Gu Min did not dare to hold the following food tasting in the courtyard, and arranged it all in the new house in Bingjiao Hutong.

It's a private courtyard and not as crowded as the big courtyard, so the aroma of the braised dishes can't spread that far.

Gu Min also took notes every time she braised the food, recording the time and temperature of the stew, and how to make the stew taste the best.

The food tasting is in full swing and there is also new progress in recruiting staff.

As Lu Baiwei expected, after the recruitment information was posted, the aunties and ladies who came to the shop looking for work all lived in the nearby alleys. Gu Min did not reply at first, but went to find Sister Li, who had bought the house from Lu Baiwei and her family before.

Not only did Lu Baiwei and He Ting buy the house in Bingjiao Hutong from Sister Li, allowing her to make a huge profit from the bonus, but they also later rented a shop from Sister Li at the Street Office.

So when Gu Min asked her about the people who came to look for a job, Sister Li explained everything in detail. If her home wasn't too far away, and Gu Min had requirements for the people who came to work in the shop, Sister Li would have wanted to recommend her relatives.

After Gu Min selected the candidate, he asked Sister Li about the other party's reputation before officially hiring him.

Gu Min couldn't pick a suitable chef for the time being. She was a person who judged by appearance. Whether it was the chef recommended by Sister Li who had worked in a state-owned restaurant or her relative, Gu Min didn't like them and just let Lu Baiwei and He Ting decide on the chef.

Her idea was that although making braised dishes only required following the time and temperature and preparing spices for the stew, it was after all a shop consisting of two stores, and it was hard to say what kind of dishes she would be asked to cook in the future.

Moreover, skilled chefs have more experience in stewing dishes and can control the heat to ensure the taste of the dishes.

Lu Baiwei actually didn't have high requirements for the cook, but Gu Min had her considerations.

Seeing that the lights and fans were installed, and the tables, chairs and benches were put into the shop and it was just a matter of waiting for a few days for the smell to dissipate before it could be opened, Gu Min had already led the two aunts she had hired to clean the shop. Among the several people who had applied for the position of cook, she had not yet decided which one to choose.

The glass windows of the braised food shop were cleaned spotlessly. Gu Min was directing two newly hired aunts to wash kitchen utensils in the kitchen when she heard a noise outside.

"Is anyone there?"

"Here I am."

Gu Min walked out of the kitchen and was stunned when he saw the person coming.

The middle-aged man who walked in was really too outstanding in appearance. Her husband He Hua was already good-looking enough, not to mention her brother-in-law He Ting, who inherited the good genes from his parents.

The man in white shirt in front of him was as handsome as his brother-in-law, or rather, they each had their own drawbacks.

The man was older and perhaps less handsome, but he had more of the charm of a mature man, and his temperament was also rather noble.

It was just that his white shirt had some pilling from washing, which reduced his elegant demeanor.

Gu Min had seen many military officers in the compound. Her husband was not a luxury, but he was a fat and healthy eater. The visitor standing in the light and shadow cast by the door really surprised Gu Min.

"Comrade, are you here for dinner?"

Gu Min apologized, "Our braised food shop hasn't opened yet, you're here too early."

"If you want to try our braised food, you have to come back in a few days. Our store is scheduled to open this Friday."

"no!"

The man had a nice voice, and when he started to sing in the bass, it sounded a bit like the strings of a cello.

He said modestly, "There's a big poster outside recruiting cooks. I have experience as a cook."

"I'm here to look for a job."

no!

Such a good-looking guy is actually here to apply for the position of chef?

Is this appropriate?

Can you afford it?

Since the other person was here and the store was indeed hiring, out of courtesy, Gu Min couldn't turn him away.

She asked as a matter of routine: "Where did you work as a cook before?"

"Qingshan Mental Hospital."

He Min: “…”

Seeing that He Min didn't respond, the man sighed, "Is it because you worked in a mental hospital that you are disliked by others?"

"That's not the case!"

Gu Min shook his head.

The man hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "How about this, I'll cook a few dishes for you to try."

"Whether it's a donkey or a horse, the real skill will be revealed in your hands!"

"All right!"

Gu Min could only agree.

The braised food shop had not officially opened yet, so Gu Min called two working aunties to do the cleaning, and agreed that they would not be paid for the time being, and would only be given food expenses for cleaning in the first few days of opening.

Seeing that Gu Min said the salary would be 30 yuan a month, the two aunts quickly agreed.

When Gu Min opened the shop early in the morning and started working, he had already gone to the farmer's market to buy vegetables. He just needed to cook lunch soon. Since the man said that the real skills would be tested, Gu Min handed the task of preparing lunch to the man.

"This is the dish we're going to make for lunch. I'll leave it to you."

Gu Min explained: "In addition to paying wages, our braised food shop will also provide meals in the future."

"The food won't be bad. We'll have fish for lunch today."

After showing him what dish to cook, Gu Min asked him, "By the way, what's your name?"

"No need to bother, my last name is Su, Su Changyao."

It really shows how skilled you are!

This Su Changyao doesn't look like a cook at all. Gu Min's first impression of him is that of a person who can't use a knife.

It turned out that the man was very skilled in using the knife to scoop up the fish. In a blink of an eye, he had scooped up the fish and slapped it on the chopping board, and the fish had been gutted and skinned.

“How do you cook this fish?”

"Let's make braised fish fillets!"

Gu Min only bought a small fish weighing a little over a pound.

Considering that there were four people eating, Su Changyao chopped the fish into pieces and frying it in a pan. He also cut a cucumber as a side dish. When the fish was almost cooked, he put the cucumber strips in and cooked them together.

Gu Min watched by the side for a few minutes, and watched him perform a magic trick. A plate of fish cubes with basil and cucumber came out of the pot, accompanied by chopped green onions, red peppers and ginger slices. It was so colorful, fragrant and delicious that it made people salivate.

Perilla also perfectly removes the fishy smell.

The braised fish fillets were out of the pot. He also stir-fried some water spinach and made a dish of smashed cucumber.

The garlic-stirred water spinach they make is not just stir-fried casually. It is cooked directly with the sauce when it comes out of the pan, which makes people very appetizing.

The cold-mixed cucumber was also very good, with red and green peppers.

Gu Min became interested in this chef. Looking at his cooking skills and speed, he had already decided in his mind that he was the most suitable candidate for the position.

However, choosing a chef is a big deal, and Gu Min plans to add a threshold.

She remembered that the gourmets in the compound had said that it was very rare to find a chef who could make good braised pork. The braised pork made by a good chef would be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fatty but not greasy, and so delicious that it would kill you with just one bite.

Making braised pork is a test of the chef's control over the heat and his skills.

Gu Min took out a piece of meat that she was going to take back home to make a braised dish and threw it to Su Changyao.

"Let's make another dish of braised pork!"