Qin Huai’s vacation went very smoothly, without causing any ripples.
As a well-known upscale restaurant, Huang Ji is not only famous for its expensive dishes but also for consistently excellent service over the years.
For example, when Huang Shengli was still working regularly, if a customer happened to order Huang Shengli’s famous signature dish, like Sizzling Fried Eel, on his day off, the staff would inform the guest that the head chef was not in and that the dish would be prepared by Huang Jia or another chef.
Of course, only Huang Shengli’s signature dishes would warrant this reminder, as these signature dishes were priced at a premium at Huang Ji Restaurant.
Later, when Huang Shengli began to have back problems and needed more frequent rest, Huang Ji redesigned a batch of menus, which the regular customers referred to as List A and List B.
List A was the menu available when Huang Shengli was present, offered at the original prices. List B was for when he was absent, with significantly reduced prices on his signature dishes.
After the menu change, Huang Ji’s loyal customers no longer needed to ask the servers how Huang Shengli’s back was doing each day; they could simply flip the menu to find out.
Of course, just because it’s List B doesn’t mean Huang Shengli won’t make a surprise appearance. Occasionally, he would whip up a few dishes on a whim, delighting customers with a rare surprise akin to opening a limited-edition blind box.
With Huang Shengli as the head chef who took frequent vacations, regular patrons were very accepting of Qin Huai’s six-day vacation.
Qin Huai’s clientele is the most stable among all the chefs at Huang Ji.
He is a pastry chef, known for his snacks. The most famous, highly praised, and widely recognized dish is the relatively affordable Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns.
Priced at 18 yuan each, these buns would be considered exorbitant at an ordinary Breakfast Shop. However, at Huang Ji, with their flavor, the price seems more reasonable.
Qin Huai’s snacks are only sold during lunch hours, yet many customers purchase them as breakfast.
Those with disposable income even buy them daily, and if they don’t have time to visit, they hire a courier to wait. Aside from the Crab Shell Cake and Dream Come True Sesame Bun, which are fresh-baked and best eaten immediately, the rest can be packed and delivered without compromising taste.
When Huang Ji announced that Master Qin would take his vacation days from this month and last month consecutively, many customers secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Regulars, especially the local neighbors, know that Huang Ji’s chefs get four days off each month, and these days are not fixed.
Precious vacation time means everyone has different plans. Some like taking a day off each week for work-life balance; some prefer using it all at the start of the month to fully enjoy their break; others save days around holidays to visit family without affecting peak business days.
Many take days off as needed, whether for blind dates, dates, tourism, attending networking events, or binge-watching a month’s worth of shows in two days...
This kind of scheduling is the most random, making it hard to guess when they will be off.
Typically, a chef’s day off is not something the restaurant would announce to guests, much less issue a public notice.
But Qin Huai is different; he is a rare and valuable pastry chef with exclusive snacks.
Qin Huai’s vacation concerns many people.
Previously, when Qin Huai went over a month without a day off, many regulars speculated he intended to save his vacation days for one long break. Now that their suspicions are confirmed, everyone feels relieved, no longer fearing they’ll miss out on their buns during lunch at Huang Ji.
In response to Master Qin’s vacation, the neighborhood responded well. Some even heard that Qin Huai was taking six consecutive days off to visit family and brought gifts to Huang Ji for Master Qin.
Master Qin makes snacks daily and hasn’t had a day off in over a month, working so hard that he probably hasn’t had time to shop or explore and is unfamiliar with what local specialties are worth buying in Gusu.
We, as snack consumers, should consider the chef’s wellbeing and send Master Qin home with truly unique local gifts to show his family that Gusu has its charms.
The customers are very kind, and the work environment is great, so there’s no need to worry.
Just stay home for 6 days and return, as it’ll soon be New Year’s Day, and then the Lunar New Year shortly after. Everyone is eagerly waiting for Master Qin to showcase his skills during the New Year.
Every year around the Lunar New Year, Huang Ji offers special New Year’s Eve dinners, and the exclusive Three Heads Banquet, usually reserved for wedding banquets, appears at the New Year’s feast.
One could say that many residents from the old neighborhoods around Huang Ji have children working hard locally or elsewhere, saving up all year to come home for New Year’s. Their goal: to secure the highest-class New Year’s Eve dinner and enjoy it with their family.
In Gusu, people are already keen on eating snacks, and during the New Year, rice cakes, New Year cakes, and Eight Treasures Rice are indispensable. Any restaurant offering pastries during the New Year will launch a New Year’s snack gift box, making the snacks exquisite, beautiful, and festive.
In recent years, Huang Ji Restaurant has been without a pastry chef, so they haven’t sold New Year snack gift boxes.
But this year, isn’t there one?
It’s only December, but many are already eagerly anticipating what this year’s snack gift box will be.