Siheyuan: Tathagata's Palm suppresses the entire courtyard!

Li Xiaoqiang agreed, and the two began to discuss how to further improve these dishes. They decided to add more changes to the smoking process, such as trying different marinating times, adjusting the heat, and even considering making some changes to the side dishes to increase the overall layering and visual effects of the dishes.

A few days later, Xu Mingjie served the improved smoked pork chops and chicken breasts to the tasting table of the restaurant. Customers showed great interest in the two new dishes and praised them highly after tasting them. Xu Mingjie looked at the satisfied smiles of the customers.

That night, Xu Mingjie and Li Xiaoqiang sat in the back kitchen of the restaurant, drinking tea and reviewing the experimental process of the past few days. Li Xiaoqiang joked: "Mingjie, we have created a small miracle this time."

Xu Mingjie responded with a smile: "Qiangzi, this is just the beginning. We can try more new dishes in the future. Innovation will never end."

The two smiled at each other, full of expectations for the future. They knew that this cooperation not only allowed them to create two special dishes, but also opened a new door for their culinary journey. The world of culinary arts is so vast, and he will continue to explore and create more amazing delicacies with his own hands and wisdom.

Xu Mingjie's recent days are busy and fulfilling. The restaurant's business is getting more and more prosperous with the new dishes he introduced. Whether it is smoked pork chops or herb chicken breast, these innovative dishes have been warmly welcomed by customers. Whenever he sees the satisfied smiles of customers at the table, Xu Mingjie is always filled with satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

However, just as Xu Mingjie was immersed in the joy brought by this success, sudden doubts caught him off guard.

It was an ordinary afternoon, the restaurant was packed with customers and the kitchen was busy. Xu Mingjie was concentrating on preparing the dishes at hand, when suddenly, the front-of-house waiter Xiao Li rushed into the kitchen with an anxious look on his face.

"Brother Mingjie, a customer has questioned the smoked pork chops you just made, saying that the dish is too ordinary and there is nothing special about it!" Xiao Li said anxiously.

Hearing this, Xu Mingjie paused, and his heart felt like it was hit hard. The new dish he had launched with full confidence was actually questioned by customers as "too ordinary"? This made him feel angry and unwilling. He knew that every dish a chef made was the result of his hard work, and being easily rejected was simply a challenge to his professional ability.

Xu Mingjie suppressed his anger, put down the spatula in his hand, and said in a deep voice: "Who is the customer? Take me to see him."

Seeing this, Xiao Li quickly led Xu Mingjie to the front hall. Xu Mingjie thought to himself: What exactly is this customer dissatisfied with? Is it because I didn't control the heat well enough, or is there a problem with the combination of ingredients? He didn't want to believe that he would make such a low-level mistake.

When Xu Mingjie came to the customer, he felt a little complicated. Sitting at the table was a middle-aged man, well-dressed, with a look of dissatisfaction. Seeing Xu Mingjie coming, he looked up and said bluntly: "You are the chef of this dish, right? To be honest, I don't think there is anything special about this smoked pork chop. It tastes good, but it's just good. It lacks some amazing elements. The anger in his heart was getting stronger and stronger. He tried to keep himself calm, but his face was unhappy. He knew that every customer had his own taste preferences, but he was still very unhappy to hear that his carefully prepared dishes were evaluated in this way.

"Sir, I understand your opinion, but this dish was launched after many attempts and adjustments. I believe it has met our expectations in terms of taste and creativity. If you have any specific suggestions, I would be happy to listen to them." Xu Mingjie's tone was calm, but there was a sharpness in his eyes.

The middle-aged man looked at Xu Mingjie calmly, his tone still calm: "I'm not saying that this dish is bad, I just think it doesn't meet the standard of the 'special dish' I expected. Maybe you can put more effort into the seasoning, or try a bolder innovation."

Xu Mingjie felt a pang in his heart, as if the words hit him in the sore spot. Although he knew that the customer's comments were not malicious, the feeling of being questioned still made him feel uncomfortable. He recalled the efforts and hard work he had put into this smoked pork chop, and felt even more hurt by the questioning.

"Thank you for your advice, sir. I will consider your opinion and make adjustments." Xu Mingjie tried his best to suppress his dissatisfaction and spoke in a slightly slower tone. He knew that he had to face any criticism with a professional attitude, but the loss and unwillingness in his heart could not be easily calmed down.

The middle-aged man nodded, said nothing more, and continued to eat. Xu Mingjie turned back to the kitchen, with mixed emotions surging in his heart. He locked himself in the kitchen and tried to calm down the fluctuations in his heart with the work in his hands, but the more he thought about it, the more unhappy he felt.

"Too ordinary?" This sentence was like a thorn in his heart that he couldn't pull out. Xu Mingjie went over every step of the smoked pork chop in his mind, trying to find out where the problem might have been. He knew that any dish could be improved, but he didn't want to believe that his masterpiece would fall into the category of "ordinary". Xu Mingjie's movements became more and more impatient, and the kitchen knife in his hand quickly cut the ingredients, making bursts of crisp sounds. Seeing that he looked wrong, the other people in the kitchen knew not to come forward to talk to him. The kitchen door was gently pushed open, and Li Xiaoqiang walked in. He noticed Xu Mingjie's abnormality at a glance, frowned and asked: "Mingjie, what's wrong with you? What happened in the front hall just now?"

Xu Mingjie looked up at Li Xiaoqiang, sighed, and said with a little frustration: "Qiangzi, a customer said that my smoked pork chops are too ordinary and there is nothing special about them. I felt upset when I heard that."

Hearing this, Li Xiaoqiang walked over to Xu Mingjie, patted his shoulder, and comforted him, "Mingjie, don't take it personally. Everyone has different tastes. Some people think it's delicious, while others may think it's just average. We all have to face this situation."

Xu Mingjie smiled bitterly: "I know that's the truth, but I still feel uncomfortable. I spent so much time on this dish, but in the end it was said to be dull."

Li Xiaoqiang looked at Xu Mingjie's tired expression and felt a little sorry for him. He knew that Xu Mingjie was very attentive to every dish, but such attentiveness was met with doubts, which inevitably made people feel disappointed.