Chapter 2 Garlic Ribs, Chicken and Potatoes.

Two or three hundred meters behind Suli Street is a creative park. It used to be the Jiangshi Brewery. After the factory moved out, it was turned into an industrial creative park, which attracted some studios and many people work there.

In the Yuan Design office, three employees from the design department were getting restless as it approached the end of the workday.

They had just finished designing the early summer clothing, and the pattern was done without any problems. It also met the requirements of their partners, so they could start production in the factory immediately.

This can be considered as completing one phase of the task, and the team leader said he would treat everyone to lunch.

Everyone stared at their computers, typing on their keyboards, chatting in the group about what Sister Zhang would treat them to.

When it was time, Zhang Hong came out of the small office and said with a smile, "Let's go, let's go to Suli Street for dinner."

"Thank you, Sister Zhang."

Everyone stood up happily in response, picked up their bags that had been prepared beforehand, and followed her out. In reality, they were secretly complaining, not expecting that Sister Zhang would actually go to Suli Street for dinner.

Surrey Street was nearby, and when they first started working there, they often ate lunch there. It was just some noodle shops, snack shops, fried skewers and barbecue shops, and a home-style restaurant. They got tired of it after a short time.

With the rise of two large plazas within a kilometer, many restaurants have sprung up, and they mostly order takeout for lunch. These restaurants offer single-person meals daily, which are affordable at around twenty yuan with coupons, and the food is quite good.

Now that everyone has left the creative park, they walk and chat while holding umbrellas.

Huang Huishan asked with a smile, "Sister Zhang, what are we having for lunch? It's been a long time since we ate at Suli Street."

Sister Zhang: "Let's go eat at Lao Wang's home-style restaurant. His food is pretty good. Let's have a nice meal."

She originally wanted to treat them to a meal at Shenghui Plaza, but it was so hot at midday that taking a taxi there and rushing back after eating would mean missing their afternoon nap. So it was better to just eat on Suli Street.

Wu Dongqing laughed and said, "The food there is indeed quite good. We've eaten there before. But when you're eating home-style food by yourself, ordering too much is wasteful, and ordering too little seems too monotonous. It's more cost-effective to order single-person meals for takeout. We're really lucky to have such a delicious meal today."

Liu Jia chimed in, "Yes, it's been a long time since I've had Old Wang's home-cooked meals. I don't usually think about it, but now that I think about it, I'm really craving it."

Zhang Hong smiled and said, "Then let's have a good meal later."

The group walked into the end of Suli Street and strolled along the old street. Old Wang's Home-Style Restaurant was located at the other end of the street.

As they talked, they kept an eye on the shops they passed, noting what they sold and any changes.

When they reached the middle of the old street, just before the corner, Liu Jia, with her sharp eyes, said, "It looks like a new restaurant has opened there, called Gu's Private Kitchen."

Wu Dongqing glanced around and said, "The decor is mostly wood-based, which has a certain charm."

Huang Huishan laughed and said, "It seems we haven't been here for so long that we didn't even know a new store had opened."

Zhang Hong has worked at Yuan Design for many years and is familiar with the shops on Suli Street.

She explained, "This shop used to exist; it was run by a couple, and the food was pretty good. But then I heard that the couple died in a car accident, and Gu's Private Kitchen closed down. Now, the shop name hasn't changed, so I don't know who's running it."

Driven by curiosity, the four walked over and were greeted by a delightful aroma.

The rich aroma of chicken mixed with the mellow fragrance of potatoes made my already hungry stomach rumble after a few more breaths.

Seeing that the shop was clean and tidy, and looking through the glass window at a young woman busy in the kitchen, Zhang Hong hesitated and asked, "This shop looks good, why don't we give it a try today?"

She had agreed to go to Lao Wang's Home-Style Restaurant. Although her mouth was already watering, she still wanted to hear her employees' opinions. If necessary, she could just come over for a meal after get off work that evening.

Huang Huishan and her two companions had long been considering this, but they were too embarrassed to say so since their boss was treating them. Now that they heard Sister Zhang say this, they immediately nodded and said, "Okay, let's eat here then."

The group entered the room and found a small square table in the middle to sit down.

Gu Qingqiu noticed customers coming in from the kitchen and came out to greet them with a smile: "Hello, there's a menu on the wall. Just take a look and tell me what you'd like to eat."

Liu Jia and the others were a little surprised when they saw Gu Qingqiu's face. She had fair skin, almond-shaped eyes, and arched eyebrows, and looked very elegant. Even with her hair tied up, wearing a chef's hat and a chef's apron, her beauty was still undeniable.

Zhang Hong nodded: "Okay, let's take a look."

Liu Jia and the other two didn't even have time to appreciate the beauty of the women; they were all focused on the handwritten menu on the wall.

Today's menu:

Garlic ribs, 58 yuan;

Chicken and potato nuggets, 58 yuan;

Vegetarian Three Delicacies: 38 yuan;

Garlic and oyster sauce bok choy hearts, 28 yuan;

Stir-fried water spinach with fermented soybean paste, 28 yuan;

Soybean, fig, and chicken feet soup, 58 yuan;

A bowl of rice costs 3 yuan.

The prices are a bit high for the area around Suli Street, but they are acceptable compared to the restaurants in Shenghui Plaza.

Since we're already here, Zhang Hong asked, "These dishes look good. There are four of us, why don't we try everything?"

Huang Huishan: "Sister Zhang, we can choose just one type of vegetable."

Wu Dongqing: "Yes, it would be a waste if we couldn't finish it all."

Liu Jia nodded: "These bok choy and water spinach look pretty good."

After discussing it, everyone decided to order garlic and oyster sauce bok choy. Zhang Hong said to Gu Qingqiu, "Boss, we want garlic ribs, chicken and potatoes, vegetarian three delicacies, bok choy, and soup."

Gu Qingqiu smiled and wrote it down: "Okay, everyone, please wait a moment."

She first went to get four bowls and chopsticks, a small glass basin for scalding, and hot water, then went into the kitchen to get busy.

The ribs had been marinated earlier. Now, Gu Qingqiu added cornstarch and mixed the ribs well to ensure that the minced garlic stuck firmly to the ribs.

She heated oil in a wok until it reached 60% of its maximum temperature, then added the ribs to fry. She would occasionally stir them with a slotted spoon. Once the ribs floated to the surface and turned golden brown, she would remove them and then fry them again over high heat.

Once the ribs are fried until cooked through, remove them from the oil, drain them, and plate them. They will be golden and crispy, with no more black wisps or mist visible. Instead, they will condense a tiny bit of spiritual energy.

Gu Qingqiu added a sprig of green mint to the edge of the plate and then served the dish.

"Garlic ribs are here."

"Thank you, boss."

When Gu Qingqiu brought back four bowls of rice and went into the kitchen, Zhang Hong smelled the aroma and called out, "Eat up!"

Everyone started eating.

Zhang Hong picked up a piece of garlic-flavored pork rib. The outer skin was crispy and glistening with oil, and it had a savory and salty taste. After biting through the crispy skin, the inside was tender pork rib meat that wasn't tough at all and fell off the bone with a single bite. The savory flavor of the rib became more and more enjoyable with each bite, and it didn't feel greasy at all; instead, it made her even hungrier.

She couldn't resist picking up another piece of garlic pork ribs to eat.

After tasting the garlic ribs, Liu Jia and the other two couldn't help but praise how delicious they were, and without pausing, they quickly picked up another piece and continued eating.

Huang Huishan praised, "I didn't expect this restaurant to be so good at cooking. The garlic ribs were fried until they were tender and fragrant, and the garlic wasn't bitter at all. They were really good with rice."

Wu Dongqing chewed on the pork ribs and swallowed with his rice, nodding: "It really goes well with rice, it's savory and flavorful, but not too salty."

Liu Jia didn't say anything, she just kept eating the garlic-flavored pork ribs.

If Gu Qingqiu hadn't come over a little while later and served chicken nuggets and potatoes, as well as chicken feet soup with soybeans and figs, they would have definitely devoured the entire plate of garlic ribs.

Liu Jia used the large spoon that came with the square plate to scoop up chicken pieces and potatoes and put them on top of the bowl. Then she picked up a piece of chicken and tasted it.

The chicken pieces were cooked to a beautiful golden brown color, tender and juicy, with a firm texture and a rich sauce that made it irresistible to eat with a bowl of white rice.

The potatoes soaked up the broth, becoming equally savory and flavorful. Each bite was soft, chewy, and fragrant, even more intense than the aroma I had smelled at the shop entrance.

She ate a bite of chicken and a bite of potato, and the white rice in her bowl quickly dwindled. Looking up again, she saw that Sister Zhang, Xiaoshan, and Dongqing were all engrossed in eating their chicken and potato pieces.

Huang Huishan finished her bowl of white rice first, and then quickly used a soup spoon to scoop up some soybean, fig, and chicken feet soup to drink.

She had been tempted by the faint aroma of the soup when it was served, but unfortunately, there was still white rice in her bowl.

This will be ladled into a bowl along with the soup ingredients. The soup is clear and bright yellow, with bright red goji berries floating in it. At the bottom of the soup are yellow soybeans, brown figs, and red dates, as well as chicken feet that have been cooked to a slightly pale color.

She scooped up a spoonful of soup and drank it. The hot soup had a sweet taste, with the aroma of chicken feet, red dates, and goji berries, mixed with a hint of saltiness. She swallowed it without savoring it for long.

Huang Huishan knew immediately that the soup was made with high-quality ingredients. She drank it spoonful after spoonful, and the irritability caused by the hot weather and the thirst from the previous feast were relieved. She felt warm all over but didn't feel hot.

She usually doesn't like to eat the soup base when she drinks soup, but this time she picked up a chicken foot with her chopsticks and started gnawing on it.

The chicken feet were simmered for a long time, but they didn't become bland. Instead, they absorbed the sweetness of the red dates and goji berries, and they were soft, chewy, and gelatinous. Before she knew it, she had finished a whole chicken foot. She also ate all the remaining red dates, goji berries, soybeans, and figs.

Wu Dongqing and Liu Jia also drank a bowl of soup, praising it highly, and even ate the soup base.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Zhang Hong felt that this pot of soup was the essence of the whole meal, so she quietly filled another bowl and continued drinking.

She doesn't like chicken feet, but because of her good impression of the soup and the way the three employees enjoyed eating chicken feet, she couldn't resist giving it a try, and she fell in love with it after just one bite.

The chicken feet are soft and chewy, with a slightly gelatinous texture, and a hint of sweet and savory flavor. They are completely different from the chicken feet I had by chance a long time ago.

Of course, she also ate things like red dates, goji berries, red beans, and figs.

To be honest, the owner served the dishes quite quickly. While they were drinking the soup, the vegetarian three delicacies and the garlic and oyster sauce bok choy were served one after another. But everyone was so focused on drinking the soup that they were already a little full.

Wu Dongqing leaned back in her chair to catch her breath: "This restaurant is so delicious, I'm almost stuffed."

Huang Huishan nodded: "Yes, we were supposed to drink the soup last, but once we started, we couldn't stop."

Liu Jia took a breath: "It's okay. With these vegetarian delicacies and bok choy looking so delicious, I can still eat after resting for a while."

In terms of color, aroma, and taste, Gu's Private Kitchen has reached the pinnacle.

Putting aside the garlic ribs, chicken and potato, and soybean, fig and chicken feet soup that were served earlier, the tender green of the lettuce, the dark black of the wood ear mushrooms, and the orange-red of the carrots in this vegetarian dish are a visual feast in the summer, looking refreshing and tempting.

Garlic and oyster sauce bok choy is served with rows of bright green bok choy arranged casually yet neatly on a white porcelain plate, topped with a sauce of garlic and oyster sauce, which looks like it's been thickened with cornstarch slurry. It looks shiny and slightly viscous, so you know it must taste good.

Zhang Hong got up and went to the restroom. When she came back, she sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and ate a piece of bok choy.

The bok choy is slightly crisp when you bite into it, while the leaves are very soft and tender. It has a salty and sweet flavor from oyster sauce, and it tastes great with the minced garlic.

The vegetarian three-ingredient dish combines three ingredients in one spoonful. The sweetness of the lettuce, the smooth and crisp texture of the wood ear mushrooms, and the sweet aroma of the carrots are all mixed together, along with the saltiness of the sauce. It's quite delicious.

Enjoying such a refreshing dish on a hot summer day instantly washed away the previous greasiness. If Zhang Hong hadn't already eaten a bowl of rice, she probably would have been tempted to have another bowl to eat with it.

Huang Huishan and the other two caught their breath and realized they could eat more now that they had some room in their stomachs. Seeing how much Zhang Jie enjoyed her meal, they knew the vegetarian stir-fry and bok choy would taste good, and they had been craving it for a while.

Everyone ate with their chopsticks, one bite after another, not even bothering to talk.

Besides food stalls, Surrey Street is also home to some long-time residents. The younger generation has earned money, bought houses, and moved out, leaving only the older generation who are nostalgic for the old environment and the warmth of their neighbors, unwilling to leave and content to live here.

Near the street stood a low building. Grandpa Lin was sweeping and mopping the floor at home when he saw his wife return. He went over and asked, "What good groceries did you buy today?"

Both husband and wife have pensions, and their son has a successful career and bought a house nearby. They don't have much pressure, so they can focus on eating well.

Grandpa Lin has a sweet tooth, and his wife is a pretty good cook. Every day, he looks forward to seeing what meat and vegetables she buys.

Grandma Lin opened her shopping bag to show him: "I only bought some pork and vegetables, enough for us to eat tonight."

Grandpa Lin was stunned: "Then what are we having for lunch?"

Grandma Lin recounted what she overheard before going grocery shopping: "I was exercising at the senior activity center this morning when I heard them talking about how Huifen's family's private restaurant has reopened, and it's run by her daughter. It's a pity about Huifen and her husband; I heard their daughter studied Chinese literature, and I don't know why she suddenly came back to open a restaurant."

“Those people said some really nasty things, like, ‘A girl like her probably can’t even learn how to flip a wok, how good can her cooking be?’ They’re all just waiting for that girl to slink away and close down the shop.”

“I was thinking that we used to have a good relationship with Huifen and her husband. Today her daughter is opening a shop, so let’s go over and have a meal to support her and make sure the restaurant isn’t too deserted.”

Gu's private kitchen used to be quite delicious, and Grandma Lin's family would often go there to eat. Plus, they were neighbors on the same street, and she and Huifen and her husband had a good relationship. Going back a bit further, you could say she watched that girl grow up.

Now that Gu's Private Kitchen has reopened, she thought she'd go and support them, which is why she bought less meat and vegetables for lunch.

Grandpa Lin nodded in agreement: "Okay, then we'll go there for lunch."

Then she sighed again, "I'd never heard of her daughter being a good cook before. It'll probably be tough for her to open a restaurant now that she's back. But even so, those people at the senior center went too far with their comments."

Grandma Lin nodded emphatically: "That's right, all you're saying is sarcastic remarks. We'll go over when it's time for dinner."

Grandpa Lin smiled and agreed, and the elderly couple busied themselves with other things at home. Unexpectedly, guests arrived, and after seeing them off, they realized it was past midnight. They quickly changed their shoes and headed out to Gu's Private Kitchen.