National Tide 1980.

Chapter 652 True and False Western Food
"Actually, when it comes to this pot of stewed beef, it can't be regarded as a Russian dish, because there is no such dish in Russia. It belongs to the invention of Qishilin. It is alienated to cater to the people here. Western food. And this creamy gratin is similar in meaning, people in Russia actually only have creamy gratin."

Kang Shude said something astonishing again, Ning Weimin was even more surprised when he said it, he couldn't help blurting it out.

"What? According to what you said, it's hard to say, this...these are all fake Western food!"

The sound was so abrupt that the waiter in the restaurant seemed to have heard it.

Seeing the waiter who served the next table looked over with doubt and surprise, Ning Weimin couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

He quickly lowered his head and lowered his voice to ask the old man.

"You're not kidding, are you? Isn't this... this pot of goulash a real Russian dish?"

His tone was incredible.

But Kang Shude just smiled indifferently, but it was completely natural.

"What's so strange about this? When foreign things come to us, they rarely remain the same, and Western food is no exception. The reason is that the operators are anxious to make money and urgently need to be recognized by the local people."

"After all, in our place, there are few real foreigners and many locals. If there are so many western restaurants, if they only wait for foreigners to eat, it may be difficult to make a profit. This is the need of business strategy."

"If we take the old capital city as an example, the only western restaurants that can really maintain the authentic taste are the Western Gentlemen's Association in Dongjiaomin Lane, which only foreigners can enter, that is, the canteen of the German hospital and the bakery of the French hospital. This can be achieved. There are very few companies because they all have their own reasons, and there is no need to worry about profitability.”

"Others, from high-end luxury places such as Liuguo Hotel and Jingcheng Hotel, down to Ermiaotang and Yingyingfan restaurants of the citizen class, as long as you want to make money, you can't break out of the model of localization of Western food. Cheese Although Lin is famous, he is not exempt from common customs."

"You know, the identity of its founder in China was just a cook in a German military camp, an ordinary second-class soldier. He wanted money without money, and background without background. It is said that he was a coincidence, and he was appreciated by holding a banquet for Yuan Shikai. , and won 100 taels of silver reward. Only then did I have the opportunity to display my strengths."

"At the beginning, due to limited capital, the restaurant was very small, and the main business content was candy, bread, and pastry. Qi Shilin worked as a chef himself and asked his wife to serve as a waiter. He didn't want to find a way to cater to the preferences of the locals. How can that work? As long as you are a guest, you have to do your best to entertain. So the saying 'Chinese Western food' may sound absurd, but it is the truth."

"In the past, although most of the Western restaurants advertised themselves as British, French, German, and Russian dishes, they all claimed to be authentic. However, including the Western restaurants opened by foreigners, in fact, most of them were made to cater to the tastes of our Chinese people. .Especially the western restaurants run by our countrymen are not without fabrications, or even non-existence.”

"For example, the British like fried potato chips and fried fish, so many fried chicken, fish, and meat dipped in bread crumbs are called British in our western restaurants. The French like all kinds of sauces, so our Western restaurants have invented a homemade sauce made of ketchup, diced carrots, diced mushrooms, peas and raisins. It is red, green and green, with a sweet and sour taste. Just pour it on fried pork chops or meatloaf. Called 'French So-and-so'."

Hearing this, Ning Weimin looked at the food on the table in front of him, and suddenly felt a little unsavory.

He said in his heart that spending so much money as a co-author is to let others charge IQ tax.

Isn't this the same as the Chinese food that foreigners eat?
In his previous life, he also read some related information on the Internet, and he knew that the Chinese food in foreign countries was terrible.

Tso's chicken and Li Hongzhang's offal are all Chinese tricks to fool foreigners.

Unexpectedly, a foreigner who dared to love someone who came to China would still fool us...

"What? Feel awkward? Do you think you've been fooled and it's a waste of money to eat such unauthentic Western food?"

Kang Shude also saw Ning Weimin's displeasure, seeing that he did not deny it, he laughed it off again.

"You, actually, you don't have to think about it that way. It's a dead end. You have to think about it this way. The real Western food is too far away from us. It's difficult to accept. It's like your Maxim of Pierre Caton, and There is Jianguo Hotel, Justin. According to your introduction, it is authentic French food, cooked by the French chef himself, and the menu is exactly the same as in France. But how many of us here like to eat half-baked food? Toys?"

"Western food has far fewer changes in taste than Chinese food, and it's basically the same. When it comes to advantages, that is, the ingredients are fresh, and the eyes are more enjoyable than the tongue. In addition, the environment is exquisite, and eating this is also fashionable. Maybe you young people I like this kind of exotic style. But as you can imagine, invite our aunt in the yard, Master Luo, and Lao Mi to eat this kind of foreign food. What will they say? Let me tell you, they really can’t enjoy such a blessing, I’m afraid I’ll be punished by foreigners. It’s fine if I don’t vomit, but if I force myself to eat it, I’ll have a stomachache later.”

"Why? It's because of different eating habits and lack of understanding of the corresponding culture. Our generation is far more unfamiliar with the West than it is today. In addition, we are getting older and can't stand many raw and cold foods. The sense of taste has deteriorated. I can’t even taste the goodness of those high-end foreign rice. On the other hand, it’s such a fake Western food with a strong taste, and it’s fully cooked. They can still try it. People won’t be too repulsed after eating it. "

"Just like me, after eating fake Western food, I can distinguish what is butter, what is cheese, and what is cream. Only then can I sit down with you and eat the real thing. It is the fake Western food that has drawn the distance between me and real Western food. Otherwise, I am afraid that I will be the same as them, and I will not be able to enjoy real French cuisine."

"Speaking of which, you should understand what I mean? Fake Western food also has the meaning of fake Western food. This is the principle of gradual progress. Nothing can be done in one step. If there is no fake Western food to pave the way. Then the real Western food , there is no way to be accepted by our tongues and stomachs. It is the fake Western food as a transition that makes it possible for authentic Western food to be accepted by us. What's more, if there is no fake Western food for comparison, how can the level of authentic Western food be revealed? ?”

Ning Weimin was persuaded by the old man and couldn't help nodding.

"It seems to be the case. It's like my altar palace. If there is no other two palace dishes, we can't show our advantages. How can we show our advantages without those two unauthentic ones?" What about our authentic dishes? Ordinary people, who would know what palace dishes are? Our repeat customers recognize me because they have tried all the palace restaurants. Naturally, this is because they have eaten and seen it before. Only then can we judge what kind of palace dishes should be, and we can distinguish the extraordinary aspects of our altar and palace..."

After a pause with him, he continued, "However, I also feel that sometimes the business of a restaurant is not completely determined by the taste of the dishes. Especially for western restaurants, those who don't know much about western food For humans, dining experience seems to be more important than taste."

"Look, even as you said, the eating habits are different, and the real French food is unacceptable to the common people. Fake Western food is more suitable for the appetite of our people. But Maxim's environment is good, the service is good, and the serious foreigner Chef, the inside and outside of the restaurant, even the tableware and mouthcloths, are all very particular. This can give people a sense of grandeur."

"So don't look at the price, Maxim is more expensive than Lao Mo and Qishilin. But it is still very popular among customers, and it can't stop those who eat Western food from gradually forgetting Lao Mo and becoming Maxim's. Supporter. Especially recently, Maxim has started to increase the number of band performances, and I heard that the restaurant is doing very well, and it is almost full."

"To be honest, I came to this Qishilin today. In fact, the food tastes good, and it may be genuine. But the problem is that there are too many problems in the operation. It is a good restaurant, but the management has not kept up. The environment and tableware are unsatisfactory. I feel that the grade is not high, and the meal fee seems expensive. Naturally, no one wants to come. It means that the more famous the more disappointing."

"I think the business of Shilin is really not optimistic. People here are probably thinking about eating the old name of this signboard, and forget that this signboard should maintain the characteristics and grades that match it. We should be grateful for it. Either it was opened in the capital, or Maxim didn’t come to Jinmen to set up a store. Otherwise, the business here would be even worse. Even these [-]% seats won’t be available..."

Kang Shude nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're pretty accurate. Whether such a high-end dining place can win the satisfaction of the guests really doesn't depend entirely on the taste."

"It's like when I came to Jinmen to do business and invited my friends to eat Shilin for the first time. Although it was extremely uncomfortable, it can even be said that we didn't understand it at all. We made a big joke and ended up in a mess."

"But it was because Qi Shilin had a great reputation in those days, and the ostentation was astonishing. We walked into a foreign world that we had never touched, and saw scenes that we had never seen before, and we were still full of longing and admiration for Qi Shilin. "

"Even after returning to the capital, it has been many years. The first foreign meal that we can't bear to look back on only makes us feel novel and never forget it. We don't feel panicked at all."

"In fact, think about it the other way around. This is true for Chinese people who don't know Western food, and it's probably the same for foreigners who don't know Chinese food. You should pay attention to the business you open, and don't make mistakes like Shilin. And you have to think about it. If the other two have learned your strengths, what should you do..."

But the old man's warning is far less than the old man's experience, it can arouse Ning Weimin's interest even more.

Ning Weimin couldn't help but continued to ask questions.

"Hey, old man, tell me. Who did you come with? What did you eat? Why did you make a joke?"

Seeing Ning Weimin looking at him so curiously, Kang Shude smiled at him.

"Want to know something embarrassing about your master? It's fine, who made today's chat happy. But I tell you that jokes are not allowed, let alone rumors. I went there with my friend back then, and later told Ma Li Li, the young master of the family, was the driver. We ate... a few Germans."

"Germany?"

"Don't interrupt, listen, you boy..."

(End of this chapter)