New on the menu
After walking towards Yue, seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Although the business in the food shop could not match Song Tiaotiao's ambition to repay the shop rent, its popularity was gradually increasing.
In the first few days, there were not many customers entering the store. Most of them were passers-by who saw the water-giving banners and came to ask for water out of a hope of getting lucky.
But occasionally, there would be a few Northern Dynasty merchants who had been sleeping in the open air and who, seeing Song Tiaotiao's warm hospitality, wanted to have a good meal.
Over time, a herd effect emerged. Driven by the flow of people, people continued to come to Tiaotiao Food Store to eat every day.
Most of the guests were merchants from the Northern Dynasty who frequently visited Songbai Village. As Chao Yue had said, their dining preferences were inseparable from sweetness. To be more specific, they were probably addicted to sweets.
Such sounds have been heard continuously in the food shop these days.
"Boss, give me a bowl of porridge, but could you add some sugar? I'd like to pay a few cents more."
"Could you please sell me a portion of this sweet and spicy mushroom dish? It's such a delicious side dish, I really want to bring some for my family."
In response to the guests' requests, Song Tiaotiao agreed to them one by one.
The good mood created by the delicious food, coupled with Song Tiaotiao's thoughtful and enthusiastic service attitude, the diners all praised Tiaotiao Food Store.
Occasionally, there would be generous merchants who insisted on paying more copper coins to make up for Song Tiaotiao's candy money.
If Song Tiaotiao had any intention of refusing, those merchants would appear to be unwilling to accept her offer.
The shopkeeper Zhidao is so open-minded and his cooking skills are so superb that they can't bear to let such a good restaurant suffer losses. In the future, when they come here again and again, they will definitely patronize it and let Song Tiaotiao continue to run the business with care.
With this experience, Song Tiaotiao completely positioned the merchants from the Northern Dynasties as the target audience of Tiaotiao Food Store.
On the fourth day after Chao Yue left, he added pancakes to the main course section of the menu and added sweet and sour spare ribs to the stir-fried dishes section.
On the first day of the new menu, Song Tiaotiao was a little worried about a cold reception. After breakfast, she began preparing a batch of each of the two new items, waiting to send out some samples during the lunch rush to break the ice.
Unexpectedly, just after Song Tiao Tiao announced in the hall at noon that he would be adding two new dishes to the menu, a returning customer suddenly looked at him with trust and said to him firmly, "Boss Song, please give me one of each! I'll leave my lunch today to you, Boss Song."
Song Tiaotiao thought it was just out of the oven, so she went back to the kitchen and served two steaming hot dishes, intending to hear Boss Gao's feedback first.
On the dining table, a thin, crispy, and fragrant sugar cake was cut into four corners with two strokes of a kitchen knife. The layers of the cake were distinct, and one could almost hear the crisp sound of the initial cut. The sticky, glistening syrup splattered sporadically onto the crispy crust, while the majority of it trickled out from the cracks like honey, spreading along the bottom layer of the crust and across the entire plate.
On another plate, the translucent brown-red sauce, sticky but not greasy, evenly covers every soft and elastic texture of the spareribs.
The refreshing aroma of vinegar is inherently appealing. Now, it permeates the short ribs, adorned with white sesame seeds as a finishing touch. Onlookers' eyes flicker back and forth between the two dishes, instantly liking them both equally.
Boss Gao sniffed the sweet and vinegary aromas mingling at his nose. He chuckled softly, his eyes gradually turning red. His gaze fixed on the two dishes, he choked up a little as he spoke, "Shopkeeper Song, I've traveled extensively over the years and tasted all sorts of delicacies, but every time I taste your food, I feel a sense of fulfillment, like seeing my mother in my sight..."
Seeing this, Song Tiaotiao comforted him repeatedly and said that it was good that he liked it.
The merchants present were all familiar faces who frequented Songbai Village year-round. Seeing the knowledgeable Boss Gao speak so clearly, and seeing the alluring dishes with their own eyes, their appetites were piqued.
Those who were more distant from Boss Gao simply stared at the table in front of him and drooled. Those who were closer to him couldn't control their pace and walked towards the table, trying to get close to Boss Gao, just to get a taste of his food.
More and more people gathered around the table. Those who were a little further away saw that the dishes were blocked by others and the smell was blocked by others, so they hurried forward and said to Song Tiaotiao anxiously: "Boss Song, please make me one portion as well."
"Give me one too!"
Such sounds rang out from different corners of the food store. Song Tiaotiao responded with a smile and began to busy herself with cooking.
The dishes are liked by customers and they can provide timely feedback. This feeling makes Song Tiaotiao increasingly enjoy the fulfilling life when cooking at Tiaotiao Food Store.
During these seven days, in addition to operating on time every day, Song Tiaotiao began to put his pastry business into practice whenever he had free time.
Under the systematic guidance, Song Tiaotiao avoided almost all the detours that a beginner might take, and in a short period of time, she mastered the making techniques of osmanthus cake and red bean paste cake.
Although osmanthus cake was the first pastry she learned to make, Song Tiaotiao remembered what she had promised Gu Chengjue and planned to make it for him first after he came back.
So today, red bean paste cake became the first pastry to appear in Tiaotiao Food Shop.
Song Tiaotiao held the glutinous rice dough in his hand, put the bean paste dough that had been rolled in advance into it, and tightened it at the base of his thumb.
Looking at the white, tender and soft round dumpling in her hand, Song Tiaotiao became more and more happy.
If you add two long willow-leaf ears on it, wouldn’t this be her lovely and gentle Little Snow White?
Song Tiaotiao chuckled, sprinkled black sesame seeds fried with sugar on it, and placed the red bean paste balls one by one in the pancake pan exchanged from the mall.
When the red bean paste cake was baked until both sides were golden brown and filled with the sweet fragrance of the cake, Song Tiaotiao held the tray and served it out.
She looked at the outstanding bean paste cake, and the sense of accomplishment of making a satisfactory dish again made her feel refreshed.
Song Tiaotiao planned to give each customer who dined there a free red bean paste cake. If the response was good, she would officially add cakes to the menu.
Thinking of this, she smiled and picked up a piece of soft bean paste cake and put it into her mouth.
Back in the lobby, Song Tiaotiao was about to settle the accounts while few people were around when she saw Su Lin walk into the shop carrying two bags wrapped in brocade. He smiled at her and said, "Miss Song, how are you these days? I came here today because a distinguished guest specifically asked to dine with you. Miss Song, you really lived up to everyone's expectations. Tiaotiao Restaurant is already well-known among our Northern Dynasty merchants."
Anyone who can be called a distinguished guest by a big Northern Dynasty merchant like Su Lin must have an identity that cannot be underestimated.
Song Tiaotiao thought this in her heart as she stepped forward and said with a chuckle, "Brother Su, you are too kind. It is a great affirmation for our shop to be appreciated by such a distinguished guest. However, my shop has just opened and some of the dishes have not been updated yet. I wonder what kind of flavors this distinguished guest prefers? Or what kind of dishes he likes. Brother Su, please feel free to ask. Since he is your distinguished guest, I will treat him well, even if I have to go to the market to prepare the ingredients first."
Su Lin raised the brocade bags in both hands towards Song Tiaotiao and said with a hearty laugh, "That guest prefers sweet and sour meat dishes. I saw that the sweet and sour spare ribs and sweet and sour pork tenderloin that you and General Gu made together last New Year's Eve are just what he likes. As for the ingredients, Miss Song, don't worry. These two bags are all high-quality goods that I selected in advance in the market. You can come up with your own ideas for the rest of the dishes, Miss Song."
After saying this, Su Lin led Song Tiaotiao back to the kitchen and spread out two heavy bags of ingredients on the table. "Today, it's just me and my guest having dinner. The meal is scheduled for after 3 p.m., so Miss Song will just need to prepare five dishes for the two of us."
Song Tiaotiao's eyes wandered between the two bags of dishes. One bag contained plump and juicy fresh vegetables, while the other contained a variety of freshly slaughtered meats. Among them, a black carp that had been scaled and cleaned of its internal organs was particularly fresh.
Song Tiaotiao looked at the dishes and prepared a menu in her mind.
Sweet and sour pork tenderloin and short ribs were must-haves, and she had just bought some potato starch at the mall the day before, perfect for making a crispy, sweet and sour pot-fried pork. As for the black carp, Song Tiaotiao considered it a sweet and sour squirrel fish. Finally, fearing the table might be too sweet, Song Tiaotiao also prepared a tomato egg drop soup to help with the craving.
After introducing the dishes to Su Lin one by one and getting his approval, Song Tiaotiao smiled at Su Lin and said, "Brother Su, please rest assured. I will do my best today."
Su Lin walked out of the kitchen, turned around and smiled at Song Tiaotiao, "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Song. See you later."
Just before the hour of Shen, Song Tiao Tiao put the fourth dish into the thermal insulation cover. In order to preserve the crispy aroma of the sweet and sour pork, Song Tiao Tiao put the preparation of the sweet and sour pork at the end.
After the chopped pieces of green onion and ginger were fried in the oil pan to release the juice, Song Tiaotiao scooped out the residue and put the crispy platinum meat slices on the side back into the pan.
The sticky seasoning sauce flowed in circles along the edge of the pot as Song Tiaotiao's wrist turned.
Once the meat is evenly coated with the starchy sauce, the sweet and sour vinegar sauce is poured over it. Instantly, the eye-watering aroma of vinegar permeates the air, and the battered meat slices become translucent. Song Tiaotiao gently taps a piece of sweet and sour pork with a wooden spatula. When the crust crackles, she adds chopped green onions and stir-fries, preparing to serve.
At this time, Su Lin's voice came from outside the kitchen, "Miss Song, we are here. What a rich aroma! I am in for a treat today."
Song Tiaotiao smiled and replied, "The last dish is just ready. Please ask Brother Su to take the guests to find a seat first. The dishes will be served shortly."
Su Lin did not leave, but continued, "Miss Song, I see there are quite a lot of guests today. I think you have been busy for a long time. I'd better come and help you."
Song Tiaotiao neatly placed the sweet and sour pork on a plate, poured the sauce from the bottom of the pot over it, and chuckled, "It's okay, Brother Su, you should stay with the guests first. I'll be right there."
Just as he finished speaking, he heard another deep male voice from outside the kitchen, saying, "Manager Song, do you still remember me?"
It’s Chaoyue.
Inexplicably, Song Tiaotiao remembered Chao Yue's voice very clearly. Hearing this, she put down her plate and turned around and said, "Mr. Chao..."
The tall and graceful young man, with a pair of warm and bright eyes, nodded gently towards Song Tiaotiao: "I am Su Lin's guest, so there is no need to be restrained, Shopkeeper Song."
Su Lin smiled and nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Then, two pairs of large hands steadily carried the food that Song Tiaotiao had taken out of the thermal cover and slowly left. Chao Yue's eyes lingered on Song Tiaotiao for a moment before he, too, picked up the plate and turned to leave.
After a few rounds, all the dishes on the table were ready.
Because it was just past lunchtime, there were only a few diners left in the restaurant.
The round table in the middle of the food shop is already eye-catching, and the new and unprecedented dishes served one after another attract more and more attention from diners.
But the food had already been eaten. Although he was reluctant, he could only discuss with Song Tiaotiao that they must serve new dishes next time before leaving with regret.
After Song Tiaotiao sent the guests away, she was invited by the two to sit at the table, and then they began to actually eat.
Su Lin picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, compared the color to the dusk outside the food store, and said happily, "Miss Song, is this the sweet and sour fried pork slices you described to me? When I heard it, I felt that Miss Song had tailor-made a dish for us Northern Dynasty people."
After saying this, he brought the slice of meat to his lips. When his two rows of teeth met, there was a particularly crisp sound between his lips and teeth. His eyes sparkled with surprise. "If it is true, it tastes really unforgettable. Miss Song, can you give this dish a formal name? Then I can recommend this wonderful dish to my friends."
Song Tiaotiao was thinking about how to explain to them the origin of sweet and sour pork.
Chao Yue raised her drooping eyelashes slightly, glanced at Song Tiao Tiao, and said with a faint smile: "How about calling it sweet and sour pork?"
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