Chapter 99 It's only been a few days, how come it's closed down...?
Chapter 99
Song Xinran was not the only one shocked by this spectacular scene; the taxi driver was also stunned.
The taxi driver considered himself well-informed, having worked in this industry for so long, that he knew exactly which streets and shops in the city had the best business and the most delicious food. But he had never seen a restaurant owner be surrounded by customers as soon as he appeared.
This is so popular! Is it really that delicious?
This was the first thought that popped into the taxi driver's mind.
He glanced around. Next to him was a dry cleaning shop, and next to that was a small shop selling cigarettes and alcohol. This restaurant seemed out of place here. Restaurants should be located in the city center or the north of the city, where the restaurants are more concentrated. People usually go to these two areas when they want to eat out.
No. 8 Tongyin Road is a high-end residential area in the city, and there are villas inside. So, are the people surrounding the shop owner the residents of the neighborhood?
The taxi driver was suddenly filled with respect; something that could be so sought after by wealthy people must be a good thing!
With this in mind, the driver also opened the car door and got out to go and take a look.
"Song's Private Banquet Hall." The driver could tell from the signboard and the decor that the food inside wouldn't be cheap, but so what? He made a good living driving a taxi.
The driver had prepared himself for a high price, but upon seeing the menu, he was surprised to find it wasn't so bad. A single dish cost him thirty or forty yuan, which was more expensive than dishes at street-side restaurants or even downtown restaurants, but not exorbitantly priced.
The driver glanced at the people inside the shop. All the customers who had been waiting at the door had gone inside. Luckily, there was a large private room, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room for so many people.
He looked around but there were no empty tables. He wanted to ask the owner to arrange a table, but the owner was too busy in the kitchen. The driver felt neglected. What was going on? Such an expensive restaurant didn't even arrange two extra waiters.
But looking at the other customers around, I reluctantly put up with it and let him try this place to see just how good the food is!
The driver found a table with only one person sitting in it: "Is this empty?"
The first customer glanced at him, seemingly wanting to refuse, but seeing that the room was full, he held back and said, "No, thank you."
The driver sat down and began ordering food.
*
As Song Xinran was practically waving the spatula until it was smoking, she only had two thoughts in her mind: she had to control the flow of customers and she had to find two more waiters!
Song Xinran never expected that business would be so booming on the second day of opening. She had prepared for a slow start, since customer traffic grows gradually and cannot increase overnight.
And indeed, it increased overnight...
Fortunately, the flow of customers wasn't continuous. After one wave of customers filled the restaurant, no new customers came for a long time. Song Xinran had time, and although it was a bit slow, she was able to cook each dish well.
After all the dishes were served, she felt a little apologetic and told the customers that she had not been well prepared and had not been very hospitable during the trial operation period, so all the dishes would be 22% off.
Although she knew that the people who came to the restaurant probably didn't care about the money, she still had to show the right attitude; maintaining a customer base is very important for a high-end restaurant.
The man sitting opposite the taxi driver raised an eyebrow. He didn't like eating at the same table with strangers, but this restaurant was highly recommended by his friend, and he was a gourmet, so he reluctantly sat down.
Actually, his displeasure disappeared completely when he ate the food. Although the restaurant owner's management was a bit problematic, the chef's skills were so good that he was always a little arrogant. He would come again next time, but he would probably choose a time when there were fewer people.
Upon hearing this, I thought to myself, "The boss has a broad vision; the store probably needs to adjust its operating methods."
It's nothing more than membership systems and the like; men understand this very well, and they're experts at getting membership cards.
*
Sun Weidong arrived very early because his wife, Jiawen, woke up very early that morning. She nudged his arm as soon as she woke up. At that time, Sun Weidong was still fast asleep. When he was woken up, he subconsciously asked, "What's wrong, wife? Are you feeling nauseous again?"
Jiawen spat, "What are you spitting for? I haven't eaten anything this morning. Wake up, the alarm is about to go off."
Sure enough, the alarm clock rang as soon as Jiawen finished speaking.
"I wonder if that restaurant is open yet," Jiawen said expectantly. She slept soundly all night without feeling unwell and felt energetic, a feeling she hadn't had in a long time.
People only realize how precious health is when they are not feeling well. Jiawen thought so at this moment. As for what happened yesterday that was different from usual, Jiawen believed it was because of the fried rice and kimchi she ate.
At that moment, she had only one thought: could she have another meal?
Sun Weidong glanced at the clock; it was only 7:30. He said, "That's not a breakfast shop; they don't open this early."
Jiawen said, "Okay, where is this shop? Take me there after breakfast. I'll wander around here more often during the day."
Sun Weidong agreed.
When Jiawen went to find the store, she saw the opening hours written on the sign and immediately said, "I'll come and take a look at eleven o'clock."
It was still before 11 o'clock, which was Sun Weidong's time to get off work. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll take a day off today and go with you."
Jiawen was very happy: "Great, let's invite Mom too, then we can order more dishes!"
When Sun Weidong told his mother this, she was a little resistant: "Jiawen is pregnant. It's not healthy for her to eat out. It's better to cook at home for peace of mind."
Sun Weidong retorted to his mother with a single sentence: "Jiawen can only avoid vomiting by eating food from this restaurant."
"All right."
It was only ten o'clock when Jiawen urged them to set off: "Song Ji's food tastes so good, it's bound to be crowded. Let's go early and get a good spot. I'm also going for a walk outside."
Seeing his wife's eager expression, Sun Weidong laughed and said, "No need to rush. I went there yesterday around lunchtime, and I was the only one there. This restaurant is newly opened, not many people know about it, and business is so-so."
Jiawen used to suffer from severe morning sickness and couldn't stand the smell of cooking oil. Yesterday, Sun Weidong came home a little late, and the food was cold. He didn't want to cook, so he went out to find a restaurant and happened to find Song Ji.
However, Sun Weidong listened to his wife and went outside for a walk before waiting for the shop to open.
As soon as he wandered to the store entrance, Sun Weidong was dumbfounded when he saw the people waiting outside. Why were there five people standing at the door? He recognized two of them; they were his neighbors from the same building.
The other person also saw him and greeted him, "Weidong, bring your family for dinner!"
Jiawen smiled and said, "Brother Chen and Sister Fang are also here for dinner? What a coincidence."
Brother Chen said, "Yes, my friend came to visit yesterday, and since we didn't have anything prepared, we just found a restaurant outside to eat at. This is what it tastes like!"
Brother Chen gave a thumbs up.
My friend ate to his heart's content and said with great envy, "You guys are so lucky to have a shop like this open up outside our neighborhood."
Chen and his wife both thought the food was good. Although it was a bit pricey, the taste was worth it. So even though no one was coming to visit them today, they decided to go out to eat.
Sun Weidong said, "What a coincidence! I had a bowl of fried rice here yesterday, and Jiawen liked it when I brought it home. We came here specifically to eat it today."
She even mentioned that Jiawen didn't vomit after eating the restaurant's fried rice, which Chen's wife, Sister Fang, found unbelievable: "It really has that effect?"
Jiawen said, "Yes, I also found it strange, but I really didn't throw up. The kimchi at this restaurant is especially appetizing."
Sister Fang sighed, "If only this store had opened a few years earlier, I would have been vomiting a lot when I was pregnant with Congcong."
Their conversation wasn't private; three other people nearby overheard it, half-believing and half-doubting, wondering if there really was such a strange shop. Could it be a marketing tactic by the owner?
Xiaomei and Aunt Rong arrived rather late. They were planning to have lunch, so they came a little after 12:00. As a result, the restaurant was quite crowded, and only one table was left.
Aunt Rong was a little surprised, wondering if Xiao Song had found out about the publicity?
The publicity was incredibly efficient; it was deserted yesterday, but today it's packed.
As soon as they sat down, a child of about six or seven years old came over with a menu, his voice clear and childish: "Auntie, Grandma, please look at the menu."
Xiao Mei was stunned. This shop seemed quite legitimate, so why was it using child labor?
Moreover, this child labor is too childish; children this age usually only know how to play.
Aunt Rong laughed and said, "Little Yu, don't you recognize me?"
“I know her,” Song Yu called out, “Grandma Rong.”
During the shop's renovation, he often came to No. 8 Tongyin Road with his mother. Fufu lived in the community, and the two children often played together. Aunt Rong and Fufu's grandmother were friends, and Song Yu had met Aunt Rong twice.
Aunt Rong's eyes immediately crinkled with a smile: "Little Yu has such a good memory. Are you helping your mother with work today?"
Song Yu said, "Mom is busy."
Aunt Rong took the order form, wrote the table number on it, asked Xiaomei what she wanted to eat, and wrote the names of the dishes on it: "Good girl, go give this to your mother."
Song Yu accepted the food with both hands and said politely, "Auntie, Grandma Rong enjoyed it."
Then, holding the menu, I ran off to the kitchen.
Even Xiaomei was surprised: "Is this the boss's child? How old is he?"
Aunt Rong said, "He should be starting primary school this year."
"Huh?" Xiaomei's eyes widened slightly. "She's so capable."
Xiaomei has never really liked children, finding them noisy, unreasonable, and prone to crying—they're simply unpleasant to both humans and dogs. But this child is quite different from the children Xiaomei usually encounters in her life.
She thought that if all children in the world were like this, she wouldn't hate children.
Aunt Rong saw through her daughter-in-law's thoughts: "That's right, she's only met me twice and she already remembers what to call me. She must have good upbringing."
Today, Aunt Rong ordered boiled beef, which was Xiao Mei's strong request. She also ordered three other dishes that she hadn't tried before.
The four dishes were far too much for the two of them to finish, but looking at the menu, they wanted to try everything. In the end, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a tacit understanding: they could pack up the leftovers and take them home so that Xiaomei's husband could also have a taste.
The freshly cooked boiled beef exuded a uniquely spicy and savory flavor. Xiaomei was so moved by the taste that she almost cried. It was a hundred times better than the one she had eaten the last time!
The beef, in particular, is incredibly fresh, fragrant, tender, and smooth. The moment it slides in your mouth, even the very air you breathe becomes delicious.
Fresh bean sprouts are even more delicious, each one is blanched to perfection, tender and refreshing.
Skim off the surface oil, and a spoonful of the broth mixed with rice is absolutely delicious.
Aunt Rong preferred the "One-of-a-Kind Tofu" on the table. Yesterday, she and Grandma Fufu ordered dishes that were more spicy, but today's "One-of-a-Kind Tofu" was milder.
Aunt Rong never imagined that bland food could be made so delicious!
The tofu is not the traditional firm tofu; it has a particularly delicate texture and is incredibly soft and tender, practically melting in your mouth. The tofu is soaked in the golden broth and topped with a thin layer of granular ingredients.
The taste is simply amazing!
Aunt Rong scooped up a spoonful of tofu and examined it closely, trying to discover what made this ordinary tofu so exquisite and delicious, but she couldn't find it after looking for a long time.
In the end, Xiaomei was amazed after taking a bite: "Mom, the restaurant owner is really generous; he even put sea cucumber and abalone in the tofu."
Aunt Rong: "What?!"
Xiaomei explained, "This is premium tofu, which is mainly about umami flavor and needs to be seasoned with seafood. I've had it in restaurants before, but they used dried scallops for seasoning."
In fact, using dried scallops would be fine, but Xiaomei didn't expect that a regular restaurant would be willing to use fresh seafood for its premium tofu. The granular ingredients on top of the tofu were enough to show this.
However, Xiaomei felt that this was no ordinary restaurant. It was just that the location was ordinary, but the price and taste were anything but ordinary.
Aunt Rong exclaimed, "I knew Xiao Song was a genuine person!"
Xiao Mei ran her chopsticks over each dish, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, Mom, next time we'll invite Rongfeng to come eat with us."
Rong Feng is Rong Da Niang's son.
Aunt Rong said, "Let's bring him here to eat something good too."
Xiaomei loved the food at Songji Restaurant so much that she packed the leftovers she had brought home the night before into a lunchbox to take to work the next day.
Rong Feng saw this and joked, "Didn't you say you don't eat leftovers because they're unhealthy?"
Xiaomei rolled her eyes: "What do you know?"
She packed it up last night and put it in the refrigerator to eat tomorrow at noon. It hasn't been 24 hours yet, so it's still fresh.
Xiaomei works in a government-affiliated institution. At lunchtime, her colleagues would invite her to go out for lunch.
The company has a cafeteria, and everyone basically sits at the same table in the same office.
"Xiaomei, stop sitting there and go eat!" her colleague called out.
Xiaomei waved her hand: "You guys go ahead, I brought food from home."
My colleague found it strange: "Why would you bring your own food when there's a cafeteria? It's such a hassle to steam and heat it up yourself."
Xiaomei was also honest: "A restaurant opened next to my house. I really like the food there, so I brought some to go."
"Wow!" My colleague exclaimed curiously, "What delicious treat is this that you went to all the trouble to bring back? Come on, let's go to the cafeteria, we have to try some."
Xiaomei joked, "Okay, but you have to leave some for me."
When Xiaomei arrived at the cafeteria, she handed her lunchbox to the cafeteria worker, who told her to put it in the steamer and steam it for a few minutes.
Xiaomei packed a serving of garlic spare ribs and a serving of minced pork and cowpeas, and the cafeteria happened to be serving minced pork and cowpeas today as well.
After the chef steamed the food, he gave the lunchbox to Xiaomei. Xiaomei got her food and sat down with her colleagues. Each of her colleagues had freshly cooked, steaming hot dishes on their plates.
When Xiaomei opened the lunchbox, everyone saw the food inside; the steamed food didn't look very appealing.
My colleague laughed as soon as he saw it: "What a coincidence that we both have minced meat and green beans. Let's see which one tastes better. The cafeteria's version is freshly made."
Xiao Mei smiled but said nothing, feeling that Song Ji had already won a great victory. Could the cafeteria food compare?
She scooped a large spoonful of minced meat and cowpeas into a bowl, ate it with rice, and although the appearance had changed, the taste was still excellent!
Colleagues jokingly said they wanted to try Xiaomei's cooking, but it was just talk; everyone thought freshly cooked food tasted better.
As a result, they ate... and then they all fell silent.
How can the difference be so big?
Freshly stir-fried dishes can't even compare to those that have been steamed twice!
No wonder it was taken away from a restaurant; paying for it makes it seem more authoritative.
"Xiaomei, your minced meat and green bean dish is delicious!"
How can I make these pork ribs so tender they fall off the bone and are also flavorful?
"Xiaomei, I'll have two more bites."
...
Although Xiaomei brought two dishes, there were so many people in the office that everyone took a bite or two, and the dishes were gone in no time.
Xiaomei was numb, thinking that she should have thought of this when she took out the food.
Wasn't she eating like this last night?
"Xiaomei, which restaurant is this? The food is really good. Let's go there after get off work tomorrow, it's on me!" My colleague said generously, though she also felt a little embarrassed.
The dishes that Xiaomei brought were devoured by everyone, one bite after another, and the host probably wasn't even full.
Xiaomei said, "It's right outside the side gate of the community, called Songji Private Banquet Hall."
"Okay, let's go eat there tomorrow!"
My colleagues were all eager and excited.
I only got a taste today, but it makes me crave it even more. I definitely have to eat it again, and eat my fill before I feel at ease.
Xiaomei said, "Okay, let's go tomorrow!"
The next afternoon, after get off work, the group went there chatting and laughing. A colleague even said, "With so many of us, we need a private room."
Xiaomei said, "There are private rooms, and the interior decoration and environment are particularly nice."
But before I even reached the door, I sensed something was wrong...
Xiao Mei quickly walked forward. What's going on? It's already 5:30, why isn't the door open yet?
When they arrived at the entrance, they saw a sign that read:
Thank you for your support during our trial operation! To optimize our service and experience, our store will be temporarily closed from August 3rd to August 6th for internal renovations. We will resume normal operations on August 7th and look forward to seeing you again!
Xiaomei was stunned. Why did they close the door?
When the colleagues came closer, they were surprised and regretful, lamenting that they hadn't come yesterday.
All they want is a decent meal, why is that so difficult?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com