1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 355 Are you trying to kill me?! (Bonus Chapter 655 for Monthly Tickets)

"Only five tables of customers for the whole lunch break? And three of them are walk-in customers." Yan Wen looked at the few scattered tables of customers in the restaurant and the waiters yawning next to him, and he was so angry that he was practically fuming.

Fan Qingfeng and Wu Danzhen looked at each other in bewilderment; this was the first time they had encountered such a situation during a holiday.

Suji is different from other towns and villages. It has a leading large factory, Jiaozhou Textile Factory, as well as several small and medium-sized silk factories. It has a large workforce and strong purchasing power.

During holidays, the textile factory workers' gatherings alone can fill a dozen or twenty tables.

"Maybe some guests are still on their way?" Fan Qingfeng whispered.

“They probably all plan to have dinner together again tonight,” Wu Danzhen added.

"Get lost! Do you even believe this nonsense yourselves?" Yan Wen rolled his eyes.

A young man, panting heavily, rushed in through the door and approached the three men. "It's terrible! Boss, Zhou Erwa's restaurant is packed with over a dozen tables. Business is booming. And they did book a private banquet, thirty yuan a table."

The three of them fell silent.

It's one thing for state-run restaurants to have bad business, but Zhou Erwa's restaurant is booming. Who can stand that?

“A cunning individual business owner; it seems we underestimated him,” Wu Danzhen said through gritted teeth.

"Director, what do we do now?" Fan Qingfeng looked at Yan Wen. They had prepared plenty of ingredients for today and were ready to make a big splash.

The steamed dishes were prepared in advance; if they don't sell today, we'll suffer a complete loss.

Although everyone enjoyed the food, they didn't feel quite at ease eating it.

The restaurant business has been declining recently, and Director Yan is under a lot of pressure, which has also been passed on to them.

Su Ji is used to staying here; his wife and children are all here. If the restaurant really goes bankrupt, who knows where he'll be transferred to.

In January, the catering company issued performance evaluation requirements.

Today is the first day of January. If we lose that much, the pressure for the whole month will be immense.

"What are we going to do? Just let it be!" Yan Wen said seriously. "Look at this, Zhou Erwa's restaurant can sell out its 30-yuan-a-table banquets, but nobody's ordering our 20-yuan ones? Shouldn't we reflect on this?"

Fan Qingfeng and Wu Danzhen shrank back, not daring to respond.

Yan Wen took a deep breath and said, "Based on past experience, there will be more guests tonight. Let's see how things go tonight."

"Okay." Fan Qingfeng and Wu Danzhen breathed a sigh of relief; the pressure was too intense.

……

Some are happy and some are sad.

Zhou Yan's family is happy.

The guests were very satisfied with their meal. Whether they had booked a banquet or ordered à la carte, they all left the restaurant with smiles on their faces.

"The Kung Pao Chicken was cooked pretty quickly. Chef Zhou, are you really not planning to put it on the menu? I saw that the three tables of guests who booked the banquet today were quite satisfied. If it were priced under three yuan, quite a few customers would order it. Kung Pao Chicken is one of Leming Restaurant's signature dishes, priced at three yuan, and we can sell more than a dozen servings a day," Awei said.

Zhou Yan shook his head: "To make Kung Pao Chicken, you need chicken thigh meat. One chicken has two thighs, and to make two servings of Kung Pao Chicken, the cost alone is three yuan. The remaining chicken meat is difficult to handle. Unless we can turn the other chicken meat into other dishes and put them on the menu, we'll get sick of eating chicken every day."

"Spicy chicken giblets, cold shredded chicken, taro and chicken feet, Sichuan pepper chicken..." Awei recited a string of dish names.

“Just tell me which one you can do? The kind that can put the menu on the table and serve it to the customers,” Zhou Yan interrupted.

“Uh…” Awei paused, hesitated for a long time, and then shook his head: “That really won’t work.”

"Let's put it on the banquet menu for now, and make other plans once the variety of ways to eat the chicken improves," Zhou Yan said.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, Zhou Yan read a book for a while, while Awei rode his bicycle out, saying he wanted to go shopping.

Xia Yao took Zhou Momo back to the hotel around 2 PM so she could attend the final rehearsal for the arts performance.

Ah Wei circled around and returned to the store, his backpack now bulging. He went inside and pulled out bottles of Tianfu Cola from his bag.

"Wei, why did you buy so much Coke?" Zhou Momo leaned forward and asked curiously.

"Here, have a bottle." Ah Wei handed her a bottle.

"Thank you." Zhou Momo reached out and took the can of cola, then happily ran to Aunt Zhao. "Mom! Can I have a cola?"

"It's too cold, you might get diarrhea if you drink it," Aunt Zhao shook her head.

"Well..." The little guy tilted his head and thought for a moment, then turned his gaze to Zhou Yan: "Brother! Can you heat up my cola for me?"

"It's not cola anymore if it gets hot," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"You'd better not drink cola. I'll make you a cup of condensed milk instead. Trade me your cola," Aunt Zhao suggested.

Zhou Momo's eyes lit up immediately. She quickly held up the cola in her hand and handed it to her, nodding her little head and saying, "Okay! I'll drink condensed milk! Condensed milk tastes better than cola~"

Aunt Zhao smiled and took the cola from her hand, then went to make her some condensed milk.

"Master Kong, is this your extravagant spending?" Zhou Yan took a bottle of Coke from Awei's hand.

Ah Wei nudged the Coke bottle with his chopsticks, and with a pop, the Coke cap flew off and landed on the table. He tilted his head back, took a sip, sighed contentedly, and said with a smile, "What can we do? There's not much good to buy at the supply and marketing cooperative in Suji. Everyone having a bottle of Tianfu Coke is already considered high consumption."

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this, confirming that it was indeed the case.

"Sister Zeng, everyone's going to the cultural performance tonight. Do you have any plans?" Awei asked Zeng Anrong.

"Let's read a book," Zeng Anrong said.

Ah Wei turned his gaze to Zhou Yan: "Teacher Zhou, could you help me get a ticket? I heard that the textile factory's cultural performances are all by beautiful young women."

"How about we give Momo's ticket to Awei? I'll carry Momo in, and maybe we can get it too," Aunt Zhao suggested.

"Let's try it tonight," Zhou Yan said, thinking that this method should work.

"Long live Aunt Zhao! I'll treat you to a Coke!" Awei jumped up happily.

"Awei, you're a grown man, be more careful," Zhou Momo said to Awei while holding her breast.

“Exactly,” Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

The cultural performance started promptly at 7:00.

After all, it was the textile factory's annual grand event. Aunt Zhao went upstairs first to find her clothes, put them away neatly, and then, as soon as she finished her work that evening, she could go upstairs immediately to change and look presentable when watching the performance.

This reminded Zhou Yan, and she then prepared her clothes in advance.

He also had to dress presentably so as not to embarrass Xia Yao.

The dinner was quite substantial, with an extra chicken leg. Zhou Yan made Kung Pao Chicken, which Awei and Zeng Anrong raved about.

Kung Pao Chicken is a signature dish in many state-run restaurants; it's famous and tastes great.

Many chefs consider it their specialty, but there aren't many who can truly make the spicy lychee flavor well and make it fragrant.

As soon as the table was cleared away, the guests began to arrive one after another.

There are 28 tables in the evening, double the number at noon, but there are enough tables and no need to wait for tables to turn over.

"Dongzi, I'm treating you today, and you're being so hesitant when I ask you to bring a bottle of good wine?" Huang He shook his head, holding Zhao Dong's hand, at the restaurant entrance.

"Brother-in-law, I don't have any good wine. Aren't your cabinets full of Moutai and Wuliangye good enough? Why are you eyeing my few bottles of Fenjiu? I'm afraid you won't like them," Zhao Dong said with a forced smile.

“Uncle, I brought you some 15-year-old Moutai.” Huang Ying patted her bulging backpack. “Yingying, you truly are my niece.” Zhao Dong said with a smile.

"Yingying, you really are..." Huang He shook his head helplessly, his gaze falling on the notice board at the door, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Huh? Why is there Kung Pao Chicken here?"

"Huh? It's a new addition today, isn't it?" Huang Ying stepped forward, somewhat surprised.

"Braised beef, Kung Pao chicken, snowflake chicken soup, braised rock carp... thirteen dishes, thirty." Zhao Shulan looked up at Huang He, her expression slightly solemn.

"Isn't this 30 yuan for a banquet a bit too generous?" Huang He scratched his head, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Oh no, they're here for Feiyan Restaurant.

If the Leming Hotel saw this banquet menu, it would probably be in a real bind.

Yesterday, Huang Ying told them about it when she got home. Although the restaurant was quite busy today, New Year's Day, the couple still came after discussing it.

Firstly, it had been a long time since I had eaten at Suji, so I wanted to take advantage of the New Year's Day holiday to get together with my mother and Zhao Dong's family.

Secondly, I also wanted to see how good Zhou Yan's banquet was.

Although Zhou Yan's restaurant is located in Suji, he bought land in Jiaozhou to build a restaurant, and he estimates that he will have to move there next year.

They will become a competitor that Feiyan Restaurant cannot ignore.

Zhou Yan's recent performance has been too dazzling, and Huang He both admires and is wary of him.

"Old man, don't worry, Zhou Yan's cooking is definitely better than our restaurant's," Huang Ying comforted him.

Huang He: "..."

You are a comforter.

This little cotton-padded jacket is a bit drafty!
"Mr. Huang, Director Zhao, you've arrived." Zhou Yan stood at the door, greeting the guests with a smile.

Huang He then put on a smiling face: "Boss Zhou, it's New Year's Day today. Come to Suji to celebrate with my mother-in-law and the others. I heard you're hosting a private banquet, so I came here specifically to try it out."

"We're just starting out with catering, so the menu is a bit of a hodgepodge. We'd appreciate any guidance from you, Mr. Huang," Zhou Yan said humbly.

Huang He exclaimed, "Your menu isn't just a hodgepodge, it's downright shrewd and uncompromising! These dishes are making my heart tremble."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "The menu still needs to be adjusted. I'll learn from Boss Huang and try booking a banquet at Feiyan Restaurant next time."

Huang He's smile became a little forced. Zhou Yan had clearly guessed all of his little schemes, and his frankness made Huang He's face burn.

"Please come in." Zhou Yan smiled and stepped aside to welcome everyone inside. Then he greeted the guests who came in later with a smile: "Director Wang, Uncle Lin, please have a seat inside."

The Wang Hongliang family and the Lin Zhiqiang family arrived. Xia Yao and Wang Wei linked arms and winked at Zhou Yan.

"Xiao Zhou, why did you add Kung Pao Chicken at the last minute?" Wang Hongliang stopped in front of the notice board and asked Zhou Yan with a smile.

Zhou Yan said, "Snowflake Chicken Nao must be made with fresh, tender rooster breast meat. I thought chicken thigh meat would be perfect for Kung Pao Chicken, so I'm adding an extra dish for everyone during the New Year's Day. I'm happy that everyone enjoyed the meal."

Wang Hongliang smiled and nodded: "Okay, okay, then I'll try these banquet dishes that aren't on the menu today."

"Please come in," Zhou Yan said with a smile, welcoming everyone into the store.

The guests arrived right on time in the evening, and the restaurant was full in no time.

Ninety percent of the people were textile factory workers. In those days, leaders weren't so arrogant, so the workers were full of confidence. After they sat down, they exchanged pleasantries and greetings, making it quite lively.

After saying hello, Zhou Yan went back to the kitchen to get busy.

Huang He looked around. He hadn't been to Zhou Yan's restaurant for a while, and it had changed quite a bit. He whispered, "This business is really something else. They've got 28 tables booked. But everyone has to go see the cultural performance after they finish eating. Can they really make sure every table can finish their meal properly by 7:30? Those who are served later in line will be cursing, won't they?"

“Yes, there are only two people in their kitchen, right?” Zhao Shulan added.

As they were talking, the three waiters, Zhao Tieying, Zhao Hong, and Li Lihua, started serving the braised dishes.

Large trays were used to serve the dishes to each table in turn.

Almost every table ordered braised meat, just different types.

When they reached Huang He's table, four cold dishes were served at once, and then the next table was served.

Huang He and Zhao Shulan exchanged a glance and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

"It has to be Boss Zhou! He's serving the dishes like a banquet," Huang Ying exclaimed in surprise.

"Young man, your thinking is indeed quick." Huang He couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Once the braised dishes were served and the wine was poured, everyone began to eat.

Zhou Yan's approach to serving dishes today was indeed in accordance with the standards of a banquet. Dishes were served in rotation for all 28 tables to ensure that each table had a continuous supply of food, so that everyone could have a good dining experience and eat more leisurely before watching the cultural performance.

After the cold dishes were served, the braised and steamed dishes were started.

Stir-frying vegetables to the point where the quality might drop to the limit, making six servings of Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) from one pot, and stir-frying with two pots at the same time, yielding twelve servings of "perfect" quality Yu Xiang Rou Si.

The waiters came and went almost non-stop.

Zhou Yan's planning last night paid off; his efficiency was off the charts.

After serving the cooked dishes, Zeng Anrong moved to the side to take charge of the pot for cooking fish. The crucian carp with mint, which takes a long time to cook, also began to be served one after another.

"What's going on in their kitchen? How can two people serve food so quickly?!" Zhao Shulan looked at the dishes being brought out of the kitchen, and almost every table of guests had more than three dishes. Her face was filled with shock.

Feiyan Restaurant has eighteen chefs and apprentices in its kitchen, which can accommodate banquets of fifty tables.

But Zhou Yan and his team only have two chefs in the kitchen!

"To be precise, there should be three chefs. It seems a female chef arrived yesterday," Huang Ying said.

"Three people, that's ridiculously fast!" Huang He was equally shocked.

This is not a nine-bowl feast mainly consisting of steamed dishes.

Shredded pork with garlic sauce, twice-cooked pork, Mapo tofu... one fresh dish after another is brought out from the kitchen, and it's all authentic.

The more insiders there are, the more outrageous and shocking it seems.

He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the freshly served shredded pork with garlic sauce.

My day!

It's so fast and tastes so good!

Are you trying to kill us?!
"Kung Pao Chicken, please enjoy." Zhao Hong put down a plate of Kung Pao Chicken and carried the tray to the next table.

All eyes were drawn to it.

This is the first hidden dish served at the banquet.

The glossy, brownish-red diced chicken contrasts sharply with the bright red chili peppers, white scallions, and red-skinned peanuts on a white porcelain plate.

The sauce completely coats the ingredients, and the sauce is reduced perfectly, leaving only a thin line of oil in the bowl with no excess liquid.

The strong, spicy aroma, tinged with a slightly sour vinegar scent, wafted over, making Huang He swallow hard.

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(End of this chapter)