Chapter 532: Chapter 518: This Chef’s Got Skills!

Over here, at the Delicious Restaurant.

Qin directly abandoned his long-time friend Old Liu at noon, not going with him around nine o’clock to play chess outside the Delicious Restaurant and secure a place in line.

Instead, he was "leisurely" basking in the sun, sipping tea, entertaining a guest from afar.

This guest!

Was none other than his most prized apprentice... Xie Guanming.

By a little after ten o’clock!

He couldn’t sit still anymore!

Seeing his apprentice had no intention of leaving immediately, he outright invited him to stay for lunch. Without even bothering to tidy up, he hurriedly led him straight to the Delicious Restaurant.

His legs and feet were as swift as ever...

Even Xie Guanming, a middle-aged man, couldn’t help but feel inferior!

Of course.

This made Xie Guanming very curious.

What kind of heavenly shop could make his picky master remember it so fondly, fearing he might arrive too late to buy something?

Speaking of which.

What kind of store has business so good that you need to line up so early?

Earlier this year, when he came to visit his master, his master wasn’t like this...

Having not surfed the internet for years and rarely reading food magazines, he had no idea there was such a heavenly shop hidden in West City Old Street.

Then...

Upon reaching the store entrance, he saw quite a few people already in line.

Roughly estimated, there were about sixty or seventy people!

If it hadn’t been for his master bringing him over and warning him beforehand, a huge question mark would have undoubtedly popped up in his mind: Could these people in line be hired by the shop owner?

Otherwise, who on earth would stand in line so early on such a cold day?

Sitting around idle with nothing better to do!

However, he noticed the aroma wafting from the shop was truly strong, striking his throat, it was quite fragrant!

Just from the smell, he, as an insider, could tell this restaurant had some skills.

This made him a little curious about the food in the shop.

While waiting.

He watched the neighbors playing cards near the shop’s entrance.

It vividly reminded him of the feeling he had when learning to cook, chatting and playing cards after work.

One must say, the atmosphere of this restaurant was pretty good.

After waiting for such a long time, it was finally their turn to order.

"Suqin, we want one portion of braised prawns, one portion of stewed pork with dry vegetables, one portion of shredded eel in garlic sauce, one portion of ginger and walnut scrambled eggs, two single servings of honeyed ham, two single servings of Dongpo Pork, two servings of fish ball soup, and two servings of ’three-in-one’ braised meat rice, we’ll eat here."

Qin approached the counter to order from Ding Suqin and cheerfully asked, "Do you have West Lake Vinegar Fish for lunch today?"

"Mr. Qin, we don’t have West Lake Vinegar Fish today, but there’s a new dish, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, would you like to try it?" Ding Suqin replied politely with a smile.

"Oh great, let’s have one then."

Qin agreed without the slightest hesitation.

The dishes made by Boss Huang were all delicious, using the freshest ingredients, and since this was a new dish, there was no reason not to try it.

Xie Guanming saw that they’d ordered quite a bit and couldn’t help but say, "Master, order a bit less, it’s just the two of us, if we order too much, we won’t be able to finish it."

Firstly, he didn’t want his master to spend too much; secondly, he was also afraid of wasting food.

Although he had a large build, he didn’t have a big appetite.

Besides, years of cooking in the kitchen caused him to develop a stomach ailment, so he was always very restrained in his eating.

"It’s okay, if we can’t finish, I’ll eat it."

Qin dismissed it effortlessly, swiftly paid the money, and then led Xie Guanming to find a seat.

Xie Guanming glanced towards the kitchen not far away, seeing through the glass partition Huang Tao gripping the panhandle, using his upper arm to drive his lower arm, tossing the crabs and rice cakes in the pan like a red and white waterfall cascading down...

The flick of the frying pan... was surprisingly beautiful!

His mouth slightly opened in awe, his expression subtly changed.

This chef had some skill!

It was truly captivating to watch!

Part of their meal was first served by Li Chengzhan, "Hello, here’s your honeyed ham, Dongpo pork, ’three-in-one’ braised meat rice, fish ball soup, ginger and walnut scrambled eggs, stewed pork with dry vegetables; the braised prawns, shredded eel in garlic sauce, and Squirrel Mandarin Fish will be served shortly."

"Alright, no problem!"

Qin lightly nodded while fanning his folding fan, then called his apprentice to start eating.

Enticed by the aroma, Xie Guanming wasn’t shy, picked up his chopsticks and first grabbed a piece of honeyed ham.

Taking a bite.

The lean meat was not only delicious, the fatty part was also very tasty, that savory, delectable aged ham flavor mixed with the osmanthus-scented honey sauce and the unique texture on top, was simply intoxicating!

However, though this dish looked like a skillful dish, the culinary requirement is not very high, it didn’t demand any public recognition, nor did it need flavor adjustment, not even special attention to heat control.

The only requirement was patience!

With enough patience, this delicious dish can be presented perfectly.

Of course.

For such a small restaurant to make honeyed ham so perfectly, it was truly rare!

Feeling a bit dry in the mouth, he scooped up the fish ball soup next to him, and took a sip...

The soup was very delicious.

Trying a fish ball, it had a slick, bouncy texture, and delicate quality, tasting fresh and flavorful.

In terms of texture, the fish balls were made using the traditional knife-scraped fish paste method.

He was an expert.

Whether it was blended into a paste using a blender or mixer, or made using traditional knife-scraped fish paste, he could tell with one taste.

One has to say, this fish ball soup, indeed had some interest!

The scallion ginger water was added perfectly, the amount of cornstarch and egg white was just right, and the mixing was good.

He was an expert.

When making fish balls, it mattered when and how much scallion ginger water to add.

Adding it too early or not enough, neither removed the fishiness nor enhanced the aroma, making the fish balls less tasty.

Adding it too late or too much thinned the fish paste, overshadowing the scallion ginger flavor, making it lacking in taste.

As for this bowl of fish ball soup.

Even if he tried to find fault with it, he couldn’t find any.

Looking at Huang Tao, his eye held more admiration.

No matter how the other dishes were.

This honeyed ham and fish balls were really good, showcasing skill.

No wonder his master was so eager, just for these delectable dishes, it was worth queuing and waiting.

Of course.

Compared to his level, perhaps on par!

After tasting other dishes, he was also conquered by their delicacies.

In less than ten minutes.

Both he and Qin had almost finished all the dishes on the table!

Still, there was no sign of stopping.

Li Chengzhan once again brought the remaining dishes to their table, "Here you are, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, braised prawns, and shredded eel in garlic sauce are ready."

"Thank you."

The two simultaneously voiced their thanks.

Looking at the Squirrel Mandarin Fish before their eyes, the knife work was exquisite, the glaze bright red and shiny, just from the presentation, it was first-rate...

Qin and Xie Guanming knew without a doubt, it would taste great.

They wasted no time, immediately going for the Squirrel Mandarin Fish.

Xie Guanming picked up a piece from the fish back, the warm fish piece was brought to his mouth,

The sauce was sweet and sour just right, the fish crispy on the outside, tender and smooth inside, with a bit of chewiness, instantly filling his mouth with umami, the aroma persisting.

He ate a big piece, couldn’t help but squint his small eyes, savoring it carefully while his heart filled with only two words for Huang Tao—admiration...

It’s not hard for someone to make one dish delicious, but to make every dish so good is difficult...