At a food and culture lecture, a local food lover said with emotion after listening to the lecture: “Through this lecture, I not only tasted delicious fusion dishes, but also gained a deeper understanding of the food culture of different countries. Wang’s All-in-One Hotel is not just a restaurant, but also a platform for cultural exchange.”

With the development of these activities, the popularity and reputation of Wang’s full range of hotels in Rio de Janeiro have been further enhanced, successfully responding to the challenges of competitors. At the same time, their inspections in Salvador and Belo Horizonte are also progressing smoothly, laying a solid foundation for future expansion.

……

In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the signboards of Wang’s All-inclusive Restaurant are hung high, and the restaurant is always crowded with people and laughter. Diners are intoxicated by the unique taste of Korean-Singapore fusion cuisine and Brazilian style. The success of these two branches has gradually spread the reputation of Wang’s All-inclusive Restaurant in the international catering industry.

Wang Jianye stood on the terrace of the Sao Paulo branch, the breeze gently blowing, he looked at the bustling streets in the distance, but in his heart he was thinking about places further away. His eyes crossed the vast and turbulent Atlantic Ocean and fell on the distant map of North America. Canada, a country with a harmonious blend of diverse cultures and an open and inclusive attitude towards food, attracted him like a magnet and became his next ideal target for expanding his business territory.

With full enthusiasm and expectation, Wang Jianye summoned Chen Yu and Master Li to the office again. In the office, the sun shone through the gaps in the blinds, casting golden beams of light, and dust was flying freely in the beams of light. The room was filled with a subtle atmosphere of excitement and tension, as if the air was beating with restless factors. Wang Jianye strode to the huge world map, his finger landed steadily on the position of Canada, his eyes flashed with firmness and determination, and he said in a resounding voice: “Xiao Chen, Lao Li, we have achieved quite good results in Brazil, but we must not be satisfied with this and stop moving forward. I have thought about it carefully. Canada is a large market with great potential. What do you think about us opening a branch there?”

Chen Yu subconsciously pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses flashing with thought. He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, “Mr. Wang, I have to say that Canada is indeed an excellent choice. There are people from all over the world, and the atmosphere of multicultural collision and integration is just perfect for our fusion cuisine. However, we must also be aware that the market environment and eating habits there are very different from those in Brazil. We must re-launch a detailed and in-depth investigation. Moreover, Canada is vast, and people in different provinces may have very different preferences, so site selection is undoubtedly a key issue. If you are not careful, it may affect subsequent operations.”

Chef Li nodded slightly, a solemn expression on his face. He sighed softly and said slowly: “Manager Chen is right, President Wang. We must make drastic reforms in the dishes. Canada has its own unique ingredients, such as the sweet and mellow maple syrup and the unique ice wine. We have to rack our brains to find a way to integrate these into our Korean-Singapore fusion dishes. But it is not easy to make a taste that Canadians love from the bottom of their hearts. We need to spend a lot of time and energy to research and try.”

Wang Jianye slowly turned around and looked at the two of them firmly, his tone full of encouragement and motivation: “I know that there must be many difficulties, but we have come this far and overcome countless challenges. This time, we will definitely succeed. Next, we will each do our part and work together. Xiao Chen, the task of market research and site selection will be handed over to you; Lao Li, you will focus on the development of dishes; I will be responsible for contacting local business partners in Canada. Do you have confidence?”

“Yes!” Chen Yu and Master Li answered almost in unison, their voices full of strength and determination, as if they were going to break through this small office and declare their ambitions to the world.

Chen Yu acted vigorously and soon devoted himself to the busy market research work. His desk was piled with various materials, and the data and documents on the computer screen kept flashing and switching. Through various personal connections, he contacted the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Business Associations in Canada, as well as some friends who had lived in Canada for many years and knew the local situation well. In those days, he seemed tireless, collecting information and analyzing data day and night. The coffee cup on his desk was always steaming hot, accompanying him through one long night after another. He also frequently called contacts far away in Canada. During each call, he was fully focused, and the pen in his hand quickly recorded key information on the notebook, as if he was drawing a blueprint for the Canadian market.

“Hello, Dr. Zhang! I’m Chen Yu from Wang’s All-Round Restaurants. I’m sorry to bother you. I’d like to learn more about the Canadian catering market, especially the local acceptance of fusion cuisine. In addition, which cities in Canada do you think are more suitable for us to open a store?” Chen Yu was holding the phone and taking notes quickly on his notebook. His focused expression seemed as if the person on the other end of the line was conveying the key to open the door to success.

Dr. Zhang on the other end of the phone replied enthusiastically: “Xiao Chen, Canada’s catering market is so rich and colorful. Big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are very receptive to food from different cultures. Vancouver, in particular, is close to Asia and has a large number of Asian immigrants, so there is a great demand for oriental food. As for fusion cuisine, as long as the taste is good enough, there will definitely be a broad market. However, Xiao Chen, you have to pay special attention to the freshness and health of ingredients. This point must not be ignored in the development of dishes and the purchase of ingredients.”

Chen Yu listened carefully, asked some detailed questions from time to time, and asked in detail about key issues such as local food supply channels, rental levels, consumption habits, etc., before politely hanging up the phone. After several weeks of hard work day and night, he finally compiled a thick research report. At the briefing, the atmosphere in the conference room was serious and full of expectations. Chen Yu stood in front of the projector, the laser pen in his hand dancing gently on the screen. He pointed to Vancouver on the map and said with a focused and serious expression: “Mr. Wang, Master Li, after this period of in-depth research, I think Vancouver is a very good choice. There are many Chinese people there, and they have a certain basic understanding and emotional identification of oriental cuisine. The city’s economic development is good and its consumption capacity is relatively high. In addition, I also learned that Canadians generally like to eat barbecue and seafood, and pay great attention to the richness and diversity of breakfast. We can do a good job in these aspects and develop dishes that suit the tastes and eating habits of local people.”

After listening to this, Chef Li narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully: “Then why don’t we combine Korean-Singapore fusion cuisine with Canadian characteristics. For example, marinating barbecue with maple syrup will give the barbecue both the mellow flavor of Korean barbecue and the sweetness of maple syrup; or adding ice wine to seafood dishes may create a wonderful taste spark. For breakfast, we can launch some breads and pastries that incorporate Korean-Singapore elements, such as adding kimchi, coconut milk and other ingredients to traditional bread to give breakfast a different flavor.”

Wang Jianye nodded with satisfaction, a gratified smile on his face: “Okay, let’s move forward in this direction unswervingly. Xiao Chen, you continue to follow up on the location of the store in Vancouver, and make sure to find a store with high cost performance and excellent location; Lao Li, you lead the team to start developing new dishes as soon as possible and strive to determine the menu as soon as possible. I will be responsible for contacting local business partners in Canada to lay a solid foundation for subsequent cooperation.” Chef Li returned to the kitchen with full enthusiasm. As soon as he opened the door, the smell of various ingredients and kitchen utensils hit him in the face. He immediately called a meeting for the chef team, and the chefs quickly sat together, all of them focused, with their eyes revealing their expectations and excitement for new challenges.

Chef Li cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: “Guys, we are about to expand into the Canadian market. This time the challenge is not small. We have to perfectly combine Korean and New Zealand cuisine with Canadian characteristics to make dishes that will amaze Canadians and make them praise us. If you have any ideas or inspirations, please feel free to speak up and let’s brainstorm together.”

Chef Xiao Wang scratched his head with a puzzled look on his face, and said, “Master, I can understand using maple syrup to marinate barbecue, but will it taste good if you use ice wine to season seafood? Wouldn’t it be weird? It feels a bit hard to imagine mixing two completely unrelated things together.”

Master Li smiled, his eyes sparkling with encouragement, and said, “Xiao Wang, this is where we should be bold in trying. Innovation is all about trying new combinations and new possibilities. Maybe the combination of ice wine and seafood will produce unexpected and wonderful effects. Don’t hesitate, start experimenting. It doesn’t matter if you fail, the important thing is that we should be brave enough to explore.”

In the following days, the kitchen became their secret testing ground. The flames on the stove jumped happily, as if cheering for their innovative journey. Chef Li and the chefs devoted themselves to exploring new ingredient combinations and cooking methods. They cleverly combined Canadian specialty ingredients such as maple syrup, ice wine, and blueberries with Korean kimchi and barbecue sauce, and Singaporean curry and coconut milk.

“Chef, try this chicken marinated with maple syrup and kimchi. I just made it.” Chef Xiao Zhang said expectantly, holding a plate of attractive new dishes. “I took a bite and it tasted very special. It has the sweetness of maple syrup and the sourness of kimchi. It has a very rich taste.”

Master Li took the plate, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth, chewing and savoring it carefully. His eyes lit up immediately and he said excitedly: “Yes, the taste is indeed very layered, which exceeded my expectations. However, Xiao Zhang, the marinating time of the chicken can be slightly adjusted, and the time can be extended a little bit, so that the flavor can penetrate deeper into every fiber of the chicken, so that the taste will be better.”

Wang Jianye was also busy. Through a friend’s enthusiastic introduction, he met David, a Canadian businessman with extensive business connections in Vancouver. The two met for the first time during a video conference. David was tall and burly, like a small mountain, and his full beard added a bit of boldness. His smile was warm and enthusiastic, as if it could dispel the sense of distance brought by the screen.

Wang Jianye smiled and said enthusiastically, “Mr. David, it’s a great honor to meet you. We have successfully opened several branches of Wang’s All-in-One Restaurant in Brazil, and the business is very hot. Now, we hope to open a branch in Vancouver to bring our unique fusion cuisine to our Canadian friends so that they can also taste this cross-cultural food feast.”

David responded with a smile and a cheerful voice: “Mr. Wang, I have heard about your restaurant concept and special dishes for a long time and I am very interested. Fusion cuisine is still a new concept in Vancouver, with huge market potential and unlimited development possibilities. I am happy to help. I can use my connections and resources to help you find a suitable store, and I can also assist you in publicity and promotion so that more people will know about your restaurant.”

After several in-depth communications, the two hit it off and successfully reached a cooperation intention. David took quick action and began to shuttle through the streets and alleys of Vancouver, looking for a suitable store. Wang Jianye continued to prepare for other matters related to the opening of the store in Spain. He had to deal with a large number of emails and documents every day, and communicate and coordinate with various parties. Although he was busy, his heart was full of longing for the future.

However, the road to entrepreneurship is never smooth. Just when everything seemed to be going smoothly as planned, a thorny problem arose in the location of the store. David found several stores one after another. Wang Jianye and Chen Yu looked at the information and photos with great expectations, but the results were not satisfactory. Either the rent was ridiculously high, far beyond their budget, which made them discouraged; or the location was not ideal, with few people around, making it difficult to attract enough customers. Wang Jianye and Chen Yu were very troubled by this. The two sat in the office with frowns on their faces, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it made people feel a little breathless.

“Boss Wang, none of these stores are suitable and do not meet our requirements at all. If we continue to search without any clue, our time will be wasted and our store opening plan will be seriously delayed.” Chen Yu said anxiously, with a hint of helplessness and anxiety in his tone. (End of this chapter)