Chapter 171: Chapter 171: He insists that you made the dish!
Yang Juanjuan, the chairwoman of Taste of Sichuan Restaurant, was somewhat surprised by Shen Hai’s response.
"Can I meet and talk with him?" she pressed, unable to wait any longer. "I assure you, the offer I make will be better than any other restaurant—the highest tier here in Chengdu."
She was genuinely anxious. Bookings for the restaurant’s private dining rooms were dwindling; customers with high standards would stop coming if they found the food unsatisfactory. There were also signs that walk-in customers were decreasing. Without a talented Sichuan cuisine chef, continuing the restaurant’s business would be very difficult.
It was only now that Yang Juanjuan realized how wrong her decision to force out the executive chef had been. But a person’s character is hard to change. If she really did spend a high price now to hire Jiang Feng or other top chefs, in less than half a month, she would start to feel she had overpaid. Then she would want to shortchange the chef’s salary again. It was a recurring pattern. At her age, learning from her mistakes had become difficult.
Yang Juanjuan pleaded earnestly, and Shen Hai said again, "It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but that chef has a special status. He definitely won’t go to your place to be the head chef. He has his own restaurant. Forget about it."
At this moment, the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant was bustling with customers and filled with lively chatter, creating a very vibrant atmosphere. Everyone indulged in the delicious Sichuan cuisine, intoxicated by the spicy flavors.
It was then that a young man suddenly stood up.
"Holy shit! Isn’t this the Kung Pao chicken made by Executive Chef Jiang?"
"Definitely can’t be wrong! It’s him! It’s exactly this taste! I’ve missed this like crazy!"
Hearing his words, quite a number of diners turned their attention towards him.
The young man was named Yuan Yu, a student from the University of Science and Technology in Eastern Shandong. Previously, Jiang Feng had a food stall at the University of Science and Technology and had made this Kung Pao chicken dish there. At that time, the second canteen was overwhelmed with people, and the queue of students blocked the entrance. Yuan Yu’s favorite dishes there were Kung Pao chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet, and scrambled eggs with ham. He would order them without fail practically every day. He had a very deep impression of the Kung Pao chicken made by Jiang Feng.
After Jiang Feng left the University of Science and Technology, whenever Yuan Yu ate Kung Pao chicken elsewhere, it never tasted the same; it was always lacking that something special.
This time, taking advantage of the National Day holiday, he came to Chengdu for tourism. His original plan was to find out where Jiang Feng was and pay him a visit. But Jiang Feng had suddenly disappeared without a trace, and no one could find him. Yuan Yu was feeling frustrated. His friend told him that a Sichuan cuisine restaurant was particularly popular lately, so they ended up at Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant.
Unexpectedly, with the very first dish that arrived, Yuan Yu tasted a familiar flavor.
This tender chicken, this delicious flavor, this sauce with its lingering aftertaste... There’s no mistake. This is the Kung Pao chicken from the stall at the University of Science and Technology! It has to be made by Executive Chef Jiang!
Yuan Yu’s friend, who came from another university and hadn’t tried Jiang Feng’s cooking, simply found the dish extremely delicious.
"Yuan Yu, what’s wrong?" he asked immediately.
Yuan Yu said excitedly, "I remember this taste! Executive Chef Jiang made it when he had a stall at our school. I ate it every day. There’s no mistake. The chef in the back of this restaurant is definitely him!"
Hearing Yuan Yu’s words, the surrounding diners also became interested. Coincidentally, Zhang Xuan was at the next table. He had always suspected that the chef in the kitchen was Jiang Feng.
Zhang Xuan immediately questioned Yuan Yu, "Brother, you also think the chef in the back is Boss Jiang, right?"
In Chengdu, people liked to call Jiang Feng "Boss Jiang," while in Eastern Shandong, they preferred "Executive Chef Jiang."
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Yuan Yu turned around and said, "It’s not what I think; it *is* him. I can’t forget the taste of this dish. He used to make it at our school, and I’m from Eastern Shandong."
Zhang Xuan slapped his thigh. "I knew it was him! No wonder no one in the group could find where he was! He’s definitely at this restaurant!"
With that thought, Zhang Xuan immediately sent a message in the "Find Boss Jiang Intel Group."
"I found Boss Jiang."
"Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant, location here."
"He’s been cooking Sichuan cuisine here for the past few days, and it tastes incredibly good. This little restaurant has become really popular because of it."
Upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s message, everyone in the group immediately started asking:
"Are you sure?"
"He’s doing Sichuan cuisine now? Isn’t Boss Jiang a Shandong Cuisine chef?"
"Culinary skills are all connected. Once you’re good at one type of cuisine, learning others isn’t that hard!"
"I’m heading over now! The crawfish he made last time really hit the spot. I’ll go check it out."
The chat group became especially lively, and the atmosphere in the Sichuan restaurant also grew more heated. Almost everyone heard Zhang Xuan and Yuan Yu’s conversation. The diners immediately started whispering to each other.
Shen Hai was chatting with Yang Juanjuan when he heard Yuan Yu’s words. His expression changed, and he immediately rushed into the kitchen, frantic.
"Boss Jiang, this is bad!"
"It seems you’ve been recognized by a customer who came from Eastern Shandong!"
"He’s certain that the Kung Pao chicken is made by you!" Shen Hai said to Jiang Feng.
Hearing this, Jiang Feng was somewhat surprised. "Discovered already? So soon?" He had anticipated this outcome, but it had still arrived a bit earlier than he expected.
"Yes! What should I tell them?" Shen Hai asked quickly. "That customer is absolutely certain. You should have seen his eyes; they were practically shining!"
Hearing this, Jiang Feng laughed. "It’s no big deal. Just tell them it’s me. I wasn’t planning to hide deliberately; I just hoped for a few quiet days. Now that I’ve been discovered, things will get busy. But the restaurant is only so big. Without adding tables, the daily workload is fixed. It makes no difference."
Shen Hai nodded. "Okay. So many people have been asking me these past two days, I could barely handle it. I’ll go out and tell them right now."
Shen Hai had also been in a bind these past two days. Many customers liked to ask where the chef had been hired from. It seemed that because the food was exceptionally delicious, they wanted to know which executive chef was responsible, so they could mention it when recommending the place. But Shen Hai had to keep it a secret. Now that Jiang Feng had been recognized, there was no longer any need for such secrecy.
Shen Hai walked outside.
"Boss, is Executive Chef Jiang cooking in the back kitchen?" Yuan Yu saw him and hastily asked. "Only he can produce this flavor. He’s not just a Shandong Cuisine master; many of his home-style dishes are exceptionally good too. I can’t be mistaken."
The other customers all looked towards Shen Hai, as did Yang Juanjuan’s table. Everyone was looking forward to Shen Hai’s answer.
Shen Hai smiled and explained, "Indeed, it’s Jiang Feng, Boss Jiang. He wanted to come here and make Sichuan Cuisine for one week. All the main dishes you’ve been eating were made by Boss Jiang."
Hearing Shen Hai’s answer, the customers were all visibly astonished.
Zhang Xuan immediately responded, "I guessed it was him! I just didn’t dare to confirm! Boss Jiang actually came here!"
Then, he opened the intel group chat. Many people were asking about the authenticity of the information.
Zhang Xuan posted again in the group: "The owner of this Sichuan restaurant personally confirmed it: Boss Jiang is the one cooking in the kitchen. Everyone, hurry over! It seems Boss Jiang is only cooking at this Sichuan restaurant for a week. The Sichuan cuisine he makes is exceptionally delicious. If you don’t come now, you’ll miss out!"
The foodies in the intel group saw the message, and many rushed over immediately. The Sichuan restaurant was already showing signs of becoming popular, but with this news, its surge in popularity became completely unstoppable.
「About half an hour later」
Customers swarmed the place, forming a long line outside the restaurant. Shen Hai was utterly shocked when he saw the arriving customers.
He hurriedly called out, "Everyone, we’re already fully booked for lunch! Please don’t line up anymore; we can’t serve any more customers!"
Seeing him come out, someone asked, "Is Boss Jiang in the kitchen cooking?"
"Yes, it’s Boss Jiang," Shen Hai nodded.
"Okay then, can I get a number to queue for the afternoon?"
Hearing the customer say this, Shen Hai was momentarily stunned. It’s only midday, and they’re already queuing for the afternoon? My little restaurant has never experienced anything like this!
"I want a number for this afternoon too!"
"Me too!"
"What time does the afternoon service start? Those with numbers get to enter first!"
"I want one too!"
Other people in the line shouted one after another.
Shen Hai was dumbfounded.
"Uh, alright then. I’ll use the machine to print tickets; I’m afraid I’ll mess it up if I handwrite them."
Shen Hai called over a server, and they quickly began distributing queue numbers to the customers. Only now did he realize how popular Jiang Feng was. Jiang Feng had only just been recognized, and already the evening service was fully booked. This is just unbelievable!
Actually, this wasn’t uncommon in larger cities, especially for restaurants that allowed online queuing, where people often started booking evening spots in the afternoon.
Inside the restaurant, Yuan Yu was thrilled. The Sichuan cuisine Jiang Feng made tasted amazing—fragrant, spicy, and incredibly satisfying.
After finishing his meal, he stood at the kitchen door and shouted, "Executive Chef Jiang, I came from Eastern Shandong, can we take a picture together?"
Jiang Feng, hearing the shout from inside, just happened to have finished a dish and came out. Seeing Jiang Feng emerge, Yuan Yu was even more delighted. It was just as the saying goes: wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it without any effort at all!
Originally, his trip was primarily to find Jiang Feng for a photo opportunity. After all, Jiang Feng was a big name at the University of Science and Technology, and posting a picture with him on social media would be something to boast about. But Jiang Feng had suddenly disappeared, and even the locals couldn’t find him, so Yuan Yu had given up on the idea. Unexpectedly, he’d chosen a recently popular Sichuan restaurant and run right into Jiang Feng.
"Executive Chef Jiang, it really is you!"
"I came to Chengdu specifically to see you!" Yuan Yu said with a smile.
Jiang Feng replied gently, "Hello. Let’s take the photo quickly; I still have more dishes to cook."
Yuan Yu quickly took out his phone and took a photo with Jiang Feng, smiling widely.
After taking the photo, Yuan Yu posted it on his social media feed with the caption:
"Chengdu landmark check-in!"
His friends, upon seeing this post, quickly started liking and commenting:
"Woah, you actually managed to check in there, dude!"
"Hahaha, why does this Chengdu landmark look so familiar?"
"Isn’t that a landmark from Moon River? How did it end up in Chengdu!"
"Awesome! Bring me back a meal from Chengdu—Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet and scrambled eggs with ham, thanks!"
.....