"What ti did you get back last night?"
Zhao ng specifically checked Fu Yu’s complexion, and he looked quite spirited.
They are doing the late shift today, so there’s plenty of ti.
After clocking in, Fu Yu walked side by side with Zhao ng to the kitchen.
"Almost midnight."
Before Zhao ng could ask, Fu Yu quietly explained what happened at Shangshi Private Kitchen last night.
After listening, Zhao ng frowned and said, "How could you alter the dishes that the custors ordered?"
Zhao ng is straightforward by nature and is very ticulous and serious about work.
At Qianlima, there’s a rule that as long as a dish is ordered, even if only a deposit is paid, the corresponding ingredients must be prepared in advance.
The deposit amount already includes the cost of ingredients, so the store doesn’t really incur any loss.
This is to prevent incidents like what happened at Shangshi Private Kitchen.
"You were lucky this ti, if you were late cooking, it would be hard to explain to the custors!"
But after all, it was an issue at Shangshi Private Kitchen and had nothing to do with him.
Zhao ng rely reminded Fu Yu to learn diligently from Wang Yulong.
"Wang Yulong isn’t a local, so I don’t know much about him. But since he has been assigned to manage the branch kitchen, his cooking skills must be good."
"Since he’s willing to teach you, learn well. It’s always good to be proactive in picking up tasks; everyone likes to hear good things. I’m not asking you to suck up deliberately, just be a bit more serious and diligent during work. No one is a fool; everyone notices."
Fu Yu nodded; when it cos to handling things, he always listens to Zhao ng’s advice.
They stayed busy throughout the morning.
At 1 PM, Fu Yu received a call from Liu Yunong.
"Xiaofu, try to co over earlier today! I’ll probably be at the store by 3 PM."
Having just finished plating and handing the dish to the server, Fu Yu imdiately nodded and agreed, then asked, "Chef Liu, is there sothing wrong?"
Liu Yunong said, "Today’s nu includes Pagoda at, one of our very special signature dishes. According to our custom rotation, it’s only made once every six months."
Fu Yu’s eyes lit up. Given that Liu Yunong called it a signature dish, it must be very distinctive. This was an opportunity to learn how to cook a new dish.
The Liu Family truly has a rich legacy, with enough tradition that they can avoid repeating dishes for six months.
After explaining, Liu Yunong added: "Today we’re using a firewood stove and earthen pot steaming."
Fu Yu acknowledged it, but the next second, he was stunned!
"Using a firewood stove? Earthen pot steaming?"
Holy crap!
Fu Yu suddenly got excited.
Recalling why Liu Yunong instructed him to co early, Fu Yu couldn’t help but swallow.
The kitchen at Shangshi Private Kitchen is unlike those at typical restaurants; on his first visit, Fu Yu noticed a room specifically for an old-style hearth.
It mimicked the traditional rural wooden stoves made of mud bricks, which required wood to be burned for cooking.
Having worked in the kitchen for quite a while, Fu Yu had so understanding of these stoves.
He knew that dishes cooked on these stoves indeed had a different aroma compared to regular stovetops and tasted better.
The firewood stove provides ample heat, unlike a gas stove where the fla can only be turned up to a certain point. With wood burning, the heat is abundant, and the temperature in the pot rises, allowing food to cook faster and with better wok hei.
Besides the authentic stove, a cast iron wok is also indispensable.
Iron conducts heat quickly, so when using the earthen stove, the temperature inside the wok can rise quickly, enhancing the wok hei.
And as the stove maintains high temperatures for extended periods, combined with the strong heat conduction of the iron wok, it preserves wok hei for longer, making the dishes more flavorful.
Additionally, the unique factor is that earthen stoves usually rely on various woods for fuel. As these woods burn, they release fragrances, and as ingredients get stir-fried in the iron wok, they absorb so of these aromas, making the food even more delicious.
Having spent ti studying classic recipes of old flavors, Fu Yu had mastered such culinary knowledge.
He was crystal clear on which utensils were suitable for each kind of dish.
So, thinking about this, Fu Yu beca even more eager: "Chef Liu, I promise to be there before three!"
Liu Yunong was clearly very pleased with his attitude and made sure to add before hanging up, "Eat a light lunch; tonight’s nu will be good."
Seeing Zhao ng free up a bit, Fu Yu hurriedly went over to request leave.
After hearing him out, Zhao ng laughed and said, "Liu Yunong is quite interesting; maybe this is her reward for how you handled things last night?"
Fu Yu hadn’t thought of it that way before, but hearing Zhao ng’s hint, he felt maybe there was sothing to it.
Zhao ng continued: "Since she’ll be there by 3, you should tidy up and get going."
Zhao ng was quite pleased with Fu Yu learning from Liu Yunong.
Considering Liu Yunong’s stature, many would love to learn from her.
Fu Yu was fortunate to catch Liu Yunong’s eye and learn Liu Family Cuisine, which felt like a dream co true.
After getting Zhao ng’s permission, Fu Yu handled his remaining orders, cooking what he could and leaving the rest to Zhao ng.
Once he organized everything, he quickly said goodbye and left.
Since the addition of the roasting section, the work allocation in the red kitchen changed entirely.
Fu Yu busily shifted between the two areas; in the red kitchen, he had so concerns, but the roasting section was entirely his domain.
After all, when it ca to roasting, he was the only one in the entire kitchen who could manage it.
Whether it was procuring, ordering, or cooking, everything passed through his hands.
Essentially, he was fully responsible.
In the red kitchen, Zhao ng and Gu Yunwu minded their own businesses.
Yao Yihang often lost to Fu Yu. Now, apart from grumbling behind his back, he preferred to avoid Fu Yu altogether.
Gu Yunwu enjoyed being lazy, finding ways to boss around his subordinates, and ignored Zhao ng’s affairs.
And Zhao ng, as Fu Yu’s ntor, practically ruled the roost.
In the kitchen, Fu Yu felt second only to Zhao ng!
No matter what others thought, Fu Yu felt like Zhao ng’s almost protégé!
...
Taking a cab to Shangshi Private Kitchen, he arrived at 2:30 PM.
When Fu Yu entered the kitchen, Liu Yunong had also just arrived and was checking the prep situation.
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