Feng Yifan seemed to be leisurely, playing with his wife and daughter, and did not take the cooking competition seriously at all. In fact, while playing, he was also discussing the dishes with his wife.
On the other side, Su Lanxin and her team were busy making preparations.
Apart from purchasing the ingredients in advance and sending them to Su Ji, Su Lanxin did not ask about the Chinese cuisine cooking auditions at all. Instead, she gathered with her ex-husband Chen Wei, her son Su Liancheng, and her beloved disciple Tan Xueli to try the dishes.
The place where the "family" tasted food was a chain restaurant that Su Lanxin was planning to open in Huaicheng.
Everything in the restaurant has been decorated, and all the equipment in the kitchen has been debugged, but Su Lanxin feels that it is not time to open it yet, so it is not open for business for the time being.
It has to be said that Su Lanxin had a talent for cooking back then, and later she also became talented in management.
And she knows how to run a business, especially how to use various available resources to expand the popularity of her restaurant.
For example, now that she has returned to China, she is very aware that the chain restaurants under her company are not well-known enough in the country.
That's why Su Lanxin made several plans, one of which was to take down the old plaque of Su Ji.
Make use of the century-old plaque of Su Ji and publicize the fact that his father and grandfather had participated in the state banquet.
Su Lanxin even prepared and brought out all the palace dishes that her ancestors had cooked in the imperial city.
There is only one purpose, which is to increase her popularity and let everyone know that she comes from a family of culinary skills.
After creating momentum, she used it to launch the restaurant chain under her current company.
Of course, this plan is obviously impossible to achieve now, because Su Lanxin has no confidence in getting the old plaque of Su Ji.
Su Lanxin is not the kind of person who thinks that she can get back the old Su's plaque after this cooking competition.
She knew very well that her elder brother was unwilling to compete in the cooking competition. The reason why he came out to compete this time was only because of the lobbying of his uncle and some pressure she brought to Su Ji.
So even if the other party lost, Su Lanxin didn't think that the other party would give up the old plaque obediently.
And Su Lanxin has never been a person who would leave no way out.
So she had already prepared other plans, and the cooking competition that is currently being promoted is actually her second plan.
She hosted this cooking competition to increase her and her company's visibility through the competition.
Later, the company used this fame to open chain restaurants.
In this way, with the help of the popularity gained from the competition, many people will inevitably flock to the new restaurant.
Because everyone would definitely want to try what the dishes made by the judges of the cooking competition are like
Then, using this fame, Su Lanxin could make the restaurant chain a hit.
Of course, there is an important key point behind all this, that is, a group of chefs trained by Su Lanxin Company.
The chefs trained by these companies are the foundation of Su Lanxin's overseas development over the years, and are also the key to the success of the company's many chain restaurants.
Therefore, with sufficient strength to support her, Su Lanxin used various promotional methods to achieve such success.
Su Lanxin is indeed very strong, as she is able to build a multinational catering company and open chain restaurants serving Chinese cuisine in many places around the world.
However, even with such strength, Su Lanxin still has a knot in her heart that she cannot untie.
The knot in my heart is the old plaque of Su Ji.
In fact, for Su Lanxin, perhaps she herself knew that she really wanted to get that old plaque and really wanted to become the chef of Su Ji.
In fact, they just can't swallow the humiliation they felt back then. To put it bluntly, it's just a dispute of pride.
But Su Lanxin just couldn't let go. She just wanted to prove that her father's choice was wrong.
Over the years, she has tried her best, almost racking her brains, to successfully expand the company and turn it into a multinational catering company.
It can be said that the biggest driving force behind this may be the unwillingness to accept the fate of his father.
Therefore, even though he knew that the cooking competition between Chen Wei and Feng Yifan was a joke, and even though he knew that even if he won, he might not be able to receive the Su Ji plaque.
But Su Lanxin was still willing to compete and still wanted to give it her all, thinking about winning this cooking competition.
So in the kitchen of the newly built restaurant, Su Lanxin can be said to be extremely strict.
Starting from the morning, Su Lanxin called Chen Wei, Su Liancheng and Tan Xueli to come and try to cook together in the kitchen.
It was probably after everyone at Su Ji had finished their breakfast that Chen Wei finally finished the first dish.
It includes soup at the beginning, a refreshing vegetable salad in the middle, steak as the main course, a portion of seafood at the end, a little bit of staple food, and a light side dish at the end.
Seeing what Chen Wei did, Tan Xueli really couldn't help but be convinced.
Chen Wei is worthy of being the company's executive chef, having been in charge of the company's kitchen for decades.
Even when Tan Xueli was watching Chen Wei cooking, she could not imagine that Chen Wei was an old man in his seventies.
That kind of high-spirited and focused expression is really very cool, yet not losing the slightest bit of carefulness.
In Tan Xueli's opinion, just watching the chef cook is already a kind of enjoyment.
The complete dish in front of her looked simply perfect to Tan Xueli.
But the result was that Su Lanxin said very seriously: "No, none of these are okay, Chen Wei, can you be more serious? The key to these things is that these practices are too Western."
Chen Wei looked at Su Lanxin helplessly and said, "Don't forget that the ingredients we use must be cooked using Western methods to highlight the flavor.
If we use domestic methods of frying, stewing or boiling, will the steak still be edible? And these seafood are even more inedible.”
Su Lanxin shook her head and said, "No, Chen Wei, you didn't understand what I meant. I'm not asking you to do it in a domestic way, but to make it look more domestic and have domestic elements."
After hearing Su Lanxin's words, Tan Xueli was stunned because she had no idea what to do.
Su Liancheng thought for a moment and said, "Mom, we don't have to pursue the Chinese style. We can stick to our own things. I think what Dad did is perfect."
Su Lanxin looked at her son and said very seriously: "What do you know? Have you all forgotten the theme of our banquet?"
Chen Wei suddenly seemed to understand: "The theme of the banquet is Children's Day."
Su Lanxin then added: "The real theme of the party is Feng Ruoruo's birthday."
…
What’s interesting is that while they were discussing the theme of the Children’s Day banquet, Feng Yifan was also chatting with his wife and daughter in Su Ji’s kitchen.
Su Ruoxi was also a little curious and asked: "Is our theme Children's Day? Then should the dishes you cook have more children's elements?"
Feng Ruoruo said immediately: "Yes, yes, Dad, our kids like what you are going to do."
Feng Yifan smiled and said, "Our real theme is a little girl's birthday."
When Feng Ruoruo heard this, she immediately smiled and said, "It's Ruoruo's birthday."
Feng Yifan nodded: "Yes, it's Ruoruo's birthday, but Ruoruo is also a little girl, so the theme is a little girl's birthday."
…
On the other side, Chen Wei looked at Su Lanxin in surprise after hearing this and asked, "So you mean, the focus is on Ruoruo's birthday?"
Su Lanxin nodded: "Yes, Feng Ruoruo's birthday."
Tan Xueli suddenly said, "That's easy. We can make it according to Feng Ruoruo's taste."
Su Liancheng also thought it made sense and immediately gave his opinion: "I remember that Ruoruo really likes all kinds of snacks made by her father."
Tan Xueli said again: "Then we can have a dessert banquet, which can also attract those kindergarten children. In this way, our Western-style banquet will definitely have an advantage."
…
In the back kitchen of Su Ji, Feng Yifan smiled and asked his daughter: "So what does this little girl Ruoruo like?"
Feng Ruoruo thought for a moment and said, "I like my parents, grandparents, and grandpa."
When Su Ruoxi heard this, she immediately laughed: "Hahaha, Dad is not asking who you like, Dad is asking what you like to eat?"
Feng Ruoruo thought for a moment and answered, "Then Ruoruo likes... I like the snacks made by my father the most."
When Su Ruoxi heard her daughter's words, she smiled and said to her husband, "It's over. Are you going to prepare a snack banquet for your daughter?"
But on second thought, Su Ruoxi felt that it seemed possible.
"Yes, you can prepare a dim sum banquet with all kinds of dim sum. Children will definitely like it. If the dim sum you make is popular, you will definitely win."
At this moment, Su Ruoxi might not have thought that some of her ideas actually coincided with those of the other side.
Chen Wei and Su Lanxin looked at each other for a moment, thought about it carefully, and felt that it seemed possible.
Su Lanxin said: "Okay, then we will make snacks, using all kinds of high-quality ingredients. If we make a variety of snacks, we will definitely win the love of all the children."
Feng Yifan and Su Lanxin said almost at the same time: "Sure, since our Ruoruo likes it, we can give them a snack banquet."
Su Ruoxi asked curiously: "Dim sum banquet? Are you going to present all the dim sum from ancient times to the present?"
Feng Yifan smiled and shook his head: "No, no, no, if that happens, we will be relegated to the lower class, and then we will definitely not be able to defeat my aunt and the others."
Su Ruoxi curled her lips and said, "Then what are you going to say?"
Then, Su Ruoxi asked curiously: "That's not right? Didn't you say you don't care about winning or losing?"
Feng Yifan put his arm around his wife and replied with a smile, "We don't care about winning or losing, but we can't ignore the cooking competition. Besides, we have to celebrate Ruoruo's birthday, and we have to make sure the kids in Ruoruo's kindergarten have a good meal."
Su Ruoxi pouted again: "Let the children enjoy the meal, then just make snacks, they like to eat your snacks."
Feng Yifan nodded: "We have to make dim sum, but we can't just copy those dim sum. We want to make various dishes into dim sum."
Su Ruoxi was a little surprised: "Make various dishes into snacks?"
Feng Yifan smiled confidently and nodded.
Su Ruoxi found it a little hard to imagine how to make dishes into snacks.
All she could think of was to serve all those large plates of food to the children on small plates, but could that be considered a snack
Guessing his wife's thoughts, Feng Yifan said, "Of course not all dishes served as small plates can be considered snacks."
Su Ruoxi quickly asked: "Then what are you going to do?"
Feng Yifan smiled and replied: "It is done in the same way, but the presentation method follows some dim sum styles, and the cooking method is slightly adjusted."
It was almost a coincidence with Feng Yifan's thoughts.
Chen Wei also said: "We need to cook these high-quality ingredients and make them look like dim sum."
Su Liancheng and Tan Xueli in the kitchen looked at each other, both of them were obviously surprised.
It’s a little hard to imagine what it would be like if Chen Wei made the dishes into snacks.
Chen Wei was equally confident: "I will make some improvements, improvements in cooking methods, so that each dish not only looks more like dim sum, but also tastes like dim sum."
Perhaps the two people who were about to compete in cooking would never have thought that they would coincide with each other at this moment.
However, Chen Wei is still thinking about how to use Western ingredients, present them in a Western way, and also incorporate domestic elements.
On the other side, Feng Yifan had even more unconventional ideas.
"I will combine many things from ancient times to the present, and then add some Western techniques, making each dish like dim sum, which is also an interesting thing."
Su Ruoxi really found it hard to imagine what kind of dish her husband would cook in the end.
Just as Su Liancheng and Tan Xueli on the other side could not imagine what style of dishes Chen Wei would eventually design.
However, the two people have different starting points.
Chen Wei wanted to compete in cooking.
Feng Yifan really wanted to prepare a birthday banquet for his daughter, and wanted his daughter and her friends to have an unforgettable birthday banquet.
But no matter what their starting point was, they both had already started thinking seriously.
After listening to Chen Wei's words, Su Lanxin said very seriously: "No matter how you want to present the dishes, I still want to emphasize that more Chinese elements must be incorporated."
Chen Wei was a little surprised when he heard this: "Why do you have to be so entangled here?"
Su Lanxin's expression turned bad: "Do you think I'm being entangled? Have you forgotten where we are now?"
Without waiting for Chen Wei to speak, Su Lanxin said very seriously: "We are in China, not abroad. We are not going to cook for foreigners, but for some children."
Chen Wei nodded: "I know that, and I don't think those kids will be unable to accept Western things."
Seeing that Chen Wei didn't seem to understand, Su Lanxin became anxious: "Why don't you understand? The child is not the point. We are going to compete in the cooking competition at Su Ji. What kind of place is Su Ji?"
This time Chen Wei suddenly understood something: "Su Ji, Master's restaurant."
Su Lanxin nodded seriously: "Yes, it's my father's restaurant. It's the restaurant that has been passed down for generations in my Su family. What does it carry? Don't you understand?"
Chen Wei understood and nodded heavily: "Okay, I understand, I will make adjustments."