Chapter 121 Jadeite Fish Flower [Second Update]
Jin Yulou naturally did not tell anyone that his master had collapsed. Only Master Jin's two junior brothers came to see him in a hurry, but they were afraid to face him, so they put down the gifts, sat for a while, and then left quickly.
When the young master arrived, Master Jin still held onto a last glimmer of hope as he tried to persuade the boy he had raised.
"...Erjin and Sanjin are not skilled enough. The Jinyulou brand has been declining in recent years, and making semi-finished products is absolutely unacceptable. The Jinbaicai (Golden Cabbage) mainly relies on a few soup ingredients, and Erjin and Sanjin completely cannot grasp the seasoning ratio! Besides, leaking the shop's recipe like this will only lead to endless troubles in the future!"
Master Jin tried to persuade him earnestly, but the young master was not even thirty years old, and he only looked a little embarrassed when he heard this.
"Master Jin, what you're talking about are low-probability events. Many established restaurants are now offering pre-made meals. Our restaurant has such a great location, and we're not targeting the lower-tier market with low-profit, high-volume sales. Selling these in-store would generate considerable monthly sales..."
The young man went around in circles, but the central idea was just one thing.
He sided with the other two master chefs. He didn't understand culinary arts, but he felt that everyone was pushing pre-made meals, and wasn't this the future trend? He studied business in college, and from a business perspective, maximizing brand benefits was what should be done.
Master Da Jin closed his eyes.
The young master glanced at him discreetly, then silently walked away.
Master Da Jin's apprentice stood by the bedside and called out "Master" with some discomfort.
Master Jin opened his eyes: "...You..."
He wanted to have his apprentice keep an eye on things at the shop, since among the next generation of apprentices, only this one could be considered talented, hardworking, and honest.
But then I thought, what difference would it make even if I went?
The apprentices of the second and third brothers were all terrible at cooking, but they were masters of trickery, and the kitchen of Jin Yu Lou was always noisy.
Now even the employer has been acknowledged; that's the master's own son.
Master Jin felt his last breath dissipate.
He collapsed, and the young master told him to rest well, but the implication was that he shouldn't go to the shop anymore.
Since that's the case, he won't go.
"Come on, come with me."
Master Jin struggled to his feet, refusing his apprentice's advice, and insisted on going out.
"Master, where are you going?!"
Master Da Jin took out his phone: "Go here!"
Now there's no place for him in the shop anymore, but Erjin's words still echo in his ears: that people nowadays can't distinguish between the five flavors, and that culinary skills are practically extinct.
Having lived to this age, Da Jin's unwavering beliefs were shattered by a single sentence from his junior brother.
Is cooking dead?
Perhaps this is true at Jin Yu Lou, but elsewhere, a truly exceptional talent might tell him, "Your culinary skills are dead, while my skills and techniques are rising."
****
When Chen Jiahe stood at the entrance of Wenji Restaurant, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.
A meal he had here six months ago had lingered in his memory for so long that, standing here now, he still felt as if he were in a dream.
Wenji has indeed expanded its scale. The original small shop is now twice the size, and the shop signs have also been changed. A large, brand-new sign spans both sides. Each shop has a kitchen, with a takeout table at the entrance of one of the kitchens and a simple food cart on the other side.
Recalling what Xiao Lu had mentioned about persimmon cakes during the meal, and seeing the food cart, Chen Jiahe knew that the snacks were most likely made at the entrance.
Assistant Zeng arrived early to queue. He had an air of sophistication, and even though he was dressed casually, he still stood out in the crowd. Some people even secretly took pictures of him. When Assistant Zeng noticed the cameras, he endured the discomfort and stood in line for an hour.
When Chen Jiahe arrived, Assistant Zeng finally entered the store after a long wait in line.
Chen Jiahe went straight into the store and confronted Wen's mother directly.
Wen's mother looked at it again and again, feeling that it looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she was.
Chen Jiahe spoke in fluent Mandarin, yet his manner exuded a refined air befitting a businessman.
Wen's mother suddenly remembered: "Are you the customer who came to eat seafood a few months ago?"
Chen Jiahe smiled: "Yes, you have a very good memory."
Wen's mother thought to herself, "Of course I'll remember. After all, in all the time I've been running this private kitchen, this is the only guest who has ever been so generous."
Later, Qu's mother told her about what happened next, saying that her brother-in-law had successfully opened up opportunities with just one meal. Although the company didn't win that project, it secured several other collaborations, and her brother-in-law was promoted smoothly, earning a considerable amount in commissions and bonuses alone.
My sister was overjoyed and gave her a set of cosmetics. She also vaguely mentioned that she would be looking at a new house after the New Year.
Naturally, after that private meal, Wen's mother also received a red envelope from the Qu family. Qu's mother's brother-in-law specially asked Qu's mother to deliver it, and it contained five hundred yuan.
Wen's mother only had a few labels in mind about Chen Jiahe: a Hong Kong Island native, loves seafood, and is rich.
Are you planning to order food again this time?
Unfortunately, it's not a good time to order food; my daughter is on winter break, so the restaurant doesn't serve private dishes.
Chen Jiahe shook his head: "No need, the dishes from the restaurant will do."
There are many varieties of tofu dishes. Chen Jiahe ordered farmhouse tofu casserole and pork rib tofu, as well as several snacks and tofu with scallions.
Ms. Wen has always been warm and welcoming to her regular customers.
When Wen Fan mentioned it to her daughter, who was busy in the kitchen, she remembered it.
However, it wasn't anything else; Wen Fan was thinking about the five hundred yuan red envelope.
After the initial difficult period, Wen Fan's allowance kept increasing. In addition to the money given by her mother, she also had some other income, such as the red envelopes that her mother used to give to her when she went to kindergarten.
Wen Fan's personal savings have now exceeded five figures.
Wen Fan doesn't spend money on many things, but seeing her savings grow always puts her in a very good mood.
Therefore, when faced with this picky customer who brought a 500 yuan red envelope, Wen Fan offered to give him a free dish.
There happened to be two fish in the shop, which Wen Fan kept for his own family. Since they were offering to deliver food, Wen Fan generously gave one of them to them.
After cleaning the whole fish, cut off the head and tail. Slice the fish meat in half lengthwise, remove the bones, and leave only two fillets. Make cross-shaped cuts on the fillets, and cut each fillet in half at one-third of its length, leaving three fillets of different sizes and lengths.
The fish meat that has been peeled is marinated to remove the fishy smell, and then coated with a layer of starch water and starch.
Turn the fish over so that the flesh faces outwards, and deep-fry to set its shape. Fry three pieces of fish to create three different sized fish wreaths.
The fish fillets were stacked from largest to smallest, instantly transforming into a pagoda-shaped fish flower. The fish fillets were placed in the center of the plate, while the head and tail, which had also been fried, were placed on either side of the plate.
While preparing the fish, Wen Fan took a green radish and used a knife to carve a die out of it. He shaped the die into its basic form and then carved a movable sphere inside.
Finally, thicken the sauce to make a sweet and sour sauce, pour the prepared sauce over the fish, and place the carved jade ball on the fish's mouth.
Wen Fan's preparation of this dish was so skillful and fluid that his father was dazzled by it.
He had never seen a dish that required such meticulous knife work. He could certainly make that jade pearl himself, but it would probably take at least half an hour. Wen Fan, on the other hand, finished it in less than ten minutes.
The finished fish has a beautiful sheen. The fish fillets unfold like blooming flowers, and the jade beads are a vibrant green, demonstrating solid basic skills. After the sweet and sour sauce is poured over it, the whole dish gleams.
Before serving it, Wen Fan introduced the dish to his father, saying, "This dish is a Huaiyang cuisine, and its flavor is similar to that of sweet and sour fish."
In terms of taste, it's similar to sweet and sour fish, but the knife skills and presentation are the most crucial aspects of this dish.
As soon as the jade fish flower was taken out, a gasp of surprise came from outside.
Some people kept asking Wen's mother what kind of dish it was, since it wasn't written on the blackboard.
Mother Wen had no choice but to tell the truth: this was a dish given as a gift to an old customer.
"...I'm a regular customer too!"
She's eaten here so many times, why doesn't the restaurant give her any free dishes?
Wen's mother could only say that they were special customers and hadn't been here for a long time.
There was nothing left to say as he watched the vibrant, glistening jade fish flower dish land on someone else's table.
Chen Jiahe was marveling at the deliciousness of the farmhouse tofu stew when this dish appeared before him, a feast for the eyes.
Wen's mother said it was a gift from the chef, and Chen Jiahe quickly stood up to thank her.
"Thank you so much."
It was clearly a dish requiring considerable skill; from the moment he entered until now, it had only taken half an hour. This speed was enough to intimidate Chen Jiahe.
"I wonder if I'll have the honor of meeting the head chef later?"
Wen's mother: "Let's forget about it."
Even without asking her daughter's opinion, Wen's mother knew that Wen Fan didn't like this kind of thing. Previously, some customers had expressed their gratitude to the chef, but Wen Fan raised her hand and said she didn't want to see them, saying that she wasn't someone who could be summoned and dismissed at will. She said that eating was enough and why would she want to see them?
Mrs. Wen's refusal did not disappoint Chen Jiahe. He had seen many capable people with tempers in Hong Kong. After politely expressing his gratitude, he sat down and began to eat.
The dish "Jade Pearl Fish Flower" is a delightful surprise, especially after the grass carp is scored with cross-shaped cuts. The large bones have been removed, and the fish bones are cut in half. After being deep-fried several times, the fish meat becomes crispy and can be eaten directly.
Chen Jiahe immediately picked up the top layer of fish rings. The thick sweet and sour sauce clung to the fish, making it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fish, coated in the sauce, was a delightful and intoxicating flavor.
Assistant Zeng had been eyeing it for a while and asked Chen Jiahe how it tasted.
Chen Jiahe swallowed the fish: "It's the best fish I've ever eaten."
It's not a rare fish, but the sauce is just right—not too sour, not too sweet. The fish is also free of bones, with a crispy outer shell and white, tender flesh inside.
The fish was cut with great skill, and the sauce was evenly distributed. The crevices of the fish were filled with sweet and sour sauce. It didn't taste like typical sweet and sour fish. After taking a bite, I was disappointed that the fish inside wasn't coated with the sweet and sour sauce.
The remaining two rings of fish roe were quickly devoured by Chen Jiahe and his assistant Zeng.
After finishing the meal, Assistant Zeng couldn't stop regretting it.
"I forgot to take a picture!"
Such beautiful fish, eaten so readily, always leaves one wanting more.
After licking his lips, Assistant Zeng, taking advantage of the fact that no one recognized him, simply picked up a small spoon and began scooping out the sweet and sour sauce.
Chen Jiahe: "..."
Suddenly, I had a vivid memory of returning to my hometown and having a grand feast. Back then, there were always children waving spoons around, trying to eat the sweet and sour sauce.
The two quickly finished their meal and then noticed other customers buying wood-fired tofu at the counter.
Before Zeng's assistant could even react, the scanning of the QR code had already begun.
Chen Jiahe: ...
I consoled myself that at least I could eat boiled tofu at the hotel.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
