Food: The super chef just wants to set up a stall leisurely

Chapter 183 The Whereabouts of the Cooking Chef

At nine o'clock in the evening, there were only five or six tables of customers left in the restaurant, and all of Zhao Xiaojing's prepared dishes were sold out.

The three of them made do with the remaining pig's feet and side dishes in the stew pot, and added the last bit of potatoes and beef brisket to their meal.

After dinner, Su Yuchen and Ouyang Yidan cleaned up, and Zhao Xiaojing found a quiet place to call Gu Shanfeng.

The contract for the dessert stand will expire in a few days, and Lu Hongwen will be coming over soon, so we have to hurry and hire a cooking chef.

Su Yuchen originally wanted to continue posting a chef recruitment notice online, but Zhao Xiaojing was worried that it would be ignored like the waiter recruitment notice. After half a month of posting, only one was hired. In addition, various people consulted and asked inexplicable questions, but no one responded, which wasted time.

So Zhao Xiaojing thought of Gu Shanfeng. He had been running a restaurant in Jiangcheng for so many years, and although he knew a lot of people in the catering industry, it was still easy for him to find a chef. And with recommendations from acquaintances, he didn't have to search the Internet and chat repeatedly.

"Okay, what kind of person are you looking for specifically? What are your requirements? I'll ask for you." After hearing the purpose of the visit, Gu Shanfeng agreed without hesitation.

"My place is small, and the work is miscellaneous. I have to cut vegetables and prepare food myself. I definitely can't invite a master chef, and it would be a bit of a waste if he came." Zhao Xiaojing thought about it and chose to put it bluntly.

"Just find an ordinary cooking chef, the salary is about 5000 to 6000, the details can be negotiated.

You don’t need to be too experienced, but you should not have too many ideas. I am young, but I have run the store for a while, so I know the general tastes of customers and the cooking style of the store has been formed. I am afraid that if I hire a chef who is too independent and doesn’t listen to instructions, it will be difficult to deal with conflicts if you get in the middle.”

Zhao Xiaojing expressed her concerns directly.

The catering industry places great emphasis on seniority. The longer a chef has been in the industry, the more popular he or she will be. Therefore, senior chefs have higher salaries, are more experienced, and have a better grasp of their skills.

But at the same time, the disadvantage is that because they have been in the industry for a long time and have sufficient experience, they are very confident and have their own set of principles. They are unlikely to listen to the advice of people who they think are inferior to themselves, or who have too little experience, and they will certainly not listen to Zhao Xiaojing's instructions. It would be bad if they started to compete with each other like in a boxing ring.

"I understand what you mean, and you are right.

Let me think about it..." Gu Shanfeng understood what Zhao Xiaojing was worried about as soon as he heard it, and paused to think for a while.

"The last time you came to the restaurant, what did you think of Yun Yongyuan? He was the male disciple who was frying with you the day you came.

He has been learning cooking with me for more than four years, almost five years. Now he is good at making cold dishes and steamed dishes. He has also learned hot dishes for a while. He is not good at big dishes yet, but he can make basic stir-fries.

He and Wan Yuyue are my two most capable apprentices. However, there are few opportunities for them to practice in the restaurant. Usually, they just listen to me talk. Only when we eat can they practice.

Don't underestimate him as just a cook and not a master. It's only because our hotel sells signature products and some things are not decided by me alone. So the rules for cook apprentices say that they cannot cook directly. They can follow the cold dish and steamed dish chef to mix the cold dishes and give a helping hand.

But the few times I ate the dishes he cooked, I felt that he had reached a certain level. As long as he is given more opportunities to practice, he will be able to do it right away. Being a chef in a small restaurant is not a problem for him. "

As soon as Gu Shanfeng mentioned him, Zhao Xiaojing immediately remembered him. He was one of the two young cooks she was most familiar with when she went to the restaurant to help out last time. He was a boy who was shy at first but became cheerful after they got to know each other.

After hearing what Gu Shanfeng said, Zhao Xiaojing also felt that he was suitable. They were about the same age, so it would be easier to communicate with him. Besides, he did not have a certain amount of experience, so it would be easy for him to train him.

What's more, he has been studying with Gu Shanfeng for five years, so he must have some skills. Maybe he can learn something from him.

"I think it's okay. I wonder if he is willing to come? After all, your place is a big restaurant, he can learn more and the environment is better. Although mine is a small restaurant, it may be more tiring because you have to do everything by yourself." Zhao Xiaojing said bluntly.

"Of course I would. What he lacks is a chance to cook for himself! Although you have to do everything yourself, you have better opportunities to practice. On the contrary, doing odd jobs in a restaurant every day, you may see enough, but you don't have the opportunity to get started. What can you learn? If I were him, I would definitely be willing!"

I'll ask him for you later. If he doesn't want to, I'll talk to Wan Yuyue. She's not bad either. She started later than Yun Yongyuan, but she's also learning how to cook hot dishes. She's not so good at frying, but if you give her more training, she'll be fine!" Gu Shanfeng answered very straightforwardly.

"Okay, thank you, Master Gu." Zhao Xiaojing smiled slightly, "But you are handing over the apprentice you have worked so hard to train for five years to me. What will you do? I heard from Master Sun before that an apprentice with a formal master cannot just work for someone else. Does this count as changing the master's family?"

"Hahaha, Xiao Zhao!" Gu Shanfeng laughed loudly upon hearing this, "You really think too highly of me. That refers to a master-level master who can truly teach and pass on the tradition. I'm just a master who runs a restaurant!

Moreover, Lao Sun and I both get along very well with you. We both treat you as our apprentice. How can it be said that my apprentice is going to change his disciples?

What's more, I don't lack masters here. He works as a cook here, and it will take him two years to be promoted to a master. It's not that he doesn't have a foundation, he has a strong foundation, but he doesn't have the opportunity to cook here! If he has practiced well at your place, and one day you want to change people, he can come back to my place and become a chef directly, which saves me time, right?

Even if he doesn't come back, it doesn't matter if he keeps working for you. In a restaurant like ours, we don't lack chefs, and apprentices are like soldiers coming and going. We have trained too many people, and it's not realistic for him to stay here forever."

Zhao Xiaojing spoke very directly to Gu Shanfeng, so Gu Shanfeng didn't beat around the bush and spoke the truth.

Zhao Xiaojing immediately understood that although it was difficult to train an apprentice, it was very easy to train a group of them.

The restaurant at Gushanfeng is large in scale and needs a lot of people. If we recruit handymen and food preparation workers according to the regular rules, the total salary we need to pay is also a large sum, which is a considerable expense every month.

But if you are recruiting an apprentice, you can pay them a lot less, and they will rush to work, and be diligent and serious.

Even if one starts out as an apprentice, is later promoted to a cook, a side dish chef, and then a head chef, it will take a long process. However, Gushanfeng's restaurant has no shortage of head chefs and doesn't care. Instead, what it lacks are those who work as apprentices and cooks.