Rebirth: Starting from the Cafeteria

Du Shaojie didn't order any wine, only a serving of rice.

He tasted each of the two dishes and nodded frequently.

[Pork Elbow in Sauce] is a traditional Hunan dish with a long history. It originated in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. This dish uses pork front elbow as the main ingredient, supplemented with marinade, and is made through the process of first braising and then stewing.

Du Shaojie felt that the elbow meat was tender and fragrant, fatty but not greasy, and very delicious.

"The soul of this dish is the recipe of the marinade, and the difficulty in making it is controlling the heat."

He is an expert and can basically restore the production process of this dish after tasting it, but it is difficult to reproduce it perfectly. The problem lies in the "secret recipe", which is almost impossible to crack.

Du Shaojie's situation is somewhat special. He can get guidance from the "Hunan cuisine master" and can also try and error without limits.

This is the advantage of simulated training scenarios. As long as he wants to, he will be able to do it in the end.

However, he couldn't guarantee that the taste would be exactly the same as Yu Loudong's.

But he prefers [Spicy Chicken], which is similar to Sichuan cuisine's spicy diced chicken in terms of production process and seasoning.

It suits his taste very well.

In Du Shaojie's opinion, it is almost not difficult to replicate the dish "Spicy Chicken".

“So full!”

Du Shaojie put down his chopsticks, rubbed his belly, and felt a little full.

So after leaving the restaurant, he strolled along the river for a while, and then returned to the guesthouse.

He can't stand shopping all day.

evening.

Du Shaojie went out and found a restaurant in a small alley and ordered a dish of [Spicy Small River Shrimp] and a vegetable.

Fried small river shrimps are also a common dish in Hunan cuisine and taste good.

at night.

Du Shaojie entered the simulation scene and began to make [Sauce Pork Elbow] under the guidance of the Hunan cuisine master.

After trying again and again, he made rapid progress, and a Du version of [Sauce Pork Elbow] gradually took shape.

But strictly speaking, his reproduction this time actually failed.

There is a big difference between the [Jiangzi Elbow] he made and that made by "Yuloudong", and he still can't crack the other person's secret recipe.

Since you can't crack it, then use your strengths.

Later, I also practiced making [Spicy Chicken] for a while, and I was able to replicate this dish very easily.

After 100 hours, Du Shaojie exited the simulation scene, having spent 600 exchange points and 12000 hours, raising the overall ratings of the two dishes, [Saucy Pork Elbow] and [Spicy Chicken], to the level of "fragrant for ten miles".

Then he extracted a formula.

After resting for half an hour, I entered the simulation scene again.

He used the recipe he had just obtained to re-create the [Sauce Pork Knuckle], and the dish he made was very successful, with good color, aroma and taste, and was no worse than the "original" in any way.

Since it is not a perfect replica, the dish must be prefixed with the word "Dushi".

He spent 200 hours in one night and felt a little tired, but he was still very satisfied.

[Exchange points: 29318 points\49266 points]

【Duration: 348700 hours\872996 hours】

The next day.

Du Shaojie continues his journey of exploring delicious food.

Breakfast and dinner are chosen randomly, but lunch must be eaten at "Yuloudong".

For a week, the waiters at Yuloudong began to pay attention to him. This young man was handsome, tall, and had an amazing appetite. He would order two or three dishes every day, and they were never the same.

Several waitresses joked privately that this boy was good-looking and had plenty of money, so it would be best if he came every day.

It’s pleasing to the eyes, isn’t it?
"What are you guys mumbling about?"

At this time, the head chef Wang Qingquan walked in from outside, happened to hear their conversation, and asked curiously.

Wang Qingquan is about 50 years old. He was promoted to "Special First-Class Chef" last year and is one of the mainstays of Yuloudong.

But he is approachable and even young employees get along well with him.

"Master Wang, look at that customer over there. He comes here every day at noon and orders two or three different dishes. He has been coming here for a week."

A quick-talking waiter immediately said this, while secretly pointing towards Du Shaojie.

Wang Qingquan couldn't help but smile. What a big deal. He was on leave today and had something else to do in the store. He was ready to leave immediately.

For the restaurant owner, no one would care even if the customers came to eat there for a week, let alone a month or a year.

They welcome you very much, as long as you pay the money.

Wang Qingquan walked out a few steps and suddenly remembered something. He stopped and looked at Du Shaojie.

The more he looked at it, the more it looked like a likeness, so he just walked over.

Du Shaojie didn't pay attention at first, but when he saw a man walking towards him, he put down his chopsticks.

"Du Shaojie?" I didn't expect that when I walked up to him, the man would call out my name accurately.

Du Shaojie stood up and looked at the other person carefully, but still didn't recognize him.

"Yes, who are you?"

"I'm Wang Qingquan, and I work in this restaurant. Master Xiao Du, it seems that you don't remember me. Let me mention that when you participated in the finals of the National Youth Chef Skills Competition in Beijing, I was one of the judges."

After Wang Qingquan's reminder, Du Shaojie suddenly realized.

Because he won the "Special Prize" in that competition, many judges remembered this young and handsome guy.

However, the status of the contestants and the judges was not equal, and Du Shaojie did not remember the appearance of every judge.

"Hello, Master Wang! I'm so sorry, I was so nervous during the competition that I couldn't remember what the judges looked like. Please don't be offended."

The two of them got to know each other well and then sat down to talk.

Wang Qingquan remembered what the waiter had said before, and then looked at the few dishes left on the table, and he had the answer in his mind.

"Master Xiao Du, are you here to check out our restaurant? I heard that you came here every day for a week. How is it going? Did you gain anything? What do you think of our dishes?"

"I did gain something, but without any guidance, I basically just stayed on the surface. Yuloudong is indeed the leader of Hunan cuisine, the quality of the dishes is excellent, and I enjoyed it very much."

Du Shaojie acted very generous. It was not like he went to the kitchen to learn from others. He was the one who paid for the meal, so no one could say anything.

Wang Qingquan laughed. He had a deep impression of this young man. It was a pity that they had no contact after the competition.

When they met again today, he felt that he and the other party had a good connection.

"Are you still in the Great Northwest? What level of chef are you?"

After all, having been a judge for the other party's competition, Wang Qingquan spoke more casually.

Du Shaojie briefly talked about his experiences in the past few years. He only said that he had contracted the snack bar of the unit, but did not mention opening restaurants in Xijiang and Guangdong Province.

It is a big taboo to talk about deep things with someone you just met.

When Wang Qingquan heard that Du Shaojie was already a "special level three chef", he became a little uneasy.

"Young people are amazing! By the way, are you interested in Hunan cuisine? If you are interested, I can discuss it with you."

Wang Qingquan was attracted by the talent and at the same time he also wanted to establish a good relationship with the other party.

Such a young top chef who dares to take over the snack bar of the company has unlimited future prospects.

When Du Shaojie learned that the other party was not working today, he asked the waiter to remove the leftovers and ordered two more plates and a few bottles of beer.

The two of them ate and chatted. Du Shaojie happened to have some doubts, so he sincerely asked Wang Qingquan for advice.

Wang Qingquan told us everything he knew. After all, they were all theoretical stuff and did not involve core secrets, so he was happy to be a teacher.

Now the two are at the same level, even if there are some differences, they are limited.

After chatting for a while, he was shocked by Du Shaojie's amazing comprehension.

Basically, with just one word from him, the other party can understand a lot of things and can even draw inferences about other situations.

"Well, Master Xiao Du, I have something to do now, how about we meet again at five o'clock in the afternoon? My family has opened a small restaurant, and we can communicate while practicing."

The two were chatting enthusiastically until a waiter came to call him, and then Wang Qingquan quickly got up and went to the manager's office.

Before leaving, he gave Du Shaojie an address and asked him to go there at five o'clock and continue at that time.

Du Shaojie had no objection, so he left "Yuloudong" and went back to the guesthouse to sleep for a while before going to find Wang Qingquan.

When we arrived, we saw that the restaurant in Wang Qingquan's house was not small, with two floors. It was considered a mid-range restaurant in those days.

"Are you Master Du? Master Wang has already told you to change your clothes when you arrive and then go directly to the kitchen to find him."

The person who greeted Du Shaojie was a woman in her thirties, very beautiful. It was unknown who she was related to Wang Qingquan.

Du Shaojie changed into chef's uniform as requested and then walked into the kitchen.

"Master Xiao Du, you came just in time. Let me show you how to make this dish, [Hair-Stranded Beef Tripe]."

Wang Qingquan invited Du Shaojie to watch from the side, and then he started to get busy.

[Shredded Beef Tripe] is also one of the representative dishes of Hunan cuisine. It is rather difficult to prepare and chefs with insufficient skills cannot make it at all.

Du Shaojie has gained some new knowledge. Master Wang's knife skills are excellent and his techniques are sophisticated. He has very high requirements for the appearance of dishes. His overall strength is even stronger than his master Liao Yongxin.

"Master Wang is indeed worthy of being a first-class chef. Watching you cook is not only a great learning experience, but also a real pleasure."

Du Shaojie expressed his sincere admiration and couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

He now believes more that it is not enough to always work behind closed doors, and he should go out and have a look when he has time. If he hadn't suddenly decided to come to Xingcheng this time, he might have missed Wang Qingquan.

"What kind of dishes does Chef Xiao Du specialize in? Take a look at the order. Are you willing to show off your skills?"

Wang Qingquan finished making the dish [Shredded Beef Tripe] and had it taken away.

Of course, there is more than one chef in the kitchen. He has to go to work during normal times and only comes here during his breaks.

Du Shaojie did not refuse. As a chef, his work must speak for itself in the end. If he doesn’t show off his skills, how will others know his level?

The chef level is just a basic description and cannot completely replace personal ability. (End of this chapter)