Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 490 - 277: Boss Xiao Jiang Is Still Too Young

"Is the Seventh Dining Hall recruiting chefs? Have you submitted your resumes?"

"I did! I once tasted Boss Xiao Jiang’s cooking — it’s out of this world! Even if I don’t learn anything, getting to eat his cooking every day would be worth it!"

"I’m just an intermediate-level chef, sigh, I feel embarrassed to submit. I bet there are tons of senior chefs applying!"

"Sorry, I’m a technician in Chinese cuisine!"

"Whether I succeed or not, I have to give it a try. Anyway, I’ve already handed in my resignation letter!"

"Tsk, tsk! You already quit? You’re really going all in — success or bust!"

"..."

After the "Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall Recruitment Notice" was posted online, due to the hall’s famous reputation and Boss Xiao Jiang’s extraordinary culinary skills, the news quickly spread across major restaurants and hotels, instantly attracting the attention of many chefs.

Chefs like Xiong Zhengtao, who don’t care about salary or benefits and are just looking for personal technical development, are all eager to take the opportunity to switch to the Seventh Dining Hall for Boss Xiao Jiang’s mentorship.

Although most of them have never tasted the food at the Seventh Dining Hall, they’re not foolish. The reason the hall is so renowned – while hype might be one factor – the key is that the food is indeed delicious.

Because they all understand one thing: exaggerated claims will eventually be exposed.

If the food at the Seventh Dining Hall was mediocre, not even as good as a street stall, it would be infamous rather than renowned.

For this reason, they’re sure that Boss Xiao Jiang’s culinary skills are truly unique, which is exactly why they want to learn from him.

Of course, besides these young chefs ambitious to improve their skills, there’s a smaller group with simpler motives.

They’re not after high salaries or benefits, nor are they desperate to learn a great deal of culinary skills. Their main reason for applying to become chefs at the Seventh Dining Hall is the hope of eating dishes made by Boss Xiao Jiang every day.

Most of these chefs have visited the Seventh Dining Hall, personally tasted Boss Xiao Jiang’s cooking, and that unforgettable taste still lingers in their thoughts, day and night.

Unfortunately, the private rooms at the Seventh Dining Hall are extremely hard to book. Even with their whole family trying, they might not succeed in booking a few times a year.

Now that the Seventh Dining Hall is recruiting chefs, and given they have some culinary skills — not as good as Boss Xiao Jiang, but presumably, Boss Xiao Jiang won’t require the recruited chefs to match his level.

Since that’s the case, why not give it a try? Even knowing the competition will be fierce, what if they succeed?

Just the thought of having a chance to eat Boss Xiao Jiang’s cooking every day fills these people with excitement.

There’s a saying: a chef is the soul of a restaurant, having a good chef is key to a restaurant’s success.

The principle is simple: customers come to a restaurant to "eat," so no matter how good the restaurant’s other facilities are, if there’s not a good chef to prepare dishes guests like, it’s difficult for the restaurant to be favored.

Thus, for restaurant owners, chefs are the most valuable assets, and the stability of chefs ensures the stability of a restaurant’s flavors.

Because the "Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall is recruiting chefs" has stirred many chefs’ thoughts in restaurants and eateries, it’s causing countless restaurant owners to feel anxious and troubled.

Even though in the culinary circle, chefs changing jobs is very common, there’s a pattern to it.

With patterned chef turnovers, owners aren’t worried because they have strategies in place.

But dealing with sudden changes like this is tough for them.

Firstly, they don’t have a reserve of chefs, so they can’t promptly hire newcomers to replace them; secondly, chefs leaving affects the introduction of new dishes in the restaurant and may even cause fluctuations in taste.

This is very troublesome.

"This Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall is just too mischievous, causing such a commotion just for hiring chefs?"

"Exactly! Even when we restaurants and hotels recruit chefs, we only put a sign up locally; meanwhile, they post the job online, stirring up restlessness among our young chefs."

"It’s just a university dining hall, why make such a fuss? It’s simply breaking industry rules!"

"Boss Xiao Jiang, this person, is still too young; young people like to show off, and they’ll pay for it sooner or later!"

"..."

A group of owners sighed deeply, filled with resentment towards Jiang Yu and the Seventh Dining Hall.

You see, if they had just hired a few local chefs quietly, there wouldn’t be all this fuss, setting off a crowd of chefs with varying thoughts and restlessness. Isn’t this causing trouble?

The owners’ grievances were full of complaints, but Jiang Yu didn’t know, even if he did, he wouldn’t care.

Honestly, if these owners could meet all the needs of those chefs, who would want to change jobs?

If people are planning to change jobs, it clearly means the owners aren’t doing well enough!

How could you blame that on Jiang Yu?

It’s utterly unreasonable!

In the kitchen of Room Seven, after Jiang Yu finished preparing the meals for the four private rooms, he took a break and said to Du Guangning:

"Xiaodu, starting today, you’re responsible for staff meals on the second floor. You’ve been learning for quite a while now, so let’s all get a taste of your cooking, shall we?"