Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 826 - 414: Turns Out Zhiwei Restaurant Is Like This

"What is the most important thing in making layered snacks? It’s temperature. Are you at the level where you can consider temperature now? How many times do I have to tell you not to aim too high, to run before you learn to walk? Why didn’t I let you knead dough in the low-temperature room? Is there a need for that? Is your skill level such that you need to knead dough there specifically?"

"Look at the dough you kneaded, and then look at Lao San’s. Lao San is only a few years older than you. You are Little Su’s nephew and have been an apprentice at Zhiwei Restaurant since childhood. Have people praised you so much over the years that you’ve become conceited? Do you remember what the dough Lao San kneaded looked like at your age?"

"Tell me, what is this dough for? Is it for layered snacks, steamed snacks, or just regular buns?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Haven’t I repeatedly emphasized that different snacks require different dough? During the apprenticeship stage, things have to be complex, refined, and you have to be meticulous about every detail. Have you done that?"

"I asked you to draw an orchid, and you added unnecessary details and even drew an extra grasshopper on it. Do you think you’re being funny? Not doing what you’re supposed to do, insisting on doing what you’re not supposed to do. I just praised you yesterday for showing progress recently, but today you’ve kneaded the dough like this. Did you get motion sick on the way here from home, or has the sun outside given you heatstroke, and hasn’t your temperature cooled down yet?"

Under Master Zhou’s machine-gun-like verbal assault, Su Qian didn’t dare to breathe heavily or lift his head, and could only obediently take the scolding.

This was in sharp contrast to the high-spirited Su Qian at Yunzhong Restaurant.

Qin Huai stood at the side, watching from afar, not daring to make a sound. He instinctively took two steps towards Zhao Cheng’an, the closest to him, to stay away from the center of the conflict and took a glance at the dough Zhao Cheng’an was kneading.

To be fair, Qin Huai thought there wasn’t much wrong with the dough Su Qian had kneaded; it was at his skill level. Qin Huai could roughly tell what Su Qian intended to make with the dough, most likely buns, and highly likely Three Meat Buns.

At Yunzhong Restaurant, Su Qian practiced making Three Meat Buns the most because Qin Huai explained Three Meat Buns most thoroughly. Su Qian may have done it to please him or to learn as much as possible from Qin Huai, spending most of his time making Three Meat Buns, even using spare time for his most skilled layered snacks.

Qin Huai believed Master Zhou saw through this too, which is why he scolded so harshly because, for the dough of Three Meat Buns, Su Qian’s kneaded dough was not up to standard.

The standards for Three Meat Buns dough are very high. Su Qian still chose to make Three Meat Buns after returning to Zhiwei Restaurant, likely harboring some desire to showcase himself before Master Zhou. Yet, as Master Zhou’s scolding pointed out, wanting to show oneself before mastering the basics is unnecessary if the results aren’t up to par.

Qin Huai took another look at the dough Zhao Cheng’an was kneading.

Qin Huai wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt the dough Zhao Cheng’an was kneading was also intended for Three Meat Buns and kneaded so beautifully that it instantly overshadowed Su Qian’s dough beside it.

"Hi," Zhao Cheng’an greeted Qin Huai with a smile even amidst Master Zhou’s furious scolding. "I ate the Three Meat Buns you made yesterday. Pretty good craftsmanship, not too shabby compared to mine. I was in the low-temperature room then, wanted to come over to say hi, but couldn’t leave since my snacks were unfinished. By the time I was done, you had already gone home."

"Those Three Meat Buns were indeed impressive yesterday. No wonder Tan Wei’an kept bragging about you after returning from Huang Ji last time, claiming he finally met a rival, someone even more of a freak than I am."

Qin Huai: ....

Tan Wei’an, you didn’t tell me you were promoting me so much at Zhiwei Restaurant yesterday.

"Master Zhao... Are you also good at making Three Meat Buns?" Qin Huai politely asked.

In truth, Qin Huai knew Zhao Cheng’an dabbled in many snacks. Tan Wei’an had mentioned this to him before, even casually remarked about how capricious geniuses like them were, while others hitting the limit by specializing in one thing.

Over the years, Zhao Cheng’an hadn’t been as astonishing as before, partly because he dabbled in everything, learning a bit of everything without specializing.

"I know a little," Zhao Cheng’an replied with a smile. "Of course, I’m best at making layered snacks. I made them so frequently as a kid I got sick of them, and haven’t enjoyed making them much these recent years. Tan Wei’an mentioned you excel in various snacks too. Are you good at Western pastries? Any interest in them? I’ve been thinking of studying Western pastries lately. Watching the master bake egg tarts daily makes me want to bake some myself. I secretly baked a batch recently, and the master scolded me for being unfocused."

"Was that baking egg tarts?" Zhou Yan, from the adjacent culinary station, couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him while continuing her work. "You tried using the layered technique the master uses for egg tarts, wanted to try it a little, but were too lazy to make egg tarts from scratch, so you went to the store and bought a bottle of egg tart filling."

"Are you still the snack master of Zhiwei Restaurant? Buying egg tart filling from the store to make egg tarts, why not buy the tart shells too? What part of the master’s scolding was wrong?" She said, handing the freshly prepared filling to Zhao Cheng’an, "Give it a taste, see if there’s any problem. The last batch was still a bit bland."

Zhao Cheng’an skillfully took it, picked up a bit with chopsticks, and tasted it, shaking his head: "I think it’s still bland."