Laojie Yuzui has been established for more than 15 years and is a well-known restaurant brand in Changsha. In Changsha, there is such a saying: "After eating the fish mouth of Laojie, you can count yourself to Changsha", which shows its high status in the hearts of the locals. Laojie Yuzui entered Wuhan in 2017 and opened its first store outside Hunan Province in M Mall.
In terms of decoration design, the Wuhan store restores the "old Changsha" style, using elements such as neon lights and old posters, which is very retro. The restaurant's ordering method is also very special, with a display table at the entrance with a model of the main dishes, and a bamboo stick holder next to the dishes, so that you can order when you take a stick. The advantage of this method is that it adds interest to the ordering process, and diners can see at a glance what the ingredients are made of. However, there are deficiencies in management, and diners are often told that the dishes are sold out only after they have placed their orders.
Laojie fish mouth is the eponymous dish of the store, and the reason why the store can break out of the encirclement among many Hunan restaurants is inseparable from this dish. The fish mouth of Lao Cai specially selects grass carp and takes the lip part of the fish, which is fatty and tender. The fish lips are fried in oil, and then boiled with chili, pepper and other condiments to make it crispy, fresh and spicy. The bottom of the fish lips is spread with konjac, and it is slowly simmered over low heat after being served, the longer it is cooked, the stronger the flavor, whether it is fish lips, konjac, or soup, it is very good for rice. There are 15 to 18 fish lips in a serving of Lao Cai fish mouth, which is more than enough.
Hunan cuisine gives people the impression of "spicy", but the dishes of Hunan restaurants have a different taste. The honeycomb corn introduced by Lao Cai Fish Mouth is a sweet treat, but it also has a good popularity. Honeycomb corn is not common in Hunan restaurants, and the method is to soak the egg white, wrap it in corn kernels, and fry it in an oil pan until golden brown. Honeycomb corn is crispy and refreshing, with a heavy sweet taste, which is suitable for "relieving spiciness", but it is inevitable to get tired when you eat more. Many dishes are on the greasy side, and in addition to honeycomb corn, Mao's braised pork, pork belly and stewed chicken also have similar drawbacks.
In the early days of the opening of the Wuhan store, business was booming, but now the popularity is not as good as before, although the restaurant is a direct store of Laojie Yuzuiba, but there is still a certain gap between the restaurant and the Changsha store. In terms of production, the Wuhan store lacks stability, in addition, the service attitude of the restaurant staff is relatively cold, and the service quality needs to be strengthened.
