Chen Zongming standing outside his new restaurant in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Times]

Chen Zongming, a renowned chef who specializes in Shandong cuisine, will soon open a restaurant called "Chen's Shandong Cuisine" on Front Shengfu Street in Jinan.

The cozy restaurant, which will have just eight or nine tables in the main dining area and four to five private dining rooms, will serve only traditional Shandong dishes.

Aged 70, Chen is better known as the creator of the massively popular "Master and I Cook Shandong Cuisine" series of videos on Chinese social media platforms. In each video, Chen showcases his skills and knowledge in preparing this particular cuisine, which is known for aromas, freshness and rich flavors.

Opening the new restaurant, he concedes, is not due to a personal ambition but rather the urging of his social media following.

According to Chen, most of the chefs he has hired come from renowned dining restaurants in Jinan. One of them is a 21-year-old Tai'an native named Ma Teng, who expressed his desire to be taught by Chen after watching his short videos.

Although opening a physical restaurant carries significantly more risks than creating online videos, Chen is confident that this endeavor will only serve to further his mission of promoting the beauty of Shandong cuisine to the world.

Chen Zongming trains a chef in his new restaurant in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Times]