Worried that buying too many things would attract attention, Xiao Chuan specifically asked several people to buy three or four items each. After collecting all the items, he brought them over and placed them one by one in front of Meng Zhao, angrily saying:
"Sister Meng, it's obvious that the shop across the street is deliberately copying us. They're selling many of the same things we have in our shop, and the prices are the same as ours. But because they're having a 20% discount today, their prices are much lower than ours."
Because everything else is the same, it doesn't matter, they're just forms, the most important thing is the taste.
Meng Zhao first picked up a piece of common braised pork, put it in his mouth, and found that the meat was tender and had been cooked thoroughly, not just boiled. Judging from the distribution of fat and lean meat and the springiness when picked up, it was a relatively high-quality and fresh cut of meat.
The taste was just a little off. Since the pig hadn't been castrated, the pork had a strong porky smell. The chef across from us had a very simple and crude method for removing the porky smell: just add more salt.
While the saltiness does suppress the fishy smell, it also reduces the aroma of the pork. I tried two more pieces and could taste a few spices, but they weren't very rich and didn't stand out.
She ate a few more bites of the pig offal. It was cleaned well, but the taste was still lacking, and the flavor was indeed too strong. Meng Zhao said to Xiao Chuan, "Xiao Chuan, go outside and buy me two flatbreads."
With the baked buns she bought, she tasted a little of each of the braised meats. After listening to the information Xiao Chuan had gathered, Meng Zhao was basically certain of what had happened.
The shop across the street must have studied her carefully, from the types of dishes to employee training, and even the shop decoration.
However, Meng Zhao was also confident, because while other things could be learned, the taste could not. The spice packet she was using was something she had modified little by little through numerous experiments, and it was not something that could be easily copied. Moreover, there were no potato noodles or skewers available at the other end of the street, but the wine that was given as a gift was quite interesting.
Because some drunk men like to cause trouble, and my shop is staffed entirely by women, I don't offer alcoholic beverages to avoid unnecessary problems. The shop across the street is a bit bigger than mine, and if I were to continue focusing on the tavern business and serve braised offal as a side dish with alcohol, it would probably be more effective.
But looking at the sign across the street that says "Zhao's Braised Offal," and the fact that they're offering this decent wine as a free gift, it seems they still want to focus on braised offal, which is a bit puzzling.
Meng Zhao tasted a little of each and got a general idea of what to expect, but she always knew to take other people's opinions into account, so she took some out for others to try.
They had eaten a lot of braised meat from their own shop before, so they could tell the difference between good and bad meat with just one bite.
Lin Qiuniang picked up a piece of braised meat, savoring its flavor, and asked in confusion, "Why does this braised meat taste almost the same as the one I make myself?"
"That's right, the first time I ate the braised meat from your shop, it was so incredibly delicious! I was wondering how it was made, how it smelled so good." Madam Liu still remembered the first time she ate Meng Zhao's braised meat.
Cui Ying nodded repeatedly, "That's right. The first time I ate it, I felt like all the meat I stewed before was wasted. How come it tasted so bland?"
Aunt Feng'e said, "Nobody's money grows on trees. Meat is already expensive enough, let alone braised meat. People buy our meat because it tastes good. If the meat outside is similar to what we make at home, who will come out to buy it? I think once the discount across the street is over and the price is the same as ours, we're guaranteed to not sell."
Shen Yun nodded in agreement, "I think so too. Let's just do our job well. Diners aren't without taste; how could they not tell the difference between good and bad?"
Seeing everyone discussing amongst themselves, not discouraged at all, but instead full of fighting spirit, Meng Zhao was extremely gratified. It seemed that they all had confidence in the braised meat in the shop, so she didn't need to say anything more.
The lion dance troupe across the street had been bustling all morning, and by noon they could finally take a break, but Meng Zhao was busy again.
The potato noodles haven't expanded yet; they're currently a unique creation of Meng Zhao's shop, and the other shops can't imitate them. No matter how much he offers a 20% discount, he can't attract customers to eat potato noodles.
Today, almost all the shops on the street have opened, and there are quite a few delivery orders. Xiao Chuan is too busy to handle them all by himself, so Meng Zhao also went out to deliver food. On the way back after delivering two orders, he was stopped by someone.
"Madam Meng, what a coincidence to run into you here."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao's gaze fell upon the person in front of her. The person was about 1.7 meters tall, with a slightly rounded figure and a slightly protruding belly. Meng Zhao recalled for a moment, but she didn't seem to have seen this person before. However, she was a businesswoman and might be a customer in her shop, so she greeted him politely.
"Yes, what a coincidence. You've come to Xishui Street for some business?"
The man nodded. "That's right. My master opened a shop here and asked me to help out." As he spoke, he casually pointed to Zhao's Braised Offal across the street.
Upon seeing this, Meng Zhao's heart stirred slightly, and he subconsciously raised his eyebrows slightly.
The man, seemingly oblivious, continued, "Madam Meng, when you came to our Zhao residence to prepare the banquet, I helped you with the cooking. Your culinary skills truly opened my eyes." He then smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"Hehe, I secretly learned a thing or two of my cooking back then, and in the last two years, my family has grown to love my cooking more and more. I have to thank you properly since we happened to meet today."
Meng Zhao smiled as she finally remembered who this person was. Back then, there was a foolish young master Zhao who spent thirteen taels of silver to invite her to host a banquet, just to embarrass Shen Qinghe.
At that time, this man worked in the kitchen of the Zhao family. Initially, he looked down on her because she was young, but he was convinced after she showed off her skills. However, he wasn't this fat back then, no wonder she didn't recognize him.
Meng Zhao said with a smile, "You're too kind. It's been so long, and you still remember me. That's really something."
"How could I forget that? You were the first master chef I ever met who didn't rush people while cooking. I practiced those few moves you showed me back then every day, but I still didn't master them. I only learned the basics. But in the end, you can be considered my master."
Although he was much older than Meng Zhao, in their line of work, skill was what mattered, and he was convinced that Meng Zhao's skills were better than his.
Meng Zhao quickly and modestly waved his hand, "What master or not, I dare not accept such a title, uh... I still have things to do at the shop, so I'll go back first." With that, he was about to leave.
The man immediately asked, "Madam Meng, you've opened a shop nearby? Which one is it? I'll come and support you sometime."
At such a young age, he was able to open a shop on Xishui Street. He was indeed a master chef. How could one not befriend such a person? So Chef Zhou was very attentive.
Meng Zhao chuckled meaningfully, saying "No need, no need," and then carried the food box into Meng's Braised Offal Restaurant diagonally across the street.
When Chef Zhou looked at the character "Meng" on the signboard and remembered the "Meng" in Meng Zhao's name, his expression froze instantly, his eyes widened, and he was mortified.
He had no desire to go out and immediately turned back to find Manager Zhou.
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