Food Customizer

The first feast.

These are three very intriguing words. Anyone who loves food or has studied domestic food stories knows that among China's state banquets, the most famous one is: the first banquet of the founding of the country.

The state banquet was held at the Beijing Hotel on the night of the National Day in 1949. The people attending the banquet came from all over the world, with different nationalities, different identities, tastes and cultural differences.

Therefore, in order to achieve "both considerations", the banquet decided to choose Huaiyang cuisine with moderate taste. This was also an important reason why Huaiyang cuisine frequently appeared in state banquets. At that time, the Jingcheng Hotel only had Western food, so Jingcheng invited Teacher Zhu from the very famous Huaiyang Restaurant Yuhuatai and its nine Huaiyang cuisine masters came to cook this "first banquet of the founding of the People's Republic of China".

Naturally, these Huaiyang masters also tried their best to bring out all their abilities as much as possible, so they came up with the dishes for this feast: eight cold, eight hot, a first course, and four kinds of snacks .

A total of 60 tables were served for the twenty-one-course banquet, which was well received by all walks of life, and Huaiyang cuisine became an instant hit.

But what made Su Chen a little suspicious was.

"Brother Shang, as far as I understand, if it is a foreign-related reception banquet, it is usually a seated meal. This is really inconsistent with the situation of the first banquet, and if I remember correctly."

In fact, Su Chen didn't know these stories. They were all knowledge he had read in the General History of World Food in his spare time.

"Although the banquet was well prepared at that time, it was also because it was too sumptuous. After the banquet, the Prime Minister set the standard of four dishes and one soup for future banquets. So the culinary association used the first banquet as a proposition. After all, What means?"

If it's eight cold, eight hot and four dim sum dishes, there's really nothing to say. It basically follows the standards of Huaiyang cuisine, and even the dishes that can be selected are all set to death.

but if.

It would be much more interesting if it was done according to the Prime Minister's instructions.

Four dishes and one soup.

A knowledgeable person should not only match meat and vegetables, but also alternate between hot and cold. Furthermore, while being rich in color, it is best to take into account all poultry, livestock, meat and eggs.

This test is no longer about the chef's own skill, but more about the chef's understanding of food such as "what kind of dishes to serve on what occasion".

Shang Mingke held his chin and pondered for a moment, "This proposition is really a bit complicated. If you are not careful, you will fall into the trap of the Culinary Association."

He looked up at Su Chen, "Didn't the State Guesthouse do it first? You might as well see how they respond first, and then you can decide to do the same as them, or find another way."

After all, he is a layman, and it is not convenient for Shang Mingke to give his own advice.

But this [First Banquet] seems to have a little trap in it. Su Chen is also a little uncomfortable. Let's make four dishes and one soup. It seems a bit shabby. It's the 21st century now, and it's no longer the same as before. era.

Let’s make eight cold, eight hot and four snacks, which is a bit contrary to the original intention of the first banquet.

It's really a headache.

According to Su Chen's usual approach, he should not think about things he couldn't figure out for the time being. Since he couldn't decide which routine to follow to deal with this proposition, he would just prepare two plans!

It won’t be too tricky to pull out any set when the time comes.

"Brother Shang, let's go back and rest first, and then we can go out to eat together when Shu Yu comes over. I'm treating you today, so don't take it away from me."

Shang Mingke nodded, "Now that you are a rich man, you are much richer than me. I don't feel guilty if I feed you two meals. The room in the guest house has been arranged for you. You have to rest first after a busy day. I’ll just arrange things.”

When you go out, there are people who are easy to do, and you don't have to worry about anything. Su Chen breathed out, closed his eyes slightly, and began to rest in the car.

In fact, although Su Chen did not enter the practice room directly at this moment, he had already opened the fragments of famous Chinese recipes and two books on the general history of world cuisine in his mind.

While reading the history, slowly look for the dishes.

'The twenty-one dishes of this first banquet really have something to offer.'

When Su Chen read about that period of history, the contents of the general history of food seemed to materialize and began to form scene after scene in his mind, feeling like watching a movie.

Su Chen followed Teacher Zhu in the picture as he shuttled through the kitchen of the Beijing Hotel.

"Hey, hey! That rapeseed can't be used!"

"Didn't I tell you that all rapeseed must be three and a half inches high, with green leaves and thick flesh? Remove the stems and leave the three-leaf tender heart before use!"

"Who is that? When you chop vegetables, leave an extra portion for the laboratory technician!"

From handling the ingredients to starting cooking, Su Chen shuttled around each chef. It was not until Shang Mingke's voice sounded that he was separated from this immersive 'reading'.

"Then go back and rest first?"

Su Chen opened his eyes and saw that the car was already parked in the backyard of the Urban Construction Group.

This was not the first time he came to this place. Su Chen got up and got out of the car, "Sorry, Brother Shang, I'll take a rest first and let's take action after the two of them arrive."

Shang Mingke patted Su Chen's arm, "Why are you so polite to me? You take the time to rest. I'll be doing some work. After you finish your work, go out for a good meal in the evening!"

Shang Mingke sent Su Chen to the prepared room, and arranged for Su Chen to directly tell the front desk of the guest house if he needed anything, and then returned to the office building.

Su Chen, lying on the bed, did not sleep, but continued to read immersively with his eyes closed.

Whether it was the first banquet after the founding of the country, or the ordinary state banquet that was later changed to four dishes and one soup, after Su Chen read a lot of history from beginning to end, he had a feeling in a trance.

"What is a banquet?"

"It's just a meal."

No matter what kind of banquet it is, family banquet, state banquet, or various types of banquets, in the final analysis, they are all doing one thing: eating.

Now the Great Hall of the People or the State Guesthouse in Beijing all provide dining services. You don't need to be a big shot at all. As long as you bring money and walk in to order a meal, you can enjoy the state banquet food that only leaders of various countries can eat.

And here, it is divided into seated meals and ordinary meals.

If it is a standard meal, it is an ordinary meal.

If it is a customized meal, it is a seated meal.

If it is a seated meal, you just need to sit there, and the service staff will start serving the dishes one by one. If the VIP thinks it is delicious, you can eat more. If you think it is not to your taste, the service staff will take this dish away and continue with the next one.

However, in state banquets, people usually do not eat in a seated manner. At most, they only eat separately. If it is just a meal after some national-level conferences in China, they basically eat according to the standard of "four dishes and one soup".

If there are many people, they will add dishes as appropriate. The main point is: absolutely no waste.

So after watching many state banquets, Su Chen opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, and his thoughts drifted to outer space.

"After all, it's just a meal. Some people give these meals various names because of the different identities of the diners. State banquets sound very grand, but are they really delicious?"

When he was a host before, Su Chen really went to the Great Hall of the People for dinner.

If you have to say.

The food, taste and taste there are not even as good as those of the top hotels in first- and second-tier cities. After all, the back kitchens of those hotels are mostly run by state banquet chefs.

And they really do business based on taste.

"So this so-called state banquet is not because of any meeting or something like that, because the focus is on food exchange, so the banquet itself is the focus."

"So."

In a trance, Su Chen seemed to have found the true meaning of this banquet.

That is: delicious, extremely delicious!

"Of course, the Prime Minister's instructions must be kept in mind. Although this assessment is related to the selection of the state banquet in the future, it must not be extravagant or sensational. All attention and focus must be focused on the quality of the dishes themselves."

This is just an evaluation. Su Chen still believes that when that day really comes, the association will not sit idly by.

At least it will give some hints in the selection of dishes.

Everything is like this. As long as there is a tone, the rest will be much easier.

Su Chen immediately opened the Chinese Famous Recipes in his mind and began to read it.

Four dishes and one soup do not mean that they are simple and cannot be presented. As long as they are well made, Su Chen believes that even four dishes and one soup can make people linger.

Most of the evaluation personnel this time are from Beijing.

The taste of Beijing residents has changed a lot over the years, because Beijing itself is a place that gathers delicacies from all over the country. They have very diverse dining choices, and it is easy to grasp whether it is the degree of acceptance or the direction of preference.

"But it should still be mainly Huaiyang cuisine."

The time spent flipping through the menu always passed quickly, until nearly ten o'clock in the evening, Ling Shuyu and Fang Chang finally arrived in Beijing.

The first time Fang Chang saw Su Chen, his knees softened and he almost knelt down.

"Boss Su! You can give me this kind of order, you will be my reborn parents in the future!"

Su Chen was a little confused, "No. What are you doing?"

Fang Chang grabbed Su Chen's arm excitedly, "In the future, we can add a sentence under the sign of our Fang's Meat Industry! Meat is designated for state banquets!"

Su Chen: -_-||

As expected, when you go out, your identity is given by yourself. If this deal is done, there is really no big problem with Fang Chang writing it like this, but the benefits that can be brought by writing it like this are not comparable to simple GG.

Moreover, for someone like him who is engaged in industry, especially meat industry, it is not so easy to beat him.

Su Chen had no idea before, but now he reacted.

Judging from Fang Chang's excitement, let alone spending money to find someone to buy ingredients, I am afraid that many people are willing to give him ingredients for free, or even give him benefits, right?

But Su Chen doesn't care, he looks down on these small favors.

He pulled the hand on his arm away, "So, this time I asked you to come just to let you see how the State Guest House is in selecting ingredients, and you can learn from it."

Fang Chang didn't care about this, just nodded excitedly, "Okay, okay! Everything is up to you! I will definitely study hard, visit well, and complete the task, and don't embarrass our delicious food!"

Su Chen didn't say much.

Whether or not to get the right to host is another matter, it's too early to say these things now.

Then he briefly explained the current situation to Ling Shuyu, "So this time, you have the most important task! You must remember all the procedures of the State Guesthouse from the beginning of preparation to the end of the banquet!"

"Although we don't have to copy their procedures, they are more experienced in this area after all. It's good to have a reference."

It's very comfortable to talk to Ling Shuyu. She can understand most of what you mean without saying much.

The girl nodded, "I know."

"Okay, why bother you to come here so late at night? Now hurry up and go out for dinner. We have to go to the State Guesthouse early tomorrow morning."

Shang Mingke was also with them.

Although he said that Su Chen would treat them, Shang Mingke actually took everyone to a small restaurant near the company.

"This is the restaurant I often go to when I work overtime. Let me take you to try it."

Su Chen apologized a little, "It should be my treat."

Shang Mingke waved his hand, indicating that it didn't matter.

It's already past ten o'clock. I don't know what time it will be after dinner. Everyone has to get up early tomorrow.

But Shang Mingke has been in contact with Zhang Maolin for a long time. In the end, Lu Yongliang said some good words, and Mr. Maolin finally agreed to take Shang Mingke with him.

Dinner was relatively simple. We ordered a few home-cooked dishes and had a bowl of noodles for each person. That was enough for dinner.

The next day, early in the morning.

It was just getting light.

Su Chen and his group were already dressed and ready to go.

Standing at the door of the Urban Construction Group, Ling Shuyu smiled for no reason.

It was hard to tell whether it was a bitter smile or self-mockery, "I've been to Beijing many times, and I always get up at dawn, but I've never seen the flag-raising ceremony."

Su Chen also sighed, "I always feel busy, and I don't know what I'm busy with. Let's go and see the flag-raising ceremony after I'm done with it."

Fang Chang laughed foolishly, "Hehe, hehe! Look, you must see it! I'll treat you!"

Shang Mingke shook his head and sat in the co-pilot seat, "It's free to watch the flag-raising ceremony. Let's go quickly. If you leave later, the dishes will be ready."

Maybe it was because they left too early. There was no traffic jam on the roads in Beijing at this time, which broke Su Chen's stereotype of Beijing.

Soon, the car drove into a mahogany gatehouse with a few large characters written in gold paint: Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

It was Fang Chang's first time here. He leaned on the window and looked left and right. He was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.

"This is the ancient royal garden and the current state guesthouse complex. Don't think too much."

It's no wonder that Fang Chang acted like he had never seen the world. After all, the area of ​​the park alone is as high as 420,000 square meters, and the artificial lake alone is 50,000 square meters.

It's no exaggeration to say that if you visit it as a tourist attraction, you can't visit it all in one day with just two legs.

The driver parked the car directly at the door of Building No. 3.

This is located in the center of the state guesthouse. To the north is the club. The surrounding lakes are gurgling and the scenery is very beautiful. When Su Chen saw this, he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.

‘No wonder the environment and decoration of the hotel can be rated 9 or even close to full marks. Compared with the environment of the State Guesthouse, the 7 points for delicious food seems a bit high.’

Continue to walk in, and just as you reach the door, someone comes to greet you.

Following the instructions, several people walked into the banquet hall.

What caught my eye was hundreds of round tables!

Each table was covered with a pure white tablecloth, and there were five chairs around the table, all wrapped in white cloth. At first glance, it felt very clean and tidy.

“Building No. 3 is a comprehensive reception building. There are banquet halls of various sizes here, which can meet various reception needs.” Shang Mingke whispered.

Before the others could say anything, they saw Zhang Maolin and others sitting on a sofa next to them and chatting about the day.

Someone noticed the arrival of Su Chen and others, and moved his mouth, and several people stood up.

Li Wenkui walked in front, and the others followed behind.

"Boss Su! Do you want to sit down first or go directly to the kitchen?"

Su Chen shook hands with Li Wenkui and said with a smile, "Let's go directly to the kitchen! I am looking forward to watching so many state banquet chefs cook."

Li Wenkui didn't waste any words and turned to the crowd and said, "Then please move to the kitchen!"

Su Chen gave Ling Shuyu a look, and she stayed in the banquet hall.

He and Fang Chang followed the leaders into the kitchen.

This is the kitchen of the State Guest House!