Chapter 643: Wonderful, wonderful
The spatula in his hand was like a clever paintbrush, flipping the tender slices of meat with precision. Each stroke was just right to ensure even heating. The meat slices gradually changed color under the spicy soup, becoming more and more tempting.
Today, he specially made the classic Sichuan dish Mapo Tofu. The tofu is fresh and tender. It slides into the pot and stews in the sauce. It absorbs the rich flavor. When it comes out of the pot, it is sprinkled with emerald green onions. The red, white and green are bright. When it is served in the front hall, the aroma instantly ignites the diners' noses. The local gourmets lock their eyes and can't wait to pick up their chopsticks. The moment they take a bite, the spicy and fresh fragrance explodes on the tip of their tongues like fireworks. The tofu is soft and glutinous, and the minced meat is crispy and fragrant. It is so satisfying that the restaurant is full of praises.
Soon, the restaurant's reputation seemed to have grown wings and spread across the ocean. One day, a group of blond and blue-eyed foreigners filed in, their eyes full of novelty and expectation, speaking English mixed with their native languages. Some were American tourists attracted by the delicious rumors spread on the streets, some were British food explorers who had long heard of Sichuan cuisine, and some were French diners with romantic taste buds who were eager for novelty and excitement. They pointed at the menu with puzzled faces, and Qi Tongwei smiled and stepped forward to explain the characteristics of the dishes in simple English with gestures.
After the order was placed, the kitchen got busy. Qi Tongwei carefully prepared a "Sichuan cuisine feast" for them. The boiled fish was served, the fish slices were as thin as cicada wings, immersed in bright red hot oil and dense peppers. The hot oil made a "sizzling" sound when it was poured, and the aroma was surging. The foreign diners stared with wide eyes, carefully picked up the fish slices, and put them in their mouths. The moment they put them in their mouths, the numbness and spiciness ran through them like an electric current, but they were hooked by the taste of the tender fish meat and couldn't stop. They were so spicy that their noses were sweating and their lips were slightly swollen, but they still swallowed them in big mouthfuls, calling them "amazing".
The Kung Pao Chicken came next, with crispy peanuts, tender chicken cubes, and the sweet and sour sauce perfectly balanced the spiciness, instantly captivating European diners who were used to sweet and sour flavors. After one person tasted it, a group of people scrambled for it, and the plate was empty in an instant; the Fish-flavored Shredded Pork came out of the pot, the shredded pork was as thin as hair, the black fungus and lettuce were crispy, and the unique fish-flavored seasoning intoxicated the Arab diners who had never tasted such a complex flavor. They kept saying "fantastic", took photos with their mobile phones and posted them on social platforms, attracting more exotic faces.
As the restaurant's international reputation spreads, diners from the Belt and Road countries flock to the restaurant. Kazakh travelers are attracted by the dry-fried beef shreds, which are chewy, spicy, salty and fragrant, and are paired with local mare's milk, which is very interesting; Pakistani friends love the twice-cooked pork, where the fat slices are stir-fried in the pan to release oil, curled into an attractive shape, and the aroma of fermented black beans lingers, paired with local naan, and they eat it heartily; Indian diners are very interested in spicy hot pot. Although their faces are flushed and their noses are dripping from the spiciness, they are fascinated by the way the rich ingredients are rolled and blended in the boiling red soup, and they keep adding dishes.
In order to cater to the global taste buds, Qi Tongwei embarked on an innovative journey. He exchanged and learned with international chefs, integrated French cooking and exquisite plating, and the Sichuan dishes served on the table were like works of art. The "Sichuan-style foie gras with caviar" dish, the foie gras is as delicate as a cloud, integrated with the spicy essence of Sichuan cuisine, and paired with the salty and fresh caviar, with rich layers; drawing on the pursuit of freshness of Japanese cuisine ingredients, he went to the fishing port and farm to select ingredients every morning, and the "Fresh Pepper Salmon Sashimi" came out, the salmon was fresh and tender with the unique spicy taste of local fresh pepper, fresh and refreshing; studying Italian pasta craftsmanship, creating "Sichuan-style pasta", the chewy noodles are covered with spicy meat sauce, and the cheese is stretched to create a wonderful taste of the combination of Chinese and Western. Once the new product was launched, diners around the world rushed to buy it, and orders came in like snowflakes from five continents.
The restaurant group has taken the opportunity to expand its international presence. On the bustling streets of New York, the store's quaint Chinese exterior blends with modern interiors, with red lanterns swaying and the aroma of Sichuan cuisine wafting through the air. Foreigners queue up for a table just to taste authentic Sichuan flavor. The branch on the Champs-Elysées in Paris is romantically and elegantly decorated, with Sichuan cuisine paired with French desserts. Diners come and go, and people of different skin colors sit around and feast on the food. The branch in Dubai's Desert City has air conditioning to keep out the scorching heat. The spicy Sichuan cuisine is intertwined with Middle Eastern spices, and the Arab robes and Chinese cheongsams reflect the lights together, creating a harmonious and delicious spark of culture.
Qi Tongwei often goes to branches to provide guidance and train local chefs, patiently imparting Sichuan cuisine skills, from controlling the heat to the proportion of seasonings, without reservation. Seeing the focused looks of apprentices from different countries, he is filled with satisfaction, knowing that food has no borders, and Sichuan cuisine is using the power of restaurants to weave a global delicious bond. Charity branches also extend with footsteps, building kitchens in poor villages in Africa, teaching women to make nutritious Sichuan-style simple meals, and helping children grow up healthily; in refugee resettlement areas in Europe, cooking training allows the unemployed to learn Sichuan cuisine skills and open up new hopes for life. Love and deliciousness spread from the dining table to corners of the world, warming people's hearts. The name of the restaurant has become a symbol of world cuisine, shining in the sky of human diet, inheriting and innovating from generation to generation, never stopping, turning into an eternal warm light source, illuminating the daily life of the world, until the end of time, so that deliciousness connects global friendships and never breaks.
Qi Tongwei's restaurant has now become a food mecca. Every morning at dawn, before the door opens, there is already a long line of diners. Local regulars are familiar with the restaurant and greet the waiter with a sign to make a reservation; foreign travelers follow the map and look forward to trying something new. The restaurant is bustling with people, and Qi Tongwei is like a battlefield marshal in the kitchen, commanding with confidence, and the pots and pans are playing the music of fireworks.
As he communicated more and more with international diners, Qi Tongwei mastered the art of "food diplomacy". When an Arab diners curiously asked about the secrets of Sichuan cuisine seasoning, he brought out peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon, and described the characteristics of their origins in detail. He used English and hand gestures to illustrate the impact of differences in growing environments on flavor. When he met a French chef to discuss cooking concepts, he used Sichuan cuisine's "one dish, one style, one hundred dishes, one hundred flavors" to collide with the exquisite French style. From the cooking time to the combination of ingredients, he had a great conversation, absorbed the romantic ingenuity of Western food plating, and integrated it into Sichuan cuisine plating. The dishes were served like an artistic feast, attracting diners to take photos and admire before they even started eating.
With great ambition, expanding the Middle East market was on the agenda. Qi Tongwei led his team to the Arab land. When they first arrived in a foreign land, the cultural shock was like a heat wave. The spice market was colorful, and the rich aroma of cumin, saffron, etc. inspired new inspirations; folk taboos must be strictly observed, and the selection of ingredients and cooking methods were reconsidered. In order to integrate into the local community, he decided to improve the recipe of sesame cakes, combining traditional Chinese sesame cakes with Arabic flatbread craftsmanship, using local high-quality wheat flour as the base, adding secret spices, and developing "Sichuan-flavored Arabic sesame cakes."
On the trial day, local residents were invited to taste the food. Qi Tongwei stood nervously by the side, watching the women in headscarves and the old men in white robes curiously examining the food. Someone took a bite, and instantly, the spicy Sichuan flavor and local spices danced in their mouths. The unique taste attracted everyone's attention, and they gave thumbs up and said "zein (good)".