This month we meet restaurant owner Zhang Bin, a former IT worker turned noodle seller. An all-around nice guy – he shouts us a cold drink to cool down in the heat wave – Zhang likes living in the present and is happiest in bed.
Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. This is our magazine.
[Zhang points to our interview with a kaoya slicer] Hey, I know that guy!
Huh, small world.
Yeah, we’re all friends.
How are you feeling today?
Very good – I’m really hot and tired but still happy.
What was the first thing you thought when you woke up this morning?
I’ve got to get to work!
Who are your best customers?
Strangers, because they can offer suggestions on how to improve. They don’t know me so they can be honest about the food – plus they can also turn into friends.
Who are your worst customers?
My most familiar customers. When they visit sometimes there’s a big line but because they’re my friends, they skip the line. This isn’t a good look.
Which living person do you most admire?
Can I say nobody? I admire myself.
When and where are you happiest?
In my bed at home because I don’t have to think about anything there.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I want to have a good sense of taste because it’s important for my job.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
That my restaurant hasn’t closed [laughs]. I’m kidding. But my answer would have to be starting this business and seeing it grow and grow.
If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
I’d try and get up earlier because then I’d be able to do more with my day.
What is your most treasured possession?
My family and loved ones. Money can’t buy these things – they are real.
What trait do you most value in a person?
Honesty.
What do you dislike the most?
That’s a pretty broad question! Hmm. I don’t like getting hung up on the past. Some people like to talk about how they achieved or did something before – but what about now?
What is your motto?
I think that if you have decided on something, you need to persevere – don’t listen to others and change your goal. Don’t have any regrets, just do it.
What always makes you laugh?
My friends.
What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you?
Friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time and who live far away came to visit me.
Who is your hero?
Mao Zedong.
Which era of China’s history would you most like to have lived in?
It’s got to be today in Beijing. Life now is very comfortable – we can eat as much food as we want, and so many new things have been introduced to China.
What is your idea of the perfect day?
Wake up next to my girlfriend, go to the restaurant and see it full of customers who are eating a lot, pass the day with zero problems, and then go home and have a good sleep. Simple, but if every day could be like this, then [life] would be perfect.
You can try Zhang’s noodles at Mian’r Noodle Bar, on the corner of Chunxiu Lu and Shizipo Jie (opposite The Crib)
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