Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Ruyi Restaurant is just one street away from Zhouji Restaurant. After creating a sense of distance, most people no longer choose to go to Zhouji Restaurant.

Ruyi Restaurant, by praising one side and criticizing the other, and by using the promotional gimmicks of "fresh ingredients and delicious taste" and "upgraded flavor, made by chefs", successfully attracted some customers from Zhouji Restaurant.

More and more diners are going to Ruyi Restaurant with a skeptical attitude.

People can lie, but taste never lies.

The diners discovered that this was not the case.

More and more diners on Zhongshan Street are talking about the two restaurants.

"Old Zhou, have you ever eaten at that Ruyi Restaurant? The proprietress said the food is definitely better than Zhou's Restaurant."

The man called Old Zhou waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Better than Zhou's Restaurant? The taste is nowhere near as good as Zhou's Restaurant."

"Very far off?"

Old Zhou nodded emphatically and said, "That's right, it's far inferior. Saying that it tastes better than Zhou's Restaurant is simply not comparable. As for saying that it has an 'upgraded flavor and is made by a master chef,' let me tell you, it's all a lie. I thought they really hired a master chef."

"I'm planning to take my family to try it out in the next few days."

"Don't go, it's not worth it at all," Old Zhou said, pursing his lips and shaking his head.

……

"It's been a while since I've been to Zhou's Restaurant, and I'm really craving their hot and sour noodles. How about we go back and try them tomorrow?" said a taller man.

"But didn't they say there was something wrong with Zhouji Restaurant?" asked the friend walking beside me.

"If all else fails, how about we try Ruyi Restaurant? Isn't Ruyi Restaurant known for its better taste and dishes than Zhouji Restaurant?"

"Great my foot! It's just that there are more dishes." The tall man said without hesitation.

"And let me tell you, not only is the taste not as good, but the amount of shredded pork in the stir-fried green peppers and pork is not as good as the amount of shredded pork in the fried rice at Zhou Ji Restaurant."

"Yeah?"

"Of course! A plate of stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork costs sixteen yuan, while a bowl of fried rice at Zhou's Restaurant is only seven yuan, and they even give you a bowl of soup!"

"As for the problems you mentioned, those were a long time ago. And let me tell you, the owner has tied up the curtains at Zhou's Restaurant's kitchen. If you feel it's unhygienic, just take a look inside and you'll know. You know, the biggest taboo for restaurants like this is letting others see the kitchen."

"How's the kitchen?"

"People who have been there say it's incredibly clean. Every day around closing time, you can see the owner and staff cleaning up there."

……

Unbeknownst to them, after everyone compared the two restaurants, they found that Zhouji Restaurant only had a smaller menu. In terms of taste, price, portion size, and service, Ruyi Restaurant couldn't compare in any single aspect.

When the number of customers started to pick up again, Zhou Wen couldn't understand why. He had originally planned to slowly bring back customers by adding some new dishes, but before he could do anything, his former customers had all returned to the restaurant.

This crisis can be said to have been successfully overcome thanks to the reputation that has been gradually built up since the business reopened, based on aspects such as taste and hygiene.

However, it's impossible to say that there's absolutely no impact.

Taking advantage of the rebound in foot traffic, Zhou Wen can also introduce new dishes to solidify his position.

After egg fried rice, a series of dishes followed, including noodles. Perhaps I could try making a rice bowl with toppings.

"Boss, are we going to introduce new dishes tomorrow?" Shi Ying asked with shining eyes as she left work in the evening.

With the recent rebound in foot traffic, not only Zhou Wen is in a good mood, but Shi Ying is too.

The smile on her face hasn't disappeared for the past few days, and she often hums a song while cleaning.

Zhou Wen nodded and said, "The customer flow has returned a bit these past few days. Let's work on some new dishes to attract more customers."

Shi Ying couldn't help but ask curiously, "Boss, what's the new dish?"

"Fish-flavored shredded pork rice bowl".

Shi Ying had naturally tried Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) before, but the one made by her own boss was obviously more delicious than the ones outside, and she was already looking forward to tomorrow.

Every day, Shi Ying looks forward to having more customers at the restaurant the next day and to when the boss will make new dishes.

Although running a restaurant is tiring, it's really different from before.

the next day.

The ingredients for Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork) are shredded pork, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and green peppers, most of which are ingredients that have been used before.

After buying the groceries, Zhou Wen began preparing the food.

Sometimes Zhou Wen didn't really understand either. He had eaten Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) many times, but he had never actually tasted the fish-flavored aroma.

Add pepper, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and starch to the shredded meat, then mix well.

For the best flavor, you also need a bowl of fish-fragrant sauce.

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, starch, and half a bowl of water together with chopsticks.

Add oil to the pan. Once the pan is hot, pour in the shredded pork that has been marinated for 15 minutes. Stir-fry until cooked through, then remove the pork and set it aside.

After sautéing the chopped scallions and garlic until fragrant, add a spoonful of fermented bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red. Then, add the shredded side dishes to the pot and stir-fry until they are just cooked through. Finally, add the shredded meat and stir-fry until it is coated with the sauce.

Add the previously prepared sauce and turn up the heat to reduce the sauce until it thickens. The dish is now ready.

Then, a bowl of steaming hot rice was ladled out, and the prepared shredded pork with garlic sauce was poured on top. The aroma was so enticing that Zhou Wen, who had already eaten breakfast, was momentarily tempted.

"Fish-flavored shredded pork rice bowl." Zhou Wen placed the prepared rice in front of Shi Ying.

Now, with each new product launch, Shi Ying is like a judge in a culinary competition, sitting in the front of the restaurant and waiting for the contestants' dishes.

Seeing that Shi Ying seemed to have something to hide, Zhou Wen asked, "Is it not tasty?"

Shi Ying shook her head, then said apologetically, "Boss, there's not enough food."

Just this juice alone is enough to make you eat a whole bowl of rice.

Eating too much oily and salty food in the morning is not good, so Zhou Wen didn't cook much, but unexpectedly, the girl said she didn't have enough to eat.

"If it's not enough, I'll make you more when we close this afternoon," Zhou Wen said with a smile.

noon.

When customers heard that the store had new items, most of them chose to try them, which may be related to the large popularity of rice bowls.

A bowl of shredded pork with garlic sauce rice costs twelve yuan.

Who hasn't eaten shredded pork with garlic sauce? But everyone is looking forward to seeing what Zhou Wen's version of shredded pork with garlic sauce will taste like.

People have already begun to distinguish the flavors in their minds.

One tastes like Zhouji Restaurant, and the other tastes like other restaurants.

Otherwise, how could the flow of people have returned so quickly after such an incident?

Zhou Wenye certainly did not disappoint everyone's expectations.

"This is what shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce should be like. Other restaurants just serve shredded vegetables with fish-fragrant sauce."

"This sauce is so good with rice."

A group of diners sat together, eating and discussing.