Chapter 29: Braised Platter and Braised Vegetables.

The white porcelain bottle, larger than the ones used for serving fashionable meat dishes, was divided into three sections. Slices of slightly thick, reddish-brown beef were arranged on the plate, occupying half of the space.

The remaining half of the space was filled with slices of white-yellow dace fish cakes and dark bean-colored rolled cakes, all drizzled with a dark brown sauce and glistening with oil, looking very tempting.

In the middle of the plate was a dipping sauce with a prepared sauce containing minced garlic and chopped chili peppers.

Seeing the tempting appearance and smelling the fragrant aroma, this time, without any prompting, everyone immediately reached for their chopsticks and started tasting the braised platter.

Grandpa Lin was the first to pick up a piece of beef to eat. The beef was cut neither too thin nor too thick, and the reddish-brown meat had clear marbling. It was a beautiful piece of beef shank, with no tendons or fascia visible.

He put it in his mouth and took a bite. The beef was braised until tender and juicy, and he could feel the salty and savory flavors being released in his mouth. It was slightly chewy and springy, but it didn't get stuck in his teeth.

The aroma of the braising liquid permeates the beef, allowing you to taste the savory flavor of beef with every bite.

Most of the beef is tender, but the tendons have a bit of elasticity, which makes the texture much richer. Upon closer tasting, it's savory with a hint of sweetness.

Grandpa Lin nodded repeatedly: "This beef is well-braised; it tastes just as good as pig's feet."

Grandma Lin took a bite of the beef, and its savory and delicious flavor made her want to mix it with rice. The beef was chewier than the pork knuckle, and in addition to the rich braised flavor, it also had the natural taste of beef itself, fresh with a hint of sweetness.

She couldn't say which tasted better, but she was happy as long as it didn't get stuck in her teeth.

Grandma Lin reminisced, "Xiao Qiu's braised food skills are quite good. They're better than what Hui Fen and her husband make, and they're not much worse than what her grandfather made back then."

When she and her husband came to Suli Street to buy a house, Grandpa Gu was still the head chef. Whenever he made braised dishes, the domineering aroma would fill half the street, and few people could resist coming over to eat.

Back then, she and her husband were tired from working and earning money, so they would occasionally come to Gu's Private Kitchen to eat something nice to improve their lives. Their favorite food was all kinds of braised dishes.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gu retired after running the restaurant for another two or three years, handing it over to Huifen and her husband.

Grandpa Lin nodded after listening: "Indeed, today's braised food tastes just like it did back then, it's incredibly fragrant!"

Lin Zhongxuan and Xie Yun, being young and having good teeth, ate the braised beef with gusto while listening to their parents reminisce about the past of Gu's private kitchen.

After tasting the savory flavor of the original braised beef, they all chose to dip it in some sauce.

The beef dipped in the sauce has a richer color and a more pronounced garlicky and spicy flavor, making it more flavorful. The subtle spiciness spreads in your mouth, and the beef even feels more tender and chewy.

Xiao Yuan and Xiao Mei held the beef slices with exceptional steadiness with their chopsticks. After biting into the slices and tasting the salty flavor, they squinted their eyes happily. They even raised their coconut juice cups to clink together, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Grandma Lin ate three slices of beef in a row. She dipped the last slice in sauce and ate it because it was spicy. She still preferred the original braised beef. Then she picked up a piece of pork trotter and ate it.

After finishing the meal, seeing that her son, daughter-in-law, and two children were only focused on eating beef, she smiled and said, "You should try these braised dace cakes and scallion rolls. They should taste even better than what we stir-fried last night."

After saying that, she picked up a piece of curry and ate it herself.

Xie Yun had heard her mother-in-law mention it when she came over in the morning. She said that Xiao Qiu was too honest. When she brought over a bag of peanuts, Xiao Qiu gave her a dace fish cake and a rolled pancake. She had stir-fried it last night and found it very fresh and delicious. She even left half of it for them to remember to take with them when they went home in the afternoon.

With a hint of anticipation, she picked up a slice of curry and ate it.

The name itself is quite interesting. It's a food made by wrapping minced meat in tofu skin. When you first taste it, you're greeted with a familiar yet strong braised flavor. The rolls are a bit salty, very delicate yet substantial, with the aroma of pork, and even more fragrant than regular stir-fried pork.

Then Xie Yun picked up another piece of fish cake to eat. After the aroma of the braised meat, there was the fresh fragrance of the fish. Every bite felt like eating fish directly. You could feel the elasticity of the fish cake when you chewed it.

She praised, "These scallops and fish cakes are quite fragrant. The scallops have a strong meaty flavor, and the fish cakes have a fresh fishy aroma. After being braised, they are very salty and fragrant. They are just as good as pork knuckles and beef when eaten with rice."

Grandma Lin said happily, "I think so too. Besides, Xiao Qiu bought pork and fish and made these herself. They are definitely cleaner and more hygienic than those sold in the market, and they taste much better."

Lin Zhongxuan also tried two or three pieces of rolled pancakes and fish cakes, nodding in agreement with his mother and wife.

Grandpa Lin picked up the bowl and ate the pig's feet, beef, rolled rice, and fish cakes in turn, the bowl of rice sinking very quickly.

Xiao Yuan and Xiao Mei are both smart children. Hearing their parents' and grandparents' praise, they both started to try the rolled cakes and fish cakes.

They like the slightly crispy outer layer of the roll, but love the firm, meaty texture inside even more. They also really enjoy the chewy, savory flavor of the fish cake.

This braised platter was very generous, with countless slices of beef in half a plate, and ten slices each of rolled fritters and fish cakes. The four adults and two children of the Lin family were so eager to eat that the rolled fritters and fish cakes were all gone in no time, leaving them only to eat the beef and pig's feet.

At this moment, the waiter brought over a bowl of braised dishes and a small dish of braised peanuts: "Hello, the braised vegetables are here. These braised peanuts are complimentary and are for the first ten tables at lunch and dinner today."

Lin Zhongxuan exclaimed in surprise, "They even have braised peanuts! They look pretty good."

Grandma Lin laughed and said, "These braised peanuts should be the same ones I gave Xiao Qiu yesterday. That child is so honest; she even braised them and gave them away for free."

Xie Yun said, "This might be the boss's strategy. It's May Day today, so giving away some side dishes can make customers happier and help build up repeat customers."

She smiled after saying that, "But even without this side dish, most customers who have eaten at Gu's Private Kitchen will become repeat customers."

While the adults were talking, Xiao Yuan had already learned to be clever and would first pick up two peanuts to eat.

The peanuts are round and plump, soaking up the savory aroma of the braising liquid. Because they have been braised, they have a soft and chewy texture, somewhat like chestnuts in texture and flavor, with a rich bean aroma.

Xiao Yuan nodded: "These peanuts taste even better than the ones I had at home this morning!"

Xiaomei ate three peanuts in a row and chimed in, "Delicious!"

In the morning at my grandma's house, she took out a lot of peanuts for them to peel and eat.

Xie Yun also picked up some peanuts to eat. The peanuts with more braised flavor were indeed tastier. The braised dried peanuts she ate in the morning had a slightly crunchy texture, but these were soft, glutinous, and flavorful, with a slightly chewy feel.

Grandma Lin also picked up a braised peanut and ate it, savoring the aroma of the peanut mixed with the flavor of the braising liquid. It was so salty and fragrant that she could mix it with another bite of rice.

When we occasionally make braised pork trotters at home, we add some peanuts to cook together. The peanuts, soaked in the broth, are delicious and make the dish even more fragrant.

She picked up a piece of pork trotter and put it in her mouth, then added two peanuts and ate them together; the combined flavors made it even more delicious.

After eating the first peanut, Grandpa Lin exclaimed, "These peanuts are delicious! It's a real shame we didn't have some wine with them."

After he finished speaking, he secretly glanced at his wife sitting next to him.

Lin Zhongxuan's lips curved slightly as he chewed on the braised peanuts in his mouth. He thought they would be even more delicious with alcohol, but the chances of peanuts and alcohol going together at this meal were slim, which was a pity.

Sure enough, Grandma Lin was so engrossed in eating the meat and peanuts that she didn't even glance at the old man. That old geezer has no self-awareness; he has high blood pressure and still wants to drink all the time. He's already quite grateful to have such fragrant braised peanuts to eat.

Grandpa Lin waited for a while, then sheepishly looked away, knowing that drinking was out of the question, even though the wine was right there in the freezer, so close by.

He looked up, picked up his chopsticks, and continued eating the braised vegetables; if he didn't eat them soon, his son and the others would eat them all.

The other tables were full of praise for the delicious braised pig's feet and braised platter. The pig's feet and beef were very popular, and they also kept praising the fish cakes and rolled cakes. They were even happier to learn that the owner made them by hand, as they were healthy, hygienic and delicious.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised to receive a small dish of peanuts from the shop assistant, and after tasting them, they exclaimed how delicious the peanuts were.

Some couldn't resist grabbing a bottle of beer from the freezer, sitting down to drink, eat peanuts, chat, and eat some braised meat. They were all grinning and shaking their heads. If they had wings, they would be so happy they could fly away.

Lin Guoran and Huo Youjin entered the store and smelled an even more overpowering aroma of braised food. Before they could even exclaim anything, they heard several tables of customers talking about peanuts. Upon hearing the words "free," the couple exchanged a glance and quickly found a table to sit down, calling over a staff member to ask, "Are you giving away peanuts today?"

They wouldn't even look at ordinary peanuts, but the peanuts from Gu's Private Kitchen were something they absolutely had to try. And they were free! No one could resist such temptation.

The clerk smiled and nodded: "Yes, the first ten tables at lunch and dinner today will receive a small dish of braised peanuts. You are still among the first ten tables."

Huo Youjin was extremely grateful to his wife for pulling him out of bed that morning so that they could leave at 10:30 and arrive here without having to stand in line at the door. They even received complimentary peanuts as a special treat for the first ten tables.

Lin nodded: "Okay, thank you. Can we look at the menu first before ordering?"

The clerk smiled and replied, "Sure, take your time looking around. Just let me know if you want to order."

"OK, thanks."

The couple huddled together to look at the menu on the wall. Every dish looked delicious, and today was a feast of braised dishes.

Huo Youjin said, "We definitely have to eat the braised pig's feet and the braised platter. On such a hot day, drinking bitter melon, soybean, and pork rib soup is also a good way to clear heat and detoxify. Do you want some braised vegetables?"

Lin nodded: "Of course I'll eat it. How about the Chaoshan steamed noodles?"

Both of them were quite troubled. In the end, it was because there were too few of them to eat that much. Otherwise, they wouldn't have to worry about it so much and could have just ordered everything.

Now the couple discussed it for a while, and unanimously used a reason that others had already used before—

Today is Labor Day! We've been working hard for almost half a year, so it's not too much to eat a little more today, right? If we can't finish it, we'll pack it up and eat it again tonight.

So they called over a waiter and ordered all the dishes on the menu.

Lin, sipping his hot Pu'er tea, laughed and said, "I told you not to go out and join the crowds during the holidays. It's the most worthwhile to come here to Gu's Private Kitchen after a good night's sleep. Just smelling this aroma, I can imagine how delicious today's braised meat and dishes will be."

Huo Youjin was washing two sets of bowls and chopsticks when he smiled and said, "Ever since I received the test results, I've been thinking about coming over for a meal, but I've been working overtime every day. I'll finally be able to eat here later. Besides, eating at Gu's Private Kitchen is both safe and enjoyable now."

The couple delivered the meat and vegetable samples they had packed from Gu's Private Kitchen to Lao Wu that day, and the results came out the following evening.

Huo Youjin had just returned home from working overtime and was eating the hot soup noodles his wife had just cooked when he received a phone call. He was both excited and nervous. At his wife's prompting, he turned the phone on speakerphone and asked, "So, is there a result?"

Old Wu's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with excitement: "Old Huo, we have the results! You know what? The food that was delivered tested negative for any harmful substances, no pathogens were found in the microbial tests, the hygiene indicators were absolutely clean, the nutritional content was extremely high, and there were no food additives or heavy metals."

“The nutrients in each food sample are almost at the top level for that ingredient, meaning they are very fresh and of high quality, and there is not much nutrient loss during the cooking process.”

"We were stunned by the results. We had never detected such high-quality ingredients before. We were still worried, so we sent them to a higher-level institution for testing again, but the result was the same."

"These meat dishes are not only harmless to the human body, but because they are rich in nutrients, the cooking process should also maximize the characteristics of the ingredients, so eating more of them may be beneficial to the body."

"Congratulations, Lao Huo! Your improved sleep quality might really be related to these meat dishes. Also, tell me which restaurant this is from, I want to take your sister-in-law and the kids there too!"

Old Wu rattled off a whole bunch of things, but all Huo Youjin and Lin Guoran could hear was one conclusion: the meat dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen were fine, even of high quality, and eating more of them would be good for their health!

Lin was delighted that the delicious Gu Family Private Kitchen hadn't collapsed, and that she could go there often in the future.

Huo Youjin was also happy. He had been suffering from difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality. If eating more meat dishes from Gu's Private Kitchen could really improve his sleep, he would treat Gu's Private Kitchen as his canteen!

Even if Lao Wu hadn't given such a result, he would most likely have chosen to continue eating at Gu's Private Kitchen, just for the delicious meat dishes alone, he could eat there countless times.

Furthermore, people have a clear perception of changes in their bodies. After eating at Gu's Private Kitchen that day and taking leftover meat and vegetables home for testing, he fell asleep quickly that night and slept very well all night, returning to the state he had on the first night he ate at Gu's Private Kitchen.

Over the next few days, my sleep onset time and sleep quality gradually improved, just like before, but overall the rate of improvement was slower than after the first time.

It's like taking medicine. You take it once and then stop, and there's an improvement, but you slowly return to the original state. You take it again and then stop, and although you're still slowly returning to the original state, it's slower and more effective. It's like the factors that improve sleep in your body have increased and are continuously working.

Huo Youjin thought that if he ate a few more meat dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen, his sleep problems might actually improve steadily.

When I mentioned sending the ingredients for testing earlier, I only briefly told Lao Wu about the situation without revealing the restaurant's name, for fear that the test results might reveal some harmful substances that would damage the reputation of Gu's Private Kitchen.

Hearing Lao Wu's eager question, Huo Youjin told him frankly and even with a bit of pride, "This restaurant is called Gu's Private Kitchen. It's located in Suli Street in Yunjiang District. Walk in and you'll see a peach tree around the corner. The restaurant with the log cabin style under the tree is it."

Old Wu: "Gu's Private Kitchen? I've never heard of this restaurant, not even on Suli Street. No wonder I've never eaten there. Where did you discover such a hidden gem?"

Huo Youjin smiled smugly: "Who told me to have such a good wife? She listened to her student's recommendation, and we fell in love with it after we ate there. The quality control of the meat and vegetables there is really good, and the taste is also very good, better than most restaurants."

Lin, who was standing nearby, heard this and smiled smugly.

Old Wu laughed and said, "That's going too far. You're even showing off your sister-in-law to me."

Huo Youjin readily agreed, "How about this, let's set a time, and I'll invite you and your sister-in-law to Gu's Private Kitchen for dinner later."

"Okay, I'll be waiting then," Old Wu replied with a smile.

That night, Huo Youjin slept soundly. The thought that the meat dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen were so nutritious and good for the body, and that he could eat them often in the future, made life seem even better.

Lin slept well, happy for her husband and happy that they could eat at this restaurant often.

Not only were they fine eating it, but the students were also fine eating it, so everyone can enjoy the food with peace of mind.

Because he was busy with projects, Huo Youjin was unable to invite Lao Wu over for dinner. He had originally planned to invite Lao Wu and his family over this morning, but when he called, he found out that they had gone on vacation. So the couple came by themselves.

After ordering, the couple had only exchanged a few words when the waiter brought over braised pig's feet, a platter of braised dishes, and a small dish of braised peanuts.

Lin looked at the bright red and tempting braised pig's feet and the reddish-brown braised beef, as well as what were said to be fish cakes and rolled meats. Smelling the various aromas of braised meats, he laughed and said, "There are so many delicious things, I don't know what to eat first."

Even as she said that, she had already picked up her chopsticks and taken a piece of pork trotter to eat.

The braised pork trotters are tender and juicy, with the savory flavor of the braising sauce bursting in your mouth. The pork trotters are fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, and the skin is soft and chewy with a touch of gelatin. The more you chew, the more you can taste the rich savory flavor.

When you eat braised meat, you can usually taste some spices, but if it's too strong, it will mask the original aroma of the ingredients.

This braised pig's feet doesn't have these problems. The various spices blend together perfectly to form a unique flavor, making the braised pig's feet savory, fragrant, and very distinctive.

She couldn't resist picking up another piece of pork trotter and eating it.

Huo Youjin first had braised peanuts as an appetizer. The peanuts absorbed a lot of the braising liquid, making them very salty and flavorful. They were chewy and slightly chewy, with a rich peanut aroma, and were quite good.

His first thought was that eating these peanuts with wine would be a good idea.

Huo Youjin doesn't usually drink much. When he's entertaining business partners, they always like to order snacks to go with their drinks, and peanuts are a must before the meal. But none of them taste as good as the braised peanuts they're having now; chewing them one by one is especially satisfying.

"Try these peanuts, they taste just as good as meat."

After greeting them, Huo Youjin also picked up a piece of pork knuckle with his chopsticks and ate it. It was loose, soft, glutinous, and savory. The oil from the fatty meat moistened the lean meat, and the pork skin with a bit of gelatin tasted very fragrant.

Okay, he takes back what he just said. Pork trotters are still tastier than braised peanuts.

Lin listened to him and started eating peanuts, one after another, and couldn't help but sigh, "If only I could buy some of these braised peanuts to take home and eat as snacks."

"The idea is good, but reality is harsh. I guess the restaurant doesn't have much peanuts left, otherwise they would sell them directly and there would be no shortage of buyers. It's quite generous of them to give them away as a promotion. Sure enough, when you go out to eat at a restaurant during holidays, you are more likely to run into promotions."

Huo Youjin chewed on another peanut and said.

Lin nodded: "Yes, and these peanuts taste better than the ones sold in the market."

"If it's not sold in the market, it's probably grown by relatives, or it's peanuts that farmers buy from the market and then sell. Don't think about it, just eat," Huo Youjin said.

He picked up a piece of braised beef and ate it. The beef was cooked until tender and fragrant, yet still had a good chew. It was saltier and more flavorful than braised pig's feet, the saltiness permeating every fiber of the beef, without any gamey taste. Occasionally, he would bite into a tendon with a slight elasticity, the meat tender and melting in his mouth.

Lin picked up a piece of beef but dipped it in the sauce before eating. The braising sauce had a rich aroma, and the sauce added a touch of spiciness, making the beef even more flavorful.

After eating two pieces of beef, she picked up a fish cake and ate it.

The fish cakes are drizzled with a dark brown sauce, giving them a dark brown appearance. They taste fresh and flavorful with fish, and are slightly bouncy and tender.

She reminisced for a moment and said, "These fish cakes taste similar to the handmade fish balls from before, except they have an added braised flavor. I guess the owner made them himself again."

She still regrets not being able to buy the handmade fish balls that the restaurant sold separately that time. This time, she found the same fish cakes and they smelled so good, she had to eat more.

Upon hearing the aroma of handmade fish balls, Huo Youjin quickly picked up a piece of fish cake and began to eat: "The familiar taste is so delicious. This roll should be pretty good too."

He picked up another piece of curd and ate it.

The rolled meat is cut into slices about one centimeter thick. It has the same braised flavor and a firm, meaty texture. You can also taste the fresh meat flavor, which is wrapped in salty and savory aroma. It has a different flavor from pig's feet.

The couple both fell in love with the seemingly unremarkable fish cakes and rolls placed next to the beef shank, and ate them one after another.

Even if they were really craving it, or wished they could have a bowl of white rice to eat with it, they resolutely refused to ask the staff to serve them rice, since there was still a Chaoshan steamed noodle dish coming up later, and noodles were considered a staple food.

While we were eating, a bowl of braised vegetarian dishes was also served.

The soup bowl was filled with various kinds of vegetables, submerged in a dark brown broth. From the vegetables on top and some protruding corners, you could still make out that there were lotus root, potatoes, kelp, dried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, eggs, and so on.

After eating so much meat, Lin decided to eat some vegetables first.

She tasted each ingredient in the braised vegetarian dish one by one. The lotus root was slightly crunchy, the potatoes were soft and glutinous, the kelp was tender and green, the dried tofu was soaked in the braising sauce and had a bean flavor, dry yet tender, the gluten was also soaked in the braising sauce and had a chewy texture, and the shiitake mushrooms had the most original mushroom aroma, bouncy and fresh.

The braised eggs are also delicious. The surface of the eggs has turned a dark brown color, and when you bite into the egg white, it's even more savory and flavorful. The yolk inside is also stained with the sauce, making it incredibly savory and delicious.

These vegetarian dishes each have their own unique characteristics, yet they all share the aroma of the braising sauce, blending together to create different flavors. Lin can pick whatever she wants to eat, and she likes them all.

Huo Youjin was also eating vegetables. Braised tofu and gluten were his favorites. Every bite was filled with the braising sauce, and the aroma of beans was rich. The former was tender and smooth, while the latter was more chewy.

The braised eggs are also very fragrant and well-seasoned, with a subtle salty and savory flavor from the egg white to the yolk. They are delicious even when eaten plain.

He imagined that if the braised egg were cut in half, topped with a few pieces of braised pork trotters, two fish cakes and rolled pancakes, along with stir-fried pickled cabbage and stir-fried cabbage, and served with a box of white rice, it would be the most standard pork trotter rice.

This braised pork trotter rice must be the best he has ever eaten.

Several tables of customers in the restaurant were enjoying their meal, nodding and praising it from time to time, glad they had come to Gu's Private Kitchen for dinner.

Outside the shop, some customers were queuing up, impatiently stamping their feet as they smelled the aroma of braised meat wafting out.

"Why hasn't anyone finished eating and come out yet? It's all your fault, you were so slow coming out, making us have to wait in line here!"

"It's my fault, I just hope this delicious braised meat doesn't sell out all at once."

Old Yang was having dinner with his grandson at the restaurant.

He's too old to really understand how to travel. Booking tickets, hotels, what to eat, and what to do are all too complicated for him. Usually, when he has time off, he just takes his grandson around the city.

Now there's a restaurant that both the grandfather and grandson love to eat at. They don't get tired of the food on weekdays, and they still come back to eat there during holidays.

They ordered braised pig's feet, a braised platter, Chaoshan steamed noodles, and bitter melon and pork rib soup. The first two were dishes that both the grandfather and grandson loved, while the Chaoshan steamed noodles were ordered because Xiao Feng suddenly wanted noodles. The soup was a must-have when eating out. They didn't order any braised vegetables because they were too full.

The grandfather and grandson were enjoying the tender and flavorful pig's feet, the savory and chewy beef, and the fresh and fragrant fish cakes and rolls. Their mouths were filled with the aroma, and they were so engrossed in eating that they barely spoke.

Old Yang chewed on the pork trotter, savoring its tender, non-greasy texture and the unique gelatinous feel of the pork skin, with a hint of almost imperceptible reverence.

He went to the hospital for a check-up a few days ago. Since his wife, son and daughter-in-law passed away, Old Yang has become more concerned about his health. What will happen to his grandson if he falls ill?

He was shocked when the medical examination results came out, and so was the doctor. Some of his old ailments had disappeared, and the more serious ones had lessened.

The doctor asked him what changes had occurred in his life over the past year and what he had done, and Old Yang gave a vague answer.

He wondered what it had to do with the past year, given the changes in just half a month.

He no longer thought that eating Gu's private kitchen dishes would make him feel better and his minor illnesses would disappear. Instead, he thought that there must be something special about these delicious ingredients. These days, everyone is advocating medicinal diets for health preservation and disease treatment. Maybe this is it?

Never mind all that, I'll just bring my grandson over to eat Gu's private cuisine more often.

He wanted Xiaofeng to grow up healthy, and he also wanted to grow up healthy so he could accompany Xiaofeng.