The upstairs rooms were all private rooms, which were naturally given to the female guests. Madam Jia, Madam Xing, and Madam Liu invited their respective friends, and surprisingly, two tables were filled.
Gu Qingqing and Xu Xi, along with other young girls, also sat at two tables. Jiayin was too busy to attend to everyone, so Baozhu and Gu Qingqing helped keep the guests company.
Gu Qingqing was fine, but Baozhu was a regular at hot pot, so she was most familiar with the flavors and dishes.
The lobby downstairs was left to Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng. Both of them were adept at social maneuvering and handling affairs smoothly. It was a piece of cake for them to entertain their colleagues and friends with food and drinks.
The manager chosen by the hot pot restaurant was Yao Qiong. Like Zhao Hui, he was also one of Li Zhensheng's men and had always served as his deputy at Xiankelai.
Now that he has been transferred here and promoted to head manager, it is a leap he has always dreamed of!
He developed a keen eye at Cyclamen Restaurant, and he could recognize almost every customer who walked in.
Upon approaching and greeting them, the host would immediately call out the guests' surnames or official titles, instantly adding to their satisfaction even before they were seated…
Hot pot is actually simpler than stir-frying.
Because it was a newly opened business, Jiayin and the chef only prepared two kinds of soup bases: spicy red soup and clear bone broth.
A brass pot heated by charcoal is placed in the middle of the table, half red and half milky white, bubbling away, its aroma simply irresistible.
Then place a row of white porcelain plates around it.
Thin slices of beef and lamb, cleaned beef aorta and tripe strips, golden crispy pork, green shrimp paste, fish balls, beef balls, chicken and carrot balls, tender mushrooms, thin vermicelli, and so on.
The most eye-catching thing is the fresh and tender green vegetables.
At this time of year, it is absolutely the undisputed star!
In addition to these, there is a small trolley next to the table.
The cart has two levels; the lower level contains bowls and chopsticks, while the upper level contains ten large blue-and-white porcelain bowls.
The bowls contain sesame paste, fermented bean curd sauce, chive blossom sauce, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, dried shrimp, minced garlic, beef sauce, and mushroom sauce.
The colors are vibrant and the variety is dazzling.
One of Li Lao Er's colleagues, who was on good terms with him, asked with a smile, "Lord, we often eat out, but this is the first time we've ever had such an elaborate banquet!"
"Lord, please don't laugh at us. Quickly teach us how to make this sauce. My stomach has been rumbling for ages."
Others chimed in, saying, "Yes, Your Excellency, it's really unfair of you to invite us here only to watch and not eat!"
Everyone laughed and agreed.
"This is the first time I've ever seen lamb or beef sliced so thinly. Won't it cook instantly when you just blanch it in water?"
"Yes, these vegetables are so fresh, but isn't it too bland to cook them?"
"I think this meatball is quite good; it should be flavorful on its own."
Li Lao Er smiled and bowed to everyone, saying, "As you all know, our family comes from the north, where it is even colder."
"In winter, everyone likes to eat some hot soup. Over time, they figured out this way of eating vegetables by simmering them in broth."
"But I'm really not sure if everyone will be able to get used to the food here. That's why we've had this little gathering today."
"I'll have the waiter prepare the dipping sauce for everyone right away. Let's eat and drink to our hearts' content. Whether it's delicious or not, we'll only know after we've tasted it, right?"
After saying that, he instructed the waiters, "Prepare dipping sauce and pour wine for our distinguished guests."
The waiters immediately stepped forward, took out shallow bowls, and quietly asked the guests if they had any dietary restrictions before preparing the sauce and serving it to them.
Everyone had eaten cyclamen's spicy dishes before and was familiar with the numbing and spicy flavor, so they simply put the mutton directly into the red soup.
Once cooked, take it out, coat it with sauce in a bowl, and put it in your mouth.
The spiciness, the rich aroma of sesame paste, and the tenderness of the lamb with a hint of gamey flavor combine to create an unexpectedly delicious taste.
Before they could even speak, their curiosity drove them to attack the next ingredient.
Until all the ingredients had been tried, and everyone was half full.
"My lord, this hot pot is absolutely amazing!"
"Yes, just one bite warms you up from head to toe!"
"How did you come up with this idea? It's such a simple hot pot ingredient, yet it tastes so good!"
Li Lao Er was secretly pleased, but smiled amiably and modestly, saying, "I'm glad everyone likes it. Please come and support us often in the future."
After saying that, he ordered the dishes to be served again.
Because there are many dishes, the plates are not big, and the amount of food is only enough for one person to have one chopstick.
By now, many of the plates on the table were empty.
Upstairs in the private room, Madam Jia the Second and Madam Liu, among others, were also helping to greet everyone.
Madam Jia the Second laughed and said, "I had this hot pot once before at Suijintan. To be honest, I was so hungry for it when I got home that I had someone prepare a table of it to match."
"It's a pity that it just doesn't taste right no matter how you eat it. Not only are there no fresh vegetables, but the soup base is also not fragrant and rich, and the dipping sauce is especially bad."
"Luckily, the princess opened this hot pot restaurant. Now we can come here to have a meal whenever we crave it."
Madam Liu laughed heartily and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, it turns out I'm not the only one who's been stealing your skills!"
"I've also asked the cook at home to make it, and it definitely doesn't taste nearly as good as this."
Just then, Jia Yin came in from outside, and Madam Jia the Second smiled and pulled her aside to talk.
"Princess, tell us quickly, where exactly did we go wrong in our attempt to learn their techniques?"
Jiayin naturally knew that this was Madam Jia Er setting a ladder for her, so she said with a smile, "Auntie, you don't know, this soup base looks like bone broth, but it's not just about boiling bones with water."
"It contains more than ten kinds of medicinal herbs, which not only taste good but are also good for your health."
As she spoke, she pointed to the fish balls and beef balls, "And these ingredients, they are all made with time and effort, and are made with the finest ingredients."
"Take these fish balls for example. The fish is first deodorized, skinned, and deboned. Then it is pounded thousands of times to become a paste. Finally, it is shaped into balls and cooked to make them delicate, chewy, fresh, and delicious."
"Especially these beef balls, the outside is beef, and the inside is filled with shrimp filling, it's extremely troublesome."
After saying that, she glanced at the women who were listening attentively, winked playfully twice, and added another sentence.
"In short, ladies, if you want hot pot, just come here. Don't make things difficult for the cook at home!"
Everyone burst into laughter, joking around.
"The princess is using all sorts of tricks to make money off us!"
"Yes, I noticed that too!"
Madam Liu laughed and said, "Then we must eat more today. This is probably the only time we'll have such a free opportunity!"
Jiayin tugged at Madam Liu's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Auntie, you don't love me anymore. If you see through it, don't say it. We can still get along well from now on!"
Madam Liu hugged her and called her "my darling" several times, which made the others laugh even harder.
The room suddenly became extremely lively!
At this moment, Shui Ling pushed open the door and came in. She glanced at everyone without leaving a trace and said softly, "Princess, a distinguished guest has arrived."
Serving you at midnight~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com