The key to catering is not whether the chef is a human or a machine, but whether the services provided match the needs of customers. However, when spoon owners become machines, the regulatory perspective also needs to be expanded accordingly. Exploring the establishment of digital "health certificates" for machines, achieving regular verification and data tracking, may be a worthwhile path to try. Stainless steel machines are accelerating the replacement of human chefs - Seven Fresh Chefs under JD.com, and One Water's robotic spoons. Spicy stir fried meat, stir fried beef, stir fried chicken with fungus, and other stir fried dishes, including rice and vegetables, are delivered to your doorstep for only 15 to 20 yuan per serving. Beijing's Nanchengxiang is also vigorously promoting robot stir frying. It is said that the cost of serving dishes is only one-third of that of traditional restaurants, and the selling price is directly set as the "cabbage price": meat dishes such as sour and spicy chicken offal, chopped spicy basa fish, and spicy stir fried meat are priced at 3.18 yuan or two; Braised tofu with minced meat and cabbage, braised eggplant with green beans, tomato and egg, and other vegetarian dishes are priced at 1.58 yuan or two. Calculated, it may be more cost-effective than cooking at home, not to mention saving the trouble of washing, cutting, burning, and brushing. No wonder people can confidently shout 'If you don't want to cook, come to Nancheng Xiang'. This wave of automation has spread from regions to the whole country. Hunan brand Bawan, known as the "first self-developed intelligent stir fry robot chain fast food in China", has already left Hunan and has signed contracts with over 1000 stores nationwide. Where is the strength of a machine chef? Firstly, there is the 'hard dish' of cost. An experienced chef can earn a monthly salary of tens of thousands of yuan, while robots are a one-time investment and long-term operation. Ordinary employees can operate with a little training, and the monthly labor cost savings are directly converted into surprise prices on the menu. The machine chef also comes with a steel like stability. The temperature is set and will not burn the pot; When to add what ingredients, just follow the prompts. Unlike human chefs, when their hands shake, the dishes may become salty or burnt. Interestingly, these restaurants that use machine chefs not only emphasize "stir fry" on their signs, but also commonly set up bright kitchens and stoves, allowing customers to witness the entire process of side dishes, stir frying, and serving. And most consumers do not care whether the chef is a human or a machine. They are more concerned about whether the price is expensive, whether the ingredients are new or fresh, whether the taste is good, and whether the environment is clean. This precisely indicates that the key to catering is not whether the chef is a human or a machine, but whether the services provided match the needs of customers. Some people pursue efficiency, stability, and cost-effectiveness, and a meal of just over ten yuan is exactly what they want; Some people prefer the warmth of craftsmanship and the sense of ceremony in dining, while traditional restaurants still have their own place. Whether standing in front of the stove is a five-star chef or an "Iron Man", the business logic of the catering industry has never changed: cooking revolves around eating, and you can do whatever you say is good. However, as spoon owners transition from being temperature conscious masters to code driven machines, the traditional regulatory model centered around humans and the environment also faces new challenges. In the past, regulatory focus mainly focused on health certificates, kitchen hygiene, and ingredient storage; Now, the regulatory perspective also needs to be expanded accordingly. For example, the sensitivity of sensors and the normal operation of programs are also related to food safety. Exploring the establishment of digital "health certificates" for machines, achieving regular verification and data tracking, may be a worthwhile path to try. The previous surprise inspections that relied on "seeing with the eyes, smelling with the nose, touching with the hands, and checking records" are no longer effective in front of machine chefs. Regulatory tools need to keep up with the times, such as through device data access, online monitoring of key parameters, etc., to moderately move regulatory nodes forward and shift from post punishment to in-process intervention. And the deeper issue may lie in how to define the boundary of 'make and sell'. Lettuce and raw meat can be stir fried by machine without much controversy, but if all the ingredients and seasonings are pre packaged and the machine is only busy heating and stirring, is it still considered stir fried? If relevant standards can be introduced to distinguish between food processing and processing depth, it will not only help regulate publicity and reduce disputes, but also enable consumers to make clear choices. When the chef becomes a robot, the supervisor must be the "Kitchen God" of the algorithm era, escorting good restaurants and standing guard for smoke and fire. Of course, technological innovation and regulatory follow-up ultimately depend on whether consumers are satisfied or not. So, would you like to try the dishes cooked by Chef Iron Man? (New Society)