Chapter 1016 Knife and Fork Menu
However, it is not enough to have the participation of the Baodao compatriots.
Because he is overseas and has such convenience, Ning Weimin certainly hopes that more and more important local guests can be present to attend the opening ceremony.
So Ning Weimin took up the banner and made a special trip to visit the old overseas Chinese who run restaurants in Tokyo through the relationship and recommendation of his "mother's family", hoping to prove that his Tan Gong was not isolated. Helpless grass.
However, unlike other guests, these old overseas Chinese are busy with many things here all day long, busy with their own business.
If you want to invite such industry seniors to come, you must be respectful, and they may give you some face.
So Ning Weimin still paid special attention to etiquette, and he sent the invitation more than ten days in advance.
On the day he posted the post, he not only dressed solemnly, but also brought a beautifully handwritten invitation and was waiting for the invitation early.
As a result, we got what we wanted. Several old stores showed enthusiasm. The person responsible for receiving Ning Weimin not only agreed to his request.
He also said that he would come forward to help Ning Weimin invite a few more friendly Japanese friends, but he might need to reserve some seats.
Naturally, Ning Weimin had no objection. He said at that time, "Don't worry about the crowd. The more people, the better. If that's the case, I would be very grateful."
Then he went back happily.
And the next day, Ning Weimin sent a car and people to deliver a batch of seafood dumpling gift boxes and fish noodle gift boxes to several shops.
It is obvious what his subtext means.
It is necessary to use food to prove that the level of Tan Gong Restaurant is sufficient, and it is the well-deserved pride of the catering industry in Beijing.
In this way, these overseas senior colleagues can rest assured and have confidence in them.
To put it bluntly, he also wants to completely smash this matter and make others feel embarrassed about not fulfilling their promises and do their best to help him support the situation.
Needless to say, the other party also knew Ning Weimin’s intentions.
But this kid’s cleverness is not objectionable and is understandable.
So three days before the opening ceremony, I called Ning Weimin to formally inform him of the relevant arrangements.
Unexpectedly, it turned out to be another big surprise that Ning Weimin didn't expect.
I bet these guests are really important, they are all celebrities from all walks of life.
What a guy!
This matter has become a big deal!
Not only did Ning Weimin get his wish, but the specifications were so high that he couldn't believe it.
So needless to say, Ning Weimin, who was radiant after receiving this good news, felt even more responsible.
In order to make sure that nothing goes wrong, we have repeatedly considered the details of the reception and considered every step of the celebration process.
He also specially called two security officers to discuss how to ensure safety and eliminate hidden dangers.
Even so, on the day, Ning Weimin, who thought he had been fully prepared for the reception, was unexpectedly surprised and was stunned by an additional surprise.
Because that day, the most important Japanese guest was actually a famous cultural celebrity in China.
She is even as legendary as Teresa Teng.
That is Yoshiko Yamaguchi, who is sixty-six years old and has returned to the country to join politics.
This beautiful and fashionable old lady used to be called Li Xianglan in China.
That is, she was one of the "Five Great Singing Queens" who was as famous as Zhou Xuan, Bai Guang, Zhang Lu, Wu Yingyin and others in Shanghai when she sang popular songs such as "Ye Lai Xiang" and "When Will You Come Again".
Then please think about it. If this happens, Ning Weimin won’t be able to get excited.
It's not because he is also star-chasing, but because so many amazing guests gathered together on this day. It was really too many coincidences and too many factors worth remembering.
In fact, this is exactly what happened. From the opening ceremony, Keiko Matsumoto took the lead in taking the stage to announce that she was a shareholder.
This is how the chefs from Tan Palace perform on stage.
In the end, it was even more so when the guests stood side by side at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and completed the ribbon-cutting ceremony together.
The excitement among the guests throughout made this event one they will never forget.
In particular, celebrities from all walks of life delivered speeches.
The efforts of Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko in promoting Chinese catering culture in Japan were highly praised in public, and Ning Weimin was given the supreme honor.
They said that in addition to hoping that Ginza Dan Palace Restaurant would continue to promote the spirit of Chinese famous restaurants and establish a Chinese brand in Ginza.
As for Yamaguchi Shuko, who once tasted palace cuisine at Beihai Fangshan in the capital, she is even more impressed by the cooking skills of today's Tan Palace chefs.
She recalled in public her time in Peiping decades ago, saying that when she returned to Japan after the war, she had never forgotten the concept of Chinese court materials.
Unexpectedly, the palace cuisine at Tan Palace was better than what I had eaten back then.
This made Ning Weimin even more overjoyed.
Not only did it help him gain media favor and sufficient exposure, it also established the Tan Palace brand in one fell swoop.
This also allowed him to get his wish and find a place in the world of Japanese high-end cuisine.
After that, of course it was time for the banquet to officially start.
It should be said that Ning Weimin also seriously made face for several people who stood up for him.
The banquet was well organized and decent beyond everyone’s expectation.
When it comes to this link, we have to praise Ning Weimin for his foresight. Thanks to him for arranging for the chefs of Tan Palace to go to Maxim Restaurant for a period of very challenging training.
Today, his chef has combined the advantages of Chinese and French food and found a certain balance.
As a result, Tan Palace has two sets of menus, wine lists and service procedures: Chinese food and Chinese and Western food.
It is also known as the "knife and fork menu" and "chopstick menu" inside Dangu.
For example, today's banquet is a "knife and fork menu".
Everything has been optimized and adjusted in terms of taste, appearance, color, plating method and guest experience.
It is a banquet that combines the advantages of Chinese and Western food and combines the two food systems.
To put it simply, it is the content of Chinese dishes, plus the dining style and presentation of French food.
This not only ensures the authentic taste of traditional Chinese food, but also fully demonstrates the chef's cooking experience and skills.
With his knowledge, insight and innovative ability, he made the diners in the audience shine.
I discovered that Chinese food can be so "less but better", with such rich levels, and adopt a relatively elegant and relaxed dining mode.
Not only does it leave a lasting impression on people’s mouths, but it also allows guests to re-recognize and love Chinese food.
As for whether it is bragging or not, just look at the specific contents of the banquet menu.
The first course, of course, is the appetizer.
According to French tradition, this dish is also translated as a bite of enjoyment.
It is a relatively small appetizer, and in some cases it is not written on the menu at all. Although it is a side dish that can be eaten in one bite, it is also a reflection of the chef's skill.
Ning Weimin arranged an assorted platter for the guests, including prawns, egg yolk rolls, shredded vegetables, couple's lung slices, pickled white fish,
Platters with meat and vegetables, available on land, sea and air.
Colorful ingredients are placed on a Chinese plate with red flowers on a white background, like a plate of colorful pearls and gems, shining with delicious light!
No need to eat it, it already seems to make the guests like it.
Among the many bland dishes, there is a slightly spicy taste assassin hidden inside.
It is of course easy to whet the appetite of diners.
The second course is the appetizer. According to the rules of French cuisine, it is usually salty food to stimulate appetite.
Ning Weimin knew that Japanese people like fried food, so he arranged the classic "Fried Eight Pieces" of Shandong cuisine for everyone.
However, it is precisely because it is made from four-month-old naturally grown chicks, fried in palm oil, and paired with cold jellyfish and French white sauce to remove greasiness.
This seemingly ordinary fried chicken is not comparable to American fried chicken and Japanese tempura.
The chicken is tender and delicious on the inside, and the chicken skin is so crispy on the outside that you can even eat the bones, and it won't become soft even after it cools down.
Even the fried chicken clearly shows the chef's extraordinary skills.
The Chinese salt and pepper makes Japanese people who have never been exposed to it feel the flavor of a foreign country. How can it not be praised?
The third course is soup.
What Ning Weimin asked the chefs to serve was the "Jade Soup" from Kang Le Restaurant.
This dish itself looks good, and the Tai Chi pattern of one green and one white makes Japanese people talk about it.
What's more, the chefs added fresh scallops and crab meat, which takes the taste to a higher level, so it won't disappoint.
The fourth dish is fish.
This is the field in which Japanese people are most knowledgeable.
Ning Weimin did not confront the enemy head-on, but thought of clever ways to exploit his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.
He asked the chefs to make fermented fish fillets and stir-fried shrimps.
You know, when Japanese people drink sake, they are naturally not disgusted with the taste of sake lees, and may enjoy it even more than people from northern China.
On the contrary, they have never experienced slippery fish fillets and tender and smooth shrimps.
So even if it is not applauded, it cannot be said to be disgusting. For most people, this dish can make them marvel.
The fifth dish is a shark fin topped with noodles.
There must be something expensive, otherwise Ning Weimin would not be able to live at ease.
The golden shark's fin, the jiggling fish noodles, and the covered soup are all extremely delicious.
The shark's fin is smooth and has a rich flavor, while the fish noodles have no fishy smell at all. This combination is best described as delicious.
The taste of this dish is no worse than lotus cabbage. It can make everyone stop talking and feel wowed!
The sixth course is a meat dish.
As the second main course, according to French custom, in addition to using common poultry and livestock meat such as beef, pork, chicken, duck, etc., some game meat, such as wild deer, Wild pigeons, hares, etc.
But this is not the case for Japan. Their diet is much more restricted than the French.
So Ning Weimin could only use the safest method at this time, serving roast duck.
This dish certainly lived up to expectations and everyone's expectations were met.
It is worth mentioning that although every table has a chef cart coming to slice the duck.
But because it is a French service, the chef cannot serve the duck directly. He is also responsible for rolling the duck rolls for each guest.
So there is no way to eat enough. One person has one roll and no one wants to take advantage. The remaining duck can only be pushed back, which is a disadvantage to the kitchen.
Elegance often means being insulated from affordability.
The seventh course is milk food.
Milk cheese is the beginning of dessert. According to the rules of French cuisine, many cheeses are usually put in the dining cart and pushed over for guests to choose from.
This is very user-friendly, each guest can choose the appropriate type and quantity according to their own preferences.
Ning Weimin also followed the prescription and arranged a variety of milk foods for the guests to choose from, including milk tofu, milk skin, milk fruit, milk pancake, cheese, milk paste, and milk rolls.
Relying on our Mongolian and Hui compatriots, China is no worse than Western countries in this regard.
What is not available in the West is that Xu Chunyan has improved the traditional soup dumplings by combining Chinese and Western styles.
She mixed the cream of mushroom soup with king oyster mushrooms, scallops, and celery cubes to make a filling, and wrapped it in a steamed bun.
The collision between the soft dough and the cream soup made all the guests who tried it exclaimed as magical.
The eighth course is desserts and fruits.
Ning Weimin uses peach mousse, a dish that once amazed several French chefs in Maxim.
Of course the Japanese will be shocked and refresh their understanding.
So when the last process, coffee and tea, was served, as soon as Ning Weimin saw the Japanese guests’ choices, he became more convinced.
As Asians who love coffee the most, the guests here mostly choose Chinese green tea and scented tea.
This undoubtedly proved the success of today's banquet.
Because if I didn’t have a great fondness for Chinese food, I would be satisfied with this meal.
I am afraid that no one will give up the habit they have always cultivated and try completely unfamiliar green tea and scented tea.
In turn, it must be because this meal has created a greater interest in Chinese food, and I am eager to finish it and taste the last Chinese characteristics today.
PS:
Since many readers have questioned whether the "fried eight pieces" in this chapter is a Henan cuisine, here is the reply.
Fried Eight Pieces is now considered to be under the banner of Henan cuisine and is not included in Shandong cuisine. However, judging from the records during the Republic of China, fried eight-piece dishes were mostly called Shandong cuisine. Wang Zengqi also mentioned the words "Shandong fried eight-piece dishes" in his article. Chen Mengjia and Hu Xiaoshi both said something similar to "Shandong fried eight pieces". In the book "Eating at the Court" written by Fu Jie's wife, the last princess Saga Hiroshi, chicken dishes are even listed as "eight fried pieces".
Shandong cuisine is the only spontaneous cuisine in our country, and other cuisines are modified on the basis of Shandong cuisine.
This is the reason why I regard fried eight pieces as Shandong cuisine.
So this is a matter of benevolence and wisdom.
As for the truth of history, it actually doesn’t matter anymore. We don’t need to take it too seriously.
As many people don’t know, if the Manchus hadn’t entered China and brought white meat to Sichuan, there would have been no Sichuan dishes such as white pork with garlic paste and twice-cooked pork.
Had it not been for the officials of the Qing Dynasty to follow the example, barbecue would not have become popular all over the country, making Guangdong dishes such as gourd pork, roast suckling pig, and roast duck appear.
The Northeastern Guotai Pork is based on the Manchu golden meat. Caibao is the Manchu victory bag.
Stir-fried mutton with green onions is a real BJ dish created in BJ, not a traditional Shandong dish.
But even so, it does not prevent various places from claiming their own famous dishes. The key is to be delicious and recognized by the people. Is it right?
(End of this chapter)