Ma Zhiqiang had a wealth of work experience.
Before becoming a freelance banquet worker in Beijing, taking whatever jobs came his way, he had run a small restaurant, joined a braised chicken rice chain, and contracted to run a school canteen window.
His work experience was almost comparable to Grandpa Gao's romantic history.
Now asked by his boss to make a canteen-style braised eggplant, he immediately got to work.
After washing the eggplants, he WHACK, WHACK, WHACKED them into rolling knife cuts with his cleaver. While chopping, he said, "In the canteen, the eggplant pieces are relatively larger because it makes the dish appear more voluminous and substantial."
