01x02 - Guirong Wei

[bunniefuu]

[soft music playing]

[Guirong in Mandarin]

Our wheat is particularly unique

due to the environment it grows in.

In the mountains of our hometown,

the growth conditions for wheat

are very harsh.

In the winter,

the wheat seedlings are covered

with a white layer of frost.

Other plants covered with snow will die,

but wheat doesn't.

As warmer weather melts the snow,

the wheat grows better and fuller.

Wheat is quite tasty.

Wheat noodles have a richer aroma.

The moment

you open the cooking basket lid,

the aroma of the noodles fills the room.

Even without anything on the noodles,

you can appreciate the special fragrance.

This tradition of flour-food culture

spans thousands of years.

It's something I cannot lose at my core.

To me, wheat is incredibly precious.

[music fades]

[theme music playing]

[music fades]

[indistinct chattering]

[woman in English] In London, Chinese food

is one of the best-loved foreign cuisines.

But it's also unrepresentative

of the variety in Chinese cuisine.

Going from one province to another

is like going to another world,

in food terms.

[soft music playing]

[Fuchsia] And so for Guirong Wei,

it's not just about

the business and cooking.

There's a cultural mission too.

In China, there are really

very few women chefs.

To make it, they have to be

better than everyone else.

That's the case with Guirong.

[music intensifies]

[Fuchsia] She came here

with nothing, really.

No English skills.

And yet she just

opened her fourth restaurant.

In London, she's put Xi'an food

on the map.

[man] Xi'an, one of the ancient capitals

of the world,

is a cultural hub of China

and very important gastronomically.

The Silk Road and the Muslim populations

in Xi'an have influenced its cuisine,

such as flavor profiles

and the spices that they use.

Therefore, a lot of the dishes

you see there

are very unique to that region of China.

When Guirong cooks,

you get transported to Xi'an from it.

[music continues]

[Fuchsia] One of the foreign stereotypes

about Chinese food

is that it's all about rice.

But Guirong Wei is from North China,

where it's all about wheat.

They call it mianshi, flour foods.

You have dumplings, bread, noodles.

Xi'an is famous for its noodles.

They have dozens of different varieties,

sometimes cut or hand-shaped

or hand-stretched.

Xi'an noodles are becoming

really loved in London,

thanks to the efforts of Guirong Wei.

[music fades]

[Guirong in Mandarin] In Shaanxi,

there are about 100 types of noodles.

The most famous are Biang Biang noodles.

These noodles give you an understanding

of the culture of Xi'an.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] As a Shaanxi native

who grew up in Xi'an,

I have an obligation

to carry on the cuisine's tradition.

So I use

the traditional handmade technique.

The original flour aroma should remain.

When I was a kid, my grandma and my mom

taught me how to make noodles.

When slapped on the board,

the dough makes a biang-biang sound.

I really enjoy this process.

[music continues]

[Guirong] We usually

add seasoning to the noodles

like local vinegar,

scallions, chili, and garlic.

When you pour the oil

on top of the seasoning,

you get a sizzling sound.

The noodles look so beautiful.

They are bouncy as if they're dancing.

After the first bite,

I know one bowl won't be enough.

They're soft, chewy,

and smooth at the same time.

I don't think

I'll ever get enough of them.

[music continues]

[Guirong]

I want to spread our Shaanxi noodles

to more people around the world.

My hope is to make Xi'an noodles

reach people far and wide.

It is my duty and responsibility.

[music fades]

[Guirong] There's a Chinese saying,

"No one is promised a life of happiness."

I had a rougher childhood than my peers.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] I was born in the south

of Shaanxi Province, China.

There were 800 people in our village.

The entire village was very poor,

and our family was one of the poorer ones.

We were peasants.

Every year our family

didn't have quite enough food.

I am the eldest kid in my family.

I have two younger sisters.

Back then, Chinese people would say,

"Three daughters end a family line."

My parents thought that without a son,

there would be no one to do physical labor

or to support them in old age.

As the eldest daughter in the family,

I had an obligation

to bring in a live-in son-in-law.

I didn't think it should be this way.

I should go out in the world

and learn more.

[music continues]

[Guirong] I thought to myself,

"Even if my parents don't have a son,

someday I'll show them

I'm undoubtedly as capable as sons."

[music fades]

[Guirong] My first dream

was to go beyond the Qin Mountains.

Studying was our only way

out of the mountains at the time.

But our family couldn't afford the tuition

for all three of us.

[indistinct chattering]

[Guirong]

When I was 11 or 12, I made a decision.

I should drop out of school

and start earning money,

so my sisters could get a good education.

And the whole family would be better off.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] I found my first job

at a Paomo restaurant.

I would wash dishes and do various chores.

While washing dishes,

I'd watch the master chef at the stove.

That looked so cool to me.

[music intensifies]

[Guirong] There was a rhythm to it.

When to put in the seasoning,

when to toss the wok,

and when to scrub and wash the wok.

I didn't have music education as a kid,

and those kitchen sounds

were like music to me.

[music continues]

[Guirong] The swooshing sound

of washing the wok,

the clanging of the ladle as it stirs,

and the crackling of flames.

I knew what was happening

in the kitchen without even looking.

"The master chef is adding seasoning."

"Oh, the dish is done. It's being served."

I thought to myself,

"One day I'll be in that position."

[music fades]

[bells trolling]

[Guirong] One day,

my cousin came back from Xi'an,

the big, provincial capital city.

She said, "Come with me to Xi'an.

There are many job opportunities.

You'd probably

earn much more money there."

After hearing that,

I decided I had to go to Xi'an.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] My family was against it.

I was only 13 at the time.

It took over 10 hours by car

from our town to cross the Qin Mountains.

If I went over to Xi'an,

they wondered if I'd ever come back.

[music continues]

[Guirong] I firmly told them

that I would come back

and not leave my parents uncared for.

When leaving, I spoke with my sisters.

Pointing to the wall

behind our kitchen, I said,

"Look, I've always been

an excellent student."

"My certificates are all over the wall."

"If you don't study hard in the future,

that's your problem."

"Not being able to

afford your tuition is mine."

In front of my family,

I acted really optimistic and strong.

But the moment the bus left,

I actually cried.

[music fades]

[Guirong] When I got to Xi'an,

my cousin took me downtown.

Xi'an is a historical capital.

Its rich history and prosperity

span thousands of years.

I had a feeling that in this city

I would definitely find my place.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] Under the ancient city wall

were various markets.

There was a huge variety of foods.

Steamed buns,

different Xi'an-style dumplings…

and so many kinds of noodles.

I thought people

in my hometown loved noodles,

but people in Xi'an

love noodles even more.

[music continues]

[Guirong] While we were walking around,

my cousin said,

"You should learn a trade."

She said I could learn flower arranging.

I said, "I can't learn that.

Look, I'm like a boy."

"That's not for me."

Then she said, "How about a seamstress?"

I said, "They sit all the time.

That's even worse."

She said, "Then what do you want?"

I replied,

"I'd like to learn to be a chef."

My cousin was really worried.

Generally, it was a trade for boys.

[music continues]

I said, "No need to worry.

I'm just as capable as boys."

[music fades]

[Fuchsia in English] One of

the most famous Xi'an street foods

is called Liangpi, Cold Skin Noodles.

It's a mixture

of these slippery white starch noodles

with chewier yellow wheat gluten.

They're made by deconstructing dough

into wheat starch and gluten,

which the Chinese

have been doing for centuries.

[upbeat music playing]

[Guirong in Mandarin]

I first make the dough from flour

and soak it in water.

I wash it until the gluten and starch

are completely separated.

Then I steam the gluten.

I use the settled starch water

to steam the cold skin.

Once they're cool,

I cut them into thin noodle-like slices.

The process is complicated

and requires a lot of work.

But it's worth it.

[Fuchsia in English]

Liangpi is made into a salad

with cucumber slivers,

garlic, and vinegar.

It's a refreshing dish

with a really interesting texture.

They're soft and slithery

and a little bit crisp.

It's a whole sensory experience.

[Andrew] Chinese cuisine

is full of innovative technique.

And the dishes

that you get from these techniques

are completely unique

to the Chinese kitchen.

[music continues]

[Guirong in Mandarin]

Nowhere else in the world can you find

these water-washed noodles of my hometown.

To me, it's unmatched

by other types of cuisines.

After all, our cuisine

dates back thousands of years.

There must be a reason.

[music fades]

[Guirong]

After I graduated from culinary school,

a flood caused by a landslide

hit our hometown.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong]

Over the phone, my sister told me

the water came directly into our home.

If the house had collapsed,

my family could've been crushed to death.

It's in Chinese people's DNA

to take care of their parents.

I felt upset because, at that time,

my internship salary was very low.

I didn't have much saved

to help my family.

I also couldn't go back

to see them right away.

That's when I had an idea.

I should improve my skills

and make more money.

to help my parents build a new house.

I spent a long time planning.

I simply couldn't stop working

in the kitchen.

I'd even help the others.

Making cold dishes,

chopping ingredients,

stirring dishes,

making flour-based dishes, and more.

I didn't see it as working for others.

I was doing it for my family.

-[music fades]

-[indistinct chattering]

[Guirong]

I worked at a hotel for many years,

trying my best

to improve myself and learn the craft.

One day, our head chef

went to Tokyo, Japan.

I spoke with my manager and said,

"I think I can do the job of a head chef."

"Could you give me a chance?"

She said, "Yes, you can try

the head chef position."

[soft music playing]

[Guirong]

I was worried, especially about one thing.

I'm a woman

and the only woman in the kitchen,

in charge of a group of men older than me!

They were all more experienced than me.

When taking attendance,

I would be the youngest

and the only woman,

looking at the rows of men,

calling out their names.

[Fuchsia in English] In China,

there aren't many women who are in charge

of the kitchen

and in charge of the woks.

It's seen as unfeminine and hard-going.

Women heading up kitchens

have to be determined to show them all

and outdo the men.

[music continues]

[Guirong in Mandarin]

I did feel it wasn't going to be easy.

But I was still convinced

that I could do it.

I just kept working in the kitchen,

doing my thing every day.

Our team gradually adjusted.

And later on, they worked well with me.

My dream of managing a kitchen

had come true.

[music fades]

[Guirong] No cucumber shreds?

This doesn't need cucumber shreds, so no.

[Fuchsia in English]

Working as a head chef in Xi'an,

Guirong really impressed

the people she was working with.

And then in 2008,

she was given this opportunity

to come to London

to work for the famous

Sichuanese restaurant called Barshu.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong in Mandarin]

I was so excited because

in London, the salary was very high.

I thought if I worked abroad for a year,

I might be able to

build my parents a house.

Besides, I had always

dreamed of going abroad.

But this wasn't like

going from my hometown to Xi'an.

[music continues]

[Guirong] I had never been on a plane.

The moment I landed on British soil,

I wanted to see what Britain was like.

It was drizzling outside.

It was 4:30 p.m. and already dark out.

The roads were very narrow.

Not a single new

or tall building in sight.

London was said to be developed,

but all I saw was old and shabby houses.

I felt anxious.

[music fades]

[Guirong] In London, there were

many different types of cuisine.

I had Malaysian food, Spanish food,

and pizza.

But Chinese food

wasn't well-developed yet.

There were very few Xi'an people here

and no noodle shops.

[soft music playing]

[Fuchsia in English] When Guirong Wei

came to London,

she started working with Barshu.

It was the first

major Sichuanese restaurant in London.

And the restaurant was successful.

It turned out Londoners were really ready

for a new taste of Chinese food.

Guirong was in an unfamiliar place

where she didn't speak the language.

And yet, she is so determined

and tenacious.

[Guirong in Mandarin]

I was the only chef on the team

who didn't come from Sichuan.

Traditional Shaanxi cuisine

and Sichuan cuisine are different.

I love cooking food from my hometown.

So one day,

for the staff meal

I made Biang Biang noodles.

They all said, "We like this."

That made me really happy.

So every Sunday night,

I'd make different flour foods.

My colleagues looked forward to Sundays.

"Ah, finally a break from Sichuan food."

"Time for Shaanxi flour foods."

It really inspired me

to open a noodle shop

with my hometown cooking.

[music continues]

[music fades]

[Guirong groans]

You just came back?

[Guirongs mom] I came back around nine.

Where is Little Lemon?

She is still in Hunan.

Oh.

She's having fun,

so she'll stay in our hometown

until school starts.

That makes sense.

Maybe she doesn't even

want to go to school now.

She is very naughty,

just like Little Yue Yue.

Yeah.

She is good at coaxing her grandparents.

She rides on Grandpa's neck.

Oh.

At her grandparents' home,

she is the boss.

[Guirong]

I worked at Barshu for seven years.

During those years,

my work went quite smoothly.

-[Guirongs mom] Shall we hang up?

-Okay.

[Guirong] Every year,

I gave extra money to my parents

so my sisters could continue to study.

I felt a small sense of accomplishment.

I could have stayed at Barshu

for the rest of my career.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] But I still had this desire

to introduce Shaanxi's flour-food culture

to more Westerners.

So I said to my boss,

"I really want to open a restaurant."

He didn't want me to resign and leave.

He said, "Our restaurant is doing great."

"You could be the head chef

when we expand to a new spot."

"I can also send you to

a Michelin star restaurant to learn."

"All good options."

I said, "I'd love to learn things,

but they're different

from the direction of my dream."

I turned down his offer.

That's when I left Barshu.

[music fades]

[Guirong]

I got the lease for my first restaurant.

To start, I needed to draft the menu.

It had to include the core dishes

of Shaanxi cuisine.

But I worried

Westerners might not be receptive to that.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong]

We Northerners love chewy noodles.

Many restaurant owners

saw this as a challenge.

They couldn't imagine

selling such glutinous noodles in London.

HAND-ROLLED NOODLES

[Guirong] I was told Western customers

would not like it.

When cooking Sichuan food at Barshu,

we'd use fewer numbing Sichuan peppers

given Westerners' limited tolerance.

At my hometown-style restaurant,

I didn't want to alter our food culture.

I procured and shipped

chili peppers from China,

and ground my own chili powder.

I had no idea how the business would go.

I had some fear.

My new staff had never seen

Shaanxi noodles before,

so I had to teach them from scratch.

Across from my Xi'an Impression restaurant

were two tall buildings

with many residents.

They'd come down to try our food.

Gradually, customers started coming back

two, three, four days in a row!

We didn't need to advertise.

Word of mouth was enough.

Three weeks in,

The Guardian called me.

Time Out also called

to write about us.

It was quite a shock.

And just like that, business was booming.

I felt quite pleased with that.

[music fades]

[bus whirring]

[Guirong] Two months later,

I started to feel discomfort

throughout my body.

I thought I was just exhausted

from the restaurant.

I went to the doctor and the doctor asked,

"You didn't know

you're three months pregnant?"

I said I had no idea. [laughs]

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] Mentally, I was really torn.

Developing a career while being pregnant

is extremely difficult.

I always thought

that restaurants were my calling.

This business

could change my family's fate.

I couldn't give it up.

[music intensifies]

[Guirong] I didn't know how it would go,

but I was extremely determined.

My friends were so worried.

"How are you in the kitchen

with your big belly,

walking around knives and woks?"

"Aren't you afraid?"

I said I would find a way

to do what I really wanted to do.

That is, to have a child and my career.

[music fades]

[Guirong] I took about a month off

after giving birth to my daughter.

Then I hired a nanny

to help look after her,

so I could go back to work.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] Because business was good,

I opened my second restaurant

called Master Wei.

I started working at seven a.m.

Sometimes I wouldn't get home

until midnight or one a.m.

[Guirong] No water.

I'll heat the oil there.

Don't add water.

It's fine. The wok has just dried.

[Guirong]

For most of my daughter's childhood,

I didn't spend much time with her.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] I had a struggle in my heart.

I wasn't sure if I should

spend more time with my daughter

or put more time in

and keep giving my all to the restaurants.

The most difficult time was

when my daughter was sick with a fever,

and I couldn't be with her.

I had a friend take her to the hospital.

My daughter kept asking,

"Mom, when can you

spend time with me and rest?"

I know my daughter didn't want me

to work too hard.

[music continues]

[Guirong] I wasn't a good mother.

I felt quite lost about it.

[music fades]

-[Guirong] Hold my hands.

-[Yue Yue] Okay.

-Do you hear the ducks quack?

-Yeah.

[ducks quacking]

Wow, they must be starving, right?

Right.

Come here, Mom.

Where?

Here.

[Yue Yue moans]

Let me help you.

Put it here.

-[grunting]

-[soft music playing]

They're coming!

[Guirong] I want to give my daughter

a much better life than I had.

For her to have a better education,

I have no choice but to work this hard.

I need to believe everything is worth it.

[Guirong] What if you fell in?

[Yue Yue] You can save me.

[Guirong] Is that so?

I can't swim. Can you swim?

-Can you?

-A little bit.

A little bit?

Is this fun?

Yes.

[music continues]

Come over here, Yue.

[Guirong] Whenever I manage

to have some free time,

I take her

to see and learn about the world.

I barely have time for her,

but I can provide the opportunities

for her to pursue education.

This is my responsibility in life.

Wow, how do you throw it so far?

I have no idea.

Because as soon as I throw it out,

it just goes far.

Oh, I see.

-Then teach me that. Okay?

-Okay.

[Guirong] I took my daughter

to a pretty good school.

At her interview, she was really happy.

She was great at answering the questions.

The principal said,

"Welcome to our school."

[soft music continues]

It was such a good feeling.

[Guirong] What did they say?

-They're talking, right?

-[Yue Yue] Yeah.

-Chatting.

-I know what they said.

[Yue Yue grunting]

"Hello, you ate this bread as well?"

"It's so yummy."

[Guirong] Because the school is far away,

I had to move south.

I spend about 3.5 hours

commuting to and from work every day.

Although challenging,

I think it's all worth it.

My daughter has a great time in school.

She wishes we could

spend more time together.

But now she understands

why her mom goes to work

every day and works so hard.

[music fades]

[upbeat music playing]

[music continues]

[music fades]

Yue, I'll wrap you in it.

Come on. Yay, wrapping you in.

Sounds good?

Can I wrap you up with it?

It's big enough to wrap you up.

[Guirong] I feel like I've been

on the right path all these years.

Cooking has not only

fulfilled my own dream

of doing what I love,

but also helped better my family's life.

[soft music playing]

[Guirong] My two sisters

are now fully independent.

My youngest sister is a doctor.

And my other sister

is also doing pretty well in Xi'an.

I still support my parents.

I built four single-story houses

for my family.

And now, my parents think that

this daughter is much better

than other people's sons.

I hope when my daughter grows up,

she'll realize her own potential.

I won't force her into

or steer her away from anything.

My daughter knows this, too.

[music continues]

[Fuchsia in English] Thanks to the efforts

of restaurateurs like Guirong,

that whole stereotype

of Chinese cuisine has been shattered.

The door is ajar for Westerners

to see the variety of Chinese cuisine.

It's not what you thought it was.

There's so much more to discover.

And the leading light of Xi'an food

in London has been Guirong Wei.

[Guirong in Mandarin] Up to now,

my life has been

like that of Shaanxi wheat.

The wheat is tenacious and resilient,

growing step by step.

My path has not been easy,

but the hardships I faced shaped me

into a person of responsibility

and independent thinking.

I also hope my future is like the wheat.

Overcoming obstacles, one step at a time.

[music fades]

[upbeat music playing]

[music continues]

[music fades]