Chapter 247: The Small Restaurant with Many Rules
"No name?"
"This is…"
Wang Peng glanced at Xue Zhebin and noticed that he, just like the waiter, was smiling without saying a word.
Wang Peng suddenly felt a bit looked down upon—like some country bumpkin who had never seen the world before.
'That can't be right. How can a restaurant operate without a name? Or is this some kind of marketing strategy—keeping the name secret on purpose?'
Wang Peng felt unusually defeated today.
As one of the co-founders of AllReviews, he had visited countless restaurants, many with unique styles and creative ideas.
But something as bizarre as this—he really hadn't encountered much before.
Normally, even the most low-key private kitchens still had names.
Some simply used their address, like "Kitchen No. 45" or "Restaurant 78."
After all, no matter how mysterious you want to be, you still need some name.
Otherwise, how would people describe your restaurant when they want to come back? That would just be too inconvenient.
And besides, having no name makes it impossible for word-of-mouth to spread or for the place to gain any recognition.
Unless, of course, the owner truly doesn't care about publicity—or is extremely confident in their food—no one would run a business like that.
Seeing Wang Peng's confused expression made Xue Zhebin feel quite pleased.
A strange sense of superiority welled up in him.
"Don't overthink it. Just eat before the dishes get cold," Xue Zhebin urged.
Wang Peng nodded, putting aside his confusion for now.
He pulled out his phone, intending to take some photos.
Before the waiter could even say anything, Xue Zhebin spoke up first.
He pointed to a small sign by the table: "No photography allowed."
Wang Peng: "?"
The restaurant isn't even that big, but damn, it's got a lot of rules!
He'd heard of restaurants that didn't allow photos before, but those were rare—and mostly abroad.
In China, a restaurant forbidding customers from taking photos was basically unthinkable.
For many people, snapping a few pictures before eating had practically become a ritual.
If you can't post your meal online to show off, what's the point of splurging on an expensive dinner?
If you spend that much money and can't even flaunt it a little, isn't that the same as not coming at all?
Of course, such "no photography" rules usually weren't strictly enforced.
Even if you insisted on taking pictures, the waiter wasn't going to smash your phone.
They'd just politely remind you not to, and if you still did—well, there's nothing they could do about it.
But even being reminded once—"please don't take photos"—was already enough to ruin the dining mood.
Most restaurants wouldn't make such a foolish move.
What's more, customers posting photos online is free advertising.
It draws in more diners—why wouldn't any restaurant want that?
So from any business perspective, banning photography was utterly baffling.
Wang Peng frowned. "What's the point of that? These dishes look incredible! Isn't it a waste if we can't take pictures of them?"
He gazed at the food in front of him—each dish looked exquisite, full of color, aroma, and flavor.
Not being able to capture them and show them off felt like a huge loss.
Xue Zhebin's smile deepened. Wang Peng's confusion made him feel even more self-satisfied.
"That's what makes this place so special," he explained.
"The owner believes that taking photos distracts you from truly enjoying the food."
"If your mind is focused on finding the right angle and lighting, then you're not really savoring the aroma, flavor, or the craftsmanship behind each dish."
"Only by putting down your phone can you fully enjoy the meal, the company, and the sense of relaxation that comes with it."
"So let's just go with the flow today. I know you're busy, but one meal won't delay anything. Put your phone away and enjoy."
Wang Peng still felt it was a shame, but since Xue Zhebin had already spoken up, it would have been awkward to insist on taking photos.
So he put his phone away and began to enjoy the meal.
Tomahawk steak, matsutake mushrooms, caviar…
None of these were cheap dishes—this meal alone would cost over ten thousand yuan.
And even then, Xue Zhebin hadn't ordered the restaurant's most expensive dishes, because he wasn't sure if the ones marked "by reservation only" were genuine.
Wang Peng sampled each dish carefully, savoring the flavors.
"As expected… this really isn't ordinary food."
As an executive of AllReviews, Wang Peng had tasted countless fine dishes—after all, that was part of his job.
Whether a dish is truly good depends first on the ingredients, then on the chef's skill, and finally on the environment, atmosphere, and the diner's mood.
Among these, the quality of the ingredients is the most essential foundation.
And from just a single bite, Wang Peng could tell that these ingredients were the real deal.
Of course, they weren't the absolute top-tier ingredients in the world.
Many rare ingredients abroad are non-commercial, produced in limited quantities, and only available locally—they can't even be shipped to China.
But clearly, this nameless restaurant was already using the best ingredients one could possibly find domestically.
Watching Wang Peng's expression, Xue Zhebin asked, "So, how's the taste?"
As a rich second-generation kid, Xue Zhebin had eaten plenty of high-end food and could tell good from bad, but he wasn't a professional.
Compared to Wang Peng, his palate still had limits.
Wang Peng nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. In fact, I'd say it's even better than what I've had before."
"For example, take this caviar—did you know that 30% of the world's caviar production now comes from our country? Out of 26 three-star Michelin restaurants in Paris, 21 use our top-grade domestic caviar."
"Our farmed caviar can fully match the quality of wild caviar."
"I've eaten at some of the top restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai, and they should be using the same kind of ingredients."
"But for some reason… the caviar here just tastes better."
"Could it be a psychological effect—from the tableware or the environment?"
Xue Zhebin thought for a moment about the difference in décor this time and said, "Now that you mention it, this private room looks completely redone. The decorations, tables, utensils—everything's different from last time."
He turned to the waiter. "Why did you change everything?"
The waiter replied with a polite smile:
"Our boss believes that the environment is also an essential part of the dining experience."
"Just like how scholars and poets in ancient times had elaborate rituals for drinking—different wines were served in different cups, and there were many intricate steps involved. It wasn't only about ceremony; it was because the right vessel brings out the unique qualities of the wine and enhances the atmosphere."
Wang Peng was speechless for a while before finally nodding. "That's… refined."
In any other setting, Wang Peng would've laughed and called this approach pretentious nonsense.
Changing the interior design, tables, and utensils just to match different dishes?
That was all surface-level showmanship. If the food itself wasn't good, all of that would be meaningless.
But if the ingredients and the chef's skill were already top-notch?
Then what made the experience stand out might really come down to those subtle, seemingly minor details—
The special atmosphere, the attentive service, the carefully chosen tableware…
And with the "no photography" rule in place, diners focused entirely on the food itself.
That kind of forced attention could easily create a powerful psychological suggestion—making people truly believe the food tasted better.
As a result, even two identical dishes could leave very different impressions depending on where and how they were served.
"How much is this meal?" Wang Peng asked again.
Xue Zhebin smiled. "Thirteen thousand."
Wang Peng nodded with genuine admiration. "Worth every yuan."
. . .
When Wang Peng walked out the doors of Mingyun Private Kitchen, he still felt reluctant to leave.
Even though Xue Zhebin had "slaughtered" him for over ten thousand yuan today, he still thought the meal was more than worth it.
If not for Xue Zhebin's recommendation, Wang Peng never would have guessed that there was such a high-end restaurant hidden right here in Jingzhou.
And it wasn't just about how good the food was.
The place was discreet and low-profile, the interior decor was top-class, the service attentive, and the "no photography" policy made it feel even more exclusive and sophisticated.
This was the perfect spot for business banquets.
Yes, the price was high—but with the right atmosphere, if you could make your business partners feel happy, respected, and impressed, then it was absolutely worth it.
Besides, when Wang Peng glanced at the receipt, he realized the prices were actually reasonable.
After all, premium ingredients were expensive to begin with—add in first-rate chefs, a luxury setting, and the extra labor involved in changing tableware and decorations…
In that context, the pricing was surprisingly fair.
The only pity was that he hadn't managed to get the owner's contact information.
When they went to pay, the restaurant's manager—a polite man named Manager Lin—came over to ask if they had any feedback or suggestions for improvement.
Wang Peng took the chance to request the owner's contact info, hoping to bring the restaurant into a partnership with AllReviews.
But Manager Lin politely declined.
To be precise, he declined on behalf of the owner. He gave Wang Peng his own phone number, but not the owner's.
And through him, the owner also declined AllReviews's partnership offer—and still refused to disclose even the restaurant's name.
Wang Peng didn't press the issue. From the restaurant's location, its lack of advertising, and the overall air of restraint, he could tell the owner was someone who valued privacy.
Not giving out contact info fit perfectly with that style.
So he simply saved Manager Lin's number instead—this way, he could make reservations for future business dinners directly.
Still, he couldn't help but feel it was a shame that AllReviews couldn't officially feature this place.
Then again… did that really mean the restaurant couldn't be listed on their platform?
Of course not.
AllReviews had a "Add a New Venue" feature—users could submit business info themselves.
The only issue was that the restaurant name field was mandatory. That would need a little creative help from the tech team.
Wang Peng jotted down the restaurant's location coordinates, then called one of his engineers:
"There's a high-end restaurant here. Add it to the map," he said. "I'll write the review myself later."
"There's no name—just leave that field blank."
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