My Restaurant Connects to the Northern Song Dynasty

Through this door, Wu Ming meets two scholars, Su Shi and Su Zhe, who have come from Meizhou to take the imperial examination in the capital. They are drawn by the “Chuan Cuisine” sign and miss the flavors of their hometown. Wu Ming serves them fish-fragrant shredded pork rice, a dish that does not exist in the Song Dynasty but is adapted to suit their lighter palate by using milder chili peppers. The brothers are deeply impressed by the complex flavors and the high quality of the native pork. Wu Ming refuses payment, knowing that they will pass the examination the following year, and asks only for their future patronage. The Su brothers enjoy the meal immensely, though Su Zhe is anxious about their father finding out they sneaked out. Later, their father Su Xun scolds them for neglecting their studies, but Su Shi smoothly talks his way out of punishment.

After the encounter, Wu Ming spends two days investigating the Song Dynasty food scene in Kaifeng. He finds the market extremely competitive, with restaurants opening before dawn and closing late at night. He visits several well-regarded eateries and concludes that while Song chefs possess excellent knife skills and cooking techniques, their dishes are limited by the lack of modern seasonings such as Pixian doubanjiang, chili oil, and various fermented sauces. He discovers that any meat brought from the Song Dynasty to the modern kitchen becomes top-quality premium meat through the portal. This gives him an edge.

He also observes that heavy rains have caused flooding in the capital, displacing many disaster victims. The imperial court provides relief, but many low-income people still struggle. This gives him the idea to sell affordable modern pre-made breakfast items to the Song commoners targeting those who cannot afford expensive dishes. He contacts a supplier named Zhang Tao to provide red bean buns, mushroom vegetable buns, white steamed buns, and tea eggs—one hundred of each per day. Despite Zhang Tao’s skepticism about opening at 4 am and using pre-made pastries, Wu Ming insists on starting early. He also plans to sell porridge with pickled vegetables or meat porridge for higher profit. That same day, he buys ingredients for porridge cooking from the market, eager to ensure a stable income stream to fund his larger plans. Wu Ming’s journey thus begins: leveraging modern food technology and ancient premium ingredients to build a unique cross-time restaurant business while navigating the challenges of both worlds.