Chapter 118

Chapter 118: The Customers Will Come On Their Own!

While preparing the oil-splashed chili, Chen Ran and Lu Jingrong had already cleaned the ingredients and were getting ready to cook.

Bai Jing had finished disguising himself and began interviewing with a camera.

"The concept of the Chinese-style burger has been around for a while. Different chefs surely have different interpretations of it, let's see what everyone's choices are!"

The three groups of chefs had already started nervously preparing their ingredients, and Bai Jing walked in from the entrance of the food street, casually starting an interview with Master Ma.

The two chefs in this group were quite old, and their understanding of the Chinese-style burger was very simple—it’s just a meat-filled bun!

"I see you're preparing a meat sandwich? It's almost noon. Is the braised meat ready?"

"Of course! Look at the color!" Master Ma casually lifted a piece of meat for Bai Jing to see. "Using a pressure cooker makes the meat cook faster. This is an authentic meat sandwich, no green peppers added! Look at this bun, how great is it?"

The two veteran chefs understood the food street concept very well: "This food street is basically a snack street. We just took a look around, and no one is selling meat sandwiches here. We're filling the gap in the market."

I have to say, the meat sandwiches made by these two local chefs were exceptional. In the brief time Bai Jing was interviewing, they had already sold two.

Master Ma’s method of chopping meat was beautiful, and the other chef’s hand-made buns were also very tempting.

The Chinese-style burgers from the other group looked even more tempting—they were meat-filled sesame cakes!

The sesame cakes were freshly baked, and the show crew had everything ready, even the kiln used for baking them. A row of sesame cakes stuck to the kiln's wall, already golden brown with white sesame seeds sticking to them. The smell was irresistible.

Bai Jing went to interview Jiang Ting. "What's inside your Chinese-style burger?"

Jiang Ting decisively pulled a sesame cake out of the kiln: "Master Hou's sesame cakes are really good, look at the hollow inside!"

With a small tap, one end of the sesame cake instantly broke open, revealing the filling. Jiang Ting had prepared the sauce herself, with two types of meat: grilled pork tenderloin and sweet char siu, along with tomato slices and lettuce. Who could say this wasn’t another form of a Chinese-style burger?

As she demonstrated, stuffing the hollow sesame cake with lettuce and pork slices, a customer immediately rushed over: "How much is this? I want the one you're holding, hurry up!"

Bai Jing stepped aside for the real customer and summarized: "Both of these groups have adopted a rather conservative strategy, probably because the show only allowed six hours of operating time. With such a short time, if they chose too novel an approach, it could seriously affect their sales."

"Let’s go, let’s check out the final group... Chen Ran, who has gained a lot of attention in previous competitions, is a chef with internet celebrity roots. Will she have any more unique ideas?"

Lu Jingrong had drawn a rather remote location. Bai Jing walked for a full five minutes before finally arriving.

However, along the way, he noticed a surprising number of people walking in that direction!

He pretended to ask a passerby: "What are they selling over there?"

The business on the food street wasn’t particularly busy. Along the path Bai Jing had walked, there were even several closed shops. That’s why the show had no trouble finding three empty shop fronts.

"I don't know what they're selling, but smell that aroma! Isn’t it amazing? Even if it’s just oil-splashed chili, I’d buy a jar to take home!"

Bai Jing pulled down his mask and immediately smelled the mouth-watering spicy aroma in the air!

Among all the different smells on the food street, this spicy scent was simply irresistible.

"Indeed, let me describe it to the audience: there’s a particularly bright and spicy scent in the air."

It was during the New Year period, so Bai Jing used a fitting analogy: "This spicy smell is so distinct, like on the first day of the new year, when you wake up early in the morning, go downstairs in the cold northern air, and hear the neighbors setting off firecrackers. Then, a sharp scent rushes into your nostrils… but instead of the smell of gunpowder, it’s a strong, spicy fragrance."

Bai Jing wasn’t particularly good at eating spicy food, but this oil-splashed chili smelled so delicious that he couldn't help but speed up his pace.

What had originally been the most secluded part of the street was now surrounded by a small crowd in front of the final group’s shop!The signs for all three stores were uniformly customized by the production team, with the four large characters "Chinese Hamburger" prominently displayed. Bai Jing immediately recognized that the spicy oil aroma was coming from the last store.

He struggled to squeeze inside and saw Chen Ran flipping the wok!

Unlike the conservative business strategies of the other two stores, the third store was located in a very poor spot, and they had to be bold to make an impact.

The spicy oil aroma was the first step, and Chen Ran's daring, flamboyant wok flipping was the second.

After the group stage, the video of Chen Ran flipping two woks simultaneously went viral on various video platforms.

Ordinary customers are always more interested in such skills!

After twenty years of hard practice, Chen Ran's culinary skills had always focused on the basics, rarely learning those more performative techniques.

However, as long as the basics are well-practiced, performance comes naturally!

Bai Jing watched in amazement as Chen Ran flipped the wok with force, her hand even leaving the handle, and she turned her body around before catching the wok again.

At that moment, not a single piece of meat from the wok fell to the ground; it was all caught back.

Some people had already pulled out their phones and started recording videos!

Food with a performative nature always has a higher chance of going viral, like teppanyaki or the "salt guy" who became a social media sensation—both are beneficiaries of internet celebrity culture.

Chen Ran's flamboyant wok flipping, with the occasional toss of the spatula to form patterns, was mesmerizing. Just before the dish was finished, she made the wok burst into flames, all while flipping it, making it an eye-catching spectacle.

The fire in the wok wasn't a high-end technique; it's known as "kou huo" (catching fire) in culinary terms and is commonly used in stir-fry to add a smoky flavor.

In this case, Chen Ran used the technique for another reason:

After the fire flared up, she poured the stir-fried dish out of the wok while simultaneously congratulating Lu Jingrong: "Wishing for a prosperous New Year!"

Today was the "Little New Year," and who wouldn't want to take such a good omen?

Moreover, the smell of the spicy oil from this shop was irresistible, and the freshly stir-fried vegetables also looked incredibly tempting!

Customers received their hamburgers with wide-eyed amazement, and the next customer quickly stepped forward with a request:

"I want one with steamed bun, stir-fried chili and pork, and a bit of fermented tofu inside!"

"Do you want the steamed bun plain or lightly fried with egg wash?"

The customer hesitated for a moment, then decided to go for the full option.

"Fry it with a bit of egg wash!"

"Got it! Please wait a moment!"

Bai Jing explained softly: "It seems like the third group has chosen a more customer-friendly, customizable approach. As you can see, the burger bun here is made from steamed buns, and you can choose between fried or plain. The filling is not like the other two groups that used pre-cooked braised meat; instead, they've opted for stir-fried ingredients."

"It seems like this group has a different understanding of the Chinese hamburger..."

Master Lu, noticing Bai Jing coming over, continued from where he left off: "Chinese street food really emphasizes making it fresh. For example, the wonton sellers in the past always made them fresh on the spot."

While speaking, Master Lu and Chen Ran quickly began their work. Master Lu sliced open a steamed bun, dipped both halves into egg wash, and immediately threw them into a hot pan to fry.

The high heat quickly set the egg wash, and just by looking at the current state, one could already imagine the buns becoming golden and crispy by the end!

"These steamed buns with just a bit of sugar would be delicious on their own!""What's this heresy with white sugar? Use sesame paste!"

"You two are both heretics, stop arguing. I still prefer this stir-fried chili pork."

Meanwhile, Chen Ran, who had already started making the stir-fried chili pork, was in full swing.

The ingredients prepared by the production team were naturally top-quality. The pork was very fresh, particularly the front leg meat, perfect for making stir-fried pork.

The meat slices were freshly cut, with the fatty pieces slightly thicker and the lean pieces cut thin and evenly.

Oil was poured into the wok and heated, then the fatty meat slices were added. The white fatty meat immediately curled up slightly, releasing an explosion of fragrant oil.

As Chen Ran cooked, she explained to the curious customers why she prepared the dish this way.

"Stir-fried chili pork is all about a hot, oily fragrance. If the fatty meat is sliced too thin, it'll feel more like fat residue when fried, and it won't have the right aroma."

At this point, the fatty meat was perfectly fried, slightly curled at the edges, but tender and juicy in the center.

Now, the chili and garlic slices were added, along with various seasonings!

The chili slices, which had been cut and smashed, were thrown into the wok, instantly releasing a spicy aroma in the hot oil! Chen Ran flipped the wok with force, and when the surface of the chili developed a slight "tiger skin" texture, she added the lean meat.

"The lean meat should be cut as thin as possible, and only added at the end..."

Once the lean meat was in the wok, it was stirred just a few times before being flared and flipped out of the wok!

Meanwhile, the steamed bun dough prepared by Lu Jingrong had also been fried, with a generous spread of fermented tofu before the stir-fried chili pork was added and handed to the customer who had just placed their order.

From the outer steamed bun to the stir-fried filling inside, everything was freshly made. In the winter, a steaming cloud of white vapor rose from the hot food.

A bite revealed the soft steamed bun first, followed by the crispy, egg-washed surface, making the customer feel instantly satisfied.

She could eat two of these fried bun slices on their own!

Taking a big bite, the customer then realized, as they chewed, that they had spoken too soon.

The oil fragrance of the stir-fried chili pork immediately filled their mouth.

The surface of the chili was slightly soft, but the inside still retained a bit of crispness. Stir-fried over high heat, it carried a smoky flavor that tantalized every taste bud in the mouth.

Then came a slice of lean meat, tender to the extreme.

When Chen Ran was cooking this dish, she had seen firsthand how thin the lean meat was sliced. After just a few seconds in the wok, it was already done.

The tender meat, barely cooked, seemed to dance on the tongue, juicy and mixing with the heat of the chili, creating a delightful collision in the mouth.

This fresh, tender meat juice combined with the spiciness made the customer feel even hungrier, as if their appetite had been completely awakened.

And just when she thought she was getting hungrier, a perfect piece of fatty, tender meat suddenly burst into her mouth!

The fatty meat, fried for a minute, had slightly crispy edges and wasn’t overly greasy. The thickness of the slice prevented it from becoming dried out like pork scraps. The rich flavor of the fat exploded in the mouth.

And just as the rich aroma of the fat began to explode, leaving the customer worried it might be too greasy, the salty fragrance of the fermented tofu on the bun slice came in to balance it out!

Perfect!

This flavor... it felt like a perfect fireworks show in her mouth!

"Is it delicious?"While the other customers in line couldn’t help but lean in to ask, "Does this get too greasy?"

"No, no! It’s so delicious!"

As she answered the other customers' questions, she couldn't resist taking out her phone and snapping a photo of the "Chinese burger" she had just taken a bite of.

In the photo, the crispy edges of the steamed bun slices and the shiny stir-fried chili pork were clearly visible. The golden yellow and green, along with a touch of the red fermented tofu, made it look incredibly appetizing.

"This Chinese burger behind People's Square is so delicious! The filling is stir-fried fresh!"

Along with the photo of Chen Ran flipping the wok and adding fire, she quickly sent the post out.

Bai Jing, who had been watching the whole time, held back his drool, continuing his commentary professionally.

"Compared to the conservative measures of the first two shops, Chen Ran and Lu Jingrong from the third group used every possible tactic to attract customers."

As he spoke, the camera at a distance captured wide shots of all three shops.

"However, it's a pity that, due to location issues, there's still a significant difference in foot traffic between the three shops."

For most restaurants, whether they can secure a location in a high-traffic area basically determines how well the business does.

Lu Jingrong, watching the relatively small crowd in front of their shop, started to feel anxious. He cautiously asked Chen Ran, "Should we make some more chili oil?"

Chen Ran, though inexperienced in managing a shop, had plenty of experience being pursued by customers.

With a quick flip of the wok, she stir-fried another plate of chili pork, which the system rated as a 3S-level dish. Satisfied, she poured it into the side iron tray and watched Lu Jingrong begin preparing the burgers.

"Don’t rush, just focus on cooking well."

Since her cooking had reached a high level of mastery, Chen Ran actually preferred this simple, down-to-earth home-style cooking.

She asked the next customer about their dietary preferences, and then, with ease, cut more lean meat slices according to their tastes.

"As long as we focus on making good food, the customers will come to us!"