I've been reborn, I'm definitely going to become an internet celebrity!

Chapter 125 [Menu]

At a nearby vocational school, Liu Zhuohao temporarily rented a classroom. In front of him were not only Huang Weixiong, Cheng Bing, and Yang Boran, all of whom were chef graduates, but also three master chefs dressed in chef's uniforms and hats, sitting next to him.

Chef Yang, who specializes in local Cantonese cuisine and previously worked at a restaurant in Hong Kong; Chef Chen, who used to travel to some small countries in Southeast Asia; and Chef Huang, who is from Sichuan and Chongqing and specializes in Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine.

"These are the cornerstones that Huang Weixiong and others have connected with for the future restaurant during this period," they are also their "senior classmates," and even their teachers.

All three of them graduated from this school either more than twenty or thirty years ago.

Now, they have chosen to return to this school to teach.

"I definitely can't afford to hire those three experienced masters."

Unlike when discussing business, Liu Zhuohao didn't adopt a domineering attitude that made people overlook his age when dealing with these three veteran masters. Instead, he humbly stood in the position of a junior, seeking advice from the elders, "I think the three of you masters should all know me, right?"

He stood by the stove and asked softly.

Master Yang sat down in the chair, looked him up and down, and smiled: "I know a little bit. You used to have a street stall, and now you're planning to open a restaurant, right?"

He spoke his native dialect, but having lived in Hong Kong when he was young, his speech still contained a few Cantonese accents.

"You're really capable," he remarked. "When I was your age, I had just finished school and had to work as an apprentice in a restaurant for several years."

Master Chen, who was standing next to him, also spoke up, his gaze passing over Liu Zhuohao and landing on the three quail-like young men behind him.

"Times have changed. Back then, these brats would never have had the chance to be in charge of cooking!"

He gestured towards Huang Weixiong with his lip: "I was passing by when I saw the three of them grilling steaks. I thought I was seeing things, but their business was pretty good. That little stall was busier than many small and medium-sized restaurants."

Huang Weixiong and his two companions were being watched by the teacher and didn't dare to utter a single word. They just stood there, grinning foolishly.

Liu Zhuohao quickly chimed in, "Our previous street stall didn't require a head chef, so the conditions were definitely more relaxed. But now that we're preparing to open a restaurant, it'll be different."

He paused, then his tone became even more amiable: "That's why I asked them to hurry up and see if they could contact the teachers at the school and find some senior students with outstanding cooking skills to help out."

"Of course," Chef Huang chimed in, his voice louder than the other two, with a hint of Sichuan and Chongqing accent. "We're a vocational school here, with three classes specializing in culinary arts, and we graduate nearly a hundred chefs every year."

He slapped his lap: "Show us the menu now, and the three of us will call people right here and cook for you on the spot. Whoever is suitable, we'll discuss salary on the spot."

He paused, then leaned forward slightly: "Of course, you can give us a heads-up first—how much money are you willing to offer?"

That's a very direct statement.

But that's the truth; the amount of money you spend determines the kind of people you can bring in.

To be honest, vocational colleges do arrange jobs. During the third year of internship, many companies come to the school to recruit people.

However, most of these jobs are scams. They often promise great results, but once the students are sent there, they end up working in illegal factories, doing illegal labor, or even as slaves.

So these teachers have seen it all.

Liu Zhuohao considered it for a moment.

The restaurant is still under renovation, and no one can say for sure whether it will have business as soon as it officially opens.

He needs to set aside three or four months' worth of costs to ensure that even if he doesn't make a profit in the first few months, he won't have to close down.

"Ideally, the master craftsman should have three or four years of work experience," he said. "As for the salary, it's 3,000 a month during the probation period, and after that, you'll have social insurance and housing fund contributions, and the salary will be around 5,000 to 7,000."

"Five thousand to seven thousand?" Master Yang chimed in, his eyes narrowing. "So, five thousand then?"

"Teacher Yang 1"

Behind him, Huang Weixiong finally spoke, his usual loud voice gone, his tone restrained, "My boss said five thousand to seven thousand, so it really can be as high as seven thousand."

He offered an explanation.

The three experienced craftsmen all turned their gazes in that direction.

"So, kid, how much was your salary last month?"

Master Chen asked.

Huang Weixiong was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Liu Zhuohao.

Liu Zhuohao nodded helplessly at him.

Having received approval, Huang Weixiong honestly replied, "Six—six thousand four."

"Six thousand four?"

Just moments ago, Master Yang was all smiles, but suddenly his eyes widened, and he leaned forward. "Someone like you, playing on your phone in class, skipping classes all the time, and you dare to take 6,400 yuan a year after graduation?"

"Last month was mainly due to the large bonuses," Huang Weixiong said, scratching his head and shrinking back after being glared at. "My basic salary is only three thousand, the rest was because the boss said the sales figures were good, so he gave me more."

"And what about you two?" Master Yang asked, turning his gaze to the other two.

Cheng Bing swallowed hard: "Four thousand."

Yang Boran added, "Four thousand three. I sometimes have to go to the front to help Brother Li. That is, we are responsible for the reception work at our stall, wiping the tables, arranging the chairs, serving the dishes and so on."

The three experienced craftsmen looked at each other, their expressions a mix of amusement and something else entirely.

"Kid."

Master Chen looked at Liu Zhuohao, his tone slightly softer than before, "You're not just throwing out these salaries randomly, are you? How do you calculate your labor costs?"

"It must have been calculated, Master Chen."

Liu Zhuohao stepped forward and said in a calm voice, "I didn't set up my stall much last month. These guys helped me run it and took care of things like finding a shop and decorating. They were really dedicated, so they definitely deserve a bonus."

He paused, then said, "Moreover, our current performance standards are not very clear. Once the restaurant is officially open, there will definitely be a more standardized performance system to determine how much bonus should be paid."

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After he finished speaking, the classroom was silent for two seconds.

The exhaust fan was still humming.

Master Yang glanced at Liu Zhuohao, then at the three young men standing ramrod straight, and suddenly smiled.

With this price offered, the three experienced craftsmen clearly took it much more seriously.

After all, I am genuinely willing to pay salaries.

"Teppanyaki grilling is definitely necessary. Many of our customers come here specifically for teppanyaki. When the restaurant opens, it's impossible to be without teppanyaki."

"So, you can have sizzling black pepper beef rice, or potato beef rice, pineapple beef rice, or mushroom beef rice."

"Of course, chicken rice, sizzling seafood fried rice, cashew shrimp fried rice, Yangzhou fried rice, and sausage fried rice are also acceptable."

Liu Zhuohao first spoke about the staple food.

The three masters looked at each other, and finally Master Yang spoke up.

"Teppanyaki rice, ah, that feeling—"

He spoke softly, glancing at Huang Weixiong and the others, "The three of you should be able to do it too, right?"

Liu Zhuohao was puzzled.

"It should be possible."

Huang Weixiong noticed his confusion and explained, "Teppanyaki is actually a bit like fast food. It's not very difficult compared to making some elaborate banquet dishes."

"Here you go, you give it a try."

Master Yang spoke up directly, standing up, "Let me see if you've slacked off in your skills since you graduated a few months ago."

Upon hearing this, Huang Weixiong's face immediately showed bitterness.

"I knew it—"

He muttered something under his breath, but didn't dare to refuse. Instead, he picked out quite a few things from the ingredients they had bought at the market early that morning.

They had anticipated this scene when they arrived in the morning.

They're not here to recruit, they're here to take an exam!

Liu Zhuohao was happy with this and sat down to wait.

"This beef is ready-made?"

Master Yang stood beside him like a proctor, saying, "Why don't you buy a piece and cut it yourself? By the time you've finished cutting it, it'll be too tough."

Huang Weixiong had just poured the beef out of the plastic bag when his face froze. He looked towards Liu Zhuohao for help, only to see that the boss had taken two other people to the next office to get a tea set and was drinking tea there.

"It's alright, I guess."

Huang Weixiong chuckled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.

"Not bad? The most important thing for making teppanyaki beef rice is the beef!"

Master Yang glared at him and said, "I bet you returned all your stuff to me right after graduation!"

"No, no, I remember, I remember."

Huang Weixiong quickly spoke up, "I'll marinate it first, I need to grab it first."

He quickly got to work so that he wouldn't have to wait any longer and let the teacher next to him speak.

Huang Weixiong poured in cooking wine, light soy sauce, egg white, and starch.

But after a short while, Master Yang stopped him again: "Why pour so much water? Can the meat drink it?"

Huang Weixiong quickly stopped.

"Grasp."

Master Yang then provided guidance from the side, saying, "Use your hands to grab the meat until it absorbs all the water, until it becomes sticky, viscous, and doesn't fall apart when you drop it. This isn't stir-frying; it's giving the meat a drink of water. Only when the meat is fully hydrated will it be tender."

Helplessly, Huang Weixiong reached in, and the cold, slippery, bloody slices of meat slid between his fingers.

He gripped it tightly, as if kneading dough.

Ten minutes later, the meat slices became sticky and shiny, as if coated with a thin layer of frost.

"Seal the oil."

Master Yang spoke up again.

Huang Weixiong obediently poured some oil into the meat, mixed it well, and the oil locked the water in the meat, like putting a raincoat on the meat.

He stopped talking, just like he used to do back in school.

On the cutting board were three things: an onion with a shiny purple skin, firm to the touch; a red carrot, still covered in mud and with dirt clinging to its tail; and two green peppers.

White, red, and green.

"The most important thing in making teppanyaki is the beef, then the sauce, then the rice, and finally these side dishes," Chef Yang said. "Although these side dishes are listed last, they are still essential; they all complement the tender beef."

Huang Weixiong neatly washed the vegetables and then began to cut them: carrots were sliced, onions were sliced, and black peppers were diced.

The master and apprentice were working hard by the stove, while Liu Zhuohao and the others were drinking tea nearby.

"Their basic skills are still solid."

Chef Huang commented from the side, "He's not quite familiar with the cooking process yet, but this kind of thing, how should I put it, still requires industry experience to support him. He'll get better with practice."

"Actually, besides teppanyaki rice, I'm also planning to add pasta, like teppanyaki black pepper pork chop pasta, or curry seafood, and sausage with cream." Liu Zhuohao listened from the side and said, "These should be fairly common main course combinations."

Where there's teppanyaki rice, there's bound to be teppanyaki pasta.

Upon hearing this, Master Huang and Master Chen couldn't help but look to the side, neither daring to sit down, their faces filled with nervousness as Cheng Bing and Yang Boran appeared.

Fortunately, they weren't allowed to try it themselves.

"Actually, the two dishes you mentioned, whether it's teppanyaki rice or teppanyaki pasta, are quite simple," Chef Huang said. "The more difficult one is actually teppanyaki fried rice."

"Fried rice, especially fried rice on a teppanyaki plate, is quite difficult."

"This dish itself is a home-style dish, meaning most people can make it. Its skill ceiling and skill floor are both very high. It requires a student who has graduated for at least two or three years and has experience working in a restaurant."

Liu Zhuohao nodded; he didn't know much about these cooking matters.

Leave professional matters to professionals.

"For the main dishes, there will be congee and dumplings."

"Oh, right, I'm also planning to serve steak, specifically the two set meals I have at my stall: seasoned steak and whole-cut steak. They're both dishes that can be cooked on the teppanyaki grill."

"Other dishes include Puning fermented soybean roasted spring chicken, boiled beef, garlic butter roasted shrimp, spicy chicken wings, Chaoshan-style shrimp cakes, egg tarts, and black pepper chicken nuggets —"

Liu Zhuohao introduced the menu he had prepared, which was a hodgepodge.

Both Chinese and Western food are available.

"—What are the specifications for your restaurant's kitchen?"

But when the menu was presented, the two experienced chefs couldn't help but ask questions.

"The entire restaurant is 160 square meters, with the kitchen area occupying about 50 to 60 square meters," Liu Zhuohao replied. "I've already asked the renovation company, and this arrangement is sufficient according to their construction experience."

"—One hundred and sixty square meters."

Upon hearing the size of his restaurant, Chef Huang muttered, "That's not small."

"Your restaurant is positioned as a family-friendly place, right?" Chef Chen analyzed the menu. "The prices of the dishes should generally be low?"

"Yes, for family restaurants, we try to set the average price for a single person between 20 and 30 yuan. If it's a standard family set meal for three people, it will be between 120 and 150 yuan," Liu Zhuohao replied. "As for four or five people, the price will be around 200 yuan, and we'll try to make it as affordable as possible."

This price isn't high.

After all, he wants to develop his brand, so if the price is set too low, it will be difficult to raise it later.

But if the price is set too high, it conflicts with the positioning of family restaurants.

"Here, another order of roast chicken."

Looking at the two people standing next to him, Chef Huang casually pointed to Cheng Bing and said, "I asked around and found out there are no main dishes. The three of you can take turns going up to taste the dishes, and we'll help you contact the others."

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