Chapter 120: Stir-fried tofu with scallions, tofu balls, pork ribs with tofu...

Wen's mother didn't know why things had turned out this way.

Starting from the second day, almost every customer who came to the restaurant would say they wanted to buy tofu after their meal, saying they had heard that Wenji was now also selling tofu.

"It's so hard to buy wood-fired tofu these days. My mom used to always ask someone to buy it from an old tofu shop in the suburbs. It wasn't cheap, and it wasn't very tasty."

Wenji's wood-fired tofu, on the other hand, is said by everyone who has tried it to be exactly the same flavor.

One of the advantages of the internet these days is that good things can't be hidden very well.

The overwhelmingly positive reviews on Wenji's account attracted many people who weren't interested in the so-called tofu banquet.

Wood-fired tofu? The taste of childhood?

Some people are eager to try it, thinking it's worth a shot.

Some people expressed their heartbreak, saying that Wenji had also fallen from grace.

[momo: Why does this place have such a strong owner vibe? Is this perfectly good little shop now resorting to storytelling?]

[Master Gang: Exactly! How can a block of tofu be worth ten yuan! I can buy a block for only two or three yuan downstairs!]

[Coco: Hehe, I knew this would happen. All hype eventually comes down to cashing in. Now that the popularity has gone up, it's inevitable they'll fleece the fans. What's the taste of childhood? The taste of being fleeced!]

...

These people thought they would get a lot of support after posting their comments, but they didn't expect that almost all the comments below would be people criticizing them.

[Jing'er: No, isn't it too arbitrary to immediately label someone else as the owner? If the shop owner really wanted to make money, there are plenty of other ways to do so. Selling a piece of tofu for ten yuan is nothing, is it?]

[Huihui's mother: That's right. Without investigation, who has the right to speak? The shop never mentioned selling tofu; we were the ones who ate it and kept asking to buy it. Later, many people couldn't get any!]

[Looking at the sea: Some people have dirty minds, so they see everything as dirty. If you really doubt it, go and try it yourself. If you eat it and still say that ten yuan is too much for tofu, I'll give you my head!]

...

The battle in the comments section has been raging for several days.

And indeed, the shop has seen a significant increase in customers who come specifically to buy wood-fired tofu.

Wen's mother had to explain that the tofu in the shop was for cooking and was not for sale.

"...I'll just buy one!"

A group of people watched expectantly, and Wen's mother had no choice but to take out a portion of it.

"Let's limit it to one piece per person. Don't come tomorrow, we're really not selling!"

But almost no one listened to what Wen's mother said. The next day, even early in the morning, when Wen's mother came to open the door, she saw several people squatting at the door.

When I asked, they said, "Is it alright?" Everyone there was buying tofu, afraid they'd miss out if they arrived too late.

Mother Wen:......

We can only discuss with Wen Fan whether we can do more.

Wen Fan said it was simple: "Let's make an extra pot, freeze some for ourselves, and have frozen tofu for the New Year!"

Wen Fan is getting better and better at making wood-fired tofu. The first time he made it, he had to be on his toes the whole time, but now he can do it without even looking at the time.

Making tofu over a wood fire takes two hours, so Wen Fan recruited Ren Haijin and Ji Boyi.

She made two people help her.

During the two-hour break in the afternoon, I made enough tofu to last the shop a day.

Wen Fan found a bag and put four pieces in it for Ren Haijin and Ji Boyi each.

"Your overtime pay."

Ren Haijin happily accepted it, thanking the "little boss" repeatedly.

Ji Baiyi, on the other hand, gave a dry thank you, put the tofu away, and then silently helped Wen Fan clean up the mess on the stove.

That night, Wen's mother generously raised the purchase limit for firewood-cooked tofu to two yuan per person.

Even young people who don't cook will grab a couple of pieces to take home.

Although I grumbled about how expensive it was to sell a piece of tofu for ten yuan when I got home, I followed the tutorials I found online when I was hungry in the middle of the night. I cut the tofu into pieces, pan-fried them until golden brown on both sides, and then stir-fried them with some scallions. I quickly made a plate of stir-fried tofu that turned out a mess.

"Can this taste good?"

He heated up some steamed buns with some skepticism, then ate the stir-fried tofu with them, and was instantly petrified.

Good heavens! I can actually make such delicious home-style dishes myself?

Pan-fry the tofu until both sides are golden brown and slightly rough. Stir-fried tofu with scallions doesn't require complicated cooking methods. As long as the white part of the scallions is cooked without any pungent taste and the tofu is fried until golden brown, a little soy sauce and salt are enough.

Home-style flavors aren't unpalatable; they're simply unpretentious. After eating two hot steamed buns, my stomach felt warm and cozy. I felt that if I had a bowl of millet porridge at that moment, everything would be perfect.

He licked his lips, thinking to himself that he would definitely go to the store again the next day to buy a piece of wood-fired tofu.

But when I arrived at the store the next day, I found that there were too many people with the same idea, and there was a long queue in front of Wen Ji. Everyone who came in ordered a tofu casserole first, then checked if there were any new tofu dishes that day, ordered a few, and then bought a piece of wood-fired tofu after finishing the tofu.

Wenji has launched new dishes these days, with fried tofu balls and pork ribs with tofu being equally popular.

Many people order fried tofu balls and salt and pepper tofu first when they enter the store, as these two snacks are appetizing, followed by pork rib tofu and farmhouse tofu casserole.

Fried tofu balls are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the aroma of tofu and meat blending together. The most wonderful thing about these tofu balls is that no matter how long they sit on the table, they won't get soggy. These consistently crispy balls are perfect as a filling between main dishes, and they're even more delicious when dipped in a little chili and five-spice powder.

Wen Fan also added these tofu balls to the dishes.

The pork rib and tofu dish uses pork spine. The pork spine is prepared first, and the tofu is broken by hand so that it will have a honeycomb texture during stewing. The pork ribs are first stir-fried and then stewed. After stewing for an hour, a separate pork bone broth is added, and the tofu is added to the bone broth and stewed for another hour.

Add some cabbage and tofu balls just before it's done cooking, cover and simmer for five or six minutes, then it's ready to eat.

The crispy meatballs weren't too salty to begin with. After simmering in the broth for a short while, their crispness wasn't completely gone. However, after soaking in the broth, the crunchy sound in the mouth became much duller. Crispy and chewy at the same time. The aroma of the broth permeated the tofu cubes thoroughly, inside and out. The honeycomb-like cross-section, the natural fragrance of the beans, and the aroma of the meat were evenly matched.

The broth from the pork ribs and tofu soup is also a great ingredient. Some people have figured out the best way to eat it without any instruction: go out and buy a few sesame seed cakes.

Break open a steaming hot sesame flatbread and dip it in the broth of pork ribs and tofu.

The crispy sesame flatbread is layered and becomes soft on the outside but still has a firm core after soaking. Once you finish one flatbread, the pork ribs and tofu are almost done.

"Oh, I'm so full."

I don't know what's so magical about this Wenji restaurant, but every time I come here, I leave with my belly pounding.

Here, there is no such thing as "just right" or "70% full." Almost everyone will ask for more when they are 70% full.

He stretched himself out like a penguin, so much so that he could barely walk.

Are you coming again tomorrow?

"...How about the day after tomorrow?"

People say that you should fatten up for winter, but if you keep eating like this, you'll be ready for slaughter by the New Year.

It's a bittersweet pain.

...

Although Chen Jiahe and his assistant Zeng were eager to rush to Wenji on the first day, they were on official business and there were always unavoidable social engagements when they arrived at the destination.

What bothered Chen Jiahe the most was that almost all of these social engagements were held at Jinyulou.

Chen Jiahe had already seen the dishes at Jin Yu Lou on the first day, so he naturally didn't have much of a liking for the place.

Chen Jiahe wasn't being picky; rather, he felt that being a person was like cooking.

If you don't have the ability, then so be it; doing your best within your capabilities is also acceptable.

It's clearly the restaurant's signature dish, and the head chef is still here, yet they've made it like this. It just shows they haven't put in enough effort.

Chen Jiahe poked at the golden cabbage in front of him listlessly.

Having visited many times, this was the fifth time Chen Jiahe had eaten golden cabbage.

He can even tell the skill level of the chef by the dishes served each day.

Like the first day when Manager Guo invited them, although there was a slight oversight, it was still acceptable.

But the next few times, it tasted worse and worse.

Today was the worst; Chen Jiahe took one bite and basically didn't touch his chopsticks for the rest of the meal.

He thought to himself, "This Jin Yu Lou is really something. I've never seen a restaurant with such inconsistent quality."

Today's work was probably done by an apprentice; there's absolutely nothing commendable about it.

Fortunately, Chen Jiahe was happy that he could go to Wenji for dinner tomorrow. He quietly added a note to his schedule, saying that after he got back tonight, he would check Wenji's account to see what new dishes were worth looking forward to.

...

In the kitchen of Jin Yu Lou.

Looking at the dishes in front of him, Master Jin was too exhausted to scold his apprentice.

Master Erjin, now in his forties, showed a hint of impatience in his eyes, and only felt annoyed when receiving guidance from his senior apprentice.

"Senior brother, you're making a mountain out of a molehill. We've been cooking these dishes for ages, how could I have made a mistake? It's just that I had a little to drink yesterday, so my tongue is a bit dull, and I put in a little too much salt. It's a minor issue, not a problem at all. Didn't you see that no one has come to return the dishes? The customers haven't said anything, yet you're getting so worked up..."

Chef Da Jin's eyes were filled with deep disappointment: "None of the ingredients in the Golden Cabbage were added at the right time, the egg floss was overcooked and too salty. The broth in the Braised Dried Tofu Strips wasn't prepared long enough before being used, and the crab roe buns weren't wrapped properly and leaked out... These are the minor flaws you're talking about? You've been cooking for so many years, and if you can't even tell good from bad, what kind of master chef are you? You say no one returns the dishes, but no one says you've cooked well either. Think back to the past, when customers would always happily call the waiters to praise you after their meal. Now look at yourself, do you think you've done it right?"

Master Erjin's face turned red and then pale after his senior brother's words, and he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Master Da Jin seemed to hunch his back in an instant, his voice weary: "I know you all think I'm an old fogey. You and San Jin, neither of you come to the shop, you just rely on a bunch of young guys to fool people... San Jin tested me several times before, saying he had already talked to the boss about hiring someone to make the soup base and pre-prepared dishes for the Golden Cabbage. Second brother, are you tempted too?"

Master Erjin remained silent for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"Senior brother, Jin Yu Lou has a big enough reputation. We've worked so hard for so many years, don't we deserve to earn some easy money now?"

Yes, the third brother is dishonest and cunning. He has been hanging around with the young master for a long time, going around meeting people, and all he wants to do is expand Jin Yu Lou's business further.

He looked down on the third brother's scheming nature, but he also despised the eldest brother's stubbornness.

Cooking, cooking, how many people have made a fortune by cooking?

Nowadays, many people can't distinguish between the five flavors, and all sorts of random seasonings have long since made people lose the ability to appreciate delicious food.

Does he really have to practice hard every day just to make a good dish?

Master Jin never expected his junior apprentice to think this way, and his heart ached: "This is the culmination of Master's hard work! Master said that if Jin Yu Lou wants to grow big, it must always remember its duty as a chef and as a person!"

What is the fundamental duty of cooking?

Isn't it just about honing basic skills step by step?

Erjin lowered his head and said, "Senior brother... Young master has agreed to what Lao San said. The factory has started making the seasoning packets for the Golden Cabbage. In a few days, they will be displayed in the store."

Master Jin suddenly looked up, but his vision blurred, and he couldn't even see his junior brother's expression clearly.

"What did you say?!"

Erjin mustered his courage: "Senior brother, everyone's moving forward, so don't be so prim and proper. We all get dividends. If the shop makes more money, we can all get more and live a better life, okay..."

After that, his senior brother couldn't hear anything Erjin said anymore. With a cry of alarm from his disciple, Master Dajin suddenly collapsed.