Jessica tasted the fresh cabbage and drank the delicious soup. She said sincerely, "Alright, Elena, I've changed my mind. I agree with your point of view now. My prejudice against Chinese food stemmed entirely from my own ignorance. "
"This dish has completely changed my view of Chinese food."
Elena also nodded slightly. "I'm also surprised by this dish. I know that many Chinese restaurants have this dish, but I'm afraid there are only a few who can make it to such an extreme. "
"Thank you, Lucas. Your explanation has added a lot to this delicacy. Your understanding of food has also inspired me."
Jia Nuo smiled. "Actually, I don't have a deep understanding of food. I'm just doing my job according to the branch manager's instructions and presenting the details of each dish to the customers."
Obviously, this was the purpose of Lin Canrong's explanation.
Apart from a very small number of foodies who were extremely sensitive to taste, most ordinary people would not be able to judge how much effort the chef had put in to achieve such a taste just by looking at the taste.
Most people lacked the vocabulary to describe food. It was nothing more than delicious, fresh, and so on.
At such a time, explaining the details of each dish to the customers was not just to spread knowledge but also to create a kind of environment and atmosphere for the customers to build a kind of "empathy".
The delicacies of high-end restaurants were all about improving the taste at all costs. If the details could not be explained clearly, the customers would not have a deep impression of the dishes.
Obviously, Lin Canrong's meticulous preparation had achieved its desired effect at this moment.
Elena said, "Lucas, I would like to discuss with you about Chinese food and Western food. Is that okay?"
Jia Nuo thought about it. "I'm afraid my knowledge is not enough to answer this question. However, I can invite the branch manager over. "
Elena said, "If it won't disturb the branch manager's work, thank you very much!"
Jia Nuo left the private room and returned with Lin Canrong after a while.
Lin Canrong smiled and said, "My surname is Lin, and I'm the branch manager of this restaurant. Are the two of you satisfied with our food and service? "
Although Lin Canrong was learning English, he was old and busy with work. Therefore, he could not communicate with foreigners without any barriers.
Therefore, Jia Nuo had to translate.
Fortunately, Jia Nuo had done simultaneous interpretation before. It was a piece of cake for him to make a guest appearance.
Elena nodded. "Very much so! This is the best meal I've ever had. Whether it's Western food or Chinese food, your meticulous attention to detail has left a deep impression on me. "
"I'm a gourmet lover and I've had some questions for a long time. I'd like to discuss them with Manager Lin. I wonder if Manager Lin would be able to answer my questions?"
Lin Canrong said modestly, "I don't dare to say that I can solve your doubts, but I'm willing to talk about my opinion."
Eileen asked, "Nowadays, dishes are becoming more and more heavily seasoned. Many dishes can no longer taste the original taste of the food. What do you think of this, manager Lin?"
Lin Canrong pondered for a moment before replying, "This is indeed a trend in the development of world cuisine."
"I think there are two main reasons for this."
"First of all, it's because of competition. The food industry is very cruel. Even the top restaurants in the world have to constantly develop new dishes. They even have to provide a lot of fun things in their restaurants and work hard on the environment. Otherwise, they'll be seen as not making progress. After all, it's easy for customers to be distracted by other restaurants. "
"Second, it's because of the needs of customers. Under the deceit and temptation of many food and beverage brands, customers have too many choices. The contrast is too strong, and the stimulation is too great. As a result, many customers have lost their ability to appreciate certain tastes. The threshold of their taste buds is constantly being pulled higher. "
"When the entire food and beverage industry is using more delicious food to stimulate the taste buds of customers, a cycle is naturally formed. For customers, they're indeed eating 'more delicious' food, but … I don't think this is in line with the Chinese food philosophy. "
"Chinese food is particular about big flavors being bland. Every dish has its own style, and hundreds of dishes have their own flavors. If there's a taste, make it come out; if there's no taste, make it go in.
"To put it simply, every ingredient has its own unique taste. When pairing ingredients, we have to consider the integration of different tastes, and not forcefully change them with seasoning. Even the taste of the same dish shouldn't remain the same forever. Instead, we have to tailor the dish to suit the customers' tastes according to their special needs. "
"Therefore, our restaurant has been working hard to find a balance between the two. Not only do we have to maintain the original taste of the ingredients, but we also have to avoid using seasonings and additives to make the food nutritious and healthy. At the same time, we have to constantly improve the taste. "
"Just like the Chinese cabbage in hot water that both of you had today. There's a saying that goes, 'Chinese cabbage is the most fragrant of all dishes.' Although it's a very common ingredient, as long as it's cooked with care, it can completely surpass the effects of those rare ingredients. "
Jia Nuo translated Lin Canrong's words accurately, and the two customers nodded repeatedly.
Jessica listened with great interest.
If it had been before that day, she would have scoffed at these theories and would not have listened. She would have thought that it was a sophistry of Chinese food being inferior to modern Western food.
But after eating today's dishes, she was able to understand these philosophical concepts.
That was because the Chinese cabbage in hot water was exactly what Branch Manager Lin had said: 'big flavors must be bland'. There were no modern seasonings added. It looked like a plain soup with little water, but it was extremely delicious.
Eileen nodded. "Branch Manager Lin's words are very philosophical and helpful to me. Thank you! So how does Branch Manager Lin see the difference between Chinese food and Western food? Which of the two is better? "
Lin Canrong smiled. "Gourmet food has always been very subjective. Everyone has different tastes. I don't think there's a need to force a conclusion.
"Every type of food is rooted in its cultural heritage. Currently, although Western food is more widely accepted around the world, it's mainly because the cultural heritage of Western food is more widely accepted.
"Many people only have a superficial taste of Chinese food and judge whether it's delicious based on the intensity of the taste. This is obviously putting Chinese food in a wrong system to evaluate. Naturally, it's impossible to reach the correct conclusion.
"The deliciousness of Chinese food needs to be understood in a specific cultural background. It's not just a kind of appetite, but also an expression of thought and philosophy.
"Take a very common dish, Dongpo pork. If you don't know its historical background, it's just an ordinary red braised pork. However, if you know the story of Su Dongpo and the background of his invention of this dish, or even see the Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway, one of the ten sceneries of West Lake … then the meaning of this dish will be completely different.
"If you've read Su Dongpo's poems and calligraphy, then you'll be eating Dongpo pork. Otherwise, it's just an ordinary piece of red braised pork.
"Many Westerners don't understand these and are used to using Western standards to evaluate Chinese food. Of course, they'll come to the conclusion that it's not as good as Western food, but this is obviously unfair.
"Let's go back to your original question.
"I don't think that modern Western food is wrong to pursue the ultimate taste by precisely controlling the amount of food consumed. I also don't think that Chinese food culture is wrong. Our restaurant doesn't discriminate against any style. Instead, we try our best to understand every dish and provide diners with the most suitable taste for them. "
With Jia Nuo's translation, Lin Canrong's long speech was faithfully and elegantly translated. It was concise and capable, and every word was translated perfectly.
Eileen kept nodding as she listened.
Finally, she said sincerely, "So that's how it is! Branch Manager Lin's understanding of food is indeed profound. It's really amazing! "
JESSICA also lamented, "I won't be prejudiced against Chinese food in the future. It turns out that the Chinese food in the past didn't taste good only because they weren't good enough."
Lin Canrong smiled. "Not at all. In the vast and profound food culture, I'm just a struggling student."
Eileen said, "Branch Manager Lin, I'm actually a gourmet blogger. Can I write what I saw today on my gourmet blog? Your unique understanding of the food industry has provided me with a new perspective. "
Lin Canrong smiled and nodded. "Of course."
…
After sending off the two foreigners, Jia Nuo wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Branch Manager, these two people don't look like ordinary people. Fortunately, you've always asked me to memorize these contents. Otherwise, I might have made a fool of myself.
"However, your final paragraph about the differences in Chinese and Western food culture is very precise. I can tell that these two foreigners have been conquered by it."
Lin Canrong remained silent for a moment and then said, "Actually, this is something that I've realized recently. It just so happened that I could use it."
Jia Nuo was stunned. "Realized recently? Branch Manager, isn't this sudden realization too timely? "
Lin Canrong's expression was serious. "It looks like a coincidence, but in fact … it's inevitable.
"Previously, I went to look for Boss Pei and wanted to open a branch, but Boss Pei rejected me. That's why I've been thinking about what kind of position Ming Yun Private Kitchen has in Boss Pei's eyes.
"Later, I understood that Ming Yun Private Kitchen should be a unique restaurant. It does not pursue quantity, but quality. It provides the best experience for its customers.
"And this kind of extreme experience cannot be replicated in the first place. That's why Boss Pei emphasized that Ming Yun Private Kitchen cannot open a branch. However, he urgently needs to spend money and improve the details.
"I've worked hard to find flaws and strive to achieve perfection in every aspect. Our restaurant doesn't only give preferential treatment to foreign guests. Instead, we treat all diners equally and provide the most perfect dining experience. "
"Although we've only received two slightly picky customers today, it's very meaningful because we've withstood the test. We can only do our best if we treat every day as the first day of business, treat every customer as our first customer, and pay attention to every customer's feedback.
"This includes thinking about the differences between Chinese and Western food and reflecting on the development of the modern food industry. These are all insights that I've gained from repeatedly trying to figure out Boss Pei's deeper meaning.
"I think that we can only meet Boss Pei's expectations for Ming Yun Private Kitchen if we work hard to this extent!
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