Daddy's Gourmet Shop-Chapter 424 - 414: Guilty Conscience
Mei, standing by, glanced playfully at her chief editor, then at Huang Tao not far away.
How to say this!
It felt very interesting.
Huang Tao was tall, handsome, and had a masculine appeal, with a rugged appearance and clearly defined features, his looks on par with those idol-type celebrities in the entertainment industry. He was definitely not one of those effeminate young men. Even dressed in a chef’s uniform, he couldn’t hide his mature and steady demeanor and model-like physique.
In short, he’s exactly the type she liked to admire.
To be honest, when Chief Editor Lin had first called her to interview Boss Huang here at the shop, Mei hadn’t expected the chef who created such delicious dishes to be so young and handsome, and a top student from Lijiang University at that.
And Chief Editor Lin, youthful and beautiful, with naturally sculpted looks and an aloof temperament, was also tall with a great figure.
They totally matched each other perfectly!
Handsome man, beautiful woman!
I really want to ship this pair!
She’s absolutely on board with them being a couple!
Moreover, her woman’s intuition told her that their Chief Editor Lin definitely had a good impression of Boss Huang.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so concerned about her own appearance before entering the door.
Besides, Chief Editor Lin had a naturally cold nature, always maintaining a sense of distance when speaking with others and never showing a shy side.
Yet at this moment, she saw her Chief Editor Lin, blushing slightly before even speaking when she saw Boss Huang, genuinely smiling and unconsciously speaking in a gentle tone.
What did this mean?
This meant that Chief Editor Lin had a very favorable impression of Boss Huang and had already regarded him as one of her own, giving him a lot of love in her heart!
Exactly!
That’s definitely what it is!
She glanced around, a subtle yet meaningful smile appearing at the corners of her lips.
"Boss Huang..."
Lin Manli brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, still wearing a charming smile, and said, "I’ve come back to your shop today upon hearing that you have new dishes, so we’ve decided to do another issue for the magazine while also getting a taste of your new creations."
Huang Tao said in surprise, "Uh... another issue?"
Lin Manli nodded firmly, "That’s right!"
Huang Tao murmured, "Didn’t we already do one issue?"
Lin Manli smiled and explained, "Didn’t we not include dishes like Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce, and Deep-fried Crispy Rolls last time? This time we’re mainly recommending the food, not focusing on the shop."
"I see..."
Huang Tao thought that this approach seemed indeed reasonable. Since it was free publicity coming to his doorstep, he had no reason to refuse, right?
He smiled and gestured invitingly, "Then thanks for the extra effort, Chief Editor Lin. Please have a seat and take a rest..."
"No need to be so formal, just call me Lin Manli or Manli..."
Lin Manli’s lips curled into an enchanting smile, speaking candidly, "Hearing ’Chief Editor Lin’ all the time sounds awkward."
Lin Manli’s temperament was just like that.
When she admired someone, even if they hadn’t met many times, she wouldn’t act distantly, but if she didn’t like someone, no matter how much they begged her, she wouldn’t spare them a glance.
She greatly admired Huang Tao, as he had a very unique aura, unlike any chef she had ever met, feeling nothing like a cook from a small-town background.
Liu couldn’t help but glance at Huang Tao, feeling quite shocked inside.
Because he had never before seen Chief Editor Lin appreciate a chef so much, nor seen her smile so much.
But Liu had to admit, the dishes Huang Tao made were indeed very delicious and appetizing.
Perhaps it was Boss Huang’s culinary skills and the magazine issue that boosted sales that made Chief Editor Lin view him differently!
Liu silently speculated in his heart.
And Huang Tao thought, since she insisted on it, continuing to call her Chief Editor would indeed seem too distant.
However, calling her Manli would feel a bit too intimate.
Ultimately, Huang Tao chose the former.
He smoothly said, "Lin Manli."
"That’s more like it..."
Lin Manli couldn’t help but glance at Huang Tao again. Although still smiling, she felt a small flicker of disappointment in her heart for some reason.
Maybe it was because Huang Tao hesitated and didn’t directly call her Manli?
She glanced at Huang Tao again.
As it turned out...
Huang Tao seemed to have noticed too and looked up, their eyes meeting.
Huang Tao gave her a smile.
Lin Manli instinctively turned her head, feeling a bit of heat on her face.
But she quickly reacted...
No, wait!
Why should she be disappointed?
Acting as if she was feeling guilty! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Truly speaking, she was the chief editor of "Food and Beauty" magazine, and Huang Tao was just a newly emerging chef. In their respective circles, she still had a slightly higher status than Huang Tao.
Logically, she should have the psychological advantage, so why did she become so awkward and unnatural in front of him?
The atmosphere had fallen by half!
"Chief Editor Lin, please have some tea..."
Ding Suqin first placed a cup of hot water on Lin Manli’s desk, then served Mei and Liu sitting on the right.
The last cup of tea was placed on the table in front of Huang Tao, who sat on the left.
Ding Suqin’s words startled Lin Manli back to reality, and she nodded thanks, "Thank you~"
"You’re welcome!"
Ding Suqin took the tea tray and immediately left to attend to other tasks.
Huang Tao chuckled and asked, "Chief Editor Lin, how do you plan to shoot this time?"
Lin Manli regained her presence, and in an official manner said, "We’ll shoot the new dishes, but we have to try them first; they need to taste good."
If they don’t taste good, then they can’t be in this issue of the magazine.
The Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, look simple, but making them well is not easy.
Not to mention anything else, just turning shiitake mushrooms into eel strips requires that their appearance be convincingly fake and the texture authentically eel-like after cooking.
That alone would eliminate many restaurants.
Many dining establishments make vegetarian Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce that doesn’t even meet the criteria for a garlic scent.
And a lot of places don’t handle the shiitake mushroom taste well, leaving a mushroom flavor that completely obscures the intended eel texture.
In that case, it can’t be called vegetarian Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce.
Of course, she had high hopes and looked forward to Huang Tao’s craftsmanship.
Huang Tao’s restaurant was just starting to prepare the dishes for the evening. He nodded with a smile and agreed, "Alright, you get ready, and I’ll make some for you."
Lin Manli took a sip of warm water and smiled, "Great, then I’ll be troubling you, Boss Huang!"
Huang Tao went off to busy himself in the kitchen.
He was thinking to himself that every time he introduced a few new dishes, would the Food and Beauty magazine have to come running over?
Honestly, Lin Manli had thought about the same question.
Because she realized that Huang Tao didn’t seem content with just a few dishes.
Within a short time from the end of the food festival, from Honeyed Ham and Dongpo Pork to Crispy Tofu Skin Rolls, Oil-braised Shrimp, Roast Chicken, vegetarian and non-vegetarian Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce, several new dishes have been continually launched.
Just from the names, they sound quite ordinary.
But once tasted, it becomes clear that each dish here is extraordinarily different.
You could say it like this!
Every snack in the restaurant is the pinnacle of its kind.
So...
Lin Manli had an idea early on that if Huang Tao indeed continued to launch new dishes in the future, he planned to set up a "So Delicious" column for restaurant exploration in the magazine.
In this way, they wouldn’t miss out on recommending other dining spots.
Additionally, they could conduct new interviews and shoots for Huang Tao’s new dishes.
It’s quite a win-win!
She thought it was a brilliant plan!
Of course, she would never admit she was craving Huang Tao’s dishes!
As for whether she’s craving Huang Tao himself...
She wouldn’t admit that at the moment, either!
Soon enough.
Two fresh dishes of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce were ready.
Thoughtfully, Huang Tao prepared a small bowl of each for everyone so they could enjoy the flavors more hygienically.
He smiled and invited them, "Chief Editor Lin, please..."
"Then we won’t hold back."
The steaming Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce, both versions, emitted a faint aroma that drifted right into their noses.
Capturing the cravings in their stomachs all at once.
And quickly capturing their stomachs, and their hearts.
They were deeply immersed in the deliciousness of the Shredded Eel in Garlic Sauce, not able to pull themselves away.
Finished tasting!
They all marveled at Huang Tao’s talent in creating such delicacies.
The methods of preparing the dishes in the restaurant varied greatly,
yet young as he was, Huang Tao moved effortlessly between such distinct types of cuisine, making them taste superb.
Lin Manli praised, "Boss Huang, the taste is excellent, I’m really looking forward to your next dish."
I’m also very much looking forward to it... Huang Tao thought to himself.
Lin Manli smiled and asked, "Shall we start shooting now..."
"Sure!"
Huang Tao nodded and returned to the kitchen.
Liu picked up the camera and followed him in to begin filming.
At this point, a cold electronic prompt suddenly sounded in Huang Tao’s mind.
