National Tide 1980

It has been busy past ten past ten, and all preparations for the opening are in place.

The door of the tavern is officially opened, waiting for customers to come.

At this time, the most idle person was Zhang Dashao.

For no other reason than because the big wine tanks in the capital are places dedicated to drinking, different from restaurants.

For example, they don't sell stir-fried vegetables, only wine and vegetables, which need to be prepared in advance.

So Zhang Dashao's daily job is actually to make some food and wine for the store.

The old man basically gets up at five o'clock, buys groceries at six o'clock, comes to the store at six thirty, and starts busy after breakfast.

It takes about two or three hours to prepare the wine and food.

At almost ten o'clock, the prepared wine and vegetables were placed in a large blue and white pot and placed one by one on the eucalyptus. This was considered a complete meal.

For other things, Zhang Dashao doesn't need to reach out to deal with it.

If he wants to stay in the store for a while, if he doesn't want to, he can just leave.

He didn't come over in the evening, so the management of the store was left to Kang Shude. This was the division of labor and cooperation between the two.

But usually, Zhang Dashao almost always has to drink in the store and have lunch before leaving.

Otherwise, why did he let Ning Weimin come here to find him?

After finishing the work in hand in the morning, this is when he is most relaxed.

I happened to have the time and mood to chat with Ning Weimin.

No, he accepted the specialties that Ning Weimin specially bought for him from Japan - Japanese soy sauce, Japanese vinegar, miso, mirin and cooking sake.

Zhang Dashao was in a good mood and even praised Ning Weimin for his shopping skills.

He was so happy that he even went to bring a few dishes of side dishes himself.

He turned around and asked for wine from the counter, saying that he and Ning Weimin had to have a good drink today.

But Ning Weimin didn't dare to readily agree to the old man's kindness.

After all, it's only ten o'clock. Who drinks alcohol so early in the morning?

He was also afraid that his master would not like him and would scold him and glare at him.

But what he didn't expect was that his hesitation was completely unnecessary, and Kang Shude actively supported it.

Not to mention that there was no fuss this time, and he also took the initiative to drink two bottles of the best wine in the shop - Tongzhou Laojiao from the wine jar, and put it in the wine warmer to warm it up.

He also said, "Boy, Master Zhang thinks highly of you, so don't be polite. Have a drink with Master Zhang and ask for advice, you have to show some sincerity, do you understand?"

These words made Ning Weimin immediately wake up and reminded him of Master Zhang's "rolling pin in his stomach" temper.

When he thought about it, it was true. At this time, being polite seemed pretentious.

So he nodded gratefully to his master, and it was better to obey his orders than to be respectful.

Quickly helped Zhang Dashao place the bowls, and even took out his own cigarette to offer Master Zhang a cigarette.

After ordering, he took out the menu he had written, presented it respectfully with both hands, and asked the famous chef to take a look.

Zhang Dashao was also a man with a bright mind. As soon as he took the menu, he started joking with Kang Shude.

"Tell me, shopkeeper, you really love your apprentice. I didn't even say a word today, but you took the initiative to upgrade me. This is deliberately teasing my glutton with good wine, and you want to take out the food in my stomach for your apprentice. Right? But I have something to say first. This apprentice of yours is not an ordinary person. He wants to do big things. If I am powerless, I won’t be able to help. Don’t blame me."

Kang Shude pretended to be confused with the cunningness of a businessman, and also responded with a smile.

"Look at what you said, where did you mention it? Although this wine is good, no matter how good it is, it is not as good as the wine and food in our store, right? I respect your craftsmanship, not to mention the recent business is good. , of course I have to express my feelings. I am not doing this for the sake of others. As for my rotten disciple, that is another matter. If you are willing to enlighten him, that is his blessing, and I must thank you alone. .Perhaps with your help, he can change the problem of Yunshan Mist Cover and really accomplish something."

"You, you, you old guy. You have been playing drums all your life. Now you are trying to get me out of here."

"No, no, no, that's not what it means. Besides, we are each other's accomplices, so it's a shame to break up. What we want is...is...what is it? Ah, yes, stability, unity, prosperity and stability. This is The words from above..."

The two old men were just having fun.

By the end of this wild talk, not only did they themselves laugh, but Ning Weimin also laughed.

Ning Weimin noticed that this was their daily way of communicating, and it was also one of the joys of opening a tavern for the two old brothers.

Then, when Zhang Dashao carefully looked through Ning Weimin's menu and asked Ning Weimin clearly about the purpose of his trip, their wine was also warmed up.

When it comes to being a man, Fang Bin is quite discerning.

Before Kang Shude could speak, he brought the wine over from the counter and placed a glass in front of each other.

I have to say that drinking warm wine is really different from drinking it cold.

The aroma of wine is fragrant and slightly hot.

Ning Weimin touched the cup and felt that his heart was drunk and his body was warm even before he drank.

Especially in such an environment, for a moment, he really felt like he was drinking in an old movie.

Even Zhang Dashao raised his cup without him noticing.

It was only when the old man called him from across the table that he realized he was being rude.

He quickly picked up his cup and touched it carefully with Zhang Dashao.

Hey, just this sip of wine, that's really strong!

When you drink it, it feels like you can make a spicy trail down your intestines.

Ning Weimin almost burst into tears from the corners of his eyes and quickly took a bite of the side dish.

As a result, after taking this bite, he realized how competitive this tavern was in the market.

Yes, what Kang Shude just said is true. The wine and food here are indeed better.

If Zhang Dashao's Xiao Cai'er were compared with Tan Gong's, they wouldn't be equal, but superior.

Ning Weimin smacked the taste in his mouth, and a thought came to his mind.

You must not let the guests of Tan Palace know that there is such a tavern here.

Otherwise, he is really afraid that those customers will turn around and smash his shop.

Think about it, the price difference between the two places for the same side dishes can be dozens of times.

But the side dishes in this tavern actually taste better than those in Tan Palace, so who is willing to be taken advantage of like this?

As for Zhang Dashao, he picked up the cup and took a sip happily, and then he saw Ning Weimin enjoying it immensely.

Perhaps it's because famous chefs also need diners who really know their stuff to appreciate them.

So the originally carefree mood became a lot more proud, and then the conversation started.

"The difference between Chinese food and Japanese food, simply put, is that Chinese food relies on fire, and Japanese food relies on water. There are many cooking methods in Chinese food, far more than in Japan, which is beyond the imagination of a kid. In addition to frying and roasting, Japanese cooking methods are all about stewing. Just cook it. To put it bluntly, Chinese food encompasses all Japanese techniques, and Japanese cooking techniques are only a small part of Chinese food techniques. Therefore, in comparison, Japanese rice really has no technical content."

"Secondly, China has a vast territory and not only has a rich variety of food ingredients. In the past, when transportation was extremely inconvenient, due to the transportation of various food ingredients, they were no longer fresh enough when eaten. This defect could only be covered up through fire and seasonings. This makes Chinese food has developed unique flavor-changing techniques. Therefore, we can not only change the taste of the ingredients through various seasonings and cooking, but also maintain the original taste of the ingredients."

"Japan is geographically concentrated, close to the sea, and most of the ingredients are sourced nearby and fresh, so Japanese food will only try to maintain the original taste as much as possible. This geographical condition actually further limits the development of Japanese cooking, which is really nothing to envy. .To put it bluntly, Japan will not even eat their own products. Just like shark fins, before the Meiji Restoration, they were discarded as garbage by the Japanese. It was not until overseas Chinese opened Chinese restaurants in Japan that they knew what this food was. Treasures of the sea.”

"So my advice to you is not to take the Japanese too seriously. The Japanese are used to eating umami, so we use umami to overwhelm them. Dishes like boiled cabbage and jasmine soup are what our Chinese diet has to offer. The highest understanding of umami, pure technical work. The Japanese cannot compare. Also, the Japanese have not experienced the richness and richness of the taste, so you can use milk dishes, soup purification methods, and It has a complex flavor to shock their taste buds. Quick-fried dishes are even easier. The Japanese don’t understand heat. You can use their most common ingredients to get a tender, crispy texture that will satisfy them. What’s more, the Japanese The means of expression of cooking are so simple, such as three non-stick dishes, peach blossoms, and thunder on the ground. Such gimmick dishes are enough to shock them. It is said that they value the beauty and ritual of the dishes, but our flower knives, Can they play well?"

"To be honest, I don't think there is any big problem with your menu. Although these dishes are ordinary in our eyes, these dishes are rich enough for Japanese people. The only advice I give you is don't be complacent. Don't. After you go out, you blindly cater to Japanese tastes and lose the original flavor of our Chinese cooking. Don't use deceptive methods like hooking up and brightening oil just to save trouble, so that your level will be different from those overseas chop sueys. The restaurants are close together."

"I tell you seriously that the Japanese love traditional Chinese food. The Japanese themselves say that when eating Chinese food, you must eat real Chinese food and don't eat fake Chinese food prepared by the Japanese. Especially during the Meiji period, the Japanese discovered that, No matter how they imitate Chinese cooking, the taste is not as good as Chinese cooking. In order to explore the secrets of Chinese cooking, they even encourage Japanese women to marry Chinese chefs who open restaurants in Japan. But it is useless. Because truly qualified Chinese chefs are not Simple secrets can induce birth. Anyone who has more than two ounces of meat on his hands can't practice it. Time and the ability to endure hardship are the secrets."

Zhang Dashao had a very favorable impression of Ning Weimin, and he gave very thorough and expert advice.

After Ning Weimin heard this, he felt much more at ease.

However, although the doubts were alleviated, it could not be said that they were not at all. He thought for a while and said, "Master Zhang, the problem is that there are also Chinese restaurants overseas. I don't know until I have been in Japan. On New Year's Day, I was in several Japanese restaurants." After wandering around the place, I discovered that there are quite a few Chinese restaurants in big cities in Japan. Although the dishes in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are not very well prepared, they cannot be considered orthodox Chinese food. But they really dare to put delicacies from the mountains and seas on the menu. .I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm just afraid of..."

"I'm afraid that if the Japanese compare the dishes of those restaurants with yours, they will preconceptions that your restaurant is not up to par, right?"

Zhang Dashao rushed to take over the words, and he hit the nail on the head. Ning Weimin couldn't help but nodded in embarrassment.

As a result, Zhang Dashao thought for a while and felt that it was a bit troublesome.

But celebrity chefs are celebrity chefs, and without much effort, Zhang Dashao spoke again after sipping half a glass of wine.

"Let me give you some ideas. If you think about it, you may be able to help your Danmiya gain a foothold in Japan as soon as possible."

"You said you said..."

As soon as these words came out, Ning Weimin was immediately refreshed and concentrated.

"First of all, you have to learn the advantages of Japanese cooking. Japanese cooking is not without its characteristics. At least in my opinion, there is one thing that is worthy of praise, and that is the method of making seafood fresh. The Japanese call it "juice". This It is a condiment unique to Japan. The sauce of Japanese cuisine is extracted from dried bonito and dried kelp. What do I mean by this thing? If the Japanese can use it, you can also use it. Ah. How to use it? You can understand it as Japanese seafood stock. When you go back to Japan, you ask your chef to try it more, and there are very wonderful changes when it is used to cook Chinese food. If our chef masters this method, Not only is it easy to make delicious, nutritious and healthy new dishes, but it can also at least solve certain taste differences."

The old man's words were indeed accurate, and it was impossible for him not to pay attention to Ning Weimin.

I took out a pen and paper and wrote this down seriously. Unexpectedly, the next words were even more surprising.

"Also. You must know how to use your own strengths. The richness of Chinese food, the harmony of flavors, and the emphasis on color, aroma, taste, meaning, shape, and touch are enough for us to make dishes that are unimaginable for ordinary people. Want me Come on, others can use delicacies from mountains and seas as gimmicks. You can do it too."

"I... I do the same? Yes, it's possible. But... the problem is that the import and export procedures for these things are too troublesome, and you may have to take legal risks in Japan. I really can't get them." Ning Weimin also I didn't quite understand.

"I didn't ask you to sell it. Just like shark's fin, you can sell vegetarian shark's fin. Bear paws, you can also use pig's trotters to make them. Have you forgotten how to make some fake meat dishes I taught you? Similar techniques are used to shape the shape, and then seasoning is used to change the taste, so why can't you sell delicacies that are fake and become real? As long as you clearly explain what is going on and tell customers the real ingredients, what you are selling is craftsmanship! I'm also telling you , before liberation, there were restaurants that relied on these fake delicacies to attract customers at low prices, but few people could eat them. Do you want to learn or not? If you want to learn, I will tell you how to do it..."

Boy, this is a great idea.

yes. Why can't we sell dishes with ordinary ingredients under the name of delicacies from mountains and seas?

Don’t you just earn this kind of money from the plain seats in Gongdelin?

Fake chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows are enough to confuse the fake with the real thing.

That’s right, our Chinese food has long been the ancestor of “artificial meat”.

But just when Ning Weimin was overjoyed and wanted to ask for a prescription.

Zhang Dashao's last idea was really important.

"Oh, by the way, I also remembered one thing. Don't the Japanese know the pros and cons of rice? In this case, our capital used to have a kind of rice called tribute rice, which is suitable for you to get it to Japan and sell it at a high price. Facade. Do you know Jingxi Rice? What about the aroma? If you use Jingxi Rice to cook porridge, you can smell it from across the street. There is a kind of pink rouge rice in Jingxi Rice, which is reddish in color and has grains. It is long, fragrant and rich in taste. It is the best of rice, called 'Purple Gold Hoop', and the Empress Dowager Cixi loves it. In the Republic of China, a bag could be sold for 18 yuan. It was watered by Yuquan Mountain Water. It is a pity that the output is There are too few and the price is too expensive. No one will grow it after liberation. If you can really find it and it is not extinct, then your business will be feasible. If you are willing to spend money to cultivate it, just selling this kind of rice will be enough in the future. The Japanese are chasing after your butt."

"What? Our capital actually still... has such rice?"

Ning Weimin couldn't believe it and was extremely surprised.

His buttocks were pulled deeply again, and his eyes were opened again.