The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 99 Chengdu
Chengdu, referred to as "Rong", also known as "Rongcheng" and "Jincheng", is the capital of Sichuan Province.It is located in Southwest China, west of the Sichuan Basin, and the hinterland of the Chengdu Plain.The terrain in the territory is flat, the river network is vertical and horizontal, and the products are rich.

Chengdu is one of the top ten ancient capitals in the country, the first batch of national historical and cultural cities, and the birthplace of the ancient Shu civilization.Shu Han, Former Shu, Later Shu and other regimes successively established their capitals here.Home to places of interest such as Dujiangyan, Wuhou Temple, and Du Fu Thatched Cottage, it is the best tourist city in China.

Sichuan is the birthplace of Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan cuisine has a variety of dishes, and the taste is both delicious and rich. It is famous for its spicy and spicy taste.And with its unique cooking method and strong local flavor, it is one of the eight major cuisines in China.

UNESCO awarded Chengdu the title of "Gourmet Capital of the World". The "Pixian Doubanjiang" produced in Chengdu is known as the soul of Sichuan cuisine and is an indispensable part of Sichuan cuisine.

There are many famous snacks in Chengdu: Shuangliu Laoma Rabbit Head, Husband and Wife Lung Slices, Dandan Noodles, Longzhaoshou, Three Cannons, Lai Tangyuan, Sweet Water Noodles, Juntun Guokui, etc., which are very popular among the common people.

Famous representative dishes in Chengdu include mapo tofu, double-cooked pork, shredded fish-flavored pork, kung pao chicken, saliva chicken, perfumed fish, camphor tea duck, quiver mutton soup, maocai, etc.

Since it is known as the "gourmet capital of the world", restaurants and restaurants are indispensable. Famous restaurants include Huangcheng Laoma, Chen Mapo Tofu, Chuanxi Bazi Hot Pot, Husband and Wife's Lung Pian Shop, Xiaotan Douhua, Shu Jiuxiang Hot Pot, Chengdu Chike, Haidilao, Darong and so on.

Chengdu is not big or small, the pace of life is slow, and people's happiness index is very high.

Due to the good ecological environment, there are many well-known tourist attractions.Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Dujiangyan, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Jianmen Pass, Shunan Bamboo Sea, etc.There are Kuanzhai Alley, Jinli and Taikoo Li in the city.

Lao Tan didn't go by plane with Mr. Xu and Hu Jing. Compared with him, he likes to take the train.Since we are going out to relax, although taking the train is slow, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.

He walked for a day first, took the train for about [-] hours, and had a good experience of the carriage society. When he arrived in Chengdu, Mr. Xu and Hu Jing were already in the hotel.

When you come to the hotel, the reception desk of the oriental cuisine is placed in the lobby, and people from all over the country are going through the formalities.Lao Tan saw two familiar faces in the crowd, Teacher Wu and Teacher Zhang.The three are old acquaintances and have greeted each other.Lao Tan and the two learned about the itinerary of this inspection, and knew that there would be an inspection of the raw material market on the third day. They were very happy and saved themselves from going alone.

He took the card and room card, said goodbye to the two, and went upstairs to the room.

There was already one person in the room, the head chef of Chuanhaozi Hot Pot Restaurant in the provincial capital.During this trip to Chengdu, 12 people visited four restaurants in the provincial capital. In addition to Kanto House and Chuanhaozi, there are Garden Hot Pot and Sanmin Restaurant.

The chef of Chuanhaozi Hot Pot Restaurant is surnamed Wang, in his thirties, slightly fat, from Hunan.Seeing Lao Tan coming in, he warmly greeted him: "Master Tan, I heard from Mr. Xu on the plane that you came by train, just arrived?"

"Well, I just arrived, you guys are here early." Old Tan asked with a smile.

"Three hours earlier than you. They went out for a walk. I didn't like to go because I was too tired." Chef Wang laughed, his eyes were closed due to his fatness.

Old Tan put down his bag, sat on the rattan chair and asked, "Did you come with your boss?"

"Yes, and the manager." Chef Wang replied.

"Your family's business is very good, there are three now, right?"

"Well, three, we plan to open another one during the Chinese New Year. The boss is choosing a place now. This time I come back mainly to inspect the hot pot market and see what good ingredients are available." Chef Wang said, with a proud expression on his face, and put the Chinese New Year again. Opening a store is very important, and it means showing off.

Old Tan just smiled and said: "On the afternoon of the third day, let's go to the raw material market, five stones, and everything there."

"Master Tan has been to Chengdu?" Chef Wang couldn't help asking curiously.

"No, look at the inspection schedule." Old Tan replied.

"Chengdu is a good place and a tourist city. It's been a lot of fun these two days."

"Hehe, good, have fun and eat well."

Hu Jing, Mr. Xu, and the owners and managers of the other three stores wandered around Jinli all afternoon.

Jinli, a folk custom street in Chengdu.Old streets, mansions, mansions, dwellings, inns, shops, and Wannian Terrace are located among them. The blue tiles are scattered in a patchwork pattern, and the bluestone road winds forward, making people feel like going back in time and space.Walking in it, the ancient Shu culture such as Sichuan tea, Sichuan cuisine, Sichuan wine, Sichuan opera and Shu brocade blows like a breeze.

The old street has a total length of 50 meters and adopts the architectural style of Sichuan ancient towns in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Visitors can enjoy the authentic Sichuan flavor within a short distance of 50 meters, which is unforgettable.

Hu Jing held the manager Su of the garden hot pot on his arm, and said as he walked, "This place is really nice, it seems to be in the Republic of China."

"Well, Jinli and Kuanzhai Alley are places you must visit when you come to Chengdu. They are different from West Lake in Hangzhou. They have two feelings." Manager Su said.

"Sister Su, have you ever been to West Lake?" Hu Jing asked.

"I went there last year, it was good. But I think our Beiling is better, quiet." Manager Su laughed after speaking.

Manager Su is the same as Zhang Li in the provincial capital. They are relatively well-known front desk managers and have a good management.Of course, this refers to social restaurants, which cannot be compared with those large hotels.

Cao Tao, the manager of Chuanbazi Hot Pot, was ten years older than Hu Jing and Manager Su. Obviously, the three of them couldn't go together. She and Huang Yuhang, the young owner of Sanmin Restaurant, walked together.

Huang Hangyu, 24 years old, has just graduated from university and is now studying management in his own restaurant.His mother is the chairman of the board, and she is close to Mr. Xu. The main purpose of taking him out this time is to let him see the world and see the development status of the catering industry.

The two young people have a common language together and can chat together.

The rest are Mr. Xu and his bosses, walking at the front of the team, talking and laughing.

Among the four bosses, Mr. Song of Huayuan Hot Pot is the oldest and the best cook. He is worth over 60 million yuan and belongs to the eldest brother.Next is Mr. Zhang from Chuanbazi, who currently operates three stores with an annual turnover of over 50 million, which should not be underestimated.Then there is President Li of Sanmin Hotel. Although she is a lady, she has an annual turnover of [-] million, which is unmatched by ordinary people.

Mr. Xu is the youngest and the smallest of the four. He is the younger brother among the four.

"Let's eat here in the evening, and watch the face-changing show." Big Brother Song suggested.

Chuanbazi Mr. Zhang said: "Okay, it's here."

Mr. Li and Mr. Xu both agreed.

Because there was a welcome party in the evening, all the restaurants from all over the country had to send a representative to attend, and the four bosses sent back the chef and manager who followed, including the small boss, Mr. Li's son Huang Yuhang.

The evening welcome meeting will be held at the hotel where you are staying.

After Lao Tan woke up, he was woken up by Hu Jing's phone call. After washing his face, he went to the banquet hall with Hu Jing and his roommate, Wang Chef.

Many people have come to the hall, they are the owners, managers, chefs of well-known restaurants all over the country who participated in this inspection, as well as the organizers of oriental cuisine, and celebrities from the Chengdu Catering Association.

For now, oriental cuisine has the greatest appeal and influence in the national catering industry.The organized KTP study tour was accepted by catering people all over the country, and was warmly welcomed by local catering people in every city, and many celebrities in the catering industry would come to the scene in person.

It can be said that every KTP inspection is a grand event in the catering industry.

Caterers from all over the country gathered together to conduct on-the-spot investigations and communicate with each other, learn advanced management models and current popular dishes, break the barriers between cuisines, learn from each other, and make progress together.

At the end of each inspection, the participants can learn a lot, make friends, integrate resources, and expand contacts. It is true that there are relatives everywhere in the motherland.

The disciples of the master of Sichuan cuisine, Chen Songru, attended the reception.Master Chen Songru and Lao Tan's master generation are both national treasures.In addition, his disciples went to Singapore to perform Sichuan cuisine performances, which were well received and recognized by international friends.Guo Moruo once said that Chen Lao's dishes are superb, and they are truly authentic Sichuan peppers.

Mr. Chen has been striving for Sichuan cuisine all his life. He wrote the book "160 Classic Sichuan Cuisine", which comprehensively introduces the origin, development, and world-famous classics of Sichuan cuisine.

The old man has brought out many good apprentices, and the apprentices are now in their sixtieth year. To mention one of them is a well-known master of Sichuan cuisine, which is awe-inspiring.

After Master Chen Songru's apprentice Li Lao finished his speech, everyone gave warm applause.

Huang Yuhang, the small owner of Sanmin Restaurant, sat next to Lao Tan, and couldn't help asking: "Is this Mr. Li the master of Sichuan cuisine?"

Old Tan said: "Almost."

"Master Tan?" Huang Yuhang asked.

"He is a master, so I don't have a chance to know him." Old Tan smiled, and then said: "Mr. Li is the apprentice of Chen Songru, a master of Sichuan cuisine. Chen Songru is a national treasure. Chen Lao and Chen Songling are also known as the Three Treasures. They all came from the period of the Republic of China, veteran craftsmen, superb cooking skills, noble cooking ethics, and true masters."

"Old Huang? We're from the provincial capital?" Of course Huang Yuhang didn't know anything about the older generation, and asked with an expression of waiting to find out.

"Well, the older generation knows very little now." Old Tan said.

"Master Tan?"

"Well, I have seen it, passed away more than ten years ago——"

Huang Yuhang is very interested in the affairs of the older generation in the catering industry, but no one has ever told him about it. Seeing that Lao Tan seems to know a lot, he said modestly: "Master Tan, if you have time, tell me about the older generation. chant."

Old Tan laughed and said, "No one likes to listen to it anymore, and besides, no one pays attention to these things now."

"I'm willing to listen. I'm just a primary school student now, and I want to know more about the elders."

So during the three days of investigation, Lao Tan had a small follower.

(End of this chapter)