Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 198 - 148: What! They’re Really Cooking Onsite?

When the dining officially begins, there will be at least over fifty people dining simultaneously.

If it were lunch, that number would be quite normal, but it's not even seven in the morning, which is a bit outrageous.

"Ding"

As some tourists were bewildered and scratching their heads, the elevator doors opened again, and a man in a suit stepped out first, followed by two tall, sexy women.

"Damn!"

Someone exclaimed.

"Dreya!"

"Hey, look who it is, the famous lingerie model Dreya!"

"I heard she was here for a shoot a couple of days ago; maybe she's got some collaboration with the hotel?"

"Why did they stop, are they here to wait for breakfast too?"

"No wonder there are so many people, if that's the case, it makes sense."

Those tourists who didn't understand suddenly woke up after seeing the beautiful celebrity, secretly raising their phones to take pictures. Even the hotel staff mingling in the crowd were no exception, turning the lobby into an instant fan meeting.

Dreya was also generous, striking a few casual poses for everyone to take photos.

Elise and Vanessa were no strangers to this, occasionally checking the time. Seeing only ten minutes left, they sneakily slipped out through the side door.

Going out the back way, naturally, they weren't noticed by anyone.

As soon as they stepped out of the hotel building, they sprinted straight towards the restaurant.

"Hey! What's happening?"

"Someone's sneaking off!"

"I thought we were all lining up together to go over, don't we need to?"

"Why gather here, it's really pointless, such a waste of time."

The few tourists at the door immediately saw the two ladies running, and they collectively rushed out after them, causing the entire lobby to erupt with excitement.

"What's going on up ahead??"

"I don't know, is it time to eat?"

"Didn't hear anyone shout, but who cares, if others are running, just run along."

The two reception clerks on duty were also anxious, quickly standing up.

"What the, huh? When is it my turn to eat?"

"I want to eat too, I'm starving, been hungry all night!"

Watching the now empty lobby, their eyes turned red, unsure if it was from the urgency or staying up late.

"Haha, we're first!"

Elise and Vanessa were the first to stand at the restaurant entrance, followed by a few diners who arrived a second or two later, and behind them was a large group of food enthusiasts.

Through the transparent glass wall and door, you could clearly see several figures moving back and forth in the restaurant, seemingly holding food in their hands, constantly pouring it into containers on the tables.

"Whoa, so many people?"

Lucas was startled by the sight outside the door; he hadn't expected so many people to come before seven, especially the way they were all peering in with wide eyes, giving off a "zombie siege" vibe.

"Stop looking, the water's boiling, go make your seaweed egg drop soup."

Lin Chen calmly put on gloves and transferred two bowls of cold dishes into a container, leaving the garlic part on top.

"First, turn off the heat, add ten spoonfuls of salt, stir it in, tear the seaweed and throw it in, check the taste, it doesn't need to be too salty, just a slight hint of saltiness, preferably on the milder side."

Lucas followed his instructions step by step, tossing the ingredients into the boiling water and mixing them evenly, tasted the saltiness, then added half a spoonful more of salt, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Once the liquid in the pot calms down, raise your hand, slowly pour in the beaten egg liquid a little at a time, no need to stir, pour in a circular motion, don't overlap, when the egg sets, sprinkle some chopped green onions, and that's it."

Two minutes later, a pot of canteen-style seaweed egg drop soup, exactly like in memory, was ready.

The thin seaweed floated quietly, with a faint dark green hue, while the yellow and white egg strands basked in the bottom like fine threads, surrounded by fresh green scallions, making it look very appetizing.

Anyone who's eaten in a cafeteria or fast-food place in Great Xia knows that this free seaweed egg drop soup is certainly one of the highlights, lightly refreshing, with the freshness of seaweed and scallions complementing other dishes without overpowering them.

The diners crowded at the door, craning their necks to see the chefs actually preparing food in the middle of the hall, were even more excited, eager to see up close what kind of food this restaurant would offer.

"Beep beep beep beep——"

Someone's alarm clock went off.

Seven o'clock sharp.

Dais and Helena simultaneously set down what they were doing and walked toward the door.

"Jingle jingle~"

The pleasant sound of a bell echoed in their ears.

"Welcome, everyone, please come in. We need to verify your room numbers before dining."

Dais picked up the reservation list Elise had brought earlier from the reception desk, while Helena took on the role of welcoming guests.

Elise and Vanessa naturally didn't need to, allowing them to go straight in, leaving the third diner looking bewildered.

"Hey, wait, I thought we needed to verify room numbers, how come they…"

"They are hotel employees, and can dine for free."

"What??"

"What great benefits!"

"Is your hotel hiring? I want to quit my job."

Despite the envy, the necessary procedures were still unavoidable.

"Mr. Johnny from 3402, welcome."

"The William couple from 6109, along with the adorable little Prince and beautiful little Princess, welcome to dine~"

As Helena called out each name, Dais crossed out the corresponding room number on the list.

It was their first time working together, yet they appeared like colleagues who had been working together for years, without any slips in details, even perfectly in sync with their smile and nodding times.

As soon as Elise and Vanessa entered, they rushed to grab the table closest to the food area, which they had scoped out long ago.

Putting their purses on the seats, they quickly went to the central area, wanting to see how Lin Chen cooked and what dishes he was preparing.

"Welcome, would you like some fresh Caesar salad or spinach salad to start off?"

Lucinda clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, wearing a charming smile. Even knowing they were employees, she showed no different manners, treating them as if they were guests.

In the appetizer area beside her, two kinds of luscious green salads were neatly arranged, with two containers full of colorful vegetables next to them, topped with a dash of garlic paste, looking like unfinished semi-prepared dishes.

The two of them only took a quick glance before waving their hands repeatedly.

"No rush, let's have a look around first!"

"Alright, let me know if you need anything~"

At this moment, Lucas was putting on gloves, black ones, obviously imported from Great Xia, the latest trend.

He stood in front of the salad bar, almost mirroring Lucinda's actions, seemingly waiting for something.

Seeing Elise and Vanessa walk over, he nodded with a smile to acknowledge them.

"Get on with it, your salad's not even mixed yet, why are you just standing there!"

Elise kindly reminded him, glancing over her shoulder: "Quick, while there aren't too many guests in yet..."

"No, no, no, you don't understand."

Lucas shook his index finger twice: "We're waiting for the crowd. Our Chinese cuisine emphasizes making and eating in real-time, it's all about that ceremony. I want to prepare it right in front of the guests."

"?"

"Is it that special?"

The two craned their necks to glance at other tables, indeed, each area had sections that were left empty for presentation purposes, and it was quite apparent that the dishes already in place were Western.

As more guests entered the room, after exploring the restaurant decor and layout, and taking a few photos, everyone began gravitating towards the central dining area.

"This salad looks good, bright colors, crispy and tender, nice appearance, and beside it…?"

"Hmm, what's up with the side dishes, why do they look unfinished?"

Facing the diners' curious and slightly puzzled eyes, Lucas repeated what he had said earlier.

"So that's the reason, freshly made, I definitely want to capture this."

"I think this guy worked with Chef Lin at the stall booth, so these salads must be from Chef Lin, right?"

"Alright, alright, make it quick, I can't wait to eat!"

"Alright, making them now."

Lucas glanced over at Lin Chen, who nodded slightly and brought over a small saucepan from the stove, still emitting a few wisps of smoke above it.

"Everyone, don't crowd too close, careful not to get burned~"