Cooking System: Street Food Rules

"How did it get on the trending list again?"

Jiang Feng looked at the Douyin popularity rankings with a bit of helplessness.

On the day he made Five-Dragon Soup, Jiang Feng's news was still lingering on the trending searches. The related videos had more than ten million views.

Jiang Feng actually hoped that people would pay more attention to significant public events, or the buzz around Wang Po's matchmaking. He was just making a few famous dishes; there really was no need for such a huge wave of traffic.

The internet environment is quite strict now. Even celebrities don't want to be on the trending list anymore, let alone Jiang Feng, who took the brick-and-mortar route and didn't need the traffic.

Jiang Feng served himself a bowl of Five-Dragon Soup. With a spoonful of the savory broth in his mouth, he immediately felt a burst of deliciousness. The soft and gelatinous sea cucumber, paired with the tender and fresh eel, exuded a rich aroma. Gently chewing, he could feel the fish roe gently exploding in his mouth. Paired with the smooth sensation of the eel's blood, the flavors were complex and layered, endlessly lingering. After a bowl of soup, he felt invigorated.

After all, it was a famous Chinese dish, and the taste was indeed good. With all top-tier ingredients involved, plus top-tier culinary skills, achieving such an effect was only natural.

Jiang Feng planned to keep a low profile for the next two days. The cooking still had to be done, but he would try to minimize his internet presence. Being on the trending list every day was a bit ridiculous. Fortunately, most of the time it was just within the 10th to 20th range of trending searches, so it wasn't reaching an exaggerated ranking.

That being said, as soon as Jiang Feng announced the next day's dish, it quickly topped the search list. Jiang Feng was stumped. The problem was the name of the dish. He couldn't just change it.

Following Five-Dragon Soup, the next dish was called Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring, and it was also one of the famous Chinese dishes. The preparation was not difficult, just very troublesome, exceedingly troublesome.

When netizens saw the name of this dish, they were all dumbfounded.

"Damn."

"What the hell is this dish?"

"After Phoenix Brings Forth Nine Fowl, there's Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring?"

"Why don't we understand at all?"

In fact, it was understandable, as these were all old imperial court dishes. The imperial court favored names involving dragons and phoenixes, so dishes related to them were common.

"Boss, we're number one in trending searches," the lobby manager reported to Jiang Feng. "The whole internet is watching us now; there's a large crowd gathered outside Jiangyue Terrace."

"The security is saying they need to hire two more people, or it won't be easy to maintain order."

"The West Lake management department also said that we should pay attention to guiding the visitors."

Hearing the lobby manager's words, Jiang Feng sighed. "Okay, let's be more attentive in guiding them. If they were all guests, it would be easy to handle, but I'm worried about some live-streamers or meddlers causing trouble. Keep a close eye on it."

"At the same time, remind the waitstaff to keep a good attitude, and there will be bonuses at the end of the month."

"Of course, if a guest causes a scene, handle it boldly, get in touch with security, but we must be in the right," Jiang Feng instructed.

The restaurant was just starting to operate, and the team was newly formed, so they needed time to mesh well. From what he had seen so far, the person who gave Jiang Feng the most peace of mind was Liew Yan, the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant's lobby manager. A formidable woman, very efficient, especially good at observing people and discerning their intentions, and her work was very proficient; she never caused Jiang Feng any worry. The lobby manager of the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant was also selected with Liew Yan's help. As for the Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant, it was just getting started, so they would have to take it slow.

"Boss, there's another matter. Some official media said they want to interview you, including some impressive ones," the lobby manager continued. "They include the Youth Daily and People's Daily. These are all major domestic media outlets. How would you like to schedule it?"

Many authoritative media outlets in China would comment or publish articles about particularly hot topics. These media generally prefer to report on positive and uplifting matters in society. Jiang Feng's case was a perfect example. The fact that food is the first necessity of the people, combined with the frequent viral popularity of various street-food stall owners in recent years, also reflected people's increasing focus on daily life.

"Let's wait until the grand opening celebration week is over. Then, I'll talk to them," Jiang Feng agreed. He couldn't refuse; an interview with mainstream media was something he had to attend. Moreover, mainstream media was relatively more serious, and Jiang Feng thought that was fine.

Jiang Feng checked the trending topics on his phone and saw that many people were discussing Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring. Everyone was guessing what sort of dish it could be. Not just netizens, but many chefs were clueless about this dish.

Jiang Feng didn't realize that in this world, the dish Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring was completely lost to history. That is to say, the dish had once appeared in the imperial court, but for various reasons, it had disappeared into the mists of history and had not been passed down. Such lost culinary treasures were not uncommon.

So, while there were chefs who previously made videos to educate netizens about the delicacies of Jiangyue Terrace, this time, no one did, because they too were unaware. Not even Wang Shulin, who had once been responsible for the state banquet as the head chef, had heard of this dish.

When Wang Shuran asked Wang Shulin what Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring was, Wang Shulin pondered for a long time before replying, "I really don't know. At least from my professional experience, I have never seen this dish."

Upon hearing this, a look of astonishment appeared in Wang Shuran's eyes. What? Even Grandpa hasn't heard of it? This was somewhat inconceivable.

"Grandpa, you don't know it either? Then could this dish have been concocted by Boss Jiang, or did he come up with the name himself?" Wang Shuran immediately said.

"Considering the dishes he made a few days ago, that shouldn't be the case; they were all genuine imperial court dishes," Wang Shulin explained. "This Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring must be the same. Such imperial court dishes usually incorporate the finest ingredients from all over the country. Ordinary people couldn't make them, so they gradually became lost to time."

Wang Shuran nodded, still somewhat shocked.

Online, many state banquet chefs who produced their own media content didn't release videos this time, and the netizens sensed something amiss, leaving comments under these people's video accounts:

"Boss Jiang's Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring is trending, but what exactly is this dish, tell us!"

"Is it a state banquet dish? Has anyone made it before?"

"How does it taste compared to Five-Dragon Soup?"

"Why is no one talking about how to make this dish, I'm dying of curiosity here!"

The netizens were very curious. Not just them; at this time, many chefs were asking around in their own circles if anyone had heard of or made this dish, but no one had. After all, a name like "Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring" sounded like a rich and opulent imperial court dish that ordinary people truly couldn't make.

When accomplished chefs chatted casually, the topic always veered towards Jiang Feng.

"Who exactly is the owner of Jiangyue Terrace Restaurant? I thought he was just an online celebrity who started with a small stand, but how can he cook imperial court dishes so skillfully?"

"I've seen the imperial court dishes he's made; they are flawless, extremely impressive!"

"I also haven't heard of anyone in the circle who knows him. How did he become so popular all of a sudden!"

"Perhaps his family really has some connections; anyhow, it's quite mysterious!"

"His skills are indisputable; truly remarkable!"

The chefs couldn't help but express their admiration. Now, Jiang Feng had become a leading figure in the culinary industry, and everyone was paying a lot of attention to him. His ability to cook to this extent was incredible.

Jiang Feng hadn't realized these things, or rather, he never boasted about his own prowess. On one hand, inheriting various recipes from the system gave him the chance to learn cooking techniques summarized by predecessors, which he considered fortunate. On the other hand, he also really enjoyed cooking and savored the pleasure that the culinary arts brought him. He didn't care about those empty honors.

Unafraid of the clouds that obscure the view, for he dwells at the highest heights.

His state of mind was indeed lofty.

That evening, the video account of Jiangyue Terrace got tens of thousands more comments, all asking about Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring and how exactly the dish was made. Many food broadcasters and vloggers wanted to learn Jiang Feng's culinary skills and replicate the dish.

At present, only the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was represented on its video account; the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant was being prepared and was expected to start up soon. So, when Liew Yan saw the messages from the operations team, she let Jiang Feng know about it.

Jiang Feng was somewhat surprised. "So many people want to know how Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring is made? Is it really that exaggerated? It's just an imperial court dish. The method is complicated, and it's not suitable for home cooking."

"Boss, everyone is very curious; the less they know, the more curious they become. They're all asking in the background," Liew Yan replied. "This time, even many national banquet chefs don't know how it's done, which is why everyone is even more curious."

"Alright, no problem. Tomorrow, I'll have the photographer record a video, and then we'll post it on the account," Jiang Feng answered. "There's nothing that can't be shared. After all, such imperial court dishes have almost been lost. It's a good thing if someone can replicate them."

Jiang Feng agreed.

Hearing this, Liew Yan was very pleased. Such a video would undoubtedly be very popular and beneficial for the restaurant's development. The Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was now the most well-known Shandong Cuisine Restaurant in the city, and many people even traveled from other places just to eat there. The restaurant's development was very promising. The corporate culture and atmosphere were also pleasant, and Liew Yan felt very satisfied going to work every day.

「The next day, Jiang Feng came to the kitchen.」

He wore a chef's uniform, a chef's hat, and a microphone hung on his collar. Jiang Feng was always accommodating when it came to things the public enjoyed. If everyone wanted to know what Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Offspring was, then why not let them know?

A videographer was filming Jiang Feng. This time, Jiang Feng didn't plan to immerse himself in cooking. Instead, he decided to narrate as he cooked, explaining the steps to everyone. After all, with such a cuisine, the method is one aspect; what's more important is to clearly explain the significance of the many details and the unique charm of the whole dish.

The young videographer was earnestly filming, taking his job very seriously, for fear of missing any detail. He felt that what he was recording was not just any culinary process, but a precious piece of video documentation. After all, some people now called Jiang Feng the Contemporary Culinary God. In view of the culinary skills he'd shown, that wasn't an overstatement.

Who else so young, could casually whip up imperial court dishes?