After countless days and nights of careful preparation, on a bright morning in the mid-1990s, on the artistic streets of Barcelona, ​​Spain, the Spanish branch of Wang’s All-Series Hotel finally welcomed its grand opening day. The sun was like a golden veil, gently sprinkled on the store, and the door was filled with flower baskets sent by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and local friendly merchants. The colorful flowers competed with each other in beauty and the fragrance of flowers was overflowing.

At the opening ceremony, Wang Jianye wore a neat dark suit, a low-key yet elegant tie, and his hair was combed meticulously; Chen Yu wore a simple and neat business suit, his eyes showed confidence and expectation; Master Li wore a clean and tidy chef uniform, under the white hat, his eyes were focused and determined. The three stood at the door of the store, smiling and welcoming every guest who came to congratulate.

The sound of firecrackers crackled, and the clear and loud sound echoed in the street, attracting many passers-by to stop and watch. Some pedestrians were attracted by the lively scene and gathered around, curiously looking at this restaurant full of oriental mystery.

However, the gap between ideal beauty and reality often appears inadvertently. In the early days of opening, the business of the store was not as prosperous as expected. Although some curious Spaniards were attracted by the lively opening atmosphere and unique oriental style and walked into the store to try, most customers’ reactions after tasting were not satisfactory.

At noon, there were only a few customers sitting in the restaurant. A bearded local customer frowned, put down his cutlery, and said in a thick Spanish accent: “This tastes weird, it doesn’t suit our taste.”

His words were like a bucket of cold water, ruthlessly pouring on the expectant hearts of Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li. The three stood in the corner of the restaurant, looking at the sparse customers, anxious.

Wang Jianye bit his lips slightly, clenched his hands unconsciously, and his eyes revealed anxiety and determination: “We must take the initiative to find the root of the problem and solve it.” Chen Yu nodded slightly, frowned, and fell into deep thought. Master Li pursed his lips tightly, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Wang Jianye decided to start with professional food critics. In the next few days, he asked around, not missing any possible clues. Through the connections of the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce and his own constant visits and inquiries, he finally contacted several influential local food critics. One of them, a food critic named Carlos, enjoys a very high reputation in the Barcelona food industry, and his comments can often determine the success or failure of a restaurant.

One day, Wang Jianye made careful preparations and personally went to Carlos’ studio to invite him. The studio was located in an old building, and the walls were hung with various food paintings and photos of him and famous chefs. Wang Jianye knocked on the door gently, and after hearing the voice of “Come in”, he pushed the door open and saw the tall Carlos standing in front of a painting, admiring it attentively. Carlos had a neatly trimmed beard, and his deep eyes revealed professionalism and pickiness.

Wang Jianye walked forward politely, bowed slightly and said, “Hello, Mr. Carlos. I am Wang Jianye from Wang’s All-in-One Hotel. Our dishes combine the unique flavors of Korea, Singapore and Spain. I very much hope that you can give us some valuable suggestions.” As Wang Jianye spoke, he handed over a carefully prepared business card and restaurant introduction materials.

Carlos turned his head slightly, glanced at Wang Jianye, took the information, glanced at it roughly, and nodded slightly: “Well, fusion cuisine, it sounds interesting. I can try it.”

Wang Jianye was overjoyed and said quickly, “Thank you so much, Mr. Carlos. You are always welcome to visit us whenever it is convenient for you.”

Carlos thought for a moment and said, “Then let’s do it tomorrow at noon.”

After Wang Jianye left the studio, he immediately rushed back to the restaurant and told Chen Yu and Master Li the good news. The three of them immediately began to make careful preparations, repeatedly confirming every detail from the selection of ingredients to the cooking.

The next day at noon, Carlos arrived at the restaurant on time. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li were waiting at the door to greet him. Carlos walked into the restaurant, looked around, and nodded slightly at the restaurant’s decoration style. Then, he sat down at the carefully arranged dining table. The waiters carefully brought the carefully prepared dishes to the table one by one, and the rich aroma instantly filled the air.

Carlos picked up the tableware and began to taste the food carefully. He first sniffed the aroma of the dish, then slowly put the food into his mouth. While chewing, his expression was serious and focused, sometimes frowning slightly, and sometimes nodding slightly. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood not far away, looking at Carlos nervously, not daring to breathe.

After tasting all the dishes, Carlos put down his cutlery, cleared his throat and said, “The dishes are really creative. It can be seen that you have put a lot of effort into integrating different cultural cuisines. However, in terms of taste, you can get closer to traditional Spanish cuisine. For example, Spanish people love cheese and ham deeply. If you can add some familiar cheese, ham and other ingredients to the dishes, it may better cater to the tastes of local people. In addition, Spanish people pay attention to the layering and balance of dishes when dining, and some dishes can be optimized in this regard.”

Wang Jianye listened carefully, and from time to time he wrote down Carlos’ suggestions in his notebook, saying repeatedly: “Thank you very much for your professional advice, Mr. Carlos. We will definitely make adjustments based on your suggestions.”

After sending Carlos away, Wang Jianye immediately conveyed the food critic’s suggestions to Master Li. After hearing this, Master Li fell into deep thought. He knew that this was a challenge, but also a key opportunity to get the restaurant back on track.

Back in the kitchen, Chef Li immediately called a meeting with the chef team. In the kitchen, pots and pans were neatly arranged, and all kinds of ingredients exuded a fresh scent. The chefs sat together with serious expressions.

Chef Li looked at everyone and said, “Guys, we have to adjust the dishes again based on the food critics’ suggestions. This time, we have to incorporate Spanish people’s favorite cheese and ham into the dishes while retaining the characteristics of our Korean-Singapore fusion cuisine. This is the key to the success of our restaurant. Let’s all think of a solution.”

Chef Xiao Wang scratched his head, looking troubled, and said, “Master, this is a bit difficult. How can we strike a balance between the two? Spanish ham and cheese have very strong flavors, and if we are not careful, they will cover up the characteristics of our original dishes.”

Chef Xiao Li also nodded in agreement: “Yes, Master, and we also have to consider the combination of different dishes, we can’t just add them in casually.” Master Li smiled and patted Xiao Wang on the shoulder, saying: “This is what we have to think about. Let’s brainstorm and think of a solution. We have been cooking for so many years, we will definitely find a good way.”

After a heated discussion, everyone put forward their own ideas. Some people suggested adding cheese and ham as embellishment to the traditional Korean-Singapore fusion dish, while others thought that ham and cheese could be deeply integrated with the original ingredients. In the end, Chef Li decided to develop a new dish that combines Korean fried chicken, Spanish ham and cheese.

In the next few days, Master Li and the chefs plunged into the kitchen and devoted themselves to research and development. The kitchen became their battlefield, with all kinds of ingredients and seasonings filling the operation room. They tried different fried chicken recipes, from marinating the chicken to the oil temperature for frying, and repeatedly tested every detail, striving to make the fried chicken golden, crispy, tender and juicy.

Master Li personally visited several local food suppliers. In a historic ham shop, he carefully selected Spanish ham. The shop owner enthusiastically introduced the characteristics of various hams to him: “This ham is pickled using traditional techniques and air-dried for a long time. It has a unique flavor and is very popular among locals.” Master Li picked up a piece of ham, carefully observed its texture, smelled its rich aroma, and finally selected the best quality ham with the richest flavor.

They also went through countless adjustments in the selection of cheese, the degree of melting, and the proportion of cheese. Once, Chef Xiao Zhang tried to melt the cheese quickly at high temperature, but the cheese became too burnt, affecting the taste. Chef Li shook his head and said, “No, the cheese tastes too bitter and ruins the overall taste. We need to find a suitable temperature and time so that the cheese can melt perfectly while maintaining its mellow flavor.”

Finally, a new dish that will catch your eye is born. Fry the fried chicken until golden and crispy. The right oil temperature allows the chicken skin to form a thin and crispy shell. When you bite it gently, it makes a “crunch” sound, and the chicken inside is still tender and juicy, with juice overflowing in your mouth. Sandwiched in the middle are thin slices of Spanish ham, the salty and fragrant ham instantly adds a rich flavor to the whole dish, and the unique pickled aroma spreads on the tip of the tongue. Spread a layer of freshly melted cheese, the mellow cheese blends perfectly with the ham and fried chicken, and the strands of cheese seem to tightly entwine all kinds of flavors together. Finally, pour the special Korean sweet and spicy sauce on it. The four flavors of sweet, spicy, salty and fragrant are intertwined, forming a unique and harmonious taste, rich in layers, and endless aftertaste.

“Chef, this tastes great! I think it will definitely attract Spanish customers.” Chef Xiao Zhang said excitedly with a proud smile on his face.

Master Li nodded with satisfaction and said, “Make a few more and let everyone taste them to see if there is anything that needs to be improved.”

At the same time, Chen Yu was also busy. He knew that in addition to improving the dishes, publicity and promotion were also crucial. He found a well-known local advertising company, sat in a conference room with the designers, and began to discuss the publicity plan.

In the conference room, the walls are covered with various successful advertising cases. Chen Yu looked at the designers and said seriously: “Our dishes have both the mysterious flavor of the East and the passion of Spain. We must highlight this in the publicity. Let the Spaniards know that our restaurant can not only bring them delicious food, but also let them experience the collision and integration of different cultures.”

A young designer pushed up his glasses and said, “Mr. Chen, we can use a style that combines oriental and Spanish elements in the design of the brochure. For example, we can use Chinese ink painting style to describe the dishes, while adding Spanish colors and patterns. This will reflect the mystery of the East and make the Spanish feel at home.”

After hearing this, Chen Yu’s eyes lit up and he said, “This is a great idea. Also, we should introduce the characteristics of each dish and the cultural background behind it in detail in the brochure, so that customers can have a deep understanding of the dishes before tasting them.”

After repeated revisions, a beautiful brochure was born. The brochure details the characteristics of each dish and the cultural background behind it in Spanish. The exquisite pictures and vivid text make people feel as if they can feel the deliciousness of the dishes through the paper. The cover is an illustration that combines traditional Korean patterns, Singapore’s iconic buildings and Spanish bullfighters, with bright and harmonious colors.

Not only that, Chen Yu also decided to place advertisements in local newspapers and radio stations. At the recording site of the radio advertisement, Chen Yu carefully communicated with the host about the content and tone of the advertisement. “Our dishes have both the mysterious flavor of the East and the passion of Spain. Welcome everyone to come and taste them.” The host said in an infectious voice. Chen Yu listened on the side and made some revision suggestions from time to time, striving to perfectly convey the characteristics of the restaurant in the advertisement.

In terms of newspaper advertising, Chen Yu chose several local newspapers with large circulation and published the restaurant’s advertisement in the food section. Once the advertisement was published, it immediately attracted the interest of some readers.

“Mom, look at this advertisement. The food in this restaurant looks interesting. When can we go try it?” A young girl said to her mother, pointing at the newspaper.

“Well, it does look special. You can try it when you get a chance,” the mother replied.

With the adjustment of dishes and the increase of publicity, the business of the restaurant gradually improved. One day, a local artist walked into the restaurant. His name was Antonio. He had long hair, wore a loose shirt full of artistic sense, and wore a pair of black-framed glasses. His eyes revealed a unique artistic temperament.

Antonio ordered a new dish that combines Korean fried chicken, Spanish ham and cheese. When the dish was served, he was attracted by its unique shape and tempting aroma. He took a bite and a pleasantly surprised expression appeared on his face.

“Wow, this tastes amazing! Just like a work of art, elements of different cultures blend together so harmoniously. I can feel new surprises every time I chew it.” Antonio said excitedly.

Since then, Antonio has frequently visited the restaurant and recommended it to his artist friends. “You must go to the Wang’s All-Inclusive Restaurant. The dishes there are like a wonderful journey of culture and food,” Antonio said to his friends. (End of this chapter)