National Tide 1980.

Chapter 463
Kang Shude didn't care how Ning Weimin pondered, let him digest it by himself, and continued to teach.

"Restaurants are located above restaurants. Restaurants are also called restaurants or stir-fry restaurants. They belong to the middle class in the catering industry. In most cases, they are named after 'ju' and 'vegetarian'. The biggest difference between them and restaurants , in addition to the fact that there are more houses and more space. It is also because each restaurant has its own unique flavor, and there must be one or two special signature dishes. In the past, there was a saying in Beijing that there were "eight residences". They were all relatively well-known mid-range restaurants. There are also Shaguoju, Liuquanju, and Weiweizhai."

"The restaurants specialize in snacks, and the main means of profit are small frying and banquets. Therefore, they usually have private rooms and private seats. And in order to attract customers, they will write 'Small snacks in season, drink as you like' on the front door to attract customers." , four-season delicacies, famous north-south spots' and other words."

"Needless to say, the profit of opening a restaurant is naturally much higher than that of a restaurant. So in order to attract more high-level customers, of course you need a good and lively location. Like the Dashilan on both sides of Qianmen Street, Meishi Street, the grinding factory, The meat market is the most concentrated."

"Back then, such things as Houdefu, Jinguchun, Xinghuachun, Zuiqionglin, Xiaoyoutian, Enchengju, Yuexiangzhai, Nanweizhai, Bianyifang, and Judequan were all gathered together. Nearby, there are restaurants of this level. Many of them have exotic flavors. For example, those with the word "spring" can be asserted to be southern restaurants, and there have been "eight springs" in the capital. In the past, the rich family used to say "shopping" Small market, listening to small operas, eating in small restaurants'. This small restaurant refers to this kind of restaurant."

"As for places higher than restaurants, those serving the upper class are restaurants. Needless to say, restaurants are of course named after 'lou'. The 'Eight Buildings' in our capital city were the most famous eight restaurants. As for restaurants The gap with the restaurant mainly lies in three points, first, the location is better, and the scale of the house is larger. Second, there are fewer scattered seats and more reserved seats. Third, the quality of the restaurant’s dishes is higher and more comprehensive.”

"Whoever opens a restaurant is always located in the best location in the downtown area, like Zhengyang Tower is just under the Daqianmen. Cuihua Tower is in Wangfujing Bamiancao. It can be seen at a glance from the street. The natural scale is not Most ordinary restaurants are bungalows, with scattered seats on the first floor, and private seats and private rooms on the second floor. There are also more banquets sold as tables than in mid-range restaurants.”

"As for the difference in dishes, that's the biggest difference. There must be a famous chef sitting in every major restaurant, and each has its own famous specialties. Like the cloud sliced ​​bear's paw in Dongxing Restaurant, the braised sea cucumber in Taifeng Restaurant, and the Xinfeng Restaurant. Roasted purple abalone with cabbage from Zhengyanglou, grilled prawns from Chunminglou, stir-fried snails from Donghualou, stir-fried squid from Tongchunlou, immortal whole duck from Yuebinlou, boiled noodles from Huiyuanlou Dan, Zhimeilou’s four-cooked fish, Wuhelou’s stewed preserved fish, Longyuanlou’s fried eel shreds, Cuihualou’s casserole fish lips... The materials must be high-quality, but it must be difficult for others to imitate It’s a unique skill.”

"That's not enough, the key is that there are still some unwritten rules in the restaurant. In addition to constantly updating the 'seasonal dishes' with the changes of the seasons, such as pheasant neck (a kind of leek) in spring and pancake sous pan. In late spring and early summer Yellow croaker, large prawns, steamed shad. In summer ice cups, fresh lotus seeds, crystal jelly, walnuts, lotus roots, and water chestnuts. In autumn, river crabs with seven tips and eight balls, mutton after the beginning of autumn, chrysanthemum pots and assorted pots in winter, for Chinese New Year In addition to Nanjian meatballs and rice noodle meat, major restaurants must also have the ability to provide more than 50 general-purpose dishes at any time for guests to use for dinner or outside cooking."

"I don't know if I can remember everything, anyway, let's just talk about it. There are braised shark's fin, stewed jelly in clear soup, white fungus in clear soup, mandarin fish in a pot, sliced ​​chicken with hibiscus, five willow fish, olive fish slices, and cattail in milk soup. Vegetables, (nomeko) yam, soft fried pork belly, stewed north and south, crystal elbow, honey waxed lotus seeds, fried double crisp, sea cucumber with green onion, sea cucumber and crab powder, roasted pork with eight treasures, shredded yam, chicken minced cauliflower, pot roasted cabbage, Deep-fried belly kernels, soft-fried duck waist, fried green shrimp balls, soft-fried chicken, fried gizzard liver, braised green clams, sliced ​​ham, fried mushrooms, fried squid, soft-fried tenderloin, braised duck strips, braised three winters, braised three delicacies, Braised assorted, braised shrimp, braised claw tip, shrimp roe and winter bamboo shoots, fried fish fillet, braised eel, carp in sauce, braised fish fillet, braised chicken, braised meat pie, braised pork slices with cabbage heart, pot roasted fat duck, three slices of Dongyang , Potstickers Money Chicken, Straw Hat Pigeon Eggs, Mushroom Soup, Abalone Soup, Dried Fruit Soup, Chicken Ball Soup, Simmered Winter Bamboo Shoots, Mushroom Crust, Breaded Shrimp..."

Good guy!As soon as the old man exported this mouth-like menu, Ning Weimin was almost dumbfounded.

YouQi, while listening, counted with his fingers...

Obediently!There are not more than 50 kinds of them.

Therefore, the admiration is completely from the heart, and the thumbs-up is completely sincere.

"Master, you are amazing! Do you remember so many dishes? You... this has caught up with the "Reporting the Names of Dishes" in cross talk. You are really a master! To tell you the truth, As far as the common dishes you mentioned, I have never heard of them, let alone eat them..."

Who knows that Kang Shude shook his head frequently and laughed instead.

"Hey, what kind of foodie am I? In fact, I haven't eaten many dishes. The reason why I can remember it is because I used to follow Mr. Song and be his long-term follower. This is one of my errands .”

"The real eater is Mr. Song. Because he always has to socialize outside, he has to pay back after dinner. Mr. Song often points me to run errands if he wants to book a table or order a restaurant. It takes a long time to deal with the dealer. Now, I naturally have to remember these things, so that Mr. Song can use them as a reference when ordering a table and choosing dishes."

"So I'm a verbal gourmet. When it comes to eating, I just satiate my eyes. I see more and eat less. Of course, after all, following Mr. Song, there are many times when I can get rich. I often get a little bit of money. For example, when Mr. Song treats guests, I skewer the kitchen or something, and if there is any extra, I put it in my mouth."

"There are also the folding baskets left on the banquet table. I have tasted all those good things. Even if I go to a banquet outside, the chicken and duck racks and broth provided by the kitchen can at least manage me. Then there is the money I earn, so I can eat outside A small restaurant with local flavors. My own consumption level is basically below that of ordinary restaurants. I’m just talking about it, and I’m just ignoring you, kid.”

Only then did Ning Weimin suddenly realize, but he still wanted to boast.

"That's not easy. You have so many treasures, it's like a living dictionary in the capital Qinxing. Mr. Song may know a lot of famous dishes and know how to pay attention to them, but if you talk about the management of these large and small restaurant The situation may not be as good as you."

Kang Shude was happy again, but this time he was really tickled.

"You have a good tongue, you really know how to say nice things. But there is some truth in what you say. Who is Mr. Song? A person who handles big things and talks about fun, naturally he won't pay much attention to these mundane things. pay attention to."

"What he cares about when he eats is the origin of the dishes, the texture of the ingredients, the cooking skills, as well as the social gatherings at the dinner party. He doesn't have time to care about the trivial things in it, and how the restaurant is run."

"We also have dinner together at the same table, either when the solar terms are fresh, or when he meets something happy and takes me to a small restaurant. Often at this time, he will teach me how to taste dishes and wine. But go to When he goes out to do errands in the city, he will have to rely on me to have a meal at a restaurant or a wild teahouse on the way home, or to buy some snacks for a drink. The levels are different."

The last sentence mentioned levels, which made Ning Weimin unavoidably touched, and thought of his own affairs.

So after a daze, he followed closely and asked out his doubts.

"Grandpa, what you said today is very word-for-word, which has taught me a lot. But I have heard from you so far. Although there are distinct levels from small to large, this restaurant is already high-end. It has already connected Bear’s paw, sea cucumber, shark’s fin and bird’s nest are all discussed above. How can this restaurant be higher than shark’s fin? People just eat these delicacies from mountains and seas. what a big difference..."

"Haha" Kang Shude laughed immediately after hearing this, "Okay, I haven't forgotten my important matters, you are asking me for a drama review. Well, I won't fool you anymore. There are many. We should see the truth. In fact, it is very simple, how is the restaurant higher than the restaurant? It is the word 'ostentation'."

"Extraordinary?" Ning Weimin was puzzled and frowned.

"Yes!" Kang Shuode confirmed again, and then explained in detail.

"The reason why it is said that the restaurant is about ostentation is mainly because banquets are different from banquets, and banquets are also different from banquets. The ones eaten at home are called ordinary meals, and the emphasis is on smoothness, comfort and kindness. The ones eaten in restaurants and restaurants are called casual meals. Pay attention to taste and get together and drink, or talk about current affairs, or official affairs, or talk about learning, or talk about love. When eating in a restaurant, the focus is on the scene, etiquette, communication, and sense of ritual. It is called an official seat, which is what is called today. banquet."

After saying these words, Ning Weimin's eyes lit up, and he finally understood the meaning of the old man's words.

Just listen to Kang Shude and continue talking.

"Fan Zhuangzi is the highest level and largest in the restaurant. Most of them are marked with the suffix of "Tang" and are called "Tang" big restaurants. There is a saying of "Eight Great Halls" in the capital. Like this kind of restaurant Generally, there are spacious courtyards with spacious and bright rooms, clean and quiet courtyards, and often gardens, theater stages or theater buildings. You can listen to operas and enjoy sightseeing.”

"Why do we need such a big place? Because all the people who come to the restaurant to treat guests have a set of tables and formal seats. Most of them are birthdays, full moons, weddings and funerals, birthday celebrations, group worship, and even spring wine, etc. There are dozens of tables, hundreds of tables, at least ten tables or eight tables, just to meet the wind, see off, etc. At least there are three or two tables."

"All kinds of utensils in the restaurant are very dignified, and they are all very particular. Tables and chairs should have exquisite table surrounds and chairs. The bowls, plates and tea sets are all exquisite porcelain, and even gold, silver and jade wares are used. Table utensils are also more expensive than restaurants. And all, not only chopsticks, spoons, but also knives and forks. Knives are used for eating barbecue. If the chef does it for you, you don’t need to put them on the table. But forks are necessary. Unlike western forks, Chinese forks are thin and straight. There are silver and copper ones, and they are specially used for eating fruits and snacks, and chopsticks are not allowed."

"Almost all the dishes in Fanzhuangzi are high-sounding big dishes, which have nothing to do with the heat. It doesn't matter how long it takes to cook these dishes. And there are many kinds of dishes that can be made in one pot and eaten immediately. Li Sheng. There are also some that can be made a day in advance, and they are steamed and cooked immediately when eating. The emphasis is on softness, not tenderness. Customers only care about the number of sets and the appearance.”

"If you speak according to the serving procedure, it's like four fresh fruits, four dried fruits, and four cold meats. Ordinary banquets can be canceled or reduced as appropriate, but the official seats are different. You must make up the number. That's called pressing the table. And as usual According to the rules, the twelve dishes must be placed on the top of the table before the guests are seated. After the banquet, the wine is served first. There are usually four dishes, which can be stir-fried, such as fried chicken, braised shrimp, fried kidney, slippery Fish fillets or something. But it must be hot, and no soup is allowed, so no bowls, only seven-inch plates."

"After that, the 'Four Great Seas' are the main dishes for the official seats, which is the so-called 'mountain and sea delicacies'. Such as bird's nest in clear soup, osmanthus shark's fin, eight-treasure duck, sea cucumber with green onion, fish maw in white sauce, tremella in rock sugar and so on. If there are bird's nests, it is a bird's-fin mat. If there is shark's fin, it is a wing mat. If there are both, it is a swallow-fin mat. If there are ducks and shark's fin, it is a duck-fin mat. But it is said to be four big bowls, But in fact, the number can range from four to one. The most important thing is that there must be more salty dishes than sweet ones, at most equal. There must be no situation where there are more sweet dishes than salty dishes.”

"In addition, the sea bowl is the main one, and the stewed bowl is the supplement. This kind of dish has a wide range of raw materials, including seasonal vegetables and water vegetables. Such as braised chicken shreds, stewed fish maw, stewed peas, stewed duck feet, roasted winter bamboo shoots, roasted wild rice, Crab roe, roasted chestnuts in sugar, etc. Each dish is a small bowl with a diameter of three or four inches. Do not use a plate. Use eight, six, or four. The important thing is that you can’t order it alone, it must be served with the sea bowl of main dishes Come on, each sea bowl is accompanied by two or four stewed bowls. And the taste must be consistent with the main dish. The sea bowl is sweet, and the stewed bowl must also be sweet. The sea bowl is salty, and the stewed bowl must also be salty."

"At this point, the wine should be almost drunk. Since I have been drinking, eating and chatting for a long time, I am afraid that the guests will be hungry, so I will serve rice noodles and snacks at this time. There will always be two dishes. However, the ingredients and methods are whatever you want. Steam, fry, It can be boiled or baked. Then there are four big bowls, which are mostly soup dishes, such as Dongpo pork, lion's head, boiled three slices, and stewed fried tofu. They are designed for dinner, so they are also called rice dishes. As soon as this kind of dishes are served, the meal follows, which is the last part of the banquet procedure. That means the standard official seats should come to an end at this point."

"It is worth mentioning that due to the nature of this kind of banquet that needs to be booked in advance. Fan Zhuangzi is divided into Leng Zhuangzi and Rezhuangzi. Although Lengzhuangzi has a facade, it does not open on weekdays. There is no fixed chef, waiter, or even furniture. There are no countertops. After the guests book the scale and date of the banquet, they will go to temporarily recruit the "Kouzihang chef", and the leader of the Kouzi chef will handle all matters on his behalf. Needless to say, Leng Zhuangzi is mostly in a remote place with inconvenient transportation. adopt such a business strategy.”

"And Rezhuangzi is a good location. It is open every day, with fixed chefs and waiters. In addition to hosting large banquets, there is often a restaurant or some private rooms to entertain scattered customers. Therefore, Rezhuangzi is also It will be like a big restaurant, with some unique specialty dishes. For example, Juxiantang’s Fried Bell Double Juice, Fushoutang’s Green Gai Shark’s Fin, and Tonghetang’s Tianti Duck Feet.”

"All in all, in the past, the customers of those big restaurants were all government departments, dignitaries, celebrities, big businessmen, etc. What they eat is a sense of ritual and dignity. It must be full of flowers and extravagant, so as to create a sense of wealth and honor. It’s a decent scene. But if you really want to eat delicious food, it’s not very suitable to go to a restaurant. On the contrary, small restaurants and restaurants have this advantage, where you can see hot dishes and delicate dishes.”

"Speaking of this, I still remember that Mr. Song once spent [-] oceans to treat his friends to a [-]-course banquet of Beiping Fangshan, which was exactly like the menu eaten by Emperor Qianlong. And his evaluation may be true to you It is useful. Mr. Song said to me at the time, "It cannot be said that it is not delicious, but the taste of each dish is not much different. It is probably that those imperial chefs always use broth and mushroom seasoning. Although the taste is very fresh, but every What's the point of doing both of them? The only amazing skill is that they can write words on the dishes. What's more, the longevity is boundless, the world is peaceful, and the presentation and shape are extremely beautiful. The etiquette of the words is somewhat similar, but the method is undoubtedly much more sophisticated."

Kang Shude's words lingered in Ning Weimin's heart for a long time.

His mind was running repeatedly, digesting, and completely lost his mind.

After an unknown amount of time, he let out a long breath, and his heart became completely clear, just like a sunny day with blue sky and white clouds outside.

Not only did he finally know which address he chose was the most suitable.

It was even like enlightenment, and I understood a lot of extra things.

For example, why is it that No. 87 Tiantan North Road is used to open Yushan Restaurant, but why can’t it cover Beihai Fangshan and Tingli Pavilion?

In the end, it almost fell to the point of lingering.

He has figured it out now, it's nothing but lack of ostentation and space.

In the past, Yushan operated the restaurant as a restaurant, and its foothold was actually placed on individual customers and casual seats.

But the dishes in the restaurant are inherently inferior to restaurants in terms of taste.

Do you have fine dishes?Do you have hot dishes?Do you have a unique skill?
What you have is just the fabricated gimmick of the "Full Feast of Man and Han" and the historical and cultural background of the official imperial banquet.

However, these advantages were not brought into play, and they were all held back.

And those two well-known and time-honored brands, the one selling roast duck and the one selling steamed buns, why are they declining day by day, becoming more and more dismal?

That's because one is just the quality of an ordinary restaurant, and the other is even the foundation of a restaurant.

They actually betrayed their customer base by relying on this little skill, insisting on earning money from the restaurant, or even from the restaurant.

Of course that is wishful thinking!Germany does not match ah!

Don't blame anyone, just blame you for messing up your own positioning and forgetting your roots!

(End of this chapter)