HPDBC Chapter 43 received rave reviews.
Chapter 43 received rave reviews.
The three little ones were drinking their beverages while watching the adults feast on their food.
Suddenly, I was drawn to the sweet and sour pork in front of me.
With a wave of his hand, Grandpa Xu placed the dish directly in front of the three little ones.
The little ones immediately each picked up a piece and started eating.
"Wow, it's so delicious!" Manman's eyes lit up after taking a bite.
Traditionally, Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork) is cooked using 6° white vinegar and white sugar in a 1:1 ratio as the base flavor.
However, Lu Yuan chose a method that was later innovated upon: using tomato sauce.
Because the main target audience for this dish at this banquet is children.
Tomato sauce makes it sweeter and less pungent and sour, which kids prefer.
There are no fixed rules for cooking. Whether it is the most traditional method or an innovative method, it must be chosen according to the customer.
If today's guests are from Northeast China, he would definitely use the traditional method.
"I've had sweet and sour pork before, isn't that a Northeastern Chinese dish?"
Xu Jianguo was still far from the food, so he could only smack his lips and make comments since he couldn't eat it.
Sweet and sour pork, as the number one dish on the Internet, did not have such a wide reach before the Internet existed.
Apart from a few restaurants serving Northeastern Chinese cuisine, most people in northern China have never eaten this dish.
Grandpa Xu nodded and said, "It's Northeastern cuisine. The Shandong dish, jellyfish with aged vinegar, is also very authentic. This chef has such a wide range of skills, and he makes every dish very authentic. It's truly rare."
Xu Jianguo glanced at the old man in surprise. The old man hadn't really commented on the dishes before; he'd been busy entertaining his granddaughter.
I never expected the old man to be so discerning; he could tell even things I didn't know. I realized I still needed to improve.
Xu Jianjun didn't understand these things. He just felt that the dishes were delicious. He didn't expect there to be so much knowledge involved. He couldn't help but think more highly of Lu Yuan.
The seventh dish was nothing fancy; it was a traditional dish from northern China: hand-pulled lamb.
This dish is also a must-have at banquets in northern China.
Actually, this dish is all about the quality of the ingredients. Lu Yuan's mutton is delivered by his uncle every day, so its quality is naturally excellent.
Unlike the hand-pulled mutton served at Xiao Lu's farmhouse restaurant, the hand-pulled mutton served at banquets has higher requirements.
He specifically chose small spare ribs to ensure that each one was about the same length, with a ratio of three parts fat to seven parts lean.
Furthermore, at one end of each rib, a portion of the meat is removed with a knife and the ribs are carefully shaped into a bone skewer that is easy to grip.
He will also guarantee the portion size of the dish; from the restaurant's perspective, it's equivalent to using two portions of meat to make one portion of the finest quality.
Grandpa Xu no longer held back his praise, exclaiming as he complimented the plate of hand-pulled mutton in front of him:
"Although I don't approve of this wasteful approach, this hand-pulled mutton is indeed the most exquisite I've ever eaten."
Xu Jianjun recalled some past events and, unusually, spoke up:
"When I was a child, I rarely ate lamb. I always fantasized about having lamb chops that were shaped like bite-sized pieces and that I could never finish. I never thought that this dream would come true here today."
Speaking of this, Xu Jianguo nodded in agreement:
"I never would have dared to imagine eating like this before; life is truly better now."
The eighth dish was also a simple one: deep-fried ribbonfish.
This dish is very simple to make. Lu Yuan chose not to coat it with batter and just fried it directly.
However, Lu Yuan's requirements for processing ribbonfish remained as high as ever.
First, the fish must not be gutted or gutted to preserve its integrity.
Secondly, only select the most valuable middle section of the ribbonfish, discarding the other two ends.
Finally, marinate the ribbonfish for 20 minutes with celery, carrots, onions, scallions, and ginger, as it is frozen and will inevitably have some fishy smell.
By the time this plate of golden-brown, deep-fried ribbonfish was served, everyone had become somewhat immune to it.
The previous seven dishes were all exquisite, but this one doesn't look particularly special, except that it's a bit large.
Everyone was waiting for Mr. Xu's comments. After taking a bite, Mr. Xu only said one sentence:
"Wow, that's really generous!"
"Dad, we've seen people give large portions before, what's so strange about this?" Xu Jianguo asked.
Old Master Xu chuckled, leaned back in his chair, propped himself up on the table with one hand, and pointed at the ribbonfish with the other, saying:
"First of all, this is absolutely the best Zhoushan small-eyed ribbonfish, and secondly, they only use the best middle section of the ribbonfish, so I say they're generous!"
"I see!"
The ninth dish, stewed chicken with purple mushrooms, was made by Lu Yuan using purple mushrooms he had picked a few days earlier from Helan Mountain.
This dish was created by Lu Yuan based on the Zaoyuan native chicken, one of the ten famous dishes of northern China, and improved by adding purple mushrooms.
The free-range chicken used in this dish is raised for two years in a jujube orchard, growing up on goji berries and jujubes, giving the chicken soup a unique sweetness.
The cooking method is very simple: just add scallions, ginger, salt, and white pepper, and sprinkle a handful of goji berries before serving. No other seasonings are added.
When Pingping brought the stewed free-range chicken to the table, the steam and the delicious aroma wafted right over you.
Upon closer inspection, the aroma of fresh chicken, mixed with a subtle fragrance of goji berries and herbs, lingers gently around the nose, captivating the senses.
The purple mushrooms are like unsung heroes, elevating the dish's umami flavor to a whole new level.
The service was truly thoughtful. After Pingping brought the free-range chicken to the table, she immediately served everyone a small bowl.
"It's so delicious!" Xu Jianguo exclaimed after taking a sip of the soup.
"These are genuine Helan Mountain purple mushrooms!" Old Master Xu, with his sharp eyes, picked up a mushroom and asked:
"Little girls, did you pick these yourselves?"
Zhenzhen smiled and answered generously, "The head chef personally picked these last week from the mountain."
Grandpa Xu nodded in satisfaction and said, "A thoughtful person indeed. Other cuisines are done authentically, but our local cuisine is even more refined. This chef's skills are superb, but his attitude is the most commendable!"
Xu Jianhua finished his soup in large gulps, a layer of sweat appearing on his forehead. He said somewhat defiantly:
"Dad, I admit this dish is delicious, but you don't have to praise it like that."
Old Master Xu snorted coldly at Xu Jianhua, pointed at him, and cursed:
"If you can master the intricacies of these dishes, you'll be able to succeed in any business."
Xu Jianjun has a deep understanding of this; in his years of doing business, he has encountered both setbacks and triumphs.
He learned a lesson: one must not be impulsive in doing things; the more skilled one is, the more steady and detail-oriented one must be.
Just like the dishes Lu Yuan made, they looked no different from those in other restaurants.
But once you start eating it, you'll find surprises one after another. The ingredients are carefully selected and not cheap, and the cooking method is skillful and demonstrates expertise.
He can even find ways to differentiate himself from traditional dishes that everyone has made to death.
While drinking the chicken soup, he surprisingly began to reflect on the company's products.
Sometimes, are we too eager to innovate or too focused on profits?
Customers aren't fools. Just like him, even though they don't understand the intricacies of the business, they can tell the quality of food just by taking one bite.
His dairy products are the same; people can tell the difference between good and bad just by tasting them.
What exactly do customers want?
The three children also really enjoyed this dish; its light and sweet flavor was perfect for them.
When Grandpa Xu saw this, he waved his hand and gave Erbao and Xiaobao a chicken leg each, while Dabao got two chicken wings.
The three little ones ate with great relish, their mouths glistening with oil.
Xu Jianguo was already a bit overweight, and he was sweating profusely as he ate the hot soup.
After drinking three bowls, Xu Jianguo waved his hand, indicating that Zhenzhen didn't need any more.
Then he picked up a damp towel from the side, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and couldn't help but ask:
"Dad, logically speaking, this kind of soup is best served last, but if we serve it now, what will be the last dish?"