text, picture/Yang Xuewei
"Understanding the essence of traditional cuisine, inheriting without conservatism, innovation without forgetting the roots." This is the concept of star-rated chef "Ge Guan" for cooking food. He has been constantly studying traditional cooking techniques, and constantly innovating and improving the selection of ingredients, taste and presentation methods. While meeting the taste pursuit of contemporary people, he can also understand the homesickness of urban people through integrated methods, and finally create a catering brand "Trialing Rice" that "Trialing Rice" that "Trialing Rice" is the "Trialing Rice".
Apprenticeships become chef
Guan Ge, whose real name is He Chengguan, is from Jian'ou, Nanping, Fujian. Because of his "sixth place" in the chef's party, everyone respectfully calls him "Guan Ge". Recalling the beginning, in 1996, at the age of 18, he was still very vague about his future career planning for . By chance, I went to Xiamen to work, and with Brother Guan, who "loves you like" in his arms, he formed a deep relationship with catering.
"From 1996 to 2006, I experienced ten years of learning cooking. In the past ten years, I not only learned to do things, but also learned to be a person." For the ten years of learning cooking, Brother Guan defined himself with "diligence". He was tempered from an apprentice to a chef who was the only one. Brother Guan seemed meticulous and serious about every step of ingredients, craftsmanship, heat, knife skills, etc., because he said: "Just work hard, time will give the answer."
Brother Guan's first job was to work in the seafood pool in the restaurant, mainly focusing on learning to breed seafood. Since then, Master Guan spent ten years on the job of becoming a chef, and also learned from major restaurants and five-star hotels and honed his skills. Brother Guan believes: "Diligence is more important than talent." During his studies, Brother Guan will always go to the kitchen to do exercises an hour in advance, and will get off work later than others at night, and will take the initiative to stay for cleaning.
Everyone who knows things knows that learning cooking is not an easy task, and it is difficult to become a master without persistence. In the past ten years, it is no problem to cut and burn, and I have experienced it by being bitten by a snake and being electrocuted, but Brother Guan was not discouraged. Brother Guan said: "In the past ten years, I have worked hard with a group of like-minded people. I also hope to be recognized, so I gradually fell in love with the job of cooking."
In 2004, Brother Guan met a chef from Guangzhou and began to learn to cook Cantonese cuisine. Because of his hard work and talent, in 2006, Brother Guan was poached to Haiquanwan, Zhuhai as the sous chef. Two years later, he officially became the chef and became the "top leader" of the kitchen of Haiquanwan Hotel. From then on, Brother Guan, the star-rated chef, "sitted" here for ten years.
Entrepreneurship with "courage"
For Brother Guan, being a star chef in a big hotel is a comfortable job: good treatment, absolute voice for dishes, and people's respect. However, entrepreneurship is what Brother Guan has been thinking about over the years. Brother Guan said: "Although I have invested in some projects over the years, investment has always been an investment. As a chef, I still want to be my own brand and let customers try their own taste."
Starting a business means unknown. In 2019, Brother Guan began to prepare for the brand "Pindao". Although some funds have been accumulated over the years of work, it is still a bit insufficient to start a business. "Funding is the first difficulty I encountered in starting a business." Brother Guan said, "I don't know if I can make money, but I feel that this project should not lose money." Brother Guan remembers that he mustered up the courage to say to his wife: "We mortgage the house in Jinwan . If we fail, we will move back to Pingsha . At worst, we can start from scratch." Brother Guan's "stubbornness" has received support from his family. After mortgaged the house, Brother Guan thought that the project had no way out, so he invited the brothers who worked together to form a team, and finally opened the first "Pindao" in Doumen in 2020.
Guan Ge’s mind is the obsession with pursuing the “country flavor”. How can we better present the "hometown flavor"? He returned to his familiar hometown to find the taste of his memory. But when he ate the "original" hometown dishes again, he found that the times have changed, and his mood and taste have long changed.He realized that with the changes of the times, the taste must also be improved in order to constantly surprise people in the familiar taste and awaken the taste buds in memory. Therefore, the rice taste is used to recreate the "hometown flavor" by combining vegetables.
Of course, the "hometown flavor" in the hearts of every customer is different. Brother Guan focused on purchasing the origin of raw materials, hoping that all customers can find the taste of their hometown in praising rice. Brother Guan said: "We go to different places to collect folk songs every quarter, explore and upgrade the taste of new dishes, and try to reappear the original flavor."
Under this persistent guidance, the dishes of Pindaodo store are closely related to the local ingredients. For example, the rich aquatic products under special salty and fresh water, such as traditional rural cuisine, are integrated into the fusion of rice-tasting dishes, allowing locals to experience both rural flavor and innovation. It is reported that Pindaodo Store is the restaurant on Dianping’s must-eat list in 2022, and it is also the only restaurant in Zhuhai’s western district.
Two-year restaurant "Three Plum Breaks"
The first Plum Breaks store opened in December 2020. By April 2022, and then to Plum Breaks' store in September 2022, Guan Ge will "Plum Breaks" the brand Plum Breaks in two years, attracting a large number of loyal customers. Whether it is the praise of the reputation of the same industry or the plagiarism and imitation of other restaurants, it is proved from the indirectly that Brother Guan’s dominance of the “country flavor” has been resonated with the public.
's latest Pindaoji store opened in September. Without much publicity, it has attracted many customers to come to the door spontaneously, making Brother Guan feel grateful. It is understood that the new store has designed the overall style more simply, improving the visual effect. Customized lighting and special utensils all make this place closer to the style of a modern fusion restaurant.
Although Brother Guan no longer cooks in person in recent years, you will see Brother Guan in three stores every day. "I go to three stores every day to inspect the floor work and directly understand the feedback of the dishes with the customers." Brother Guan said, "The guests' opinions are very important. We will develop new dishes every quarter to upgrade the dishes."
It is reported that Brother Guan's goal is to build rice into the "ceiling of Zhuhai Fusion Dishes." Brother Guan said: "The next step I will plan a catering brand that is more upgraded than Pindao, hoping that more people can try the food I developed."
Source | Yangcheng Evening News·Yangchengpai
Editor | Huang Tie'an
