Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Preparing top-tier state banquet dishes is not a fast process. A single "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" requires Jiang Feng to meticulously handle every step. Therefore, for new orders, he can only address them sequentially. Guests entering the restaurant are also informed that this dish cannot be prepared within the next two hours; due to its limited availability and complex preparation, they must wait.

State banquet dishes are not easy to make. Jiang Feng can prepare six portions at a time, meaning he can only make the dish twice in an hour. This is even with delegating the plating and radish carving to others; otherwise, the pace would be even slower.

He cooks with complete dedication. State banquet dishes involve many intricate details: temperature control, ingredient proportions, technique, timing, and so on, all requiring meticulous attention. From the side, it might seem no different from preparing any other dish, but only those truly involved know how difficult this particular dish is. Jiang Feng even measures spices with an accuracy within one gram, leaving no room for error. Everyone praises the dish for its appealing presentation and delicious taste, oblivious to the immense effort behind it.

「At this moment.」

An elderly gentleman nearly seventy years of age entered Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant with his granddaughter. This man was a formidable figure named Wang Shulin. He had been responsible for the national banquet as the head chef; simply put, all menu planning and verification were completed by him. At the same time, he was also the bona fide president of the Jiangsu Cuisine Association. But now he had retired and was enjoying his later years, no longer involved in business affairs.

"Grandpa, the chef of this restaurant is super amazing; my friend highly recommended him to me. I really like him, and today I finally get to taste his cooking," Wang Shuran, Wang Shulin's granddaughter, said excitedly with a smile. "Moreover, to taste his culinary skills, I especially lined up for two extra hours; it's our turn now."

Upon hearing Wang Shuran's words, Wang Shulin just smiled. Young people's interests were beyond his understanding; he only cared that his granddaughter was happy. Good restaurants always required waiting in line, especially for a renowned chef. Wang Shulin had dedicated his life to the culinary industry and had often encountered diners waiting several hours for delicious food. This was not unusual, as good skills were worth such a wait.

Throughout the journey, Wang Shuran chattered non-stop, telling Wang Shulin how amazing Jiang Feng was, speaking with animated enthusiasm. This was because Wang Shuran was a fan of Jiang Feng; after watching many of his videos online, she had inevitably become fond of him.

Wang Shulin also said with a resigned smile, "Your grandfather is the proper president of the Jiangsu Cuisine Association, and your father is also there and is a well-known chef. You've never had an interest in culinary arts over the years, haven't even entered the kitchen, and even get annoyed whenever we talk about cooking.

"Now you tell me you like a chef?"

Hearing Wang Shulin's words, Wang Shuran was momentarily speechless. After pondering a bit, she simply said, "He's different. He truly is very different. The way he comes across in the videos is so captivating.

"He's not just an ordinary chef."

Wang Shulin said no more, dismissing it as a young person's fascination with online phenomena. After all, how outstanding could a young chef in his early twenties be? In this industry, who hadn't achieved success without years of relentless practice and accumulated experience in the kitchen, day in and day out?

The two of them did not opt for a private room but sat in the main hall instead. The atmosphere was lively, with people laughing and chatting. Wang Shulin liked this kind of ambiance.

Soon, dishes were served one after another. The two of them hadn't ordered much, just four dishes. Wang Shulin tasted them and nodded in approval. The flavor of these dishes was indeed good, considered a high standard in the restaurant scene.

Wang Shuran, on the other hand, looked around eagerly, waiting for the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." Soon, the dish arrived.

Wang Shulin's gaze immediately focused on it. This dish was an authentic state banquet dish, and moreover, it was among the finest in state banquets. Simply put, this dish would not normally appear at ordinary banquets. After all, it was a very elaborate recipe involving many intricate steps, each requiring great effort. Yet here was such a dish, appearing in a restaurant by West Lake.

Wang Shulin had initially thought it was just another ordinary dish and hadn't paid much attention to it, but now that he saw it, he realized it wasn't simple.

"It's finally here; I've been looking forward to it!" Wang Shuran exclaimed happily, hurriedly taking out her phone to take pictures. After taking several sets of photos and feeling satisfied, she put down her phone.

"Grandpa, what do you think about this dish?" she asked expectantly.

Wang Shulin nodded and replied, "Quite remarkable; the birds on the plate are uniquely shaped and intricate, showing that the chef who made this dish has skillful hands. The overall taste is quite mild, dominated by the flavor of chicken broth, though it's not overly pronounced.

"This type of light-flavored dish is also the standard choice for state banquets as it won't overshadow the flavors of other dishes."

As he spoke, Wang Shulin began to taste Jiang Feng's culinary prowess. He, of course, had also made "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." And he had also hosted foreign guests with it before. This dish truly required a lot of effort.

He first took a few bites of the small birds. The flavor of the chicken and shrimp meat blossomed in his mouth, causing him to involuntarily reveal a satisfied expression. Quite good! Unexpectedly delicious! This definitely meets the standard of a state banquet!

Next, Wang Shulin took another bite of chicken, tasting the flavors of ham, sautéed crab, duck gizzards, and mushrooms, as well as the faint scent of lotus leaves. When stewing chicken in a clay pot, a layer of lotus leaves is laid at the bottom, perfectly retaining the chicken's fresh fragrance.

Upon this taste, Wang Shulin's expression became somewhat serious. He knew that this dish was an extremely authentic "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," and there wasn't the slightest deviation in its taste. This clearly indicated that Jiang Feng must have definitely learned how to prepare this dish. But nowadays, there weren't many chefs who knew this dish; after all, almost all chefs on the market learn the craft to make a living. Who would learn such a labor-intensive and difficult dish like "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix?"

"Grandpa, what's wrong? Does the chicken taste off? Isn't it quite delicious?" Wang Shuran asked, noticing Wang Shulin's expression was amiss.

"It's not that it's off, it's too on the mark!" Wang Shulin exclaimed. "I never expected that this restaurant would actually have someone who could make an authentic 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'! Who on earth is this chef?"

Hearing this, Wang Shuran said with a chuckle, "I saw on the internet that some people say he's from a family of chefs or something, that he has been learning cooking since he was a child.

"I don't know the specifics."

Wang Shulin became intrigued by Jiang Feng. A young man in his early twenties, able to cook an authentic "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." And without being complacent, he had actually made a hundred servings of it to treat the guests at the opening of his own restaurant!

He had only encountered such stories during the seventies and eighties, an era when technology wasn't as advanced. It was like grand restaurant openings where, to attract more business, restaurant workers would go through the streets and alleys announcing how many famous dishes the master chef would prepare on opening day. Unexpectedly, he now witnessed it at Jiangyue Terrace. Quite rare indeed.

There's a saying: "A man's dish reflects his character." Based solely on the taste of this one dish and Jiang Feng's act of preparing "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," Wang Shulin could tell that Jiang Feng was definitely an individual of extraordinary character and mental fortitude.

"To encounter such a talented individual is truly eye-opening. I've been in this industry for so many years, and I've never seen anything like it!" Wang Shulin was full of praise for Jiang Feng.

Just then, Jiang Feng came out from the kitchen. He hadn't wanted to come out, but the guests were so enthusiastic that Jiang Feng always made an appearance to greet them.

"Look, it's Boss Jiang!"

"Ah, he's real! I've seen him in person!"

"Hello, Boss Jiang!"

When Jiang Feng appeared in the lobby, still wearing his chef's apron and toque, his attire was that of a chef. But his tall stature and good demeanor gave people a very different impression.

Jiang Feng said to everyone, "Thank you for supporting the business at Jiangyue Terrace. If you have any comments or suggestions about the restaurant, please feel free to voice them.

"I will take everyone's suggestions into serious consideration."

Upon hearing this, a guest immediately asked, "Boss Jiang, can you make more 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix'?"

Jiang Feng looked at the guest and smiled, "I'm sorry, this dish really does take a lot of work and time. I'm already doing my best, but I can't meet everyone's demands. I hope you all understand."

When Jiang Feng spoke, he exuded a magnanimous air, giving people the impression of being quite well-off. After all, owning three restaurants, one naturally became remarkable.

Wang Shuran cheered excitedly. "It's Boss Jiang! Oh my god, so handsome!" She took out her mobile phone and hurriedly began to take photos.

Wang Shulin, however, sat quietly to the side, observing. He sighed. He really is that young! he thought.

In that moment, Wang Shulin felt the relentless passing of years, realizing how quickly time aged a person. He also admired how, at such a young age, Jiang Feng could possess such culinary skills and composure; it was truly admirable.

Looking at Jiang Feng, an alternative idea dawned on Wang Shulin. If Jiang Feng's cooking skills passed muster, then he could be asked to assist with some banquets for hosting foreign guests. Of course, such matters weren't that simple. Chefs selected for state banquets had to pass an audit, possess significant experience, and secure a recommendation from the association; it wasn't easy. Unless, of course, there was a dish that no one else could make—that only he could prepare. In such a case, an invitation might be extended, bypassing the usual requirements. This had happened before.

After greeting everyone, Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen. After he had left, Wang Shulin turned to Wang Shuran and asked, "You said he has opened several restaurants, right?"

"Yeah, including this one, he has three now – a Shandong Cuisine Restaurant, a Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant, and this Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant. All of them are doing incredibly well," Wang Shuran replied. "I saw people online saying that he wants to open one restaurant for each of the eight major Chinese cuisines. He's very ambitious."

Hearing this, Wang Shulin nodded to himself. Youth is to be respected, he thought. He grew interested in Jiang Feng's affairs as well.