dkrc Chapter 9, First Guest
Chapter 9, First Guest
Under pressure from Wei Yinghong, the uncle had no choice but to stay and help.
To avoid being beaten up by Lu Hua, Lu Jie also chose to stay and help.
As a result, the restaurant actually has plenty of staff today.
Lu Yuan gave everyone a black t-shirt with the white character "Lu" printed on the chest and a black baseball cap; even Lu Xue received a smaller version.
The Lu family has good genes; they are all tall and slender. When they stand in a row dressed up, they look quite presentable.
Lu Yuan then took out a white chef's uniform and put it on.
Although it was just a cheap street vendor item, the embroidered words "Famous Chinese Chef" were no longer on the chest.
But the moment Lu Yuan put on the chef's uniform, an extraordinary aura instantly emanated from him.
"Wow, you look surprisingly good in this outfit! I'll borrow your uncle's for a few days!"
The uncle put his arm around Lu Yuan's shoulder and touched and pinched him all over, showing great curiosity about the chef's uniform.
Wei Yinghong picked up a broom and smacked her uncle's backside, then threw the broom at him: "Go clean up!"
As the eldest daughter of the Wei family, Wei Yinghong was very dissatisfied with her uncle's attitude of not getting married and had never been kind to him.
Restaurants along the national highway don't have very standard meal times, so Lu Yuan and his team start preparing food as early as possible to avoid missing the first wave of customers.
By 10 a.m., the lamb ribs and other parts that needed to be stewed were cooked.
Lu Yuan has already taken them all out. If someone orders, all they need to do is cut them according to the portion size and then blanch them again.
With everything in the kitchen ready, the focus shifted to the area in front of the restaurant.
How can an ordinary restaurant located on the side of a national highway attract passing customers? It can only rely on some marketing methods.
The signs for "Free Parking" and "Flush Toilets Available" are already up at the intersection; now it's up to Wei Yinghong to make the most of it.
Wei Yinghong is only 40 years old this year. After shedding her farmer's clothes and putting on a T-shirt and baseball cap, she has a rather heroic and dashing look, except for her slightly dark skin.
Lu Yuan and she decided on a strategy to fry the dough as slowly as possible, keeping the aroma of the fried dough sticks wafting out at all times.
After all, selling a fried dough stick for 1 yuan would be considered a dishonest business practice; you can't make money from that. Its only purpose is to attract customers.
The earthen stove at the entrance of the shop was already lit, and as the fire grew stronger, the oil pot on the stove began to emit the rich aroma of sesame oil.
On the counter next to her, Wei Yinghong skillfully cut a small piece from the dough, and turned the rest upside down in a bowl to prevent it from drying out.
This small piece of dough was further divided into several evenly sized pieces. She took one of them and used her thumb and forefinger to roll it into a perfect circle.
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is thin and even, about 15 centimeters in diameter. Finally, use the tip of a knife to make two small cuts in the middle of the dough to help it cook through.
Once the oil was hot, Wei Yinghong began to put the dough into the oil, which immediately crackled and popped.
As the fried dough cake gradually sank into the oil pan, the moisture was continuously evaporated, creating bubbles on the surface of the oil.
As it sank to the bottom, the moisture in the fried dough cake was almost gone, making it incredibly light. It then turned and floated back to the surface of the oil pan.
By this time, the fried dough had turned a tempting golden color, and its sweet and enticing aroma instantly filled the air.
Wang Facai hid inside the shop, looking through the window at the bubbling oil in the pot, his teeth itching with anger.
It's the perfect time for guests to enjoy the food; the aroma alone is sure to entice them to come.
The people gathered around the oil pan were practically drooling.
Even though they've already eaten, who can resist a freshly cooked carb bomb?
Looking at their appearance, Wei Yinghong cursed, "A bunch of beggars!"
But he still pointed to the freshly fried dough sticks, indicating that they could take them if they wanted to eat them.
The uncles and the others, ignoring the heat, immediately picked up the fried dough, broke it open, and took a bite.
That exquisite aroma instantly fills the air, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
. . .
On National Highway 109, a Crown with a provincial capital license plate was driving slowly.
The car windows were all rolled down, and a pretty, pale face was pressed against the window in the back seat, looking haggard.
"Manman, hang in there a little longer, we'll be in the provincial capital in an hour."
A woman with an outstanding demeanor gently patted the girl's back, trying to ease her discomfort.
Suddenly, an enticing aroma wafted into the car, and the girl couldn't resist taking a sniff.
As the car drove forward, the fragrance grew stronger, and the girl couldn't help but exclaim, "Mommy, it smells so good!"
The woman also smelled the aroma; they had rushed here and were already starving.
As the car entered the area of Luwangtan Village, a row of restaurants came into view.
"How about we stop and eat something? Maybe it will make Manman feel better," the woman suggested.
The driver was the girl's father, his hands gripping the steering wheel, a gold watch on his wrist that caught the eye.
"What kind of food can you possibly get from those roadside stalls in the countryside? Who knows if they even meet hygiene standards!"
"That's true..." the woman said noncommittally.
Manman has been in poor health since childhood, and their trip to Qin Province was for medical treatment.
The hygiene of the restaurants along the way was not ideal, and Manman developed gastroenteritis because she ate unclean food.
"Mom, there's a parking space here!"
Manman suddenly pointed to a vacant lot at the very edge of Luwangtan Village, where a row of parking spaces were neatly drawn.
"There are also two signs, free parking, and flush toilets inside the store."
As Manman read the contents of the sign, the woman's eyes lit up.
The outhouses along the way had disgusted her, so the woman said, "Honey, this shop looks pretty legitimate. Why don't we go down and take a look? We can just not give Manman any food!"
Seeing the longing in the eyes of the mother and daughter in the rearview mirror, the man slowly stepped on the brake: "Alright, it's good to take a rest."
As a brand-new Crown slowly drove from the national highway toward Xiao Lu's farmhouse restaurant, the Lu family suddenly tensed up.
Lu Changming did not forget his mission and immediately ran forward to direct the car to park in the parking space.
After parking the car, the family walked to the store entrance, and the first thing they saw was a group of people dressed in neat work clothes.
Especially Wei Yinghong, standing in front of the oil pan, had her hair neatly tucked into her hat and was wearing a mask.
This feeling is a bit like when they took Manman to eat McDonald's in Beijing. Even in the provincial capital, there are no stores that pay so much attention to the image of their employees.
The man and woman exchanged a glance, and saw surprise in each other's eyes.
"Mom, I want to eat this!" Manman pointed to the fried dough sticks on the iron rack above the oil pan.
At this moment, Lu Yuan, dressed in a white chef's uniform, lifted the fly curtain at the entrance of the shop and said, "Hello, we can come in and order."
"Okay." The man nodded, led the woman and child into the store, and found a table to sit down.
Lu Ying, who had prepared everything at the front desk, immediately went forward and poured them a cup of herbal tea.
The woman smiled politely, then touched the tabletop. It was spotless, without a trace of oil, which further enhanced her senses.
"Your menu is quite simple, and it's not cheaper than in the provincial capital," the man said, looking at the menu.
Lu Yuan smiled, maintaining his excellent manners, and said neither servilely nor arrogantly, "We only serve high-quality dishes. Would you like me to recommend some dishes for you?"
For some reason, Lu Yuan gave them a comfortable feeling, a sense of both distance and intimacy.
This is the temperament that Lu Yuan has cultivated over many years as an executive chef; he changes his hospitality style according to the specific type of guest.
For business owners like this who started their businesses in the 90s, it's always a good idea to aim high.
"Okay, then you can make your recommendation!" The man picked up his iced tea and leaned back in his chair.
Lu Yuan had already noticed the little girl's pale face and said, "Little one, you can have a braised mutton soup, it's lightly seasoned and will be gentler on your stomach. You two can have a stir-fried lamb, it's our restaurant's signature dish."
The man was surprised that Lu Yuan had noticed his daughter's stomach discomfort, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of trust in Lu Yuan, so he nodded and said, "Okay, then let's do it your way."
At this moment, Manman raised her hand and pouted, "Uncle, I haven't ordered yet! I want the flatbread from the doorway!"
Lu Yuan replied with a smile, "No need to order the pancake. As the first little guest today, Uncle will give you one for free."
"Yay! Thank you, Uncle!" Manman's mood brightened instantly, and her pale face regained some color.
Lu Yuan then added, "Please take a short rest. There are flush toilets in the backyard where you can use them."
(Fried dough cake, also called fried dough sticks)