Cheng Su tentatively asked Chen Guorong what kind of mooncakes he planned to make.
Chen Guorong and Old Song found it even more puzzling, exchanged glances, and thought, what else is there to mooncakes? Arenāt they just the same as the current kinds?
"President Cheng couldnāt possibly have never tried the mooncakes from Qing City, right? Theyāre all the same; itās just about the skill and timing, and of course, the proportions and recipe!" Chen Guorong replied.
Making mooncakes isnāt difficult; whatās hard is making them tasty, not greasy, with a fragrant, soft, crispy sweetness. So, itās extremely important to choose the right ingredients and ratios.
Cheng Su listened, lightly furrowing her brows. This was indeed challenging. She had tried Qing Cityās mooncakes before, but some feature fruity or bean paste fillings. What she wanted Joy Soon Loy to sell, however, were Guangzhou-style mooncakes.
And she had just mentioned a few types of fillings, which are the most renowned varieties in Guangzhou-style mooncakes.
The pastry department was set up when Joy Soon Loy was renovated and reopened this year, and Cheng Su hasnāt spent much time at the restaurant, so Chen Guorong, the head of the pastry department, couldnāt quite guess her thoughts when he saw her silent.
Old Song, on the other hand, felt differently. Having worked with Cheng Su for quite some time, he understood her well. Seeing her contemplating, he asked, "President Cheng, do you have any ideas youād like to share?"
Cheng Su pursed her lips and said, "Actually, I hope our restaurant can sell Guangzhou-style mooncakes. Iāve tried them, and their texture is naturally more fragrant and delicious than ours here. However, Iām an outsider when it comes to tasting these kinds of foods. You all are insiders and know more than I do, so share your thoughts, and letās discuss together."
Old Song laughed and said, "Youāre being modest. Your expertise in the food industry is by no means inferior to those culinary experts. What you think is good must indeed be good; as for the method, thatās up to Chef Chen. Iām not very good at making pastries myself."
Chen Guorong humbly said, "Itās not that I canāt do it, but without a template, we donāt know how things are on that side. Just relying on our own blind efforts is time-consuming and resource-wasting."
Cheng Su smiled and said, "Thatās easy to solve. I have a few friends in Guangcheng. I can ask them to mail me a few sample boxes, and we can study them together."
Chen Guorong nodded upon hearing this: "Thatās not a bad idea."
"Since weāve decided, letās set it tentatively like this. As for the mooncake packaging, we shouldnāt use regular oil paper; if weāre doing it, letās do it well, with unified packaging in boxes printed with our Joy Soon Loy branding, which will make it look more upscale. Additionally, the mooncake molds should also have our own logo. I mean we should find a mold design shop to specially design a logo unique to our restaurant. What do you think?" Cheng Su said.
This way, it can prevent others from using inferior products to pass off as ours.
Old Song and Chen Guorong both agreed that this was a good idea; it not only highlights the distinct characteristics but also promotes their restaurant.
"Then itās settled. Chef Chen, do you know anyone who makes molds? Perhaps they could help design a couple for us to see? Price isnāt an issue." Cheng Su looked at Chen Guorong and said, "The molds should have the joy character and the names of different varieties."
She quickly wrote down several mooncake names and handed them to Chen Guorong.
Chen Guorong glanced at them and said, "Iāll inquire with my fellow colleagues later."
Cheng Su nodded and then brought up Luh Kaiās wedding banquet in August, to be held at their place.