Welcome to Chinatown
China x Nyo!China
"Order up!" A booming voice hollered from the kitchen above the chattering of the usual customers.
The kitchen door slammed open letting a petite waiter charge through to her waiting table holding bowls of soup on the tray in her hand. She skillfully dodged the tables and the other waiters who were rushing their way back to the kitchen. Clearly she had years of experience, or at least that is what it seemed like.
Beijing King was this popular ramen shop's name that this lucky girl worked. Her name? Well, her name was Chun-Yan. But the customers always called her Nene which came from nee-chan or Big Sister.
Beijing King was one of the top restaurants in China Town. It was quite the popular place for travelers and the people who lived around the area.
This bustling restaurant was open from 5 am to 11 pm everyday non-stop. They never missed a day. Only the most experienced were allowed to work there. But this time, this wasn't the case for our familiar Chinese friend.
A fairly tall man, slightly pale might I mention, walked through the back door of the cooking joint showing him a full view of the kitchen. He could feel the heat slam onto his face causing him to put his hand up to cover his face.
"Oi, you must be Wang Yao! Welcome to Beijing King," a loud voice boomed as an older man walked up to the visitor. By what he could see this new boss of his looked fairly old, but he seemed to be genuinely friendly and full of energy.
"You can just call me Wang if that's alright aru," he said, attempting to be formal. The old man chuckled in response.
"No need to be formal. Call me Yin. Everybody is family here," he said, patting Wang on the back. "Now, let's get you to work. We need to test your skills in the kitchen before you even start to cook."
The older man pushed Wang with surprising strength and speed across the kitchen to a counter covered with stacks of plates, bowls, and various utensils next to a metal sink with a rag.
Before Wang could ask any questions the old man turned and left to work on various customers orders.
Wang turned to the kitchen sink and let out a sigh, moving his bangs behind his ears. His family had made him work in the family diner for as long as he could remember but ever since his father died they had to sell the family restaurant. Instead he had to work at his dad's trusted friend's diner.
All he wanted to do was provide for the family and start his own food joint but at this rate it seemed that it would take forever. He rested his hands on the edge of the sink and looked up, noticing a large window giving him a view of the customers part of the restaurant. That is what he wanted to do. He wanted to cook and see the happy faces and reactions of his dear customers.
"Well, I suppose I have to start somewhere." he murmured to himself.
He began carefully washing the dishes, trying his best to keep up with the multiple dishes that kept piling. With no luck he decided to speed things up.
Making sure he cleaned the dishes completely, he scrubbed and dried them as quickly as he could. His hands, familiar with the fast paced experiences, skillfully cleaned every dish that came his way.
Hours had passed what felt like minutes. Before he knew it over 4 hours had passed. It was almost 10 pm. Seeing few dishes waiting for him he wiped his forehead with the back his arm and tightened his loose ponytail. Who knew doing dishes could be such a difficult job? He still had until 11:15 before he could leave and end his shift.
Taking a slight break he looked out the window above the sink and noticed a certain waitress who seemed to stand out.
Her moves seemed so natural to her. Her feet were moving left and right as if she were doing a rehearsed dance. Her hands were easily balancing the heavy trays above her head. Her golden brown hair was put up in two buns which were now slightly messy. Her bright golden eyes flamed of fiery energy and liveliness that seemed to be impossible to extinguish.
He was completely fascinated by her. She was so mesmerizing. You had to be a fool not to notice the skill she had.
Hearing more dishes clank near the sink he snapped out of his thoughts and went back to washing his dishes. Little did he know, two pairs of eyes were watching him as he worked.
He was lost into his thoughts until he finally came to his last set of dishes. His arms feeling slightly sore he could tell they were going to be aching by tomorrow.
As he finished the dishes and put them on the drying rack he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw the waitress he had seen before standing there looking up at him with big bright eyes.
Turning around completely he fixed his hair and fixed his clothes, trying to look at least a little presentable for her.
"Hurry up and walk to the front. The boss needs you," she said as a big smile grew on her face. As he began to walk away she pulled on his sleeve stopping him. From behind her back she handed him a small pink gift bag that had a gift tag that read, 'To: Wang Yao. From: Chun-Yan/ Nene. Welcome to the family~'
"Oh! Uh, thank you!" A slight blush grew on Wang's face as he felt flustered. As he looked into her eyes he felt a warmth flow into him as if he had just had a sip of warm soup. There was something about this girl, but he couldn't quite place it.
She nodded in response and they made their way to the front of the diner.
He opened the door of the kitchen and saw all the workers and his boss circled around a small square table with a cake at the center. Party decorations were everywhere and the lights were dimmed. Above the workers was a banner that read, 'Welcome to the family" in big black letters.
They had made a welcome party just for him. He was completely taken aback by surprise. He blushed and bowed forward slightly, "Thank you all very much. I am very grateful. I can't wait to work with you all."
The rest of the night they drank and chattered amongst themselves, that is until, they heard a chime of a glass. Their chattering became quiet and eventually ended as they all looked toward Yin.
"Now it is time for the 12 o'clock cook off! Anyone brave enough to participate please do so!" Yin's voice boldly rang out. Chatter and murmurs commenced as minutes passed. Nobody volunteered.
"I-I'll do it!" Wang's voice shook a little as it rang out amongst the workers. This could be his chance to show off his cooking skills!
Chuckles were heard here and there but quickly died down.
Yin smiled, pleased with the young man's decision. "Then you shall go up against the mighty golden dragon." Yin trailed off as Chun-Yan stood up from her spot and walked into the kitchen. The only rule was not to sabotage, otherwise they could make whatever dish they wanted. They only had 1 hour to make the best meal they could.
The kitchen seemed to flair with energy and sparks. It was as if two dragons were dancing together, yet were in a fierce battle to see who was best. The kitchen burned with heat. Both of the chefs were running left and right, showing off their skills. She brought entertainment to the kitchen as he brought flavor to the table. They were a perfect duo. One always had something that would compliment the other.
She glanced over and watched him as he moved through the kitchen, his face was calm and sincere. Even though he had only been there one day he seemed to know the kitchen like the back of his hand. Every move was on point. He moved swift yet graceful.
Fifty minutes had passed, the chefs were moving to a close. Wang, satisfied with his cooking, put his finished creation on a white square plate. He had made Gong Bao Chicken with two spring roles neatly to the side. Meanwhile, Chun-Yan had made the traditional Chow Mein on a plate with a side of dumplings.
They both glanced at each other and nodded as they slid their plates out onto the serving window so nobody would know who's is who's. They both walked out of the kitchen and sat back in their previous places.
The boss and two other chefs tasted the steaming dishes, completely surprised and equally satisfied.
"T-These are! These are amazing!" one chef said. After minutes of discussing the plates of delicious foods the 3 men came to a conclusion.
"I do believe both of these dishes are extraordinary but there can be only one winner... The winner of this night's cook off is the chef who made a very sweet and traditional dish..." he trailed off.
Wang looked at Chun and gave her a thumbs up. She looked back and gave him a smile and a nod.
"Gong Bao Chicken is tonight's winning dinner and tomorrow's special." Yin proclaimed. Wang couldn't believe his ears. He stared at his dish, his eyes wide with shock.
Chun-Yan stood up and walked up to Wang, putting her hand out in front of her for him to shake. "It was fun cooking with you, maybe we could cook again sometime!" she said as Wang took her hand and shook it.
Yin walked up to Wang and promoted him from dishwasher to chef. He also handed him 125 Yuan for washing the dishes.
When Wang made it home he opened the little pink package Chun-Yan had given him. It was a red good luck charm with a panda phone accessory attached to it. Attached to the gift was a letter that read, 'Can't wait to work with you.'
*Extra* (What happened after I suppose XD)
From that night forward Wang and Chun quickly became friends, and took turns taking their cooking and serving shifts. Wang would charm his customers with his food and his skill as Chun would charm with her looks and her moves. They were a pair born to be.
Every night Chun-Yan would win against Wang for the midnight cooking competitions but losing occasionally to the lucky Wang. Chun-Yan eventually grew charmed by him as he was by her.
Beijing King eventually grew prosperous. Wang was soon able to own his own restaurant and begin his own family business for generations to come. Chun followed suit and worked at his diner, bringing multitudes of customers along with her. From then on, the two chefs were inseparable.