It was like finding a needle in a haystack!
Lin Xu had just been worrying about how to recruit a head chef and complete the "Recruit Talent" task when, unexpectedly, a glimmer of hope emerged.
Last time, during the recruitment task, it was Chezai who casually chatted online and recruited Song Tiantian and the others. Who would have thought that this time he had gone even further by bringing someone directly to the restaurant.
This guy really is my lucky star, Lin Xu thought. I should find an opportunity to reward Chezai later. After all, my number one employee has already helped me complete two side tasks.
Having made up his mind, he looked at Xu Xinhua and asked, "There’s no roast meat work in the restaurant right now. Can you do anything else?"
"I can, I can do anything! I’m not fussy."
Xu Xinhua had originally thought the boss wouldn’t want him and was surprised by the question. He nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at rice. Then, he proactively pulled out his ID card, health certificate, temporary residence permit, and the medical examination report from his health certificate review a few days prior.
Lin Xu was speechless. Why are you even more eager than I am? he thought.
After looking them over and confirming there were no issues, he continued, "What was your salary at your previous restaurant?"
"It was seven thousand five hundred a month. With good performance, I could get eight thousand, but we haven’t received performance bonuses for several months..."
This is the downside of learning specialized skills, Lin Xu mused. In the catering industry, the highest wages went to the chefs who worked the woks and made hot dishes. Other positions, such as cold dish chefs, braised food chefs, and roast meat chefs, might have grand-sounding titles. However, as long as they weren’t working the woks, their remuneration was only average for a chef. If Xu Xinhua had been a head chef in a wok-frying role, his wages would have at least doubled. He might even have had the chance to join the management team and transition to an executive chef position. Of course, the competition for wok-frying jobs was fierce, and the pressure was also significant. One needed to work around an extremely hot stove all year round, making it difficult to become a head chef from this position.
Lin Xu sighed inwardly, then said to Xu Xinhua, "If you want to stay at our restaurant, there’s a one-month probationary period with a salary of eight thousand yuan. After the probationary period, we’ll sign a formal labor contract with a salary of over nine thousand yuan. Are you willing to stay?"
Xu Xinhua’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t expected Lin Xu to be so straightforward.
"I’m willing, more than willing! Thank you, Boss! I... I’ll start working right now!"
He had searched for a job all day yesterday. The highest salary offered was five or six thousand yuan, and some restaurants were only willing to pay an apprentice’s wage. That was why he had swallowed his pride and pleaded with Chezai last night; he truly had no other choice.
The moment Xu Xinhua finished speaking, a system prompt echoed in Lin Xu’s mind: "The host has recruited a chef of head chef level, completing the side task [Recruit Talent] and obtaining one Perfect Level Dish Upgrade Card. Would you like to use it immediately?"
Ha! Finally completed, Lin Xu thought with a surge of relief. He then used the card on the Ginger Lotus Root.
"The host has used the Perfect Upgrade Card to successfully raise Superior Level Ginger Lotus Root to Perfect Level Ginger Lotus Root. Congratulations to the host."
Now, all the dishes served in the restaurant are Perfect Level. They look much more appealing.
He stopped Xu Xinhua, who was about to roll up his sleeves and start working. "There’s no hurry to start working right away. Go wash your hands and have something to eat first. Chezai, stop dawdling and serve the soup quickly; we still have a lot to do."
Chezai agreed and went with Xu Xinhua to wash their hands.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Gao was quietly eating his Scallion Oil pancakes and drinking hot and sour soup, occasionally picking at some of his homemade cold dishes, without saying a word. In terms of culinary skills, he could meticulously guide his disciple. But in terms of management, he preferred Lin Xu to explore the methods and art of it on his own. As long as there were no significant deviations in the restaurant’s operations, he would not interfere.
Soon, Chezai and Xu Xinhua each came over with a bowl of soup, and they began to eat.
Lin Xu picked up a piece of pancake and took a bite. The outer crust was fragrantly crispy, while the distinct layers of the pancake’s core were tender yet chewy. These two textures, interwoven and enhanced by the scallion aroma, instantly made one hungry. Lin Xu had eaten his fair share of scallion pancakes since childhood, but he had never had one as delicious as today’s.
Truly befitting a State Banquet master; even a casually homemade dish can be this delicious, he thought.
After a couple of bites of pancake, he took a sip from his bowl of hot and sour soup.
Mmm, the sour and spicy flavor whets the appetite. With White Pepper powder added, it induces a light sweat upon drinking, making my whole body feel instantly invigorated and refreshed.
When Xu Xinhua initially sat down, he thought Chezai was exaggerating. Weren’t they just Scallion Oil pancakes with hot and sour soup? How could that be related to a State Banquet? If this is considered State Banquet fare, then haven’t I been eating it my whole life?
But after tasting it himself, he realized that describing the flavor of the pancake as "State Banquet quality breakfast" was indeed accurate. Both the texture and flavor were exceptional. It was so delicious one could almost swallow their own tongue.
Once breakfast was finished, everyone began working. Although Xu Xinhua couldn’t make roasted meats, that didn’t mean he could only be an assistant. Frying Chicken Feet, soaking Chicken Feet, even preparing Braised Chicken Feet—he could do it all by himself. This greatly reduced Boss Lin’s workload.
By ten in the morning, Lin Xu had finished making the Ginger Lotus Root for lunch. The Perfect Level Cooking Technique had elevated both the texture and appearance of the dish. The white and tender lotus root slices were crisp and refreshing, carrying a sweet and tangy flavor with hints of spicy ginger—truly delicious.
After making the Ginger Lotus Root, Lin Xu looked at the remaining ginger juice, and an idea suddenly popped into his mind. The flavor of Ginger Marinated Century Eggs wasn’t much different from that of Ginger Lotus Root. Since I’ve already mastered the Ginger Lotus Root recipe, using the same method to make Ginger Marinated Century Eggs should also be delicious, right?
He decided to give it a try. There were century eggs in the storage room. Grandpa Gao had specifically requested Lin Xu to buy them yesterday when he started making breakfast, just in case he wanted to make century egg and lean pork congee one day and lacked the ingredients.
Grandpa Gao asked curiously, "What are you using the century eggs for?"
Lin Xu replied, "I have some leftover ginger juice. I plan to make some Ginger Marinated Century Eggs to try."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Gao pointed at the stove and said, "Then you should boil the century eggs first."
Boil them? Lin Xu wondered.
Grandpa Gao explained, "Many century eggs have a runny yolk. Cutting them directly not only makes the knife sticky but also results in poor presentation. So, when restaurants use century eggs, they usually boil them first."
Hearing his master’s explanation, Lin Xu placed the century eggs he was holding into a pot and started boiling them with cold water. While the century eggs were boiling, he began preparing the sauce for the Ginger Marinated Century Eggs. In a bowl, he added half a ladle of ginger juice, an equal amount of Zhenjiang Vinegar, followed by Light Soy Sauce, Seasoning Oil, table salt, and a little bit of white sugar. He stirred until the mixture was uniform and the salt and sugar were fully dissolved.
As he was busy, Grandpa Gao looked at the remaining ginger juice and said with a smile, "Ginger juice has many uses. Besides making cold dishes, it can also be used for drinks and desserts like Ginger Jujube Tea and Ginger Milk Pudding, which girls tend to like. I remember your mistress particularly loved the Ginger Milk Pudding I made. She would always pester me to make it for her after work..."
Girls tend to like these? Lin Xu suddenly thought of his classmate, Shen. If Master often made Ginger Milk Pudding for Mistress, then shouldn’t I also frequently make it for Classmate Shen?
Recalling he still had two Superior Level Cooking Learning Cards, Lin Xu suddenly asked, "Master, is Ginger Milk Pudding hard to learn?"
Grandpa Gao was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. "Not at all, it’s very simple. Why, thinking of making Ginger Milk Pudding for your little girlfriend?"
Grandpa Gao said, "Then go buy a few cartons of pure milk, and I’ll teach you how to make it!"
Here’s the second update. Brothers, I’m pleading for your Monthly Tickets and recommendation votes!