Chapter 327: Invitation To A Contest
Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
"Mr. Handsome, this is the Swedish Meatball." The waitress pointed at the two empty plates on the table and said gently.
"Huh? It has been eaten by us?" Ma Zhida just couldn't believe it. Why didn't he have any special feelings even after he ate it up?
"Yes. The Swedish Meatball for you two is the first dish served." The waitress said unhurriedly.
"But how come that I don't have any special feeling? Gao Shuai, did you have any feeling?" Ma Zhidao asked with puzzlement.
Gao Shuai thought carefully for a while and tried to search for the feeling. But unfortunately, there wasn't the slightest residual taste.
"No." Gao Shuai shook the head helplessly.
"I know that nobody is comparable with Boss Yuan. But this is probably not even close to the ordinary level." Ma Zhida murmured discontentedly.
"I think so, too. There's no difference at all between eating and not eating. It isn't even as delicious as the steak." Gao Shuai also nodded the head and agreed with Ma Zhida.
The waitress was likewise a little embarrassed. Since the two man spoke in public in front of her, of course she would feel embarrassed on hearing their conversation all along.
"Younger sister, I feel this dish of yours makes no difference before and after eating it." Ma Zhida said with a very euphemistic manner, although others didn't really feel that way.
"This dish is cooked by your head chef personally, right? Is it that person?" Gao Shuai pointed to Li Li who was still busy with cooking and then said.
"Yes, Mr. Handsome." The pretty waitress said while looking at them. She had a very good-looking dimples while smiling.
However, Gao Shuai still said frankly, "I suggest that this dish shouldn't be cooked anymore, as the taste is really too common."
"Thank you for your precious suggestion. Could you please help to fill out the suggestion form?" The waitress said smilingly.
"Sure, no problem." Both the two of them agreed with a nod.
When the waitress brought the suggestion form after they finished the meal, she fetched a plate of refreshing vegetable dish as a gift as well.
Then, the two people filled out the form with their opinions. It was mainly about suggesting Li Li not cook the Swedish Meatball anymore. Of course, the steak was not bad.
Such suggestion forms were usually filled out by most customers. Those who didn't mind the trouble would fill them.
It's just that the suggestions made by them were of two extremes. Those who had never been to Yuan Zhou's restaurant generally felt the current restaurant was terrific. The service was good; the environment was good. So were the taste of the dishes.
Meanwhile, most of those who had been to Yuan Zhou's restaurant nevertheless advised the restaurant not to make the Swedish Meatball anymore. Some even said frankly that the dish wasn't delicious at all.
Therefore, these suggestion forms just made people upset.
At 8:00 p.m., Li Li finally got some time and prepared to have a little rest. At that time, Niu Li came over with a folder in her hand.
"Mr. Li, do you need to see this?" Niu Li lifted up the folder in his hand.
"What's that?" Li Li knitted his brows.
"Let's go to your office." Niu Li didn't answer him, but pointed at the inside of the restaurant and then said.
After a nod, Li Li looked at Niu Li's expression carefully and found she was neither in a bad mood now nor very happy.
They all kept silent on the way, leaving only their footsteps of "Ti Ta, Ti Ta" knocking on the clean floor.
After a sound of "Zhi Ya", Li Li opened the door of his office.
His office had a quite decent layout. The writing desk, office table and bookshelf were all made of solid wood and had marvelous visual texture. The office was neat and tidy and was arranged in good order. It even had a small bedroom for him to have a rest.
Just like that of the senior executives. The only difference was that on Li Li's bookshelf were various trophies and certificates rather than books.
He seemed to be very confident of his own craftsmanship.
Having glanced the layout of the office, Niu Li came to that conclusion.
"Have a seat, please." Li Li invited Niu Li to the the reception room, prepared some tea for her and then asked.
"These are the suggestion forms today. I have checked them. I suggest you also have a look." Niu Li put the folder on the table.
"Alright." It was a work of him being an executive head chef to read the suggestion forms, therefore Li Li didn't feel there was any problem.
He was just surprised with the fact that Niu Li didn't mention about changing the dish. However, he didn't mind it much at all.
It was fairly quiet in the office. There was only the sound of "Hua Hua" made by Li Li while flipping the forms. Niu Li nevertheless just thought over something for a while in silence.
[Swedish Meatball? It's merely some ordinary meatballs. There's none of the exotic taste.]
[The difference is so obvious. I'm too honest to say good words against my will.]
[The Swedish Meatball cooked by Boss Yuan and this one are presumably two different dishes. I suggest your head chef should learn some more authentic craftsmanship.]
[It tastes not bad if you have never eaten Boss Yuan's meatballs.]
...
"What the hell is this? Are you sure that these are the suggestion forms today?" Li Li directly threw down the folder and said with a tone of disbelief.
"Yes, very sure. These are the suggestions today." Niu Li answered affirmatively.
"Do you also mean I'm not even so good as that so-called chef coming from nowhere?" Li Li said ironically.
"You have seen the suggestion forms. You'd better think it over calmly." Niu Li said composedly.
"Ho Ho. What for? Just with that, you think the Swedish Meatball cooked by me is inferior to his?" Li Li said while complacently pointing at the folder on the table.
"I have investigated both of the different comments. Do you want to know the result?" Niu Li separated the two different comments and asked Li Li while looking at him.
"It's up to you." Li Li didn't really care about that at all. The opinions of only a few customers didn't matter much.
"Speaking of which, I really want to know if that Boss Yuan has ever been to Sweden or Finland." Li Li was totally sarcastic this time.
In his opinion, a person that had never been abroad wasn't qualified at all to talk about the authentic Swedish Meatball.
"Those who spoke highly of your dish all came to our restaurant for the first time and had never been to Yuan Zhou's restaurant." Niu Li pointed at the thinner stack of the forms on the left and then said, not giving a care about Li Li's complaint.
"Here are the suggestion forms from those who have tasted the craftsmanship of that chef. Basically, all of them don't want you to cook this dish anymore," Niu Li said straightforwardly.
"Ho Ho. You have tasted that before and you tell me." Having kept silent for quite a while, Li Li uttered.
"I have only eaten the Egg Fried Rice once. It's the best." Thinking of the delicious fried rice now, Niu Li couldn't help salivating.
"So you mean I made a wrong move?" Li Li realized what Niu Li intended soon.
"Mr. Li, I trust your abilities." This was the last word from Niu Li.
Therefore, she didn't say whether this step was right or not directly.
Li Li likewise sat in the sofa and was lost in a daze.
"Surprisingly, I even lose to a mere nobody, a person who had never been to Sweden." The way that Li Li talked was full of self-mockery.
Although the western restaurant had some customers with their superior service, it was totally defeated by Yuan Zhou on the aspect of dishes.
On the other hand, the motionless and calm Yuan Zhou nevertheless received an inexplicable call.
The dinner time had ended and Yuan Zhou was taking a rest in his seat.
"Ding Ling Ling, Ding Ling Ling", the never-changing telephone ring woke Yuan Zhou up.
"An unknown number!" Yuan Zhou picked up the phone and found it was an unknown number.
He considered for a while and then answered it.
However, he didn't speak first. After all, Yuan Zhou had cheated many takeout business last time.
Although he had set the blacklist and white list afterwards, it still made a lot of noise.
"Boss Yuan, this is the assistant of Mr. Lee Yanyi." The person calling was Yan Jia, the assistant of Lee Yanyi who often came for meals but was always very picky.
That made Yuan Zhou a little surprised, but he still answered, "What can I do for you?"
"It's like this. Mr. Lee Yanyi wants to recommend you to participate in an upcoming food tasting contest. What do you think?" Yan Jia said courteously.
Yuan Zhou, "..."