Chapter 659 – Taste of Beijing
After inspecting the newly decorated store, everyone had a clear idea.
Next, Lu Xia entrusted them with the remaining tasks.
Wang Qiuying wasted no time in recruiting and training staff, which was crucial because they would be serving high-end customers, and impeccable service was essential.
The Chang family, both the patriarch and his grandson, were also busy. For their chefs, making delicious food depended not only on their skills but also on the quality of the ingredients.
They didn’t trust laymen like Lu Xia to handle this, so they decided to source the ingredients themselves and develop the menu.
Lu Xia knew about their plans and allowed them to proceed. However, she couldn’t help but think that when it came to delicious food, nothing could compare to the dishes she had grown with spiritual spring water.
However, the restaurant would require a significant quantity of ingredients, so she wondered if she should consider acquiring land in the countryside to grow produce for the restaurant. But for now, there was no time!
Perhaps she would think about it later, or maybe after retiring…
Both sides of the restaurant operation moved quickly, and within a few days, they had hired enough staff and secured suppliers for ingredients.
Half a month later, “Taste of Beijing” private restaurant officially opened for business!
Lu Xia chose the name for this private restaurant herself. She had heard about the Chang family’s generations of master chefs and their restaurant from the Tang Dynasty, known as “Taste of Chang’an.”
However, this restaurant was eventually donated to the state and became a state-owned establishment, so the name couldn’t be passed down. They had always regretted this.
Lu Xia originally intended to continue with the same name, but Grandfather Chang rejected the idea. He believed it was inappropriate, especially since this private restaurant wasn’t owned by the Chang family.
So, Lu Xia decided on “Taste of Beijing.”
This name still carried on the tradition of the Chang family’s cuisine and made it clear to those who remembered the Chang family restaurant that it was related to them.
On the first day of opening, Lu Xia didn’t do much marketing, only sharing the news with friends and relatives. After all, they had a limited number of private rooms, and the prices were high. She planned to build a customer base gradually.
However, somehow, Grandpa Jiang found out and promoted the restaurant among his old friends in the courtyard alley. On the opening day, many of the old men from the courtyard alley came to show their support.
Seeing their presence, Lu Xia was deeply moved. She led them to their private rooms and had the waitresses in qipaos serve them tea. Then, she went to the kitchen to inform Grandpa Chang about the number of customers.
After hearing that several high-status gentlemen had come to the restaurant, Grandpa Chang confidently assured, “Don’t worry, we will handle it excellently!”
When the dishes were served one by one, the elderly gentlemen, who had initially come just to show their support, couldn’t stop praising the taste.
After finishing their meal, they couldn’t help but say, “It really tastes like the dishes from Taste of Chang’an back in the day. I haven’t had Chang family cuisine in a long time.”
“Indeed, Old Jiang, we didn’t expect your daughter-in-law to be so talented, taking charge of the Chang family’s kitchen. This restaurant won’t have any trouble attracting customers in the future!”
Grandpa Jiang felt pleased to hear the compliments, but he remained modest, saying, “Oh, stop it, it’s nothing!”
As they were leaving, Lu Xia heard a few of the elderly gentlemen saying they would come back again in the future.
Lu Xia smiled and replied, “You’re always welcome!”
After seeing them off, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The restaurant’s opening was considered a success. Due to the limited number of private rooms, they had previously decided to operate on a reservation basis. They purchased ingredients based on the number of reservations.
Although there might be days with fewer customers, their prices were not cheap, and Lu Xia had a relaxed attitude, considering that the property was her own, the investment was not substantial, and making money was a matter of fate.
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Chapter 660 – Yu Wan Comes Clean
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In the following period, it seems that some younger family members heard about the excellent food at the private restaurant from their elders, and they began making reservations as well.
Gradually, in less than a month, the private restaurant settled into a routine. Although dining there was not cheap, its delicious cuisine attracted a steady stream of customers.
The restaurant’s discreet location and pleasant ambiance made it a favored place for meetings, further adding to its popularity.
During busy times, the restaurant was fully booked every day, and even during quieter hours, it still accommodated more than ten tables daily. This customer flow was already quite impressive.
Luh Xia was satisfied with the restaurant’s performance. The restaurant manager, Wang Qiuying, had also been doing an excellent job. After being in business for a while, the restaurant hadn’t faced any major issues, or at least, Wang Qiuying had managed them efficiently.
As for the Chang family, they were thrilled. Working here was easy, not tiring, and it came with good pay and profit-sharing. They felt a great sense of accomplishment every day.
Everything couldn’t be better!
During this time, Yu Wan couldn’t withstand the constant inquiries from her parents and family any longer and finally revealed that she had a boyfriend.
Her parents immediately asked about her boyfriend’s details. Since she knew that Chang Yi had been doing well, Yu Wan didn’t hide anything and told them about his situation.
When her parents learned that she was dating a chef, they fell silent. It wasn’t that they didn’t care, but they had already guessed.
After all, if her boyfriend had an excellent background, she wouldn’t have kept it a secret for so long.
Although they had mentally prepared themselves, they hadn’t expected his occupation to be so different from what they had hoped for.
Yu Wan noticed her parents’ disappointment at this point.
Immediately, Yu Wan explained, “He’s not just an ordinary chef; he works at a highly prestigious private restaurant. Furthermore, he has a stake in the restaurant, so he’s also one of the owners.”
Yu Wan’s parents seemed slightly more at ease upon hearing this, but their dissatisfaction was still evident.
Yu Wan’s mother remained silent, but her father eventually said, “How about we meet him first? Regardless of whether he’s good or not, we should investigate him first.”
Yu Wan’s mother relaxed upon hearing this and said, “Let’s meet him then.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Wan felt a mix of excitement and nervousness and quickly informed Chang Yi about the plan.
Chang Yi, too, was filled with anxiety.
After the nervousness came the fear of not being accepted by Yu Wan’s family and them not agreeing to their relationship.
But no matter how nervous they were, the time to meet had arrived.
This time, because they wanted to see Chang Yi’s workplace, Yu Wan’s family arranged the meeting at the private restaurant.
Chang Yi had informed Grandpa Chang, and they had prepared a private dining room for the meeting.
At that moment, Chang Yi was in the kitchen, extremely anxious.
Seeing his unease, Grandpa Chang reassured him, saying, “This is your first time cooking for your prospective in-laws. Whether they approve or not will depend on your culinary skills!”
Chang Yi took a moment to contemplate, took a deep breath, and finally took action.
Meanwhile, Yu Wan’s parents and her brother and sister-in-law had all arrived at the entrance of the private restaurant.
They were all quite surprised by the upscale appearance of the place.
It was clearly an expensive establishment, and the fact that the young man worked there as a chef suggested he must have excellent culinary skills.
With this thought in mind, Yu Wan’s parents found some reassurance in their hearts.
Upon entering the restaurant and taking in the ambiance, the attire of the waitstaff, and the attentive service, they realized that this place was indeed something special.
