Peninsula all-media reporter Huang Dongmei
In 1997, Ban Zheng was 18 years old, which was the age of youth and madness, and like many of his peers, he packed his bags and went out into society that year, looking forward to doing something with his own hands.
Chef, construction and decoration worker, these are the two industries that the original class was looking at, after some thought, he made up his mind to take the road of chef. "Don't say that eating well, when the chef at least three meals are guaranteed, hungry can not be hungry, the threshold of this industry is also low, as long as you can bear hardships, diligent and fast." Ban Zheng is a native of Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, and has had a unique affection for Cantonese cuisine since childhood. At the beginning of his career, he first went to the restaurant as an apprentice, everything was difficult at the beginning, and bitterness and sweat were inevitable. "In those days, apprentices were unpaid, and the master's requirements were particularly harsh, and we were often reprimanded when we didn't do well." Recalling the first days, Ban Zhengshi seemed very calm, did not pour bitter water, but bluntly said that he was grateful for the master's original strictness, and let himself hone his calm and serious nature, otherwise he would not have come to this day.
When the apprentice needs to go through the experience of playing lotus, shangshi, cutting board and other positions, getting up early every day and being greedy, when others are complaining and retreating, the class has never had the idea of giving up, always going to work 2 hours in advance, boiling water, washing towels, silently doing some meal preparations, insisting on doing a little more than others. Over the years, Ban Zheng developed a cocoon between the thumb of his left hand and the mouth of the tiger, and also mastered solid basic skills, and after three years, he became an independent chef. In the face of the recognition of diners, the praise of peers, and the sense of pride and achievement of the Ban Zheng Department, he suddenly found that he had already liked this profession, and from the heart, he also recognized this profession more.
When his career as a chef in the Ban Zheng department was slowly on track, he encountered a major setback and dilemma. After the "SARS" in 2003, Guangdong's catering industry was greatly impacted, many restaurants and restaurants were closed for several months, some chefs could only get the final salary, some monthly income was zero, this state no one knows how long it will last. "At that time, my child was only one year old, and my wife watched the children at home, and it was up to me to support the family." Looking at his wife and children who had suffered with him, no matter how tired he was, he had never shaken the Ban Zheng family for half a point, and fell into a long period of contemplation, and he wanted to change careers. Finally, hesitantly, he asked for the opinion of his wife, who was a very understanding and tolerant person, and encouraged him, "If you like to be a cook, you will stick to it, and the hard days will pass by gritting your teeth, and you have to start from scratch." ”
A family, a heart, after the "SARS" situation gradually improved, the days of the Ban Zheng family also had a turnaround, uneasy about the status quo, he began to want to jump out of the "comfort zone", to a higher platform to exercise, by the way to see the scenery of other cities. Chinese culinary master Dong Zhenxiang once said: "What Chinese chefs lack is not knife skills and fire, but insight." This sentence has also been imprinted in the mind of The Ban Zheng Department. From 2004 to 2014, in the 10 years, Ban Zheng department relied on his own strength, successively in Zhejiang Huzhou Carnival Hotel, Hunan Changsha White Swan Hotel, Shanghai Laofengge Restaurant and other well-known hotels as a Cantonese cuisine chef, in each hotel tenure, he has achieved good results, praised by the industry, leaving a string of shining footprints.
During this period, Ban Zheng's vision was broadened, his knowledge was broadened, and his cooking skills were further improved. "When I came out, I found that each place has unique ingredients: white fish in Zhejiang, Zhangshugang pepper in Hunan, drunken crab in Shanghai... The so-called water and soil nourish the other, and the dishes of each place have their own strengths. It is these insights that allow the Ban Zheng family to see the development space of Cantonese cuisine, understand what is called integration, and use their own strengths to gather the strengths of a hundred families.
In 2015, China's high-end hotel brand Chateau Star River, known for its exemplary quality, settled in Chengyang, Qingdao. At that time, the hotel recruited excellent Cantonese chefs from all over the country, and when he saw the news, Ban Zheng was moved. "I haven't been to Qingdao yet, and it's said to be a beautiful city." In this way, he and a few like-minded chefs in the circle came to the Star River Hotel, and in the kitchen they were responsible for different types of work. In 2017, Ban Zheng department provoked the executive chef's girder and managed more than 40 back kitchen staff.
When it comes to the understanding of Cantonese cuisine, Ban Zheng department uses 24 words to summarize the situation: braised is not tired of fine, food is not tired of fine; clear but not light, fresh and not vulgar; from time to time do not eat, not fresh and not eaten. In order to better interpret the meaning, Ban Zhengzhi came to the busy back kitchen, and in front of the large steaming cabinet, he took out the freshly stewed health truffle kung fu soup, which is the hotel's signature dish and his specialty dish. Selected Yunnan wild black truffle, fresh matsutake mushrooms and more than a year old pigeons together, with the traditional purple sand pot as a container, steaming for more than four hours, the soup mushrooms made are fragrant, light and clear, if it is boiled, the soup will be greasy, and the nutrients of the ingredients will also be lost. "The foundation of Cantonese cuisine is not to over-cook, over-add auxiliary sauces to destroy the original taste of the ingredients, everything must be just right, the heat, the taste is just right." During the dialogue, Ban Zheng's tone was always high and fast, which was enough to make people feel his passion and love for Cantonese cuisine and cooking.
The crispy pigeon is also a specialty dish of the Ban Zheng family. He explained that the pigeons are suckling pigeons with a growth period of 13 to 15 days, and the bones of the pigeons produced by this are crisp, and in order to ensure the best taste, the pigeons are airlifted from Shiqi District, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, which is a well-known production base for excellent suckling pigeons in the country. After saying that, I saw that The class was in front of the stove, picked up the large pot spoon, hot oil, put the marinated and processed pigeon under the pot, after the skin of the pigeon was yellowed, it was picked up and placed in a colander, and it was poured with hot oil instead, and it was out of the pot in about 6 minutes. The whole process is done in one go, skillfully and crisply. "The pigeons that come out of this way, tearing open the crispy skin, contain delicious gravy, and the meat is also very tender, which is welcomed by many guests."
The working time is 9 o'clock in the morning, often less than 8:30 a.m. to come to the main department of the class, inspect the hygiene of various areas of the kitchen, design menus, open dispatch lists... After everyone has arrived, there will be a 15-minute morning meeting. "My life is very simple, the kitchen and dormitory are two points and one line, and when I take turns every week, I am also used to going to the market to see the new seasonal ingredients and study new dishes." As executive chef, the class is full of workload and responsibilities, and is also very busy. Once, the hotel had 116 tables a day, in order not to make a little difference, he himself like a top in several kitchen areas, communication, advice, consultation, a day down walked more than 30,000 steps, a work clothes soaked and dry, dry and wet. "It's really that my legs are going weak, but I'm happy to see a good result." According to the department of the class, no matter how tired the work is, before the end of the work in the evening, they will hold a summary meeting to check the omissions and fill in the gaps in time and discuss the feedback of the guests.
This year, it is the 6th year that Ban Zheng has come to Chengyang to struggle, and in August this year, Qingdao Chateau Star River Hotel passed the evaluation and was awarded the five-star hotel, and became the tenth five-star hotel in Qingdao. At the moment of hearing this news, The Ban Zheng Department was also very happy and proud. "I didn't expect to be able to stay in Qingdao for so long, and I used to spend a maximum of 4 years in a city." Speaking of Qingdao, in addition to the beautiful scenery, Ban Zheng department most wants to "praise" the climate here, the four seasons are distinct, the summer is not too hot, very livable.
Because of the particularity of the profession, for so many years, the Chinese New Year's Eve meals at home and the class are absent. "No way, the New Year is the busiest time, we usually take turns to go home after the Lantern Festival." Ban Zheng said with some helplessness, but for more than 20 years, he has become accustomed to it, and his family has also become accustomed to and understood. After coming to Qingdao to work, Ban Zheng will go home every year in March and April during the off-season of the hotel industry, his daughter is now in her freshman year, and during the winter and summer vacations, his wife and daughter will also come to Qingdao to reunite with him, and travel by the way. The days are plain and beautiful, and the whole family feels satisfied.
So far, the class has been in the industry for 25 years, when the young, handsome, confident "small class", after years of precipitation and polishing, has become today's five-star hotel executive chef, has become a real "old class", in the face of achievements, he has never stopped the pace of research. It is said that the chef's life will make countless dishes, taste various styles, and finally settle on the most skilled dish. Along the way, every traditional Cantonese dish and innovative Cantonese cuisine that Ban Zhengzhi has made is a mark of his struggle and growth. When it comes to the next planning, Ban Zheng department has no hesitation, the kitchen is his battlefield, but also his home. "My attitude is that I don't dare to relax at any time, the chef always has the next dish, and there is always the next peak in life." For me, the greatest joy of chasing dreams is not to arrive, but to conquer the next peak and surpass the process of dreams. ”