Chapter 2494
Searching for That Taste
"...I'll say it again, he's my own disciple, and he's called me 'Uncle-Master' for several years now."
If you need money, connections, or a place to get things done, I can help you.
However, you need to help Xiao Liu think carefully about what business to start.
"These days, doing business is both easy and difficult," He Yuzhu earnestly offered his advice.
He was happy to see his third senior apprentice, Xiao Liu, set out to start his own business.
The city of Beijing is so large that it can support a lot of restaurants.
He even encouraged Ma Huayu Li to start her own business, let alone this business that the third brother started with the idea of settling people down and doing good deeds.
He will definitely give it his full support.
He himself wasn't that kind, but he would always think highly of truly kind people.
The third senior brother reached out and patted He Yuzhu's shoulder twice more, looking pleased.
When He Yuzhu finished his tea and was about to take his leave...
"Zhu Zi, what do you think? How about I have them set up a Sichuan-style hot pot restaurant?" After careful consideration, the third senior brother finally suggested a development direction.
Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu did not stop walking. Instead, he said as he walked out, "Not good. Don't you know the tastes of people in Beijing?"
It may not be suitable.
In this kind of thing, it all depends on the timing.
The market has indeed opened up a lot now, but in the food market, there is still only a small group of people eating.
The floating population is small...
So, Kang Le, you know him, right?
Let's go out for a meal sometime.
Hot pot later became popular all over the country, including Beijing. Since Little Swan Sichuan Hot Pot entered Beijing in the 1990s, it became famous overnight.
Furthermore, He Yuzhu also knew that it seemed that his junior apprentice had initially started with a Sichuan-style hot pot chain restaurant.
Later, there were just too many hot pot restaurants like that.
Xiao Liu recently switched careers and opened a high-end Sichuan restaurant, essentially a chain of private kitchen dishes.
But as I said before, timing is very important.
Putting aside other things, the supply of materials is not as abundant as it would be in later generations.
For ingredients like tripe and duck intestines, which are the soul of Sichuan hot pot, it is difficult to maintain a stable supply chain.
He Yuzhu also knew why his third senior brother wanted to start a hot pot business. As long as the broth was prepared well and the recipe was mastered, the requirements for the chef were not too high.
This is perfect for those apprentices whose skills varied greatly, as mentioned by the third senior brother.
"Kang Le Restaurant? Is that feasible?" The third senior brother asked, frowning.
Nowadays, apart from a few long-established restaurants, there are still many restaurants left in Beijing.
It has also given rise to some new brands that are popular among young people.
For example, the Maxim's French restaurant where Cui Jian performed around 1985 is now a favorite spot for literary and artistic youths and young people with a creative spirit.
This is the exact opposite of what Lao Mo did.
Old Mo was a place where kids from high-ranking compounds liked to show off.
Maxim is a place where the new generation of energetic young men like to gather.
Of course, those kinds of restaurants are irreplaceable.
The Kang Le Restaurant that He Yuzhu just mentioned can indeed be replicated.
How would we put it in the words of later generations?
The place most loved by young professionals and their girlfriends.
The main cuisine is southern style, reflecting the current trend in Beijing restaurants to focus on eating well and having plenty of oil and noodles.
That restaurant strives for refinement; it's run by four elderly women, each with their own signature dish.
Jadeite soup, peach blossom sauce, fried mushrooms, braised pork slices...
Four aunties, four signature dishes.
Just by looking at the name of the dish, you can tell that this is probably the girl's favorite.
It's very artistic and has a high-class feel. He Yuzhu wasn't asking his third senior brother to imitate that restaurant, but rather to learn how small restaurants market themselves.
As long as you can find your niche, you can make a business.
Just like the Ho family restaurant, it also has its own marketing positioning.
Its main focus is on business banquets.
Those who want to conduct business love to go there.
·····
"What do you mean...?" Two or three days had passed. He Yuzhu picked his teeth, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and asked his third senior brother in the back as he drove back.
As dusk settled outside the car window, a few young men, wearing jackets and pushing bicycles, stood at the entrance of the alley, but none of them had the curly hair, sunglasses, and jeans they used to have.
This was definitely influenced by what happened last year, but the young man still grumbled and cursed at He Yuzhu as he drove by.
It's estimated to contain a lot of mother's blood.
"I saw Chef Chang last year during the National Culinary Skills Competition."
I also heard that she opened a restaurant with some friends.
But this was the first time I'd ever heard of this restaurant being so popular. The third senior brother, sitting in the back, had a deep frown on his brow and looked somewhat bewildered.
He and He Yuzhu spent about twenty yuan on that meal just now.
We ordered almost all of their signature dishes.
The key point is that, as a chef, he really didn't think those dishes were worth that much money.
But reality taught him a harsh lesson: other people's businesses were booming, with queues forming right outside their doors.
The key point is that the dining environment here is far superior to that of restaurants in Beijing. Even a small restaurant like Xiao Er's has a brighter and more spacious interior than this Kang Le.
This restaurant is surprisingly hidden in Dongdan Hutong.
"hey-hey···
Did you get a shock?
If An'an hadn't brought me here for a meal, I wouldn't have known this restaurant was so popular.
What do you think it mainly sells?
Just a plate of crispy rice crust, a spoonful of hot soup, poured on top, and with a sizzle...
The seven dollars are gone.
Why do you think so many people want to eat this dish?
"How much pork can we buy!" He Yuzhu wouldn't have been so patient with anyone else.
They even came over to eat and drink with him, hoping he would figure out the truth for himself.
But this is his older brother, meaning they don't share the same surname, but they're practically the same as a biological brother.
As for the claim that He An brought him here to eat, that's complete nonsense.
Otherwise, there's no way to explain it. He Yuzhu is a highly skilled chef, busy with countless affairs, so how could he know about this kind of hole-in-the-wall restaurant hidden in the alley?
In He Yuzhu's eyes now, no matter how popular Kang Le Restaurant is, it's still a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and he might not even accept an invitation from someone else.
He's not a food blogger, so why would he wander into alleyways for no reason?
If someone he knows sees him, they might misunderstand and think he's looking for a half-open door.
"Most of the customers at this restaurant are young people, mostly couples."
There are also quite a few students from art academies or arts and crafts schools.
It has a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere, an artistic vibe, and the people dining inside seem to exude a more refined air than those outside...
right?
They felt quite proud of being ripped off. "Third Brother, a veteran in the restaurant business, could easily see what Kang Le Restaurant's marketing strategy was."
"Yes, that's the taste you described."
As we said, this restaurant is all about a sophisticated, bourgeois atmosphere, just like the old-fashioned tea restaurants where you drink coffee and speak English.
"I reckon the customers who go there are looking for something understated yet tasteful, simple yet sophisticated," He Yuzhu said with a smile. (End of Chapter)