Jessica tasted the tender Chinese cabbage and drank the delicious soup, sincerely exclaiming, "Okay, Irina, I've changed my mind. I now agree with your point of view. My previous prejudice against Chinese food was entirely due to my own ignorance."

"This dish has completely changed my view of Chinese food."

Irina nodded slightly. "This dish also surprised me. I know that maybe this dish is available in many Chinese restaurants, but there are probably very few that can achieve such perfection."

"Thank you, Lucas. Your explanation added a lot to this delicacy, and your understanding of the food has inspired me deeply."

Jarno smiled slightly. "Actually, I don't have a very deep understanding of food. I'm just doing my job according to the manager's requirements, presenting the details of each dish to the customers."

Obviously, this was the meaning of Lin Canyong's arrangement for the explanation.

Except for a very few gourmets who are extremely sensitive to taste, most ordinary people find it difficult to judge how much effort the chef has put in to achieve this taste, just through the taste.

Most people's vocabulary for describing food is very limited, nothing more than delicious, tender, and so on.

At this time, explaining the details of each dish to the customers is not only popularizing knowledge, but also creating an environment and atmosphere for the customers, establishing a kind of "empathy."

The delicacies of high-end restaurants are to improve that little bit of taste at all costs. If the details cannot be explained clearly, the customers' impression will not be deep.

Obviously, Lin Canyong's careful preparation fully played its due role at this moment.

Irina said, "Lucas, I would like to discuss the issue of Chinese and Western food with you, is that okay?"

Jarno considered it. "I'm afraid my knowledge reserves are not enough to answer this question. However, I can ask the manager to come over."

Irina: "If it won't disturb the manager's work, thank you very much!"

Jarno left the private room and returned with Lin Canyong after a while.

Lin Canyong asked with a smile, "My surname is Lin, and I am the manager of this restaurant. Are you two satisfied with our dishes and services?"

Although Lin Canyong is also learning English, he is old and usually busy with work, so he can't communicate with foreigners without barriers.

Therefore, Jarno can only translate.

Fortunately, Jarno had worked as a simultaneous interpreter, and it was a piece of cake to do this kind of translation.

Irina nodded. "Very satisfied! This is the most wonderful meal I have ever had. Whether it is Western or Chinese food, your attention to detail is impressive."

"I am a food lover, and I have had some confusion for a long time. I would like to discuss it with Manager Lin. I wonder if Manager Lin can solve my confusion?"

Lin Canyong said modestly, "I dare not say I can solve your confusion, but I am willing to talk about my views."

Irina asked, "The seasoning of the current dishes is getting heavier and heavier, and many dishes can't taste the original taste of the food itself. I wonder what Manager Lin thinks of this?"

Lin Canyong considered for a moment and replied, "This is indeed a trend in the development of world cuisine."

"I think this is mainly due to two reasons."

"First of all, it is due to competition. The food industry is very cruel. Even the world's top restaurants must constantly develop new dishes, and even provide a lot of fun things in the restaurant, and work hard on the environment, otherwise they will be regarded as not being enterprising. After all, diners' attention is easily attracted by other restaurants."

"Secondly, it is due to the needs of diners. Under the deception and temptation of many catering brands, diners have too many choices, too strong comparisons, and too much stimulation, which leads to many diners losing their ability to appreciate some tastes, and the threshold of taste is constantly being raised."

"When the entire catering industry is using heavier delicacies to stimulate diners' taste buds, it naturally forms a cycle. For diners, they do eat 'more delicious' things, but... I don't think this is in line with the dietary philosophy of Chinese food."

"Chinese food pays attention to great taste being bland, each dish has its own style, and a hundred dishes have a hundred tastes. If there is a taste, make it come out, and if there is no taste, make it enter. There is no fixed taste for food, and what suits the palate is precious..."

"In simple terms, it is about each ingredient having its own unique taste, and the matching of ingredients should take into account the fusion of different tastes, rather than forcibly changing it with seasoning. Even for the same dish, its taste should not always remain the same, but should be based on the special needs of the diners, so that the dish can suit their taste."

"Therefore, our restaurant has been working hard to find a balance between the two. We must maintain the original taste of the ingredients, and not abuse seasonings and additives, so that the food is nutritious and healthy, and at the same time, we must constantly improve the taste on this premise."

"Just like the boiled cabbage with clear soup you two ate today. There is a saying that 'a hundred vegetables are still fragrant with cabbage'. Although it is a very common ingredient, as long as it is carefully cooked, it can also produce effects that completely surpass those rare ingredients."

Jarno translated Lin Canyong's meaning completely accurately, which made the two guests nod frequently.

Jessica listened with great interest.

If it were before today, she would have completely dismissed these theories, couldn't listen to them, and felt that this was Chinese food's sophistry in the face of the fact that its taste was not as good as modern Western food.

But after eating today's dishes, she could understand these philosophical concepts.

Because the dish "boiled cabbage with clear soup" completely conforms to what Manager Lin said, "great taste must be bland", without adding any modern seasonings, it seems bland, but it contains the ultimate deliciousness in the blandness.

Irina nodded. "Manager Lin's words are very philosophical and helpful to me, thank you! So how does Manager Lin see the difference between Chinese and Western food? Which is better?"

Lin Canyong smiled slightly. "Food is very subjective, and everyone has different tastes. I don't think it is necessary to forcibly distinguish between high and low."

"Every dish is rooted in its cultural heritage. Although Western food has a higher acceptance in the world, this is mainly because the cultural heritage of Western food is more widely accepted."

"Many people have a superficial understanding of Chinese food, and only judge whether it is delicious based on whether the taste is strong or not. Obviously, this is putting Chinese food in a wrong system to evaluate, and naturally it is impossible to draw the correct conclusion."

"The deliciousness of Chinese food needs to be understood in a specific cultural background. It is not only a desire for food, but also an expression of thought and philosophy."

"Just like a very common dish, Dongpo pork. If you don't know its historical background, it is just a very ordinary dish, but if you know the story of Su Dongpo, know the background of his invention of this dish, and even see the Su Causeway in Spring Dawn of the Ten Scenes of West Lake... then the meaning contained in this dish is completely different."

"If you have read Su Dongpo's poems, if you have seen Su Shi's calligraphy, then the Dongpo pork you eat is complete."

"Many Westerners don't understand these things, and are used to evaluating Chinese food according to Western standards. Of course, they will come to the conclusion that it is not as good as Western food, but this is obviously unfair."

"Back to your original question."

"I don't think it is wrong for modern Western food to pursue the ultimate taste by accurately controlling the dosage, and I don't think the Chinese food culture is wrong. Our restaurant does not reject any style, but strives to understand each dish while providing diners with their favorite and most suitable taste."

Under Jarno's translation, Lin Canyong's long speech was translated accurately and elegantly, concisely and efficiently, and every word was translated just right.

Irina nodded frequently as she listened.

Finally, she said sincerely, "I see! Manager Lin's understanding of catering is indeed profound, it's really amazing!"

Jessica also sighed, "I will never be prejudiced against Chinese food again. The reason why Chinese food was not delicious before was only because the Chinese food level was not high enough."

Lin Canyong smiled and said, "Where, in the vast and profound food culture, I am just a student who is struggling to explore."

Irina said, "Manager Lin, I am actually a food blogger. Can I write today's experiences on my food blog? Your unique insights into the catering industry have provided me with a brand new perspective."

Lin Canyong nodded with a smile. "Of course."

...

After sending off the two foreign friends, Jarno wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Manager, these two don't look like ordinary people. Fortunately, you usually let me memorize these contents, otherwise I might have been embarrassed."

"However, your last paragraph on the different views on Chinese and Western food culture is also very accurate. I can see that these two international friends have been conquered."

Lin Canyong was silent for a moment and said, "Actually, this is also what I have realized recently, and it just happened to be used."

Jarno was stunned. "Occasional realization? Manager, your occasional realization came too timely, right?"

Lin Canyong's expression was serious. "It seems like a coincidence, but in fact... it is also a necessity."

"Before, I went to President Pei and wanted to open a branch, but I was rejected by President Pei. So I have been thinking, what is the positioning of Mingyun Private Kitchen for President Pei?"

"Later, I understood that Mingyun Private Kitchen should be a unique restaurant, which pursues not quantity, but quality, and provides diners with the most ultimate experience."

"And this ultimate experience is inherently unreplicable. That's why President Pei emphasized that Mingyun Private Kitchen cannot open branches, but it is urgent to spend money and improve the details."

"I try my best to find shortcomings, and strive to make all aspects perfect. Our restaurant does not treat foreign friends preferentially, but treats all diners equally, and provides the most perfect dining experience."

"Today, although we only received two diners who were slightly picky in taste, the significance is very significant, because we have withstood the test. Only by treating every day as the first day of opening, treating every diner as the first diner, and valuing the feedback of every diner can we do our best."

"Including the thinking about the difference between Chinese and Western food, and the reflection on the development of the modern catering industry, are all insights I have gained during this period of repeatedly pondering President Pei's deep meaning."

"I think that only by working hard to this extent can we meet President Pei's expectations for Mingyun Private Kitchen!"