Return To 1977 Chapter 648: Kouzi Kitchen

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Now that you have money, people, and time, it’s easy to buy the things you need to do, just take your time. So the most important thing right now is to hire a chef.

In fact, whether it is Li Fu or Hong Yanwu, the first choice in their minds is of course Master Pang, the chief cook of the canteen.

They all know Master Pang's craftsmanship, and he works in large canteens. It should be more suitable to take this job.

But there is a problem here. Isn’t it true that the “marriage wave” has begun in society now? "May Day" is definitely the day when most "red things" are done. It was already mid-March now, and Hong Yanwu thought that Master Pang must have decided on a job long ago.

Because from what he had heard, Master Pang had rejected others no less than three times. And according to his understanding of Master Pang's character, what he said was word for word. I'm afraid there's no point in trying to find him. On the contrary, if he opens his mouth, it will only make things difficult for him.

However, Hong Yanwu did not expect to mention this situation, but Master Li was not discouraged at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "You might as well ask first. If Master Pang is a real expert, then based on the current time, there is still a way. Son. It depends on our luck..."

In this case, Hong Yanwu had nothing to say.

The next day, he followed Li Fu's instructions exactly and invited Master Pang to meet Li Fu in the small wine shop at the entrance of the factory while he was on duty. Then he ignored it and went back to work.

Oddly enough, he didn't have much hope in this matter. It actually happened.

At noon when the cafeteria opened, we talked for about an hour. When Master Pang came back, he called him out of the kitchen and took him to the back, giving him a few special instructions.

"I agree to this matter today. But you have to keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone, remember? We will treat it as if it doesn't happen in the work. If something really happens, can you wait? Let’s talk in private when we are alone.”

Hong Yanwu couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise and nodded.

But Master Pang winked at him and smiled.

"Why do you have such an expression? I'm surprised. I can't tell, but your family is actually a big family. That old Li is even better. We have known each other for so many years, and he hides it. I didn't expect him to be an expert... OK, it’s really interesting! Okay, let’s get busy first...”

After that, Master Pang hummed a little tune and left, leaving Hong Yanwu blinking on the spot.

And what was even more unexpected was that when Hong Yanwu went back and asked Li Fu, Uncle Li was actually the same. He sighed that Master Pang was really an expert and said that he had found the right person this time. The reaction seemed a bit sympathetic.

So what's going on here? Only when Li Fu explained everything in detail later did Hong Yanwu really understand.

In addition to the Five Elements and Eight Works of Guanqing Jiujing, which have official plaques and are officially open for business, there are also some practitioners who do not rely on sales departments and stores, and only wait for the call of users.

These people are divided according to their residence, and wait for recruitment in a specific "teahouse" every morning. This gathering place is called "Zan'er".

In each industry, both the craftsmen waiting for jobs and the "heads" who make appointments are all acquaintances, and they all rely on oral appointments. This method of employment is called "Kouzi".

The Kitchen Shop is no exception. The "Kouzi Chef" specializes in serving ordinary people and only handles business affairs. There are also people called "Hongbaikou'er", which in layman's terms means "people running in greenhouses".

And this industry is actually the most praised industry in the "Kouzi" business in Beijing.

Because first of all, "Kouzi Kitchen" has a long history and is the purest and authentic Beijing flavor.

Tracing back to its origins, this industry actually dates from the era of Ming Taizu and Ming Chengzu. It was introduced to the capital when large numbers of people migrated from Anhui, Nanjing and other places.

When it first entered the capital, it was still Huaining flavor, which could also be called Ningwan flavor. Later, it was combined with Youyan flavor to form Beijing flavor in the Ming Dynasty.

In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, in order to take over the business of the bannermen, it merged with the Liaodong flavor, and finally formed the Beijing flavor in the middle and late Qing Dynasty.

As for the time-honored brands that people now talk about as having a Beijing flavor, they actually don’t. Most of them are Shandong cuisine restaurants or halal restaurants.

Even "Casserole House" is not Beijing style, it is a white meat restaurant. The main dish is white meat pork elbow, the auxiliary dish is blood sausage and tripe, and the seventy-two roasted dishes are the raw and colorful dishes. Authentic Liaodong flavor.

Some people may say that folk dishes are always authentic, right? You should go to a small restaurant to find home-cooked food.

That doesn’t work either.

Because the lowest-level small restaurant in those days was the "Er Pork Shop" selling simple stir-fried vegetables, braised pancakes, braised noodles and noodles with soy sauce. It was run by people from "Xisanfu" in Shandong and Baoding in Hebei. The cooking techniques are from eastern Shandong and central Hebei.

So we want the purest Beijing-style dishes. Only "Kouzi Kitchen" is authentic.

This point has long been confirmed by the old Beijing people and is certain.

Secondly, because "Kouzi Kitchen" was created specifically to meet the needs of service, the practitioners are not only skilled in craftsmanship, but also have unique skills and special dishes.

The rules of "Kouzi Chef" are very strict and are only passed down from master to apprentice. In addition to worshiping the ancestor, practitioners strictly abide by three laws.

The first one should never leave your mouth, and should only be used for business matters. The second rule is to stick to the rules and never show off your skills in restaurants or work as a dedicated chef for a mansion. The third rule is to never open a restaurant.

From the above three items, we can see the professionalism of "Kouzi Kitchen" in folk banquets. So to some extent, even those with high-tech skills can’t do this business.

For example, if there are a lot of people to be entertained at a "red and white event", then you must be quick.

When the banquet begins, all we have to do is wait for the order from the host’s deacon. The master who picked the shift was responsible for cooking, the assistants helped cook, and the apprentices started to perform their duties and operate in an orderly manner.

With a flick of the frying spoon, ten tables and twenty tables can be cleared with one wave. The race against time is no less important than in an artillery position or on a surgical operating table.

For the same reason, the ability of "Kouzi Kitchen" is also reflected in reasonably reducing costs and how to save fuel, seasonings and fuel.

The color, aroma, and taste of dishes cooked by a person with a trendy craftsmanship using only half a pound of oil are far inferior to those made by an expert using only 30 ounces of oil. Of course, the higher the craftsmanship, the lower the cost and the more competitive it will be.

In the past, people were all about word-of-mouth. Those with trendy craftsmanship were expensive and tasted bad. If they couldn't attract regular customers, they would lose their jobs. This also creates motivation, forcing people to try their best to improve their skills.

Of course, the taste of the food is the most important thing.

Don’t forget that the customers served by “Kouzi Kitchen” are almost all ordinary people below the middle class, and the dishes they cook are all rough dishes. Most of the specialty dishes are meat, with very little seafood. You can only order fish, shrimp and sea cucumbers. Never seen a bird's nest like a sponge, a shark's fin like vermicelli, or fish lips like feet and corns. Commonly known as "looking for meat".

However, precisely because of the isolation of its industry, "Kouzi Kitchen" has been passed down from generation to generation for so many years and has long formed its own systematic characteristics. Apart from doing "red and white events", people can't taste this Beijing flavor anywhere, but it makes people cherish and yearn for it even more.

What is the unique skill of "Kouzi Kitchen"?

A pig can make one hundred and eight dishes without using any other ingredients. No matter how famous the chef in the restaurant is, he doesn't have this ability.

For another example, a table with twelve dishes can serve as a special dish with cabbage as the main course. "Golden hook cabbage" and "emerald cabbage" are seasoned with auxiliary ingredients and soups, and the taste can be different.