It has been busy past ten past ten, and all preparations for the opening are in place.
The door of the tavern has officially opened, waiting for customers to come.
At this time, the most idle person is Zhang Dashao.
Not for anything else, just because the big wine tanks in Beijing are places dedicated to drinking, which are different from restaurants.
For example, they don’t sell stir-fried vegetables, only wine and vegetables, which need to be prepared in advance.
So Zhang Dashao's daily job is actually to make some food and wine for the store.
The old man basically gets up at five o'clock, buys groceries at six o'clock, comes to the store at six-thirty, and starts busy after breakfast.
It takes about two or three hours to prepare the food and wine.
Almost after ten o'clock, the prepared wine and dishes were placed in a large blue and white basin and placed on the case one by one. This was considered a work together.
For other things, Zhang Dashao doesn’t have to reach out to deal with it.
If he wants to stay in the store for a while, if he doesn't want to, he can just leave.
He didn't come over at night, so the management of the store was left to Kang Shude. This was the division of labor between the two people.
But usually, Zhang Dashao almost always has to drink in the store and have lunch before leaving.
Why else would he let Ning Weimin come here to find him?
After finishing his work in the morning, this is when he is most relaxed.
I happened to have the time and mood to chat with Ning Weimin.
No, he accepted the specialties that Ning Weimin bought for him from Japan - Japanese soy sauce, Japanese vinegar, miso, mirin and cooking sake.
Zhang Dashao, who was light-hearted and had nothing to do, was in a good mood and even praised Ning Weimin for his shopping skills.
When he was happy, he even went to bring a few dishes of side dishes himself.
He turned around and asked for wine from the counter, saying that he and Ning Weimin had to have a good drink today.
But Ning Weimin didn't dare to readily agree to the old man's kindness.
After all, it’s only ten o’clock. Who drinks alcohol so early in the morning?
He was also afraid that the master would not understand him and would scold him and glare at him.
What he didn't expect was that his hesitation was completely unnecessary, and Kang Shude actively supported it.
Not to mention that there was no fuss this time, and he also took the initiative to drink two bottles of the best wine in the shop - Tongzhou Laojiao from the wine jar, and put it in the wine warmer to warm it up.
He also said, "Boy, Master Zhang thinks highly of you, so don't be polite. Have a drink with Master Zhang and ask for advice, you have to be sincere, do you understand?"
These words made Ning Weimin immediately wake up, thinking of Master Zhang's "rolling pin in his stomach" temper.
When he thought about it, it was the same. At this time, being polite seemed pretentious.
So he nodded to his master gratefully, and it was better to obey his orders than to be respectful.
He helped Zhang Dashao set the dishes and chopsticks, and even took out his own cigarette to offer Master Zhang a cigarette.
After ordering, he took out the menu he had written, presented it respectfully with both hands, and asked the famous chef to take a look.
That Zhang Dashao was also a bright-minded person. As soon as he took the menu, he started joking with Kang Shude.
“Shopkeeper, you really love your apprentice. I didn’t even say a word today, but you took the initiative to upgrade me. This is deliberately teasing my glutton with good wine, and you want to be your apprentice. You want to take something out of my stomach, right? But I have something to say, your apprentice is not an ordinary person, he wants to do big things, so don’t blame me if I’m not able to help.”
Kang Shude pretended to be confused with the cunningness of a businessman, and responded with the same smile.
"Look at what you said, where did you mention it? Although this wine is good, no matter how good it is, it is not as good as the wine and food in our store, right? I respect your craftsmanship, Besides, the recent business is good, so of course I have to express my feelings. As for my useless disciple, that is another matter. If you are willing to enlighten him, that is his blessing. I must thank you alone. Maybe with your help, he can correct the problem of Yunshan Fog Mask and really accomplish something.”
"You, you, you old guy. You really have been playing drums all your life, and now you are trying to get around me with words."
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. Besides, Yes, we are each other’s accomplices. What do we want? What is it? Ah, yes, stability, unity, prosperity and stability. This is what the boss said..."
The two old men were just having fun.
This unconstrained nonsense, by the end, not only made them laugh, but also made Ning Weimin laugh.
Ning Weimin noticed it. This was their daily communication method, and it was also one of the joys of opening a tavern for these two old brothers.
Then, when Zhang Dashao carefully looked through Ning Weimin's menu and asked Ning Weimin clearly about the purpose of his trip, their wine was also warmed up.
Fang Bin is a very discerning man.
Before Kang Shude could speak, he brought the wine over from the counter and placed a glass in front of each other.
I have to say that drinking warm wine is really different from drinking it cold.
The wine is fragrant and slightly hot.
Ning Weimin touched the cup and felt that his heart was drunk and his body was warm even before he drank.
Especially in such an environment, for a moment, he really felt like he was drinking in an old movie.
He even didn't notice that Zhang Dashao raised his cup.
It was only when the old man called him from across the table that he realized he was being rude.
I quickly picked up my cup and touched it carefully with Zhang Dashao. Hey, just this sip of wine, that’s really strong!
When you drink it, it feels like you can make a spicy trail down your intestines.
Ning Weimin moved his chopsticks with almost tears in his eyes, and quickly took a bite of the side dish.
As a result, after taking this sip, he realized how competitive this tavern was in the market.
Yes, what Kang Shude said just now is absolutely true. The wine and food here are indeed better.
If Zhang Dashao's Xiao Cai'er were compared with Tan Gong's, they wouldn't be equal, but superior.
Ning Weimin smacked the taste in his mouth, and a thought came to his mind.
Be sure not to let the guests of Tan Palace know that there is such a tavern here.
Otherwise, he is really afraid that those customers will turn around and smash his shop.
Think about it, the price difference between the two places for the same side dishes can be dozens of times.
But the side dishes in this tavern actually taste better than those in Tan Palace, so who is willing to be taken advantage of like this?
As for Zhang Dashao, he picked up the cup and took a sip happily, and then he saw Ning Weimin enjoying it extremely.
Maybe it’s because famous chefs also need diners who really know their stuff to appreciate them.
The originally carefree mood was filled with a lot of pride, and the conversation started.
“The difference between Chinese food and Japanese food, simply put, is that Chinese food relies on fire, and Japanese food relies on water. There are many cooking methods for Chinese food, far more than Japanese food, which is beyond the imagination of a kid. Japanese cooking methods include frying, Apart from roasting, it’s just stewing. To put it bluntly, Chinese food encompasses all Japanese cooking techniques, and Japanese cooking techniques are only a small part of Chinese cooking techniques. Therefore, Japanese rice has little technical content in comparison.”
"Secondly, China has a vast territory and not only has a rich variety of food ingredients. In the past, when transportation was extremely inconvenient, due to the transportation of various food ingredients, they were no longer fresh enough when eaten. This defect could only be covered up through fire and seasonings. This makes Chinese food has developed unique flavor-changing techniques, so we can not only change the taste of the ingredients through various seasonings and cooking, but also maintain the original taste of the ingredients.”
“Japan is geographically concentrated and close to the sea. Most of the ingredients are sourced nearby and fresh, so Japanese food will only try to maintain the original taste as much as possible. This geographical condition actually further limits the development of Japanese cooking. To put it bluntly, Japan is not enviable. They don’t even eat their own products. Just like shark fins, they were discarded as garbage by the Japanese before the Meiji Restoration. It wasn’t until overseas Chinese opened Chinese restaurants in Japan that they knew this was a treasure in the sea.”
< br> "So my advice to you is not to take the Japanese too seriously. The Japanese are used to eating umami, so we use umami to overwhelm them. Dishes like boiled cabbage and jasmine clear soup are our Chinese dishes. The highest understanding of umami in food cannot be compared to the pure technical work. Also, the Japanese have not experienced the richness of flavor and taste, so you use the purification method of milk dishes and soups. , and have a complex flavor to shock their taste buds. It’s easier to cook quick-fried dishes. The Japanese don’t know about heat. You can make them tender and crispy by using their most common ingredients. What's more, the expression methods of Japanese cooking are so simple. Such gimmick dishes as San Bu Guo, Peach Blossom Pan, and Flat Earth Thunder are enough to shock them. It is said that they value the beauty and ritual of the dishes, but our flowers. Knife, are they good at it?"
"To be honest, I don't think there is a big problem with your menu. Although these dishes are ordinary in our eyes, these dishes are enough for Japanese people. Colorful. The only advice I have for you is don’t go out and blindly cater to Japanese tastes and lose the original flavor of our Chinese cooking, and don’t just use thickening oil and brightening oil to save trouble. It’s a deceptive way to make your level comparable to chop suey restaurants overseas.”
“I seriously tell you that Japanese people love traditional Chinese food. The Japanese themselves say it. When eating Chinese food, you must eat real Chinese food, and don’t eat fake Chinese food prepared by the Japanese. Especially during the Meiji period, the Japanese discovered that no matter how they imitated Chinese cooking, the taste was not as good as that of the Chinese. In order to find out the secret of Chinese cooking. Even encouraging Japanese women to marry Chinese chefs who open restaurants in Japan is useless, because no simple secret can produce a truly qualified Chinese chef. Yes. Time and the ability to endure hardship are the keys.”
Zhang Dashao had a good impression of Ning Weimin, so he gave very thorough and expert advice.
After hearing this, Ning Weimin felt much more at ease.
However, although the doubts have been alleviated, it cannot be said that they are not at all. He thought for a while and said, "Master Zhang, the problem is that there are also Chinese restaurants overseas. I haven't been in Japan and I don't know. There is a queue on New Year's Day." After traveling around Japan, I discovered that there are quite a few Chinese restaurants in major cities in Japan. Although the dishes are not very popular, they are not considered authentic Chinese food. I really dare to say hello to the menu. I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm just afraid of..."
"I'm just afraid that the Japanese will compare the dishes of those restaurants with yours, and they will preconceptions that your restaurant is not good, right? "
Zhang Dashao rushed to take the words, and he hit the nail on the head. Ning Weimin couldn't help but nodded slightly embarrassed.
As a result, Zhang Dashao thought for a while and felt that it was a bit troublesome.
But famous chefs are famous chefs, and without much effort, Zhang Dashao spoke again after sipping half a glass of wine.
"Let me give you a few ideas. If you think about it, you may be able to help your Danmiya gain a foothold in Japan as soon as possible."
"You said you said..."
As soon as these words came out, Ning Weimin was immediately refreshed and concentrated.
"First of all, you have to learn the advantages of Japanese cooking. Japanese cooking is not without its characteristics. At least in my opinion, there is one thing that is worthy of praise, and that is the method of making seafood fresh. The Japanese call it "juice". This It is a condiment unique to Japan. The sauce in Japanese cuisine is made from dried bonito and dried kelp. What do I mean, if the Japanese can use it, you can use it too? Ah. How to use it? You can think of it as Japanese seafood stock. If you go back to Japan and ask your chef to try it, there will be very wonderful changes in this method. Not only is it easy to make delicious, nutritious and healthy new dishes, but it can also at least solve certain taste differences. "
This old man's words are indeed informative, and it is impossible for Ning Weimin not to pay attention to them.
Take out a pen and paper and write this down seriously. Unexpectedly, the next words will be even more surprising.
"Moreover. You must know how to use your own strengths. The richness of Chinese food, the harmony of flavors, and the emphasis on color, aroma, taste, meaning, shape, and touch are enough to allow us to make things that are unimaginable for ordinary people. Let me tell you, others can use delicacies from the mountains and seas as a gimmick."
"I...I can do the same, but...but the problem is these things. The import and export procedures are too troublesome, and there may be legal risks in Japan. I really can't handle it." Ning Weimin still didn't understand.
"I didn't ask you to sell it. Just like shark's fin, you can sell vegetarian shark's fin. Bear paws, you can also use pig's trotters to make them. Have you forgotten how to make some fake meat dishes I taught you? How can you not sell delicacies that are made by using similar techniques to shape them and then use seasoning techniques to make them look like real delicacies? As long as you clearly explain what is going on and tell customers the real ingredients, you are selling your craftsmanship! Before liberation, there were restaurants that relied on these fake delicacies to attract customers at low prices, but few people could taste them. If you want to learn, I will tell you how to do it..."
My dear, this is a great idea.
Yes. Why can't we sell dishes with ordinary ingredients under the name of delicacies from mountains and seas?
Don’t the plain seats in Gongdelin earn this kind of money?
Fake chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows are enough to confuse the real ones.
That’s right, our Chinese food has long been the ancestor of “artificial meat”.
And just when Ning Weimin was overjoyed and wanted to ask for the prescription.
Zhang Dashao’s last idea was really important.
“Oh, by the way, I also remembered one thing. Don’t the Japanese know the pros and cons of rice? In this case, our capital used to have a kind of rice called tribute rice, which is suitable for you to get in Japan. The brand is sold at a high price and has a good reputation. Do you know Jingxida? The aroma is there. If you use Jingxida to cook porridge, you can smell the pink rouge rice in Jingxida. It is reddish in color and has long grains. It is fragrant and plump in taste. It is the best rice, called "Purple Gold Hoop". In the Republic of China, a bag of it could be sold for 18 yuan. It was watered by Yuquan Mountain. It's a pity that the yield is too small and the price is too high. No one will grow it after liberation. If it is not extinct, then your business will be feasible if you are willing to spend money to cultivate it. This kind of rice is enough to make the Japanese chase after you."
"What? We still have... such rice in the capital?"
Ning Weimin couldn't believe it and was extremely surprised.
His buttocks were pulled deeply again, and his eyes were opened again.