusing, thinking to himself that the days without cell phones were anything but boring.
"Mom, do you believe our family can earn tens of thousands a day?"
Wei Yinghong glanced at Lu Yuan and patted his foot, which was about to fall onto the money.
"Go to sleep already. You've only been well for a few days, and you're already getting cocky again."
. . .
The next morning, Lu Yuan was woken up again by Wang Facai, who was like a human alarm clock.
A barrage of insults directed at Zhao Tong echoed through the courtyard, making Lu Yuan feel somewhat guilty.
Zhao Tong endured Wang Facai's greetings to his ancestors for the sake of him.
Although Zhao Tong couldn't hear, Lu Yuan still decided to treat him to a good drink.
Since Lu Jie started learning to cook from Lu Yuan, he has been coming here early every day.
The first thing he does every day is to light all the earthen stoves and then slowly heat the firebox with a small fire.
As he lit the earthen stove outside, he happened to see Wang Facai looking extremely irritable.
Then an irrepressible joy welled up in his chest, which transformed into an impromptu song:
"Oh, those big fried dough cakes! They smell so good! Oh, those big fried dough cakes! Why are they selling so fast? Oh, those big fried dough cakes! I want some but I can't get any! Oh, those big fried dough cakes! I heard some people can't even sell one!"
Listening to Lu Jie's lousy singing, Wang Facai was furious. He turned around and went back to his restaurant, slamming the door shut.
Five minutes later, he rode a bicycle out of the backyard and headed straight for town.
He vowed to drag Zhao Tong, the head constable, down and ask him why he had lied to him twice.