Chapter 201: Chapter 201 The 2nd Jiangyue Terrace?! Truly impressive!
Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant.
Today, Wang Fu invited a major client to dinner, and he chose this place.
The Shandong Cuisine restaurant opened by Jiang Feng was very popular among the locals.
Whether for family reunions or hosting guests, people could come here.
The major client was from Guangdong and seemed very amiable. He also wanted to try the Shandong cuisine of Eastern Shandong today.
As soon as he walked into the reception area, the major client glanced at the display case.
Just one glance, and he was immediately attracted to the jade chopsticks inside.
He couldn’t help but walk up to the display case, leaning in to take a closer look.
"`My goodness, mutton-fat jade chopsticks!`"
This person enjoyed collecting jade, was very wealthy, and knew a lot about jade.
The gold pot beside it didn’t attract him, but this pair of jade chopsticks truly made him envious.
Top-quality mutton-fat jade was already rare.
Exceptionally long ones were even rarer.
And this display case actually showcased a pair of mutton-fat jade chopsticks.
Which big shot was this extravagant?
Wang Fu watched from the side, his gaze mostly on the golden flat-bottomed pot.
After all, a golden pot looked quite luxurious.
But the major client kept staring at the mutton-fat jade chopsticks.
"`Mr. Lin, is there anything special about this pair of chopsticks?`" Wang Fu asked with a smile.
"`It’s not just special; it’s rare. You probably can’t find a second pair like this in the whole of China,`" Mr. Lin remarked with a sense of wonder. "`Even finding another stick would be difficult. These are genuinely mutton-fat jade chopsticks. Such fine, long, and straight mutton-fat jade, you can’t even buy it, let alone have it made into chopsticks. It’s apparent that the collector who owns these chopsticks really likes things related to kitchenware. Let me put it this way, this one stick could probably buy this whole restaurant.`"
"`Ah?`" Wang Fu was taken aback when he heard this.
That expensive?
Just then, a staff member came by, and Wang Fu asked, "`Hello, may I ask where these chopsticks and the flat-bottomed pot came from? I haven’t seen them before.`"
The staff member immediately explained with a smile, "`They belong to our boss, displayed here for exhibition.`"
"`The boss? Executive Chef Jiang?`" Wang Fu was a bit taken aback.
"`Yes, our boss,`" the staff member confirmed again.
Wang Fu was even more surprised.
Good lord! Looking at it this way, Jiang Feng’s background is truly formidable.
Mr. Lin had an excellent first impression of the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant. Seeing the pair of jade chopsticks, he felt that dining here was truly prestigious, which also put him in a good mood.
Indeed, top-level exhibits truly have an impact.
It seemed they could gather unseen luck, making the restaurant’s business better and better.
"`This place is really nice; you’ve chosen well,`" Mr. Lin praised Wang Fu.
Seeing Mr. Lin happy, Wang Fu also immediately smiled and hurriedly said, "`The owner of this restaurant is a renowned chef himself. He’s also very popular online, often setting up stalls to sell food, and he recently became a hit in Chengdu. The chefs he has for this Shandong Cuisine Restaurant are also incredibly skilled.`"
The group made their way toward the private room.
Their conversation flowed smoothly all the way.
Wang Fu hadn’t expected Jiangyue Terrace to have such exhibits.
Truly worthy of being the signature Shandong Cuisine Restaurant!
Although it hadn’t been open long, its heritage was not just for show.
Not just Wang Fu’s group, but many subsequent visitors also noticed the items in the display case.
Word of mouth spread, and people began to understand how rare those jade chopsticks were.
As early winter approached, it grew colder.
Although the system had issued a new task for setting up a stall, Jiang Feng chose not to accept it immediately, deciding to save it for later.
Jiang Feng planned to rest for a while in Eastern Shandong.
He planned to walk the dog, play some games, perhaps go on a few dates, and so on.
One must have their own life.
Asking girls out was easy; for instance, his neighbor Ji Mingming was beautiful and innocent. Going out for a movie or a hike with her would make life exciting.
Next, Jiang Feng’s focus would be on the Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant.
He had already made a name for himself with his Sichuan Cuisine.
When the time came for the restaurant to open, he would have to go check out the situation.
The next day, Jiang Feng went to fish at Moon River.
It was somewhat cold, but the number of fishing enthusiasts hadn’t decreased at all.
This place was, after all, a paradise for fishing lovers.
"`It’s Executive Chef Jiang!`"
"`Executive Chef Jiang, are you here to sell rice combo sets?`"
"`Executive Chef Jiang, what brings you here?`"
Seeing Jiang Feng, many of the fishing enthusiasts immediately gathered around.
Some even wanted to buy box lunches from him to use as fishing bait.
Jiang Feng waved his hand. "`I’m on vacation lately, just fishing. It’s too cold to set up a stall in this weather; it freezes your hands.`"
Hearing his response, the fishing enthusiasts were slightly taken aback.
No stall? Then how about a photo?
Thus, several of them asked Jiang Feng for a photo together.
As Jiang Feng sat fishing, he also cooperatively posed for the camera.
The riverside cats remembered Jiang Feng. As soon as they saw him coming, they immediately trotted over, seeking a spot to settle down and act cute.
It was clear who was the fishing master.
Little Black was there too, not competing with the cats, but just lying in front of Jiang Feng, staring at the fishing rod, looking more professional than Jiang Feng himself.
The news of Jiang Feng fishing there quickly reached Liu Bao.
Liu Bao came over upon hearing the news.
Executive Chef Jiang was a big shot, far more impressive than him, a minor broadcaster with a million followers on the platform. Upon seeing Jiang Feng, Liu Bao immediately stepped forward to greet him, saying, "`Executive Chef Jiang, you’re finally back. Are you setting up a stall here?`"
"`Hands are cold; I don’t feel like setting up a stall. I’m just taking a break, waiting for spring. Taking a little vacation for myself,`" Jiang Feng replied nonchalantly, his manner relaxed as he spoke.
"`That makes sense. Winter has arrived; it really is getting cold,`" Liu Bao responded cheerfully. "`Yeah, running a stall is tough.`"
At that moment, Liu Bao was still live streaming, and his viewers became particularly excited when they saw Jiang Feng.
[Executive Chef Jiang is fishing instead of running his stall?]
[So he’s really slacking off! Recently, many people have been looking for where he sets up his stall!]
[Turns out he’s lazing around!]
[Can the host ask Executive Chef Jiang to do some overtime!]
Liu Bao glanced at the live stream comments and couldn’t help but laugh.
"`Executive Chef Jiang, I’m live streaming, and lots of viewers are calling for you to put in some overtime work,`" Liu Bao said with a smile.
Hearing this, Jiang Feng remained indifferent.
Overtime work? Out of the question.
He finally had a vacation and intended to fully enjoy life.
"`We’ll see after a while,`" Jiang Feng responded. "`Right now, I’m just taking a break. Everyone can head over to Jiangyue Terrace if they like.`"
While talking, he caught another small fish.
Two cats had already gathered, eagerly waiting to eat the fish.
Jiang Feng removed the small fish and tossed it to them. The cats immediately began to PURR contentedly.
Taking an occasional holiday was indeed relaxing.
After chatting with Jiang Feng for a bit, Liu Bao tactfully took his leave.
Jiang Feng was on vacation and obviously did not want to be disturbed.
Indeed, Jiang Feng rarely had such leisure time.
His days were spent researching food and resting at home.
As winter neared its end, construction of the Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant was almost complete. It was currently in the airing out stage to remove odors and absorb formaldehyde, with ventilation running daily.
The signboard had already been put up, with "Jiangyue Terrace" written in large characters, and "Sichuan Restaurant" inscribed vertically beside it.
Chefs began arriving one after another.
Jiang Feng also took the time to return, check on the restaurant’s progress, hire management, and sample the chefs’ dishes.
The Executive Chef was still Hu Youwei.
Hu Youwei was a member of the Sichuan Cuisine Association, had learned his craft from an impressive master, and had several skilled apprentices under him.
Nevertheless, Jiang Feng certainly needed to taste the dishes personally, especially the head chef’s.
He had less stringent requirements for the apprentices in charge of preparing ingredients and plating; meticulousness and attentiveness were enough.
But since the head chef determined the flavor of a dish, Jiang Feng had to personally try it to be assured.
Jiang Feng had a profound understanding of Sichuan cuisine and had previously specialized in it.
Originally, before the eight major Chinese cuisines, there were the traditional "Four Great Cuisines."
They were Shandong Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, and Huaiyang Cuisine.
These four culinary traditions had a more profound influence than the others, and Sichuan Cuisine held a prominent place among them.
On the day of the taste testing, Jiang Feng observed the chefs as they prepared each dish, then sampled them directly.
"`Boss, you can sit at the table and wait. When the time comes, we’ll serve the dozens of dishes one by one, and you can try them at your leisure,`" suggested Hu Youwei.
Jiang Feng thought for a moment. The scene seemed akin to an emperor dining, quite the spectacle.
"`No need; I’ll just watch here. It allows me to see everyone’s technique,`" he said. "`The chefs’ culinary skills are what I’m most concerned about in this restaurant. If there are any issues, I can offer timely suggestions.`"
Jiang Feng stayed in the kitchen without any hint of arrogance.
He was meticulous with his tasting, directly pointing out any issues he found.
For instance, some dishes were overcooked, others had flavors that were too bland, and some had too much Sichuan pepper, making them overly numbing and negatively affecting the taste.
Not only did he point out the issues, but he also demanded the chefs make corrections.
Once the chefs acknowledged these points, Jiang Feng proceeded to interview new chefs while also organizing "pre-employment training" for the current staff.
All the chefs who applied for positions studied diligently.
After all, the reputation of Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant had already been established.
The Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant was well-equipped in every aspect.
Undoubtedly, this Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant had a promising future.
For chefs, joining a good restaurant was more important than anything else.
Meanwhile, Jiang Feng ordered a security display cabinet.
It was placed in the corridor just past the entrance of the Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant.
All who came in could see it after passing the reception desk.
Displayed within the cabinet were the Golden Pagoda and the White Jade Snake, still maintaining the "Gold + Jade" theme.
This way, the prestige of the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant was also significantly boosted.
The preparations were almost finished.
When opening day arrived, Jiang Feng, as was his custom, would act as head chef for the first week.
Many social media influencers and bloggers caught wind of the news and began promoting it well in advance.
Thus, in the first week after the New Year, Jiangyue Terrace Sichuan Restaurant had its grand opening in Chengdu.
Only then did many people realize that this had been one of Jiang Feng’s motives for coming to Chengdu.
The second Jiangyue Terrace.
But it was not another Shandong Cuisine Restaurant; rather, it was a Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant.
Many speculated whether Jiang Feng planned to open eight Jiangyue Terrace restaurants, perhaps one for each of the major cuisines.
If that were the case, it would truly be extraordinary.