Chef Li nodded, and after returning to the kitchen, he immediately called the chef team together. He stood in the middle of the kitchen and said to everyone: “We are going to develop dishes suitable for the Singapore market this time. I have two ideas. One is to combine Korean barbecue with Singapore’s satay flavor, and the other is to develop a special cold noodle with tropical fruits and traditional Korean cold noodles. Everyone, get moving and try various combinations to see how to make the best taste.”

After hearing this, the chefs immediately started preparing the ingredients. Some chefs went to get beef for Korean BBQ, some went to select the sauce for satay, and some prepared tropical fruits and cold noodles.

Chef Chen held a piece of beef and asked Master Li: “Master Li, this is a combination of Korean barbecue and satay. Should we grill it first like barbecue or marinate it like satay?”

Chef Li thought for a moment and said, “First, cut the beef into thin slices according to the Korean barbecue method, marinate it with our Korean barbecue sauce, and then brush it with satay sauce and grill it. This way, you can have both flavors.”

Xiao Chen followed the instructions of Master Li and started to cook. Meanwhile, Chef Xiao Zhao was preparing the special cold noodles. He asked Master Li, “Master Li, should we cut the tropical fruits into pieces or make juice to pair with the cold noodles?”

Master Li said: “Try cutting it into pieces first to see how it tastes. You can use common tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple, and add some coconut milk to add some Southeast Asian flavor.”

The chefs tried and adjusted the taste and ingredients. Chef Li gave instructions from time to time, “The satay sauce can be applied thicker to highlight the satay flavor.” “Put less coconut milk in the cold noodles so as not to overpower the fruit flavor.”

After many attempts, the combination of Korean barbecue and satay and the special cold noodles with tropical fruits took shape. Chef Li tasted it and said to everyone: “For the barbecue dish, the satay and barbecue flavors blend well, but you need to pay more attention to the heat of the barbecue and not overcook it. For the cold noodles, the sour and sweet taste of the fruit and the refreshing cold noodles go well together, but the amount of coconut milk needs to be slightly adjusted.”

While the development of dishes was in progress, recruitment was also underway. The HR manager approached Wang Jianye and said with a worried look on his face: “Mr. Wang, it is not easy to recruit employees who are familiar with Korean cuisine and fusion cuisine in Singapore. There are not many people who understand Korean cuisine, and even fewer who are familiar with fusion cuisine.”

Wang Jianye thought for a while and said, “On the one hand, we should increase recruitment publicity in the local area and introduce our hotel’s philosophy, food features, and development prospects in detail. On the other hand, we should select some experienced employees from South Korea to go there and let them teach and guide the new employees to familiarize themselves with the work as soon as possible.”

Following Wang Jianye’s instructions, the human resources manager posted recruitment information on local recruitment websites and social media in Singapore, and also promoted it in some catering-related forums. At the same time, he selected several experienced chefs and waiters from South Korea to be sent to Singapore.

After a period of preparation, the Singapore branch is finally ready to open. On the opening day, the interior decoration of the store combines Korean and Singaporean cultural elements. On one side of the wall hangs a traditional Korean painting, and on the other side are photos of Singapore’s urban landscape.

At noon, customers came into the store one after another. A local customer came in curiously and found a seat. The waiter enthusiastically handed over the menu and introduced: “Hello, this is our specialty dish, there is a combination of Korean barbecue and Singaporean satay barbecue, and special cold noodles with tropical fruits.”

After hearing this, the customer said, “It sounds interesting. Give me one of each to try.”

After a while, the dishes were served. The customer tasted the combination of Korean barbecue and satay, and his eyes lit up. He said: “Wow, this combination of Korean barbecue and satay is amazing. It has the tenderness of Korean barbecue and the rich flavor of satay. It tastes great!”

Then, the customer tasted the special cold noodles and said, “This cold noodles is also delicious. The sweet and sour taste of tropical fruits goes perfectly with the cold noodles. There is also the fragrance of coconut milk, which is very Southeast Asian. You guys cooked this dish really well.”

The waiter smiled and said, “Thank you for your recognition. We will continue to work hard to bring you more delicious dishes. If you have any suggestions, you can always tell us.”

The customer thought about it and said, “I think if we can add some local Singaporean ingredients, it might be more popular.”

The waiter nodded and said, “Okay, we will pass your suggestion on to the kitchen. Thank you again for your visit.”

As more and more customers arrived, everyone gave high praise to these special dishes. One customer said to his companion: “This restaurant is really good. It combines the food characteristics of Korea and Singapore so well. I will come here often in the future.”

My companion nodded in agreement: “Yes, and the environment is also very unique, integrating the cultures of both countries.”

In the following days, the business of the Singapore branch was getting better and better. Word of mouth spread among customers, attracting more people to come and taste the food. Wang Jianye and his team were also paying close attention to the operation of the branch, constantly adjusting and improving the dishes and services based on customer feedback, laying a solid foundation for further expansion in the global market.

……

In Singapore, the bustling scene of Wang’s full-line restaurant branches has been going on for months. In the restaurant, waiters hurriedly shuttled between the tables, carrying trays full of exquisite food. Diners sat together, laughing and talking, enjoying the delicious food that combines Korean and Singaporean characteristics. However, this prosperity was suddenly broken by a malicious negative news without any warning.

“Have you heard? Someone on the Internet revealed that the ingredients in Wang’s All-Series Restaurant are not fresh!” A customer whispered outside the restaurant. This word quickly spread among the crowd like an infectious disease.

“Is this true? I’ve always loved eating here.” Another customer was surprised and took out his cell phone to check.

Soon, the news swept the Internet like a storm. Although it had no factual basis and was purely a malicious smear campaign by a competitor, it still dealt a heavy blow to the brand image of all Wang’s restaurants. The flow of customers to the once bustling restaurant dropped sharply, and the business of branches in other cities was also affected.

After learning about this, Wang Jianye looked solemn and immediately called the heads of various departments: “Emergency meeting, see you in the conference room in half an hour, this is a serious matter, be on time!”

Half an hour later, the atmosphere in the conference room was so depressing that it was hard to breathe. Everyone frowned and looked serious. Wang Jianye rested his hands on the conference table, his eyes piercing as he scanned everyone present: “This negative news is a heavy blow to us, but we have no choice but to face it head-on and never back down! Everyone, please share your thoughts.” Xiao Li, who was in charge of public relations, spoke first: “Mr. Wang, I think the most urgent thing is to issue a statement to make the procurement channels and inspection procedures of ingredients public, so that everyone knows that our ingredients are safe and reliable.”

Wang Jianye nodded, looked at Xiao Li and said, “Xiao Li, I’ll leave the public relations to you. Release a statement as soon as possible and lay out the facts clearly. At the same time, contact major media outlets, arrange on-site inspections, and use facts to silence those who make false statements.”

Xiao Li immediately stated: “Don’t worry, Mr. Wang, I will do it right away. I will write a perfect statement to highlight the quality assurance of our ingredients. I will also speed up the process of contacting the media and try to get them to come for inspection as soon as possible.”

Then, Wang Jianye looked at Master Li who was in charge of the food development: “Master Li, the kitchen is very important. The procurement, storage and processing of ingredients must withstand any inspection and there must not be any loopholes.”

Chef Li responded with a serious expression: “Boss Wang, I understand the seriousness of the matter. I will immediately review the entire process and formulate stricter inspection standards to ensure that there are no mistakes in every link and that the quality of the ingredients is absolutely up to standard.”

Finally, Wang Jianye said to Manager Zhang, who was in charge of operations management: “Manager Zhang, the service management of each branch must be strengthened immediately. Only by improving the customer’s consumption experience can we win back the customer’s trust and confidence.”

Manager Zhang nodded quickly: “Okay, Mr. Wang. I will start strengthening employee training right away, requiring them to greet every customer with great enthusiasm and thoughtful service, so that customers can truly feel our sincerity.”

After the meeting, everyone quickly went to their respective posts. Xiao Li returned to his office, slammed the door shut, walked quickly to his computer, and immediately began to draft a statement. He frowned, quickly tapped the keyboard, and muttered to himself: “The procurement channels must be clearly written, proving the reliability of the ingredients from the source, and the inspection process must also be explained in detail, without any ambiguity.”

At this time, Xiao Wang from the Public Relations Department pushed the door open and walked in: “Brother Li, let me lend a hand. I am familiar with the previous procurement and inspection materials and can help you speed up.”

Xiao Li looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: “Great, you came at the right time. You are responsible for sorting out the detailed information of the food procurement channels, including the qualifications of suppliers and the years of cooperation. I will control the inspection process and the overall framework.”

The two had a clear division of labor and worked well together. Xiao Wang was looking through information, muttering, “This supplier has been cooperating with us for five years, and there has never been a problem with its qualifications.” Xiao Li was typing on the keyboard attentively, stopping from time to time to think about his wording.

Soon, the first draft of the statement was completed. Xiao Li carefully checked it word by word and said to Xiao Wang, “Take a look to see if there is anything missing or needs to be supplemented.”

Xiao Wang took a careful look and suggested, “Brother Li, I think we can emphasize how much we value the freshness of the ingredients, such as sampling the ingredients every day.”

Xiao Li nodded in agreement: “This is a good suggestion. Adding it will further highlight our strict requirements.” After revising the statement, Xiao Li did not dare to delay for a moment. He immediately contacted major media outlets, explained the situation in detail, and sincerely invited them to come for an on-site inspection.

At the same time, Chef Li blew the “assembly call” in the kitchen, calling all the chefs together. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, with a stern expression and a loud voice: “Everyone knows about the negative news this time. We must use practical actions to prove that our ingredients are absolutely fine! From now on, the purchased ingredients must be accompanied by more detailed inspection reports, storage conditions must be strictly controlled, and the processing process must be more standardized. No one is allowed to slack off!”

A chef raised his hand and asked, “Master Li, how do you determine the specific inspection standards?”

Master Li patiently explained: “Take vegetables for example. In the past, we could just check their appearance and smell them, but now we have to add pesticide residue testing. For meat, in addition to inspection and quarantine certificates, we also have to carefully check the freshness and texture of the meat.”

Another chef looked embarrassed: “Master Li, this will greatly increase the workload of purchasing and inspection.”

Chef Li looked determined: “I know it will be hard work, but in order to prove the quality of our ingredients, these tasks must be implemented. Let’s work harder and make sure the quality is good!”

Manager Zhang was also busy running around between the branches. He organized staff training and said to the staff with a serious expression: “Now our restaurant is deeply involved in negative public opinion. Everyone should know that customer trust is our lifeline. From now on, the service must be more enthusiastic and thoughtful. When customers come in, we must greet them warmly, introduce the dishes patiently and carefully when they order, and pay attention to customer needs during the meal. Don’t slack off at all!”

A waiter asked worriedly, “Manager Zhang, if customers question us because of negative news, how should we respond?”

Manager Zhang replied calmly, “First, we must sincerely apologize to the customers and let them feel our apology. Then, we should explain in detail the efforts we have made to ensure the freshness of the ingredients, such as the procurement channels and inspection procedures. If the customers are still worried, we should generously invite them to visit the kitchen and let them see our ingredients with their own eyes.”

With the concerted efforts of the team, Xiao Li’s statement quickly spread across major platforms. The detailed procurement channels and rigorous inspection process made many customers begin to re-examine the incident. Media reporters also came to the restaurant and food supplier for on-site inspections.

After visiting the kitchen, a reporter said to Master Li with a puzzled look on his face: “Master Li, I see that your ingredients are indeed very fresh, and the purchasing and inspection procedures are also very standardized. I really don’t understand why such negative news came out.”

Chef Li sighed helplessly: “We have no idea. We think it’s our competitors who are playing tricks. But we are not afraid. Facts speak louder than words. We have full confidence in our own ingredients!”

The reporter then asked: “What further measures will you take to prevent similar incidents from happening again?”

Chef Li’s eyes were firm: “We will continue to strengthen food management and constantly improve inspection standards. At the same time, we will pay more attention to market trends and do our best to protect our brand.” (End of this chapter)