Chapter 78 Eat the most authentic Shandong cuisine

Lin Sanqi is from the south, so it is no exaggeration to say that Huadu is a paradise for food.

The people of Dongguan even eat Hujian people, which shows that their love for food has reached the point of being unrestrained. If it were not for the restrictions of national laws, they would probably eat even more crazily.

As for the old city, it is considered a food desert in the eyes of southerners.

What delicacies are there in the capital? Douzhi (soybean juice)? Jiaoquan (fried dough sticks)? Chaogan (stir-fried liver)? Baodu (stir-fried tripe)? Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste)?

Some might say, "Didn't you, Lin Sanqi, go to a famous food place in Beijing today?" Let me correct you: Fengzeyuan doesn't serve "Beijing cuisine," but authentic "Shandong cuisine," and most of its chefs are from Fushan, Shandong...

Lin Sanqi took Pan Ye, as well as both sides' younger brothers and sisters, and sat at the open-air table on the first floor.

The rooms above the second floor of Fengze Garden are all private rooms, and ordinary people like Lin Sanqi are not qualified to go there.

There was no such thing as looking down on others. At that time, Fengze Garden had already been nationalized and was serving the people.

The waiter back then is now a formal hotel staff member. He has become the owner and of course welcomes guests from all over the world.

Lin Sanqi sat at the table, looking left and right. He was not looking at how luxurious the hotel decoration was. This could not be compared with the 2013 Huadu Zuijiangyue.

Lin Sanqi was looking at the customer flow, and he was surprised to find that even though it was the difficult period of 1959, the Fengzeyuan Hotel was still bustling with people at noon.

Those wearing white shirts and polished leather shoes, their faces flushed, walked in. Then some other people in white shirts, also flushed, greeted them, and then both sides shook hands and went up to the private room in a lively manner.

Some came with their families. The older ones walked with their chins raised to the sky and ignored the welcoming staff.

The young ones looked nonchalant, with their hands in their pockets and walking with a swagger, as if they didn't care about anyone. They treated the restaurant like their own home and it was obvious that they had been there many times.

Who are these people?

Lin Sanqi was a little curious, thinking that these people must be the same as him, all time travelers, and their pockets must be filled with fake food coupons, right?

Otherwise, how could they treat restaurants like their own homes and eat so much that they became fat when the whole country was starving?

Seeing that Lin Sanqi was absent-minded, Pan Ye quickly asked softly:

"Lin Sanqi, what's wrong with you? Did you see anyone familiar?"

"Oh no, it's just my first time at Fengze Garden and I'm a little curious. Let's order."

Small restaurants require customers to go to the window to order their dishes, pay first and then eat, such as the Red Star Restaurant at the entrance of the alley.

But Fengzeyuan is more humane and provides a menu. Although it is not as beautifully printed as those in later generations and is only a thin page, it also reflects rare service.

Lin Sanqi was already a little excited at this time. It had been half a month since he traveled to this era, and he could finally go out to eat.

"Pan Ye, why don't you order first and see what you want to eat?"

Pan Ye took the menu, looked at the prices, and his face changed. He lowered his voice and reminded, "It's too expensive. One dish here can feed my family for a week."

“Is it expensive?”

Lin Sanqi took the menu and looked at it. Braised sea cucumber with scallions, 8 yuan. Oh, this price is really expensive.

Just one dish might cost an ordinary person half a month's food money. Even children from intellectual families like Pan Ye were shocked, and the slightly older Pan Cen even shrank his neck.

Lin Sanqi didn't care. It was his first time treating a beautiful woman to a meal, so how could he afford to eat cheaply? He needed the courage of a coal boss.

"Don't be afraid. It's expensive for a reason. Today we want to taste the authentic Fengzeyuan flavor. We're just worried that in a few decades, these delicacies will be lost."

A middle-aged male waiter next to him was unhappy when he heard this:

"Comrade, our Fengze Garden was established in 1930. The famous chefs in our restaurant are well-known in Beijing. Mou Changxun, Wang Shizhen, Chen Huanzhang, Li Zhengxin, Feng Chengli, Chen Fengming, Zheng Fuxiang, Chen Jintang, have you heard of these old gentlemen?

Let alone these old masters, even the younger masters like Wang Yijun, Shi Guangnan, Liu Fangchun, Xu Yinzhi, Li Jian, Gao Fengwen, etc., are chefs who can prepare family banquets for the adults in the sea. Do you think our Fengze Garden can't pass on the tradition?"

Lin Sanqi was a little embarrassed. He was from Huadu and was familiar with Cantonese cuisine among the eight major cuisines. But if you mentioned Shandong cuisine, he would be clueless.

He knew the correct answer decades later, when most of the so-called eight buildings and eight parks would have disappeared.

Even if they have not disappeared, the declining old brands have lost their former glory. Open various mobile apps and you will find complaints about these old brands being unreliable.

Fengze Garden is the one that receives the most complaints.

In fact, it’s not that the old brands are unreliable, but that there has been a gap of more than ten years between the chefs of these old brands, and very few latecomers can learn the essence.

But now that we are on someone else's turf, of course we have to show some respect to them. Otherwise, it would be too low EQ. Aren't you afraid that the chef will spit in your dish?

"Yes, yes, you're right. This is my first time here, so I didn't know the situation and just spoke nonsense. Just from the names of so many chefs you mentioned, I know the food at Fengzeyuan must be good."

When the staff member heard this, his expression immediately became smug.

"Excuse me, could you please recommend some of your restaurant's specialty dishes?"

The male staff member's attitude has become very enthusiastic at this time, as if he wants to let you country bumpkins see what he is like:

"Speaking of our Fengze Garden, our most famous dishes are the First-Class Bird's Nest, Shark's Fin with Tonkin Sauce, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, Fish Maw in Casserole, Braised Shark's Fin, Chicken with Choy Sum, Braised Fish Fillet with Rice Wine, Braised Fish Skirt, and Braised Mullet Eggs. I guarantee you'll never want anything else after trying them."

Lin Sanqi thought, you are just bragging. Shandong cuisine is so great, why can't it beat Sichuan cuisine which is famous for its spicy, fresh and fragrant taste?

Of course, he couldn't say that. At that time, Shandong cuisine was still the dominant cuisine in Beijing, and Sichuan cuisine was still the younger brother.

Lin Sanqi made the decision, "Okay, then please serve all ten dishes."

The staff member almost fell down after hearing this and kindly advised:

"Comrade, although these 10 dishes I mentioned are classic Shandong cuisine from Fengze Garden, they're priced out of reach for most people. Would you like to order a few side dishes, such as nine-turn large intestine, stir-fried kidney slices, lotus-crusted chicken slices, or crystal pork elbow?"

Lin Sanqi thought for a moment and asked, "Is it delicious?"

“It has to be delicious!”

"If it tastes good, then I'll give it all."

The staff member was once again stumped, thinking, "The more I try to persuade him, the more he's going to get it." "How can you order food like that?" "Whose prodigal son is this, messing up the family's money?" "Is there somewhere to get it reimbursed?"

Even as an outsider, he felt sorry for Lin Sanqi's money.

(End of this chapter)