Jessica savored the tender cabbage and delicious broth, sincerely exclaiming, “Alright, Alina, I’ve changed my mind. I now agree with your view. My previous prejudice against Chinese cuisine was entirely due to my ignorance.”

“This dish has completely changed my opinion of Chinese cuisine.”

Alina also nodded slightly. “This dish surprised me, too. I know many Chinese restaurants might serve this dish, but those who can prepare it to such perfection must be few and far between.”

“Thank you, Lucas. Your explanation added so much to this culinary experience, and your understanding of food has truly inspired me.”

Jano smiled slightly. “I don’t have any profound understanding of cuisine. I’m simply following the manager’s requirements and doing my job, presenting every detail of each dish to the customers.”

This was the significance of Lin Canrong’s arranged explanations.

Except for the very few gourmets with extremely sensitive palates, most ordinary people would find it difficult to judge how much effort a chef had put into achieving a certain taste simply by flavor alone.

Most people’s descriptive vocabulary for food is quite limited, generally restricted to words like “delicious” or “tender.”

In such cases, explaining the details of each dish to customers is not just imparting knowledge but also creating an environment and atmosphere, establishing a sense of “empathy.”

High-end restaurant cuisine spares no expense to enhance that little bit of flavor. If the details cannot be clearly explained, customers won’t be deeply impressed.

Lin Canrong’s careful preparation had achieved its intended effect at this moment.

Alina said, “Lucas, I’d like to discuss Chinese and Western cuisine with you, if that’s alright?”

Jano considered for a moment. “I’m afraid my knowledge isn’t sufficient to answer this question. However, I can ask the manager to come over.”

Alina replied, “If it won’t disturb the manager’s work, thank you very much!”

Jano left the private room and returned moments later with Lin Canrong.

Lin Canrong smiled and asked, “My surname is Lin, and I’m the manager of this restaurant. Are you satisfied with our food and service?”

Although Lin Canrong was also learning English, given his age and busy work schedule, he couldn’t yet communicate fluently with foreigners.

So Jano had to serve as translator.

Fortunately, Jano had previously worked as a simultaneous interpreter, so serving as a translator at this level was a piece of cake.

Alina nodded. “Very satisfied! This is the most wonderful meal I’ve ever had, whether Western or Chinese cuisine. Your pursuit of perfection in every detail has left a deep impression on me.”

“I’m a food enthusiast who has long had some confusion. I’d like to discuss this briefly with Manager Lin. Would you be able to resolve my confusion?”

Lin Canrong responded humbly, “I wouldn’t dare claim to resolve confusion, but I’m willing to share my opinions.”

Alina asked, “Nowadays, seasoning in dishes is getting heavier and heavier. In many dishes, you can no longer taste the food itself. What are Manager Lin’s thoughts on this?”

Lin Canrong considered for a moment, then answered, “This is indeed a trend in world cuisine development.”

“I believe there are two main reasons for this.”

“First, competition demands it. The food industry is very cruel. Even the world’s top restaurants must constantly develop new dishes and even provide many entertaining elements, and focus on the environment. Otherwise, they’ll be seen as stagnant. After all, diners’ attention can easily be drawn to other restaurants.”

“Second, it’s driven by diners’ demands. Under the deception and temptation of many food brands, diners have too many choices, too stark comparisons, and too much stimulation, causing many to lose their ability to appreciate certain flavors as their taste thresholds continuously rise.”

“When the entire catering industry uses heavier flavors to stimulate diners’ taste buds, a cycle naturally forms. Diners indeed taste ‘more delicious’ things, but… I believe this doesn’t conform to the food philosophy of Chinese cuisine.”

“Chinese cuisine emphasizes that strong flavors should be subtle, each dish has its style, a hundred dishes have a hundred flavors, flavors that exist should be brought out, flavors that don’t exist should be introduced, food has no fixed taste, and what suits one’s palate is treasured…”

“Simply put, it emphasizes that every ingredient has its unique flavor. The combination of ingredients should consider the fusion of different flavors rather than forcibly changing them with seasonings. Even the same dish shouldn’t always maintain the same flavor, but should adapt to the special needs of diners, making dishes suitable for their taste.”

“Therefore, our restaurant has been striving to find a balance between these two aspects. We maintain the original flavor of ingredients without abusing seasonings or additives, keeping food nutritious and healthy, while continuously enhancing the taste under this premise.”

“Just like the Boiled Cabbage in Plain Water that you had today. There’s a saying that ‘among a hundred vegetables, cabbage still smells the best.’ Although it’s a very common ingredient, with careful preparation, it can produce an effect that completely surpasses those rare ingredients.”

Jano translated Lin Canrong’s meaning completely and accurately, eliciting frequent nods from the two guests.

Jessica listened with great interest.

Before today, she would have completely scoffed at these theories, unable to accept them, thinking they were just sophistry from Chinese cuisine in the face of inferior taste compared to modern Western cuisine.

But after eating today’s dishes, she could understand these philosophical concepts.

Because the dish “Boiled Cabbage in Plain Water” completely aligned with what Manager Lin said about “strong flavors should be subtle.” It didn’t add any modern seasonings, seeming like plain soup and water, yet within its lightness was hidden extreme deliciousness.

Alina nodded. “Manager Lin’s words are very philosophical and have been very helpful to me. Thank you! So, how does Manager Lin view the differences between Chinese and Western cuisine? Which is superior?”

Lin Canrong smiled slightly. “Food is inherently very subjective. Everyone has different tastes, and I don’t think it’s necessary to forcibly rank them.”

“Every type of cuisine is rooted in its cultural foundation. Currently, Western cuisine has higher acceptance worldwide, mainly because the cultural foundation of Western cuisine has been more widely accepted.”

“Many people sample Chinese cuisine briefly, judging its deliciousness solely on whether the flavor is strong, which is placing Chinese cuisine in an incorrect system for evaluation, naturally making it impossible to reach the right conclusion.”

“The deliciousness of Chinese cuisine needs to be understood within a specific cultural context. It’s not just a physical appetite but also an expression of thought and philosophy.”

“Take a very common dish, Dongpo Pork. If you don’t know its historical background, it’s just an ordinary dish. But if you know Su Dongpo’s story, the background of how he invented this dish, and have even seen Su Causeway at Dawn among the Ten Scenes of West Lake… then the meaning contained in this dish becomes completely different.”

“Only after reading Su Dongpo’s poetry and seeing Su Shi’s calligraphy can one truly experience Dongpo Pork completely.”

“Many Westerners don’t understand these aspects and are accustomed to evaluating Chinese cuisine by Western standards, naturally concluding it’s inferior to Western cuisine, which is unfair.”

“Returning to your initial question.”

“I don’t think modern Western cuisine is wrong for pursuing extreme flavors through precise control of quantities, nor do I think Chinese food culture is wrong. Our restaurant doesn’t reject any style but strives to understand every type of cuisine while providing diners with the flavors they love most and that suit them best.”

Under Jano’s translation, Lin Canrong’s long speech was elegantly translated—concise, efficient, with every word perfectly rendered.

Alina nodded frequently as she listened.

Finally, she sincerely said, “I see! Manager Lin’s understanding of cuisine is indeed profound, truly amazing!”

Jessica also sighed, “I will never have prejudice against Chinese cuisine again. The Chinese food I had before wasn’t good simply because the standard wasn’t high enough.”

Lin Canrong smiled, “Not at all. In the vast and profound food culture, I’m merely a student seeking knowledge.”

Alina said, “Manager Lin, I’m a food blogger. May I write about today’s experience on my food blog? Your unique insights into the food industry have provided me with a completely new perspective.”

Lin Canrong nodded with a smile, “Of course.”

…

After seeing off the two foreign friends, Jano wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Manager, these two didn’t seem like ordinary people. Fortunately, you had me memorize all this content beforehand; otherwise, I might have faltered.”

“However, your final insights on the differences between Chinese and Western food cultures were truly precise. I could see that these two international friends were completely won over.”

Lin Canrong was silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, these are just some recent insights that happened to be useful.”

Jano was surprised. “Recent insights? Manager, your insights came at such a timely moment!”

Lin Canrong’s expression turned serious. “It seems like a coincidence, but actually… It’s also inevitable.”

“Previously, I went to see Mr. Pei about opening a branch, but was refused. So I’ve been thinking about what position Mingyun Private Kitchen should hold for Mr. Pei.”

“Later, I understood that Mingyun Private Kitchen should be a unique restaurant. What it pursues is not quantity but quality—providing the ultimate experience for diners.”

“And this ultimate experience is inherently non-replicable. That’s why Mr. Pei emphasized that Mingyun Private Kitchen couldn’t open branches but urgently needed to spend money to improve in detail.”

“I’ve been striving to find shortcomings, aiming to make every aspect perfect. Our restaurant doesn’t give preferential treatment to foreign friends; we treat all diners equally and provide the most perfect dining experience.”

“Today, although we only served two diners who were slightly more picky about taste, the significance was great because we withstood the test. Only by treating every day as our opening day, every diner as our first diner, and valuing feedback from every diner can we be our best.”

“Including the thoughts on differences between Chinese and Western cuisine and reflections on the development of the modern catering industry—these are all insights I gained during this period of repeatedly pondering Mr. Pei’s deep intentions.”

“I believe only by striving to reach this level can we meet Mr. Pei’s expectations for Mingyun Private Kitchen!”