Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The grand opening of Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant was incredibly lively! Outside the restaurant, a crowd had formed three layers deep, both inside and out! Such a scene might have been conceivable decades ago, but nothing like it had been seen in recent years. The closest comparison was the opening of PangDonglai, when the mall overflowed with people swarming in for their merchandise. This just went to show that the people's eyes were sharp; they were willing to support businesses with a conscience. A "conscience," in this context, meant affordable prices with guaranteed quality. It sounded simple, but achieving it was extremely difficult. After all, too many people became unscrupulous when profits were on the line.

Jiang Feng had already opened two restaurants, both renowned local establishments. The Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was not only a must-visit for tourists but also a place where many influential locals conducted business. After all, with its serene atmosphere, excellent privacy, and delicious dishes, it was hard for it not to attract patrons.

This time, Jiangyue Terrace opened right by West Lake. Prices around West Lake were particularly high, but Jiang Feng didn't intend to adopt a high-price strategy. Instead, he opted to charge just a bit more than ordinary dishes; an average person could eat their fill for around two hundred yuan. Regulations around West Lake were strict: nothing too noisy was allowed, nor were items like fireworks or firecrackers. So, the opening ceremony consisted only of floral displays and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Jiang Feng appeared at the very front of the restaurant, and countless cameras focused on him. The scene was even more sensational than he had anticipated. He was indeed popular now. Somehow, he had become a top influencer. Previously, he was known through word-of-mouth in just one city, but after moving between a few cities, he had garnered a massive online following. However, he didn't have a personal account, which was quite strange. The only account was the official one for Jiangyue Terrace, which currently had about four million followers. Netizens commented daily on the account, asking Jiang Feng to do a livestream or shoot a few videos, which was quite interesting.

Many internet celebrities also came to Jiangyue Terrace today. Figures like Tong Jincheng, and some flashily dressed streamers, all wanted to gain exposure in a high-traffic spot. They knew that today, Jiangyue Terrace would be the center of attention across the entire network. Even getting into the queue wasn't easy.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Jiang Feng headed straight to the kitchen to get busy. This time, he didn't plan to cook as he had before. A sudden inspiration struck him: since there was so much interest in Jiangyue Terrace's opening, he would put on a big show. This would also be a way to satisfy the diners.

Jiang Feng decided not to cook Zhejiang Cuisine himself, leaving it to the head chefs. After all, they were trained personally by Jiang Feng, with every dish's ingredients and proportions quality-controlled by him, ensuring flavors that fully met the standards of a grand restaurant. There was no need for him to cook them himself. Instead, the dishes he planned to prepare were rarely seen on the market or were lost recipes. These dishes were all genuinely top-notch, and they were all imperial cuisine.

The first dish he prepared that day was called "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." He had prepared the ingredients long in advance, just waiting for this day to get started. Jiang Feng took the opening of his own restaurant very seriously and naturally put even more effort into it.

This week, I'm not making street food or home-cooked dishes. I'll take this opportunity to cook dishes worthy of a top chef. It's time to take on some challenging recipes, Jiang Feng thought.

The main ingredient for "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" was chicken, with crab roe, green shrimp, and duck gizzards as accompanying ingredients. Creating this dish was no easy feat.

Following the opening ceremony, Jiang Feng proceeded to the kitchen to prepare "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." Preparing this dish would require significant effort. Therefore, not every customer would get to try it. He could only make as many as possible. Jiang Feng planned to prepare only one hundred servings. First come, first served. They were priced at 388 yuan per serving, but for the opening celebration promotion, there was a 20% discount.

The waiting customers quickly learned this news, and a buzz of discussion erupted among them.

"What dish is Boss Jiang preparing today? Based on past experience, he should personally cook one or two dishes."

"It seems this week is different. Although Boss Jiang is the head chef, he won't be making the dishes on the menu; he's preparing imperial cuisine instead."

"What? For real?"

"What dish is it exactly? Has anyone found out?"

"It seems to be called 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'?"

"'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'? Wait, a dish is named 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'?"

"Holy shit! What kind of divine dish is this!"

"Boss Jiang is pulling out all the stops!"

"This is going to hit the trending lists!"

People thought it was just the bustling opening of a restaurant, unaware that Jiang Feng planned to go even bigger this time, thoroughly astonishing everyone. After running a stall for so long, many had forgotten that he was a bona fide grand chef. Jiang Feng wanted to be praised for his culinary skills, not just for his stall-running. He derived a greater sense of accomplishment from cooking.

At the same time, to show everyone more clearly that he was the one cooking the dishes, Jiang Feng specially summoned the person in charge of video operations from the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant. On opening day, Jiangyue Terrace's official account would definitely be posting a video. Jiang Feng planned to publish a video of himself making "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." For this purpose, he had prepared many clay pots and dedicated stoves.

The other head chefs had taken their positions, and various assistant chefs were also in place. The ingredients had been prepared well in advance, neatly arranged and plentiful. For them, today was a very important day. However, what truly astounded these head chefs was the dish Jiang Feng chose to make. "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix"—a top-level state banquet dish. At an ordinary banquet, you would not have the chance to encounter such a dish. Yet Jiang Feng was preparing it for the general public. But given the dish's complex method, making a hundred servings a day was the absolute limit. So, it really came down to who was luckier.

To prepare "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," a layer of lotus leaves was first laid in a clay pot. Then, a whole chicken was blanched and placed inside. Duck gizzards, cooking wine, and green onions with ginger were added, followed by water, and the pot was left to simmer slowly. The star of "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" was this chicken. Jiang Feng had six pots simmering at once, fully occupying the multi-burner stove.

A young man was responsible for filming and documenting the process. He was to record every step of Jiang Feng's creation of "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." When the time was nearly right, Jiang Feng continuously lifted the lids and skimmed the floating foam from the chicken broth with a ladle, ensuring it was clean and pure. Then, Jiang Feng heated a pan, poured lard into it, and added crab roe to stir-fry until fragrant. The fried crab roe was then incorporated into the clay pot as well. Next, ham was added, along with some aromatic spices for seasoning. Leaving aside the chicken itself, the broth alone was a rare delicacy.

With the 'phoenix'—the chicken—ready, it was time to create the "hundred birds." Of course, a single plate couldn't hold a hundred birds, and with limited time, Jiang Feng planned to make only six. The method wasn't complex, but it demanded exceptional skill. Ordinary green shrimp were peeled, their heads and feet removed, leaving only the tails. Then, the shrimp meat was wrapped with chicken farce. This formed the body and tail of a "bird." Next, two thin slices of green pepper were cut and placed on either side of the body, looking like a pair of wings when viewed from above. A cooked pigeon egg, halved, was used for the bird's head, placed on top of the body. Finally, two black sesame seeds were used as eyes, dotted onto the pigeon egg, and a small piece of red chili served as the beak. Once the little birds were steamed until cooked through, they were ready.

The six little birds were arranged around the perimeter of the plate. After the chicken in the clay pot was ready, it was placed in the center. Finally, a phoenix intricately carved from pumpkin and carrot was added as a garnish. The steps to prepare the dish weren't inherently complex. Most people couldn't make it because they lacked the skill to carve the phoenix garnish. Of course, crafting the little birds also required exquisite craftsmanship. Since Jiang Feng was doing it himself, it had to be done well. At the very least, the cooking process filmed for the video was completed independently by him.

However, carving was time-consuming. Coincidentally, one of the head chefs also possessed excellent carving skills. He could assist in carving the decorative elements. Once the filming was over, this head chef would be responsible for carving several parts of the phoenix garnish, then working alongside Jiang Feng to craft "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" more rapidly.

The assembled little birds were placed in a steamer, while the whole chicken continued to stew in the clay pot. Jiang Feng started rapidly carving a radish with his knife, showcasing his excellent skills. Despite the phoenix's myriad details, with proficient knife work, the carving could be done quickly. Besides, the phoenix Jiang Feng carved was not large. He needed only to carve out the body, head, wings, and tail, then assemble them with toothpicks.

As he busied himself with the task, the other chefs in the kitchen occasionally stole glances at him, their minds reeling. Wait, is Boss Jiang not making Zhejiang cuisine but imperial dishes instead? During the training, he showed such profound mastery of Zhejiang cuisine, and his dishes were incredibly authentic. And now he's pulling out all the stops! This is something an ordinary person simply couldn't do! Without specialized training, who could make "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" so quickly and skillfully? He's so young; when on earth did he start learning to cook? This is simply incredible! The head chefs, being experts, knew Jiang Feng must have practiced extensively, likely for many, many years.

Soon, the official opening time arrived, and guests poured into Jiangyue Terrace. Upon hearing that Jiang Feng's dish was limited to 100 servings and that there might be a wait, those at the front of the line, who had arrived early, had their faces light up with excitement; they would naturally get to try it.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing people ordered was "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." Coincidentally, Jiang Feng had just finished preparing the first batch. Once the orders came through, Jiang Feng arranged the steamed little birds on the plate, all facing the center. Then he placed a perfectly stewed and flavorful whole chicken in the middle. A phoenix carved from pumpkin and carrot was placed beside it. An additional porcelain pot containing fresh chicken broth with crab roe, ham, and duck gizzards was also included.

When the dish was brought out from the kitchen, every guest's gaze immediately converged on it. Everyone was stunned.

"Holy shit! What is that?"

"What is that they're bringing out? And there's even a phoenix!"

They had never witnessed such an exquisite dish. This was no ordinary home cooking—this was true imperial cuisine, and of the highest order at that.

"That is... what?!" The guests were utterly speechless, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Could it be... is that the 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' that Boss Jiang made?"

"There's actually a phoenix?!"

...