Chapter 15 Chapter Three

Since the small porcelain doll incident, I have often patronized "Louis", but not every time I can meet Chef Changfeng, because I usually leave after shopping, and sometimes I will say hello. Mr. Okimoto visits Fukusakudo more often, of course, to run errands for Chef Nagamine. Because he buys a lot, I always pay special attention to whether the rice cake red bean soup and yokan are in stock.I thought it was a gift to other chefs, but I didn’t expect Chef Changfeng to enjoy it for himself. It seems that he likes heavy-flavored wagashi more than I imagined. We not only take care of each other, but also exchange ideas on making desserts.

The time sequence entered June, and Mr. Okimoto said: "Summer in Japan is not suitable for making chocolate." Because the summer in Japan is hotter and humid than that in Europe, the color of tempered chocolate will deteriorate when it comes into contact with the humidity in the air.Therefore, depending on the store equipment and scale, some small shops run by individuals will even stop selling handmade chocolates in summer.In short, this part is left to the chef to decide. "Will you also stop selling chocolate in summer and temporarily close down like some small shops?"

"Although the sale of chocolate will be suspended, the coffee shop will still be open as usual except for national holidays. The chocolate sundae in the coffee shop is very popular, and we are planning to launch new products." "Oh? What kind of new product?" "It's still in the confidentiality stage, so please look forward to the day when it goes on sale!" When I went to work a few days later, Mina whispered to me: "I heard that our store will also launch new summer products! There is a competition at the master's side, and the one who wins the first place can sell it here with the Kyoto main store, and always The head chef of the store will also participate in the selection."

Although the store will launch new products regularly, it is the first time for the masters to hold a competition.In a sense, it is also an opportunity for young masters to show their talents, after all, this part has always been in charge of senior masters.Fu Yingtang actually wants to join the young people's ideas. It seems that it is a lie to say that they don't care. As expected, they still care about the vigorous development of "Louis". "I want to ask you something." Mina said. "What's up?" "It's not my business... Do you know there is a master named Sanhao?"

Since I don't work in the kitchen, it's unlikely I know everyone in there.I can't remember what this person looked like, and I don't know if such a person really exists.I told Mina frankly, and she said, "Because he wants to meet the chef of 'Louis', so he wants to ask Ms. Ayabe to help set up a connection." "Why do you want to meet Chef Changfeng?" "I want to ask him to look at the design." "Does he make pastry too?" "No, it's about the wagashi design..." "what?" "Ask him to take a look at the design of the new product and offer some suggestions."

I couldn't help raising my voice: "The design of the new product? Does it mean the fruit design in our master competition this time?" "yes." "But the new product has not been officially launched yet, let the chefs of other stores see it..." "So this matter must be kept secret, and I can only leave it to Miss Ayabe." "But I'm not that familiar with Chef Changfeng!" "Haven't you guys met several times? In our store, Miss Ayabe is the only one who knows Chef Nagamine." "If the chief master finds out, he won't be able to finish eating."

"I think so, but Mr. Miyoshi insists on..." It seems that the friendship between Mina and Mr. Miyoshi seems to be pretty good, but just listening to Mina's words is a bit pointless. It should be clearer to ask Mr. Miyoshi directly, but if they meet each other, I am afraid that they will not be able to resist the other party's request. This incident really piqued my curiosity.Why does Chef Wagashi want to be recognized by Chef Changfeng?What kind of fruit of the abomination does he want to make?Maybe it has the characteristics that Fuyingtang pastry has never had before. If so, I really want to eat it. Maybe I can give some suggestions as a staff member. It is also an opportunity not to be missed by me who is a self-proclaimed dessert lover.

"Could you come to my house next holiday and meet him?" "To Mina's house?" "He will bring some samples, please Miss Ayabe to taste it too. If I can get your approval, maybe I can help introduce Chef Nagamine." "So that's what happened! No problem!" "Isn't that a good proposal? Anyway, I live alone, so there's no inconvenience!" On the morning of the day we agreed to meet, I arrived at Mina's place.In order not to affect the quality of the tasting, I decided to eat the wagashi made by Miyoshi first, and then have lunch.

Mina lived in a small place, with a low table in the room, and it looked like Mr. Miyoshi hadn't come yet. Mina said, "You still need some cakes with tea, right?" "That's right! Mr. Miyoshi isn't here yet?" "Well, he said he would bring the cakes, I think it should be here soon!" In order to keep the taste of the dessert fresh, Mr. Miyoshi plans to get up early and make it at home before bringing it back. I am looking forward to his arrival. "How did you and Mr. Miyoshi meet?" Hearing my question, Mina showed a shy smile: "It must have been about three months since I came to this store! When I was taking the mail to the kitchen, he suddenly came to me Chat and ask me: 'Miss Qingshan, have you ever eaten the fresh fruit in our store?'”

Mina answered no, and Mr. Miyoshi frowned, disapprovingly, and said: "It's not good to sell products to customers that I haven't tried. I'll give you a taste of each. Please remember their taste. , of course you don’t have to pay, anyway, it doesn’t cost much for just one.” The number of wagashi in the store can be strictly controlled, and even "just take one" is not a trivial matter.Of course, being bad is not counted, but as a professional chef, giving bad products to others is definitely an act that is not tolerated by self-esteem. It must be that Mr. Miyoshi paid for Mina to taste it.

"So it's the fruit of the upper birth that made you bond?" "Yeah! And I don't hate wagashi, so we got to know each other." After eating, the two also chatted.Mina not only said whether she likes it or not, but also frankly said that this one is good and that one doesn't suit her taste, which deeply caught Mr. Miyoshi's heart.Therefore, the "cute girl" in Mr. Miyoshi's eyes became the most important person in his heart.As for wanting to meet Chef Changfeng, they talked about it during their holiday trip. Mina said: "Mr. Miyoshi is a serious person. Ideas for new products pop up in his mind from time to time, but unfortunately he can't implement them. He obviously has a great idea, but he can't always make it feel like he wants, so he is a little frustrated." "I have more energy than I want, right? It's inevitable when you get into a new job. In fact, if you relax your mind, you may come up with better ideas." "That's right! He wants you to try new products for this reason, hoping to hear other people's opinions." The doorbell rang in the hallway. From the way Mina answered the door, I knew it was Mr. Miyoshi. Mr. Miyoshi walked into the living room. He turned out to be a thin young man, wearing jeans and a white printed T-shirt with a black background. He had a crew cut and big eyes. He looked like a high school student. "Hello, my surname is Sanhao." "I'm Ayabe, hello." Miyoshi sat down at Mina's urging, and put a box of things on the table. It has been four years since Mr. Miyoshi joined the workshop after graduating from high school.The store allows such a young master to have a chance to perform. It seems that Fu Yingtang attaches great importance to this competition. Lifting the lid of the box, two Hantian-shaped Shangsheng fruits appeared.With the delicious-looking light green rectangular bubble snow (bubble snow: a kind of wagashi with a dense taste that melts in the mouth like tofu.) as the base, put a transparent cold sky.There are egg-yellow balls floating in the cold sky, surrounded by star-like silver particles, and a slender orange boat with its bow pointing at us. It is completely different from the texture of soaked snow, probably made of sugar.The refined appearance of the hull deepens the overall impression.It is a design that cleverly uses the transparency of the cold weather called "Jinyu" to make it very pleasing to the eye from any angle. "Is this ball also made of bubble snow?" "yes." "The silver particles are silver ornaments (argent) commonly used in West Point?" "That's right. The ball represents the full moon, and the silver ornaments represent the stars. The cold sky is poured in several times to create the effect of interspersed stars." "What about the orange part?" "It's a ship, a ship that crosses the night sky." "It feels like West Point! What's the theme? If it's the fruit of the upper life, there will be a specific theme, isn't it?" "I refer to "Song of Tanabata" from "Manyoshu"." Mr. Erhao handed the note to me. "The author is Kakimoto Maro. It uses the moon as a boat. It is the first Waka that compares the night sky to the sea." "So that's why there is a ship in wagashi." "It can be regarded as a double expression technique, hoping to create a more gorgeous impression, that is, the moon man is a strong man sailing a boat." "Moonman strong man?" "It is the god in charge of the night. It is said that the moon is the vehicle of the night god." "Obviously it is the era of "Manyoshu", but the artistic conception described in this waka is like a science fiction movie scene." "For example, the Tale of Bamboo Cutter tells the story of the moon princess. Perhaps the Japanese have had special fantasies about the moon since ancient times. According to legend, the hero of the moon is a cowherd who crosses the night sky to meet the weaver girl." "So that's how it is, so it's the wagashi that symbolizes Qixi Festival!" "Hitomaro seems to like the theme of 'Samurai of the Moon' very much, and has written several waka with this theme. In addition, there are also wakas with the theme of 'Samurai of the Moon', but the author is unknown." "The waka made by the ancients is really beautiful, giving people a sense of majesty and vastness." "The title of this work is also taken from this waka, called 'Moonman'." Minako interjected: "So we can present it to Chef Changfeng as a judge?" I asked Mr. Miyoshi, "Can I have a taste?" "Please use it, it was originally prepared for you." Mina asked, "There are two in the box...so one is for me?" Miyoshi smiled and said, "Of course." Mina walked to the kitchen with happy steps, brought two small plates, and put wagashi on the plates. Mr. Miyoshi took out the toothpick from the box and placed it in front of us. I divided the wagashi into quarters and took a bite.The smooth taste of Jinyu with clear sweetness and bubble snow melts on the tongue, and the silver jewelry becomes a moderate stimulus, delicious and full of fun.The combination of citrus and mint with a little fragrance is refreshing and fresh. I looked at Mr. Miyoshi again. "This work is very good! I don't think there is any need to judge Chef Changfeng again!" "A really good work...it shouldn't just be like this," Mr. Miyoshi said with a lonely light in his eyes, "Does this work look good...I want to ask Chef Changfeng to judge it." "Did the chief master and the little boss say something? Do you hope everyone can develop wagashi that can be sold?" "They didn't say anything, they just hoped that we would make good works with our heart and live up to the expectations of our guests." "Isn't this great? As professional masters, you don't need to worry about whether a product can sell well, and you can display your talents to your heart's content." "But Ms. Ayabe; Fukusakudo Kobe branch doesn't matter if it goes on like this?" "Whether you can sell it or not has nothing to do with the quality of the wagashi itself. If Chef Changfeng doesn't approve, what are you going to do? So you plan to ask him how to make wagashi more attractive. method?" "Even if I listen to his opinion, I don't intend to change the original design." "what?" "Since it's a competition, you can't rely too much on Chef Changfeng. At least you have to use your own creativity to decide the outcome. The reason why I want to know if there is any room for improvement is for the next creation." Mr. Miyoshi's personality is more serious than I imagined, it seems that I should be able to introduce you with confidence... I said, "Okay! I'll tell Mr. Changfeng." "thanks." "Mr. Changfeng is a very curious person. I think he must be very interested in seeing the wagashi you made. But there is no guarantee that he will give advice. After all, Mr. Changfeng and I are not that familiar." "It's okay, as long as you can talk to him." In the evening of the next day, I went to "Louis" with a feeling of embarrassment.Glancing at the empty coffee shop, Chef Changfeng sat on the seat against the wall as usual. Today, colored pencils are still scattered on the table. While flipping through the forest-themed photo album, he is copying things in the notebook with a pen .From the pictures of flowers entwined on trees and brightly colored frogs, it seems that it should be a collection of pictures about tropical rainforests.Colorful and fun pictures may help to generate ideas. I greeted Chef Changfeng, sat down, and he moved the small plates on the table to me. "Please use it, I'll call for tea right away." Dried amber, dyed aqua, peach, and yellow, piled upon the plate.Dried amber is a small wagashi that is covered with sugar on the surface. The skin tastes solid, and the filling is dense and melts in the mouth. It was originally a wagashi that was released in summer, but because of its beautiful and compact shape, it has become a year round. Goods that can be bought in all seasons.Chef Changfeng eats a flat oval-shaped gift box engraved with square, star and wave patterns. It seems that it should be a commodity for the Qixi Festival. The staff brought green tea, small plates and toothpicks.After I thanked them, I took three pieces and put them on my plate. After I explained my purpose, Chef Changfeng didn't respond immediately, but just fiddled with the pen with his bony fingertips. I was afraid of breaking his mood, so I could only wait for a response, and if he was not willing, I could only touch my nose and back off. After a while, Chef Changfeng stopped, picked up the tea, took a sip and said, "You think that Mr. Miyoshi asked me to discuss it, and I will respond frankly, right?" "yes." "Do you have no doubt that I will talk nonsense?" "Just talking nonsense?" "It's just that they may not give some advice kindly. After all, most people will only deliberately say something ironic, trying to influence the opponent's buying spirit." "It's true to say that, but I don't think Mr. Changfeng is this kind of person." "Why are you so determined?" "Ask me the reason, and I can't answer it. I only know that if Mr. Changfeng is this kind of person, he would not come to you to discuss this kind of matter. I think Mr. Miyoshi also knew this through others, so he asked me. " "Whether I want to gain your trust, or live up to your expectations... The mood is really complicated!" "If you're not interested, it's okay to just refuse, please don't take it to heart." "I'm very interested. According to what Ms. Ayabe said, he is indeed a very capable person. After all, he is the master of Fukusakura Hall. Then how about it! Can you arrange for us to meet today? If not today, I can only say We're out of luck." "Okay, I will ask him to cooperate with your time as much as possible, but I'm afraid I won't have time to make samples today..." "It's okay, I want to chat with him first, and I'll trouble Miss Ayabe to attend." "Will I be there too?" "Because this matter is relatively sensitive, it would be better to have a witness present, so as not to cause any unnecessary trouble." Back at Fuyingtang, I glanced at the kitchen and caught a glimpse of Mr. Miyoshi and other masters dealing with some backcourt matters.I waved to him and signaled him to come out.Conveying the meaning of Chef Changfeng, Mr. Miyoshi immediately replied: "No problem, today is not so busy, I can go to the appointment as soon as I prepare." Unlike the busy season at the end of the year and the beginning of the year, it seems that it does not take so much time to deal with it things in the backcourt. I immediately called "Louis" and decided to make an appointment at a hotel some distance from the city.I was worried that Mr. Miyoshi's wallet would lose a lot of blood. Fortunately, it was not a high-end restaurant on the top floor, but a cheap bar on the middle floor. After get off work, I headed to the restaurant right away.There is a menu at the entrance of the bar. It is indeed a noble and inexpensive place suitable for secret talks. Because it was still early, I decided to go to the fast food restaurant in the shopping center on the first floor of the hotel to eat something to pass the time. After a while, when I returned to the bar, I saw that Mr. Miyoshi had arrived.Just like yesterday, in light attire.He asked me: This dress should not be rude, right?I replied that I wasn't dressed very formally either. Soon, Chef Changfeng also arrived.Just like when we met in "Goldfinch" before, it's a casual jacket with casual pants—but today's clothing is cool linen.Although they are all tall people, Chef Changfeng and Mr. Miyoshi, who is also dressed in casual clothes, stand together like adults and children. We took the seats farthest from the counter and sat down. I ordered a margarita, Mr. Miyoshi ordered a draft beer, and Chef Changfeng ordered a Glenfiddich straight whiskey.After the drinks were delivered, Chef Changfeng spoke first: "I want to confirm one thing." Mr. Miyoshi sat up straight. "Please say." "About wagashi, wouldn't it be better to ask a senior wagashi master? Why do you want to hear my opinion? I don't quite understand this." "Because 'Louis Chocolate Factory' is a popular store," Mr. Miyoshi said directly: "I think the chef of a popular store can tell at a glance whether the work is good or not." "I'm not a sales expert..." "But you do operate very successfully, and there is always a constant stream of people." "That is to say, rather than the delicacy of wagashi, you would rather I focus on the appearance?" "It's not that I don't pay attention to the exquisiteness, but I just want to know what is the benchmark for whether the product can sell well when it reaches a certain level?" "If this kind of thing is known from the beginning, it doesn't have to be so hard to manage." "As the saying goes, successful people must have grasped something, haven't they?" While licking the salt from the rim of the cup, I listened with trepidation. I always felt that this kind of question was too straightforward.I understand that Mr. Miyoshi has a straightforward personality, but such a straightforward question is really rude to a senior senior who is meeting for the first time.Could it be that my decision to agree to matchmaking was wrong... A smile appeared on the corner of Chef Changfeng's mouth, and he said: "I really like making chocolates and cakes. In order to make the best desserts in the world, I aspire to become a pastry chef and hope to make products that I am satisfied with. It was just a chance to own a store by accident. There are no secrets or promotional tricks to pass on." Mr. Miyoshi remained silent, showing an expression of "I want to ask my senior for advice because I love wagashi". Chef Changfeng continued: "However, if you just help to taste, of course there is no problem. I am very interested in the new products made by Chef Fuyingtang. They should be delicious." "Will you help me with this?!" "But there is one condition." "Please say." "As for wagashi, I'm a layman. I can only judge according to my personal preferences. I can give you limited advice. Is this okay?" "Yes, sorry to trouble you." "There is one more condition. I heard from Ms. Ayabe that the trial work has been completed, but I don't want to judge based on this alone. I hope you can make a total of twenty types, including the completed trial work. I will choose myself from them. One of the most satisfying pieces." I gasped. "There are only two weeks left before the game, no matter how fast your hands and feet are, it's impossible!" "I don't know Mr. Miyoshi's strength and experience as a professional chef," Chef Changfeng said, "So I don't want to give any irresponsible suggestions. Of course, the more reference samples, the better. I originally thought about making at least 30 kinds. It was only after considering the situation that it was reduced to twenty, if you cannot accept these conditions, I am sorry that I cannot agree." Mr. Miyoshi nodded vigorously. "I understand, I am willing to accept this condition." I interrupted from the side: "Mr. Miyoshi, there is still time to retreat! Is it really all right? You still have to go to work every day!" "This is a rare opportunity with all-out value." "Can I add an explanation?" Chef Changfeng added another knife: "This method may cause the situation that Mr. Miyoshi's most proud works are different from my most satisfactory works. At that time, should I trust my values, or should I trust my values? Believe in your sensibility and talent, it’s up to you to decide.” After stepping out of the restaurant and saying goodbye to Chef Changfeng, Mr. Miyoshi and I walked to the station.I asked him again, "Is it really okay?" "Don't worry, it's really okay," Mr. Miyoshi replied: "When I was creating 'Moonman Heroes', I also tried other ideas and came up with various changes. Coupled with the usual habit of taking notes, so this challenge is not starting from scratch, I think it should be fine.” From Mr. Miyoshi's point of view, of course he hopes that his most satisfactory work "Moonman Hero" will be favored.In fact, as long as other works cut corners a little, it can highlight the goodness of "The Warrior of the Moon" and successfully induce Chef Changfeng's judgment, isn't it? The problem is, it is impossible for an experienced pastry chef like Chef Changfeng to be ignorant of this strategy. Once he finds that Mr. Miyoshi has any feelings of misfortune, let alone criticize him, he will definitely reprimand him on the spot.I casually expressed my thoughts, and Mr. Miyoshi smiled and said that of course he would take all works seriously.