Chapter 121: Voting for Returning Dishes.
That evening, many customers who enjoyed the delicious dishes at the restaurant happily posted various tempting food photos in the comment section of the notes or blog posts published on Gu's Private Kitchen's official account that day. They transformed into food bloggers, typing out long strings of sincere, vivid, and evocative text.
A large group of netizens, either due to life or work reasons or because they are located all over the country, can only come to the Gu's Private Kitchen official account every night to look at the food photos posted by lucky winners in the comments section to satisfy their cravings.
On platforms like Xiaohongshu, even though it's past 8:30, the comment section for today's posts is still very lively.
Many people were surprised to receive a notification that Gu's Private Kitchen had posted a new note.
Strange, why are you suddenly posting notes? I usually update the menu every morning at 10 AM.
Despite their doubts, many customers' hands were quite honest, clicking on the pop-up notification on their phone screens and seeing the new post from Gu's Private Kitchen.
[Gu's Private Kitchen: Good evening everyone. The National Day holiday is approaching, and our small restaurant is thinking about what kind of menu to make to welcome this joyous occasion and all of you who have come from afar.]
We previously promised to bring back some dishes whenever possible, and we're planning a limited-time special menu for October 1st. Based on your feedback and the restaurant's specific circumstances, we've launched a voting event. We welcome your votes to choose your favorite combination of dishes to be brought back.
Voting closes at 8 PM on September 29th. The dish with the most votes will be included in the menu for National Day. Our shop will do its utmost to prepare delicious dishes; everyone is welcome to visit and enjoy them!
Also, due to the need to prepare the dishes in advance, the restaurant will be temporarily closed for one day on September 30th. Please spread the word so as not to make a wasted trip. Thank you very much (heart emoji)
A small voting window appeared below the notes, with three options to choose from. Voting would earn you a random red envelope.
[Gu's Private Kitchen is seeking suggestions for dishes to be served again on October 1st. Your valuable vote is greatly appreciated!]
A. A combination of braised pig's feet, braised beef shank, and braised duck and chicken;
B. Sour plum duck, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, and handmade fish ball soup;
C. Grilled fish, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, and peppered pork tripe and chicken soup;
Countless netizens were already excited just by reading the description of beef in this post. When they saw that the delayed event also offered a random red envelope, they couldn't help but secretly praise Gu's Private Kitchen for being so generous. It was something they were happy to do so casually, yet they were so polite.
Is this a vote? No, it's a vote for their happiness on National Day.
Upon seeing the three options on the voting page, they forgot all their previous playful and cheerful thoughts and were so excited and conflicted that their minds were practically in knots.
What to do? Every dish in these three options is one of their favorites, and just looking at them together makes their mouths water. It's really hard to choose.
Many people are struggling to decide. What they thought would be a simple vote has now become a major dilemma. They are hesitant and thinking that since the deadline is 8 p.m. on September 29, they might as well think about it some more and vote before that time.
Some people are more decisive. Even though they like every dish and every combination, they always have a favorite. So they click to cast their vote and receive a red envelope.
You should also enthusiastically encourage your relatives and friends to come and vote, preferably for the option you voted for, as this will increase the chances of a comeback during the National Day holiday.
Many people simply leave their choice to luck. This time, the coin toss doesn't solve the problem. They either draw lots or count the points and choose whichever one the points land on. After all that, they eventually get an answer.
If I could accept it, I simply accepted it. After submitting the application, I even received a small red envelope, which was better than nothing.
The comment section under this note was instantly flooded with comments, with everyone expressing their opinions on which option to choose.
Some people even shared their experiences after eating the food and posted photos of it, trying to attract and entice more people to vote for the same option, thereby increasing their chances of being selected.
After posting on Xiaohongshu and Weibo, Gu Qingqiu put down her phone, first finalized tomorrow's menu, and then listed the ingredients that needed to be purchased by phone and in person.
After finishing her work, she put the cookbook she had just found back on the table and bookshelf, tidied up her desk, and when she saw some dust, she went to the kitchen to get a damp cloth to wipe it down. She also cleaned the bedside table area.
After all that work, half an hour had passed before I sat down on the bed.
Gu Qingqiu leaned back on the bed and picked up her phone to check the status of the poll she had just sent out.
This voting activity allows for voting rewards to attract netizens to vote. Gu Qingqiu set a certain amount of money to be added as activity expenses. It is estimated that each person will not receive much money, but it will not be less than a penny.
She thought she should at least have a penny, right?
After posting her notes, Gu Qingqiu first voted for the dish she wanted to eat. When she opened the pop-up red envelope, she received a dime...
The screen refreshed, and Gu Qingqiu was stunned when she saw the vote counts displayed for several voting options.
How could this be!
The total number of votes cast so far is only a little over two thousand, which is less than the number of likes for this post, and even less than the number of favorites.
Gu Qingqiu was puzzled. Seeing that this note had several hundred comments, she decided to scroll down to see what was going on.
[New car acquired: Oh my god, what am I seeing?! The long-awaited limited-time menu items are finally back!!! They're all my favorite dishes! Now, the happy dilemma has arrived again—which option should I choose???]
[Fragrant Pear's Night of Love: Waaaaah, seeing this dish's limited-time return made me decide to go to Jiang City during the National Day holiday. I absolutely have to eat this dish that I've been longing for but can't get! But it's so hard to choose, I like all three options, can I choose all three? (Poor thing)]
[Laughing loudly as I leave: Ugh, I excitedly clicked in thinking about voting, but after reading everything, I'm even more conflicted! Which one should I choose?! Anyway, there are still several days left. I just need to vote before the deadline at 8 PM on September 29th. Let me agonize over this for a few more days (tears)]
[A casual acquaintance: I really can't make a decision; my indecisiveness is acting up again. Anyway, there's still some time before the deadline, I'll vote before then.]
Seeing these two comments, Gu Qingqiu finally understood why the number of votes was so low.
It turns out that netizens liked every dish in each option so much that they couldn't make a decision right away, so they decided to vote again in a few days before the deadline.
As long as it's not for any other reason, Gu Qingqiu can accept the reason for not investing temporarily because she likes her own restaurant's dishes too much.
It seems that the three options for the encore menu that she listed are quite popular. Gu Qingqiu then read the comments below.
[This believer's letter: After months of fasting, chanting, and praying before the Buddha, I've finally got my wish! Braised pig's feet are back! This is a classic dish from Gu's Private Kitchen!!! Although I also like the dishes in options B and C, I still voted for A without hesitation. I hope all pig's feet lovers will bravely vote and campaign so that braised pig's feet, braised beef shank, braised chicken, and braised duck can reappear at Gu's Private Kitchen on this National Day, so we can feast to our hearts' content!]
[Chong□□Shi: Sisters, vote for option B for me!!! I guarantee that the plum duck, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, and handmade fish ball soup are really delicious!]
The sour plum duck is bursting with the aroma of sour plums, and the duck skin is a bright red. The duck meat is tender, savory, and flavorful; one piece is enough to eat with a large bowl of white rice. The sweet and sour pork, coated in a thick sauce, is deliciously sweet and sour, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fresh and savory flavor. Even the pineapple pieces are exceptionally fresh and delicious. The handmade fish ball soup uses fish balls made by the owner himself. The fish balls are bouncy and flavorful, with a satisfyingly firm texture, and the soup itself is incredibly sweet and delicious.
So ladies, if you like this kind of food, call all your aunts and uncles to come and vote!
P.S.: Just say there's a cash reward for voting, directly deposited into WeChat without withdrawal; that would be more appealing to relatives and friends!
[Elegant and composed me: Ahhh, I love every option, but I still voted for C.]
Did you know that Gu's Private Kitchen's grilled fish is incredibly professional and delicious? The fish is grilled until the skin is crisp and juicy, while the flesh is fresh, tender, and savory. The spicy version is especially satisfying. I first became a fan after watching a blogger's live stream of him eating grilled fish at Gu's Private Kitchen. This dish has always been my dream, and I'm so excited to finally have the chance to try it!
Braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens is also delicious. Gu's Private Kitchen's version can be fried to a beautiful tiger skin, with three layers of pork belly that are distinctly fat and lean, savory and flavorful, and fully infused with the fragrance of preserved mustard greens. It's rich but not greasy, and melts in your mouth. The preserved mustard greens also absorb the aroma of the meat, giving them a unique savory flavor.
Peppered pork tripe and chicken soup needs no introduction; everyone knows it's a delicious soup. Thanks to the superb culinary skills of Gu's Private Kitchen, the flavor is elevated to another level. The spicy pepper aroma warms the stomach and spleen, and the aroma of pork tripe and chicken blend together perfectly. The soup truly captures the essence of these fresh pork tripe and chicken.
Trust me and support me, please cast your valuable vote for option C. Thank you!
[Autumn breeze is the best time: Ahhh, I've had that lingering braised pig's trotter I've been dreaming of! And braised beef shank, braised chicken, braised duck!! This must be A in this poll, everyone!!!]
I won't go into detail about how delicious braised pig's feet, braised beef shank, braised chicken, and braised duck are; a quick search will show you. They generated a lot of sharing and discussion back then.
All you need to know is that you're supporting Gu's Private Kitchen, a restaurant that has been serving signature dishes since the owner's grandparents' generation! These are three generations of family-run dishes—don't miss out! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! AAA is the perfect rating!
Gu Qingqiu smiled slightly after reading it, feeling pleased.
Netizens are really amazing. They can even make voting persuasion more interesting, turning it into something like a presidential campaign televised speech. They want to get as many people as possible to support them, preferably their whole family, so that they can boost the vote and win the return of their beloved dish.
It seems that the dishes I chose are indeed very popular, and most of my fans are looking forward to them.
Honestly, if Gu Qingqiu were to vote, she would also struggle with the decision for a while.
Normally, the dishes that can be included in the menu are basically those that she can accept and like. This time, the three dishes she selected are those that customers have repeatedly asked to bring back in the comments section or in person, and they are also dishes that she personally wants to try to make even more delicious.
However, after sending it out, Gu Qingqiu gave all of her insignificant vote to option A.
For dishes like braised pig's feet, braised beef shank, braised chicken, and braised duck, the key is the braising liquid, which is a classic secret recipe from Gu's private kitchen, passed down from her grandfather to her parents and then to her. Usually, the restaurant mainly focuses on dishes cooked fresh on the day, so there isn't much time to braise meat.
The last time Gu Qingqiu prepared her own braised meat and sauce to serve customers was during the May Day holiday. Now, with the National Day holiday being even longer and more important, Gu Qingqiu is quite happy to bring her family's signature braised meat and sauce back into the spotlight.
She had a premonition when she set up the voting campaign that the braised pork trotters and other braised meats that were popular before and that customers still occasionally mention wanting to eat would ultimately stand out and win the crown.
However, it was unexpected that netizens would be too conflicted about which option to vote for, and thus remain inactive, planning to vote again before the deadline.
Since that's the case, Gu Qingqiu doesn't need to pay too much attention to this voting event recently. The results will naturally be revealed when the time comes. Then she can start preparing by purchasing ingredients.
She exited Xiaohongshu and went to Weibo to check her post, which was also bustling with activity, with a voting event featuring a red envelope reward mechanism.
Similar to Xiaohongshu, the poll here currently only has a little over a thousand votes. In the comments section, some people are lamenting how difficult it is to choose, some are desperately sharing their favorite dishes in an attempt to garner votes, and some are even calling on their extended family to help boost the vote count.
Gu Qingqiu smiled as she scrolled through the posts. After exiting the post, she browsed the posts from the bloggers she followed, then checked the trending topics, clicking on anything that interested her.
The pleasant and relaxing night passed by quietly. She had enough time to play on her phone without getting carried away. When it was time, she put down her phone, quickly applied lotion, and lay down to sleep.
The next day at noon, after finishing their busy work and having lunch with the rest of the restaurant staff, Gu Qingqiu said, "I don't know if the three of you saw the notes I posted last night. The menu for National Day is still in the opinion-gathering and voting stage. We will be closed on September 30th. Because if option A wins by a large margin, making braised meat takes a lot of time. Just preparing the braising liquid will take a whole day. Foods like pig's feet also need to be braised for a longer time to be delicious and flavorful."
"Furthermore, business will definitely be very good during the seven-day National Day holiday, so our restaurant has temporarily canceled its usual Tuesday closure. We'll all take a good rest after the holiday ends. We're taking a break on the 30th so that you and I can all get some rest. This will allow us to relax and recharge this week and get back to our best condition for the National Day holiday, which may bring even better business."
She said with a smile, "I plan to buy more ingredients during the National Day holiday, and try to host about five more tables during lunch and dinner. Please don't complain about being tired then."
After the boss finished speaking, Sister Zhou spoke first: "Boss, I saw your notes last night and even voted for option A, braised pig's feet. Ever since Fangfang and I had the braised meat at the restaurant last time, we've been craving it. When we try to make it at home, the taste is always much worse."
She said with a hint of joy, "Boss, your arrangement is great. I promise to be in top form to welcome the business during the National Day holiday. I will still warmly welcome customers. Not to mention serving five more tables of customers, serving ten more tables of customers is no problem."
Wang Meiyu first said that she had seen the note yesterday and voted for option A: "The braising liquid for braised meat is a true test of a restaurant's skill. I've heard that braised pig's feet and other braised meats are the signature dishes of our restaurant since I started working here, but unfortunately I came too late to try them. Now I finally have the chance. Next, we'll see if the customers' tastes match mine."
"As for going to work, that's no problem. I'll definitely be in top form to welcome the National Day business of our restaurant and make sure the food is ready!"
Tang Jie said somewhat embarrassedly, "I went to bed early last night and didn't see your new notes, boss. I really didn't know about it. Anyway, boss, you can arrange it as you see fit. We can rest well and then work for another week without any problem!"
Gu Qingqiu smiled and agreed: "Okay, it would be best if you can all accept it. Many catering, service and tourism businesses have made thorough preparations for the National Day holiday. We will also make some adjustments to try to do a good job during the seven days of the National Day holiday and leave a wonderful dining experience for our repeat customers and customers who come from afar."
The three of them smiled and agreed. As they ate the delicious food on the table, they couldn't help but think about the National Day holiday. They knew they had to rest well at home on the 30th and be in their best condition to welcome the national celebration on October 1st and devote themselves to their work at the restaurant.
After the meal, Sister Zhou took a rag and wiped down the seven tables in the dining area, while Sister Tang cleared away the dishes and went to the kitchen sink to wash them. Wang Meiyu, as usual, packed her things to go home and rest.
She thought for a moment and said to the boss, "Boss, if you need to prepare the ingredients in advance for the 30th, just let me know and I'll come and help. Of course, if it involves making the braising liquid or something that involves a secret recipe, I'll consider it a day off."
Wang Meiyu had previously heard Sister Zhou mention that the braised meat was a signature dish of the restaurant, passed down from the owner's grandfather, thanks to their unique braising sauce recipe. Since the recipe was unique and secretive, she knew she had to be sensible and avoid it.
Gu Qingqiu smiled after hearing this. She had also considered asking Wang Meiyu to come and help.
Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Okay, I understand. If option A wins in the end, we need to prepare the ingredients in advance. The results will be out at 8 pm on the 29th. I'll send you a message then. I'll make the braising liquid, which requires some skill. You can help with the preparation of the pig's feet and beef shank."
Wang Meiyu nodded happily: "Okay, I can handle these things. If there's anything I need to pay special attention to, please remind me. I'll wait for your news on the night of the 29th."
After saying that, she remembered something and laughed again, "Oh no, I guess I was still having dinner at the store at that time, and I could have watched the voting results with you, boss."
Gu Qingqiu also realized, "Oh right, we can talk about this face to face then. Okay, you should go back and rest early too, you've worked hard today."
Wang Meiyu shook her head: "It's alright. Working here in a restaurant is relatively easy. Having such a delicious meat dish for lunch and dinner is simply wonderful. Boss, I'll head back now. See you tomorrow morning!"
See you tomorrow morning!
After Wang Meiyu left, Gu Qingqiu, who wasn't too tired today, sat at the dining table near the door, enjoying the breeze and playing on her phone for a while.
After Sister Zhou and Sister Tang finished their respective tasks, I said thank you for your hard work, saw them off, closed the doors and windows, and then went back upstairs to wash up and rest.
Before they knew it, it was the evening of September 29th. Gu Qingqiu, Sister Zhou, and the other two finished their work and sat down at a four-person table in the dining hall for dinner. The delicious food on the table smelled tempting, and everyone picked up some meat and vegetables with their chopsticks to taste. Occasionally, they would mix a mouthful of rice with the food and eat it. It was really delicious.
Thinking of something, Gu Qingqiu finished chewing the meat in her mouth and swallowed it. She took out her phone and turned on the screen to see that it was already three minutes past eight.
She put down her chopsticks, unlocked her phone with her fingerprint, and without much hesitation, opened Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) to enter her page. She scrolled down to the voting notes she had posted a few days ago, clicked on them, and looked at the voting results.
As expected, option A secured first place and won the championship of the voting event after the voting deadline. This caused the long bar of accumulated votes to turn a bright red color, signifying the victory.
Seeing this, Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "The voting results are in. Option A, braised pig's feet, braised beef shank, braised chicken and braised duck, won first place. Congratulations on your wish coming true."
All three of them, including Sister Zhou, were hoping that Option A would win. Sister Zhou had tasted the delicious braised pig's feet and was thinking about eating them again, while Sister Tang and Wang Meiyu had heard about them for a long time and were very curious and wanted to try the delicious food.
Upon hearing this, the three of them couldn't help but show a pleasant smile.
Sister Tang: "This is great news! I can finally taste the braised pork served at our restaurant."
Sister Zhou: "That's great! Finally, we can eat braised pig's feet and braised beef again. I'll tell Fangfang about it later, and she'll be so happy. It's the National Day holiday, so I'll buy some for her to eat later."
Gu Qingqiu laughed and said, "Then Sister Tang, you must try it when you come. It's definitely worth calling it a signature dish. Sister Zhou, since Fangfang is on holiday for National Day, why don't you bring her to the restaurant to have lunch with us? There's no need to buy it separately. I haven't seen Fangfang in a long time."
Sister Zhou said shyly, "That would be so embarrassing. Besides, the restaurant will be busy on National Day and no one will be able to take care of her. I'm afraid that if this child comes over, she will just cause us trouble."
Gu Qingqiu: "It's alright. Tomorrow we can prepare the braising liquid and braise the pig's feet and beef shank first. On National Day morning, we can braise the chicken and duck. The kitchen won't be too busy. When we're actually serving customers, we just need to cut the meat and serve the dishes according to the menu. It might even be easier than usual. The main thing is that you'll be busier serving customers in the dining area. If Fangfang comes, we'll definitely help take good care of her. She's always very well-behaved when she comes. You should discuss it with your child."
Sister Tang said, "The shop is busy serving customers during the National Day holiday, so I came over early to help out."
The store has been doing well lately, and the dine-in area is busy serving customers. Tang Jie often comes over early to help with the service, and her real work is washing dishes in the kitchen after the meal.
Gu Qingqiu saw all this and offered to increase her working hours, but Sister Tang refused again, saying that she came to help willingly and not for money, and since she had nothing to do at home anyway, the boss didn't need to be so polite.
After listening to Sister Tang's words, Gu Qingqiu thought to herself, why not just start making Sister Tang a permanent employee from October, readjust her salary, and pay her social security as well?
She smiled and nodded, "Okay, then thank you for your hard work, Sister Tang."
Sister Zhou: "Then I'll ask Fangfang when I get back tonight. If she wants to come, I'll bring her along when I come to work during the National Day holiday."
Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement.
Wang Meiyu then said, "Boss, I'll come to work at the same time as usual tomorrow."
Gu Qingqiu: "Okay, you'll have a hard day tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you to come and help."
Wang Meiyu said happily, "Boss, don't say that. I'm happy to be here to help."
After the four finished talking about this, they continued eating the meat and dishes on the table, savoring the delicious taste and feeling very satisfied.
Gu Qingqiu ate while looking at her phone. As the voting results came out, many new comments appeared on this note.
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