"Okay, then bring me another dish of Jade Abundance, Golden Silk Swallow, and Eight Treasures Nectar Soup. For the main course, I'll have rice noodles."
"Alright, what kind of tea would you like, sir? Today we have Maojian tea, black tea, spring tea, and flower tea as our specialties."
The guest waved his hand, "No need for tea, just bring the dishes quickly."
"Alright, please wait a moment, gentlemen."
Meanwhile, in other areas, waiters were also answering customers' questions.
For a moment, the building was sparsely populated, yet it was buzzing with activity.
The news spread quickly.
Many colleagues and regular customers of Huifeng Restaurant were quite surprised.
The restaurant has reopened.
However, it sounds like the new owner is clearly not good at running a restaurant.
Many people immediately shook their heads.
Some regular customers, remembering that Li Kui was still in the building, thought of going to support him.
Li Kui's cooking skills are truly excellent, especially his Drunken Immortal Fish and Roasted Duck, which are simply superb.
There is absolutely no chef in the city who can cook these two dishes better than him.
Some people had heard rumors about his feud with Fukang Restaurant.
If the other party is really forced to leave their hometown, it will be a loss for these gourmets.
At this moment, Manager Zhou of Fukang Restaurant also heard the news, but only gave a sinister laugh.
"They're utterly reckless, thinking they can make money just by opening a shop? Ha!"
The manager next to him said, "If the restaurant continues to operate, Li Kui will be even less likely to come here, and then we won't be able to explain it to the owner."
They kept pestering Li Kui, not because his cooking skills were particularly outstanding.
Li Kui's culinary skills are indeed outstanding, but Fukang Restaurant has a strong background and connections in Beijing, so they can get any top chef they want.
The reason they needed Li Kui was because their boss had ordered them to obtain the recipes for Drunken Immortal Fish and Roasted Duck.
If possible, it would be best to have someone learn all of Li Kui's skills.
Originally, they were targeting Li Kui's apprentice, Sun Rang, who had betrayed Li Kui.
Who would have thought that Sun Rang, despite learning from Li Kui for so long, was still far inferior in cooking skills.
The replica of Li Kui's dishes looked quite similar, but the difference was obvious as soon as you tasted them.
It might fool ordinary people, but it won't fool those discerning gourmets.
The only thing we can use is that set of sword techniques.
However, every chef has their own preferred knife skills, and it's impossible to teach current chefs to do so.
Training new chefs takes time, and we simply can't afford to wait.
So he planned to take advantage of the change of ownership of Huifeng Restaurant to trick Li Kuixian into coming over.
Once we find a way to get someone to learn his signature dishes, we'll deal with that person.
Who knew that Li Kui's temper was as stubborn and unyielding as a rock in a latrine.
Manager Zhou originally planned to give him the cold shoulder for a while, wear him down, and then visit him when he really had nowhere else to go.
To everyone's surprise, they received news that the restaurant had reopened.
He took a deep breath, feeling a growing dissatisfaction with his new employer whom he had never met.
"Don't bother with them. They couldn't get started even with the princess's backing before. Now that they've lost their connections, let's see how long they can keep up. I don't think Li Kui will get anything good from his new employer. Once he's been put through the wringer, he'll have to come back obediently."
"Yes, yes," the steward quickly echoed, offering a few words of flattery.
Manager Zhou seemed to already see Li Kui hunched over, head down, begging for his attention.
I couldn't help but laugh.
Once he masters Li Kui's signature dish, he might be transferred to the capital.
He had such high hopes, but little did he know that his own home would soon be deserted.
At this moment, outside Wei Man Zhai, several former customers finally came over together at noon.
I couldn't help but frown when I saw the restaurant's new decor.
An old man shook his head, "Instead of trying to be clever, we should focus on improving the dishes."
"They've served quite a few new dishes today, but I wonder how they taste."
"Heh, there are only two signature dishes from Old Li inside. I guess the rest are made by newly hired chefs. I don't have high expectations."
"Master Zhao, Fifth Master Liu, Master Zeng, you have arrived. Please come inside."
The group were regular customers, so the waiter naturally recognized them all.
They recognized the waiter and, seeing that he was still working in the restaurant, their brows relaxed slightly, and they followed him inside.
Because there was a large tree in the middle, the people eating were arranged on both sides.
So much so that they only noticed the lush green seats on both sides when they came in.
Master Liu tried to hold back, but couldn't help himself. "Trying to attract attention."
The waiter's expression stiffened slightly.
Master Zhao was somewhat puzzled, "Why is it so quiet?"
In most restaurants, there's a lot of talking whenever people are eating.
Although it is said that one should not speak while eating or sleeping, friendships formed at the dinner table have always been deeply rooted.
At this time, many seats in the building were already occupied by guests, and the quiet atmosphere seemed somewhat eerie.
The group exchanged glances and couldn't help but shake their heads again.
I suspect these are all hired shills.
Master Liu sighed, "Is the private room still available?"
"Now there are green plum blossoms, black orchids, red chrysanthemums, roses, golden osmanthus, daffodils, azaleas..."
"Wait, wait, we're asking about the private room, why are you giving out your name?" Master Zhao impatiently interrupted the waiter.
The waiter hurriedly and politely explained, "These are the names of the private rooms; there are currently eighteen rooms in total."
"Fancy and gaudy!" Master Liu glared and wanted to turn around and leave.
Mr. Zeng patted him on the shoulder, "Alright, since you're already here, give Old Li some face."
At this moment, Lu Jingyi walked over and bowed to the three of them.
"Three guests, is there a problem?"
The three turned their heads and saw a middle-aged man with a refined and scholarly demeanor, and were puzzled.
The waiter hurriedly introduced, "This is Manager Lu from our Wei Man Zhai restaurant."
The three of them suddenly realized.
When Lu Jingyi heard that the three were regular customers of the restaurant, his expression softened even more.
"So you are distinguished guests. We have been fortunate to receive your assistance in the past. Would you please allow me to lead the way for you three?"
Seeing his kind attitude and gentle manners, the three of them couldn't get angry and nodded with straight faces.
Lu Jingyi led them upstairs.
Master Liu was still saying, "A restaurant should focus on its food. What's the point of all this fancy stuff?"
Lu Jingyi chuckled, “When you’re eating, you’re enjoying the taste. If you can also appreciate the visual appeal, that’s a wonderful thing too. You don’t need to worry. Chef Li is still in charge of the restaurant. He cooks all the dishes himself, so he will definitely not disappoint you.”
The group snorted softly.
Hearing that Li Kui was in charge of all the dishes, he felt a little relieved.
Just as I was about to go upstairs, a waiter suddenly walked by carrying a tray.
The restaurant was filled with the aromas of oranges and orchids, which mingled with the fragrance of the food.
It makes it impossible for those in the situation to distinguish between good and bad.
But when I smell the aroma of a dish up close, I'm always drawn to it.
Old Master Zeng sniffed the air and hurriedly called out to the waiter, "Wait a minute."
The waiter was stopped and almost lost his grip on the tray.
The three of them gathered around, smelling the aroma, and asked, "What kind of dish is this?"
To ensure the cleanliness and temperature of the food, each dish is covered.
"These are Jadeite Tofu and Jade Abundance," the waiter said hurriedly.
I can probably understand Jade Tofu, but what about Jade Abundance?
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