Chapter 57 057 Homemade Braised Pomfret Rice Cake, Beef Bone Marrow and Sea Urchin Noodles, ...

Chen Jiahe's mouth was covered in sauce, but he seemed oblivious, wolfing down his food while his local accent mixed with English came out in a jumbled mess.

Assistant Zeng had eaten his share of fine food with Chen Jiahe, but for someone who didn't care much for culinary delights, he would forget as soon as he heard the boss discussing the vintage of the wine, the freshness of the ingredients, and the cooking process and heat control. After all, it was just food; no matter how delicious, the enjoyment it brought was only for about half an hour.

But today, Assistant Zeng realized that he had made a huge mistake.

The spicy braising sauce has a unique flavor, with the aroma of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns blending together. It's spicy but not overpowering, and numbing but not pungent. The rich braising aroma permeates the sea cucumber and scallops. The sea cucumber has a chewy texture, and the scallops are soft and tender. Soaked in the spicy braising sauce for just the right amount, they are exceptionally flavorful. Every bite brings immense satisfaction.

After eating half of the spicy braised meat, Assistant Zeng suddenly exclaimed, "This kind of braised broth is best paired with buckwheat noodles!"

Those culinary insights that Chen Jiahe had shared so many times before suddenly came flooding back. Looking at the remaining gravy on the plate, Assistant Zeng's mind was filled with images of buckwheat noodles soaking in the broth, the broth smooth and incredibly fragrant…

Assistant Zeng looked affectionately at the thick layer of broth remaining at the bottom of the plate, determined to pack it up and take it back to the hotel.

Chen Jiahe paid no attention to Assistant Zeng; he was already engrossed in the exquisite deliciousness of the braised abalone and oxtail in the casserole.

The already thick abalone sauce in the casserole lost some of its moisture as it was heated in the casserole, becoming even more viscous. The oxtail was tender yet chewy, and the gelatinous texture at the joints was like jelly. With a gentle bite, after the initial resistance, the loose, bursting oxtail flavor bursted open, complementing the freshness of the abalone sauce. The combination of the two left Chen Jiahe feeling both delighted and regretful.

"Do you have any rice? I'd like a bowl of rice!"

The thick, almost sticky abalone sauce is the perfect choice for mixing with rice.

Kong Zhenhua, with two pieces of abalone stuffed in his mouth, reluctantly put down his chopsticks: "I'll go get some!"

When the glistening white rice is served, this dish truly reaches its peak flavor.

Mix the rice grains with the thick sauce, and with one bite, the savory aroma breaks through the barrier. The fusion of staple food and meat brings a supreme delight that no other food can replace.

Chen Jiahe carefully ate the last few grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl. His seriousness made Assistant Zeng's eyes twitch. Even when he had seen Chen Jiahe eat rice that was supposedly worth over ten thousand yuan and was highly recommended by the chef of a certain restaurant, he had never seen Chen Jiahe so solemn.

The Wen family gave a generous portion. Chen Jiahe gently patted his stomach; it had been a long time since he had enjoyed such a large amount of staple food.

Just as he was about to thank Kong Zhenhua for finding such a legendary little shop, Wen's mother appeared with a tray.

With just a quick glance, Wen's mother knew things were going to go wrong.

"Did you serve yourselves the rice?"

Because the restaurant offers free refills of rice, Mrs. Wen placed a large rice cooker in front of the counter. She had been so busy earlier that she hadn't even noticed that this special group of guests had already started eating rice.

Kong Zhenhua had just finished a bowl of abalone sauce rice when he heard this, and he chuckled, "I saw there's some at the door, so I won't bother you."

Mother Wen:......

Wen's mother didn't think she was in trouble; she only felt that the three people in front of her were going to be in trouble.

"Homemade braised pomfret with rice cake."

"Beef bone marrow and sea urchin noodles".

Eight-treasure crab meat cake.

When the three dishes were served, Chen Jiahe was overjoyed, his surprise was like a triple chorus, and the immense joy made him dizzy.

Wen's mother: "...Lobster rice porridge."

The last dish, lobster rice porridge, was made in the largest clay pot in the Wen family home.

A large earthenware pot was served, its warm yellow broth and rice porridge complementing each other beautifully. Kong Zhenhua couldn't find the right words to describe it, but he thought of the nostalgic cartoons his son occasionally watched, where the protagonist of a food-themed anime would bring out a pot of food, and the moment the lid was lifted, countless golden rays would radiate outwards from the dish...

The table was filled with four dishes, and Wen's mother hesitated before asking if they should wait a while before serving the final main course.

"However, the main dish is not seafood; it's specially made."

Chen Jiahe realized he was in trouble, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He then realized he might have made a mistake.

He was so excited by the pot of abalone and oxtail that he didn't know what to do. After eating a bowl of rice, he was already half full.

Who knew there were four more dishes to come!

Chen Jiahe pursed his lips and looked at Kong Zhenhua, whose mouth was dripping with oil, his eyes filled with a sorrowful resentment that he wanted to say but couldn't.

Since you're treating us to a meal, why didn't you ask how many dishes there were?

I blame myself for not saying a word earlier!

While Mrs. Wen was still waiting for their reply, Chen Jiahe steeled himself and said, "Let's wait and see. If it doesn't work out... I wonder if we could pack it up?"

Wen's mother nodded: "That's fine."

This wasn't the first time. At first, she thought that her daughter only cooking four or five dishes to entertain a table of people every weekend was a bit too little. But after a few more times, she realized that it was definitely not too little. Instead, she was worried that the guests might overeat.

Wen's mother returned to the kitchen and told her daughter, "I think they probably can't finish it all."

Besides, the seafood portion was small, so six dishes were enough, not to mention that everyone ate a bowl of rice first.

I'm afraid there will be a lot of leftovers to pack up later.

Wen Fan didn't care about this at all; she wasn't even interested in going out to see what her customers looked like.

Today, she prepared seafood in various ways, showing great curiosity about things she had never seen before, especially sea urchins. Wen Fan looked up information and confirmed that it was a type of sea urchin called "horse dung sea urchin." The sea urchin had a sweet and fresh taste, and she actually quite liked it. At noon, she specially made several bowls of sea urchin rice, and the whole family enjoyed the meal very much.

"Okay, I'll head back now."

After a busy day, Wen Fan's stress subsided, but physical exhaustion suddenly appeared.

She pointed to a clay pot on the stove in the back kitchen.

"The food inside can be simmered for another half hour and then it'll be ready. Just pack it in lunchboxes for them."

Wen's mother gently touched her cheek: "Okay, let your dad cut it in a bit. Remember to take a shower when you get home, and then rest."

After a pause, Wen's mother added, "Next time there's something like this, make fewer dishes."

Six dishes are simply too much to finish, and it's also too much trouble.

Wen Fan leaned lazily against his mother's back, drawing out his words in a sticky, whiny voice: "Okay—"

...

Chen Jiahe was finally convinced. He ate until he was about to vomit, then patted Kong Zhenhua on the shoulder and addressed him as a brother, completely unlike his gentle facade from before.

"Brother, you should have said so earlier!"

Kong Zhenhua thought Chen Jiahe was bringing up business, so he quickly wiped his mouth and started trying to get closer to him.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Jiahe immediately began to sigh.

"You should have said so earlier... If you had known you knew about this restaurant, I would have come much sooner. Waaah, I really can't get used to the food from mainland China!"

Kong Zhenhua: ...

He hadn't been drinking, so why was he so dizzy?

Chen Jiahe picked up the lobster rice porridge in his bowl and shoveled two mouthfuls into his mouth in a fit of anger.

The broth is made of plump rice grains, each grain soaked in the broth until soft and rich, and the broth is incredibly sweet. Before serving, some crispy rice is sprinkled on top. The crispy rice grains are first stir-fried in oil, and their oily chewiness slides into the rich and hot broth, bringing a unique flavor. The savory broth, the firm lobster meat, the soft and chewy rice grains, and the texture of the crispy rice create a bowl of lobster rice porridge with distinct layers of flavor.

Tonight, Chen Jiahe's favorite and most hated dishes are both this one.

While marveling at the deliciousness of the lobster rice porridge, I forced myself to suppress the food that was about to fill my throat.

Kong Zhenhua was also quite full, but he was fat and had a big appetite, so he was alright.

But Chen Jiahe, a senior manager of a multinational corporation who is considered a successful person in Hong Kong, rarely had such a humiliating moment.

Assistant Zeng was the same. He came with prejudice, but was captivated by this small shop and didn't put down his chopsticks the whole time.

The rice cakes in the braised pomfret were incredibly soft and chewy. Assistant Zeng ate them one after another. The snow-white, soft rice cakes dipped in the sauce of the braised yellow croaker were so delicious that it was as if a golden light appeared before his eyes from the moment he took a bite. For someone who was used to eating good food, none of the delicacies could compare to this small piece of rice cake.

Beef bone marrow and sea urchin noodles: the beef bone is split in the middle, and after being grilled, the beef bone marrow is so tender that it slides into your stomach like a slide with just a light bite. The oily bone marrow and the sweet and fresh sea urchin are paired together like a big bouquet of red and white roses, dazzling and delicious!

Assistant Zeng picked up a strand of spaghetti, which was the only purely Western-style dish tonight.

Putting aside the texture of the pasta itself, the seasoning has a gentle and unhurried quality. What's even more eye-catching is that the piping hot pasta is topped with chilled sea urchin. One bite is hot and the next is cold, creating a unique and delightful contrast of hot and cold.

Seeing that the two of them ate for a while and then rested, Kong Zhenhua decided to give up on discussing business.

Kong Zhenhua picked up an eight-treasure crab meat cake and ate it with his mouth full of oil.

This pancake, though called a pancake, doesn't contain any flour. Crab meat is mixed with mashed potatoes, and there are also some shrimp, eggs, celery, shredded cabbage... It's pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, and then topped with a special sauce.

The sauce is not like the previous ones; it has a surprisingly refreshing milky flavor, more like a slightly sour tartar sauce, but richer.

This dish, which resembles a snack, is served without feeling rushed. The sweetness of the crab meat and the golden-brown mashed potatoes complement each other perfectly. Dipped in sauce, it's so delicious that you'll find yourself finishing one before you know it.

Kong Zhenhua finished one plate and wanted to get another, but the plate that had previously held five plates now only had two left.

Kong Zhenhua stared at Chen Jiahe in disbelief.

If I remember correctly, Chen Jiahe had been saying he was full for half an hour.

Chen Jiahe struggled to put the crab meat cake in his mouth, and had to pause to eat for a while.

Although Assistant Zeng's reaction wasn't as obvious, his chopsticks movements were noticeably hesitant.

The three of them ate with all their might, but some food was still left over.

However, this was no longer a concern for Wen's mother. Assistant Zeng no longer complained about the store being dirty as before, but instead went to the store and got a few takeout boxes and bags himself.

He even scraped the empty spicy braising broth with a spoon again and again, his earnestness making him look like he was examining a large corporation's financial report. Kong Zhenhua didn't know where to look, thinking to himself, "I didn't expect Assistant Zeng to be so down-to-earth."

Chen Jiahe burped and quickly shut his mouth, then let out a long sigh after a while.

Although he had eaten delicious food, Chen Jiahe was not entirely intoxicated and enjoying it.

The thought that his work in mainland China was about to come to an end made Chen Jiahe's eyes, which were fixed on the packing bag, look particularly conflicted.

Ultimately, caught between the dilemma of "should I extend the deadline for a while?" and "it will be too late if I don't go back to report now," Chen Jiahe was heartbroken.

"Anderson, let's postpone our flights next week by one day."

One day was the limit of what he could decide.

"Next week... let's do it again next week!"

Assistant Zeng clutched the bag tightly, feeling the same way her boss had for the first time.

When Wen's mother saw that they were about to leave, she chased after them.

Chen Jiahe politely thanked Wen's mother and expressed his desire to meet the head chef.

Wen's mother: "She went back... Here, this is your special staple food."

Three heavy, oversized boxes, each with no decorations on the outside, revealing what appeared to be rice and dishes inside.

Chen Jiahe wasn't without regrets, but considering there would be another opportunity next week, he didn't insist. Instead, he took the bag and thanked them again. Assistant Zeng also broke his silence earlier, proactively greeting Wen's mother and exchanging phone numbers for future orders.

After seeing the person off, Wen's mother clicked her tongue in amazement at the table, which was so clean it barely needed washing.

"If all customers were like this, it would save us a lot of trouble."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Two more chapters to go, a little later. Updates will likely be around midnight, so those who go to bed early don't need to wait and can read in the morning. (My sleep schedule is completely messed up; I'll probably be living like a mouse for a while now...)