Chapter 127 Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Eggplant Sandwiches, Dumplings [Second Update]...
The customers who rushed into the store were dumbfounded.
Although the shop smelled delicious with meat, there was no menu on Wen Ji's blackboard.
The set of items that used to hold the beef offal hot pot on the counter is all gone, leaving only a wide, empty countertop.
"Huh? No menu today?"
"I can definitely smell the fragrance!"
"Boss lady! Boss lady!"
Mother Wen replied, "I'm sorry everyone, today's food is made to order. I'll announce the price when the food is ready."
Although this method is novel, young people have accepted it well.
"Hahaha, that's to be expected. There's only so much of each part on a pig."
"Tsk tsk, it's time to test your speed!"
"Boss lady, do you have any dumplings?"
Mother Wen shrugged: "Actually, I don't know either."
Everyone burst into laughter.
How strange! The boss didn't even know today's menu!
Wen's mother genuinely didn't know, because when she asked her daughter, Wen Fan only said she'd see when the time came.
How to interpret it depends on Wen Fan's mood.
There was a pile of meat in the kitchen, and Wen Fan felt as if she had been given an unassigned essay, with the entire test paper left for her to scribble on.
As the only dish that had already been served, Father Wen and Ji Boyi reached out and carried the pork stew to the front counter.
"Pork stew, large portion 35, small portion 25!"
The rich aroma wafted through the air; a huge pot of stewed pork was so visually appealing that it was irresistible, and many people immediately raised their hands to ask for a serving.
Ji Baiyi and Ren Haijin both had the store's QR code on their bodies. Whoever raised their hand would get a serving, and then the code would be scanned on the spot.
The stew, freshly removed from the fire, still bubbled around its edges, releasing a strong aroma of animal fat. Wen Fan's recently made sauerkraut had a pleasantly sour fragrance; its mild sourness balanced the rich, fatty aroma of the slices of pork in the pot.
The broth gleamed with a golden sheen, and the sauerkraut, pork belly, blood sausage, frozen tofu, glass noodles... this pot could be said to have gathered the most classic winter ingredients.
The portions in the restaurant are similar in size, and each table has a heating device that makes the food steaming hot in no time.
"This pickled cabbage is absolutely amazing!"
"The blood sausage is so delicious, it must be freshly made!"
"This pork belly smells so good!"
Everyone reached for their chopsticks. The pickled cabbage was crisp and tangy, the blood sausage was tender and smooth, and even though the pork belly was a little fatty, no one was afraid of that bit of fat.
"This pig is absolutely amazing!"
The fresh pork was so delicious that one bite was enough to make you want to applaud.
Especially when dipped in garlic sauce, the spicy and salty sauce instantly adds a layer of oily and spicy flavor to the sliced white meat.
At this point, someone started taking out a spoon to ladle out the soup. The rich and refreshing sourness of the pickled cabbage and the freshness of the blood sausage were all incorporated into the soup base. The sour and oily, rich but not greasy soup made people want to have another sip after taking one.
Even the frozen tofu in the soup is delicious!
Many people ate while marveling at Wenji's reputation.
Even the most common pork stew can be made so delicious.
Chen Jiahe and his assistant Zeng, who arrived early for the event, were also captivated by the pure northern flavor.
Immediately following, accompanied by a rich aroma, Mother Wen began reciting the names of the dishes again.
"Steamed pork with rice flour, 30 yuan a serving! Only three servings available!"
This time it's not about who raises their hand first, but about who gets to the counter first.
After receiving payment from the three people, Wen's mother instructed Ji Baiyi and Ren Haijin to deliver the three servings of steamed pork to their respective tables.
Wen Fan used a small steamer to make steamed pork with rice flour. The wooden steamer, bathed in envious glances, ended up on someone else's table.
"...Waaaaah, why did I hesitate for even a second!"
"You slow leggy idiot, why are you running so slowly!"
The lucky customer happily picked up a piece of steamed pork with rice flour, the pork slices glistening with oil as they were coated in rice flour.
"……Is it tasty?"
The customer savored the taste with relish: "Delicious!"
The rice noodles were even and not clumpy, and the meat slices were large. As the person was eating, he went to ask Wen's mother if she had lotus leaf cakes.
Mother Wen slapped her forehead, saying she had almost forgotten. A little while later, she delivered a lotus leaf pancake to each of the three tables.
With lotus leaf buns, steamed pork with rice flour truly comes alive. Add a spoonful of chili sauce from the table, then wrap the steamed pork inside. The soft buns encase the steamed pork, and eating one while it's still hot is something you wouldn't trade for any amount of money!
"...I'm so hungry."
Even though I ate pork stew, I still feel really hungry watching others eat steamed pork with rice flour.
Fortunately, Wenji doesn't use the scarcity marketing tactic, and soon the restaurant started serving food quickly.
"Soybean and peanut stewed pig's trotters, two servings, fifty-eight yuan per serving!"
"Braised pork ribs with potatoes, five servings, forty yuan per serving!"
"Twice-cooked pork, three servings, thirty-eight yuan per serving!"
...
There will be no more heartbreaking situations where you regret not being able to get one dish; if you miss out on one dish, the next one will be available.
Many people have finally realized that it's not so great to snag a dish, but it's a real skill to snag the dish you like!
"Waaaaah, you deadbeat! I can't even get my hands on the twice-cooked pork!"
"This stewed pork trotters with soybeans and peanuts is so delicious!"
"The pork ribs and potatoes were stewed to a pulp and were overcooked."
Pork ribs and potato cubes; the potato is starchy and goes surprisingly well with the pork ribs.
In particular, some people spread mashed potatoes on rice and stir it up, which brings back memories of eating mashed potatoes with rice a month ago.
Twice-cooked pork is so good with rice! Two-finger-wide slices of pork are placed on top of rice, the red oil seeping into the rice. One big bite and all your worries disappear.
Many people ate with gusto, and some even began to worry that they wouldn't be able to finish the dishes later.
"How about we pack it all up?"
Unfortunately, that won't work today either.
Ms. Wen said that there were still guests waiting outside, and everyone in front had two dishes each. Please make room after you finish eating.
"The store sells pork stew before the Lunar New Year, so don't worry."
A person only has one stomach, and it's impossible to eat everything in one day.
Finally, a few seats were cleared in the store, and Wen's mother quickly let the people at the back in.
As is typical, people who come in are initially taken aback, and then ask how to order.
There was no need for Wen's mother to answer; the people around her enthusiastically said, "Come on, let's grab some vegetables together!"
"Sweet and sour pork! Three servings, thirty-eight yuan each!"
The person who was just explaining to the new guests suddenly stood up and started running.
"One for me!"
Soon the sweet and sour pork was served. The slices of meat, which looked like they were wearing a layer of golden armor, broke open with a slight crack, accompanied by a "sizzle". The sauce hanging on the outside, with a pungent sweet and sour aroma, suddenly broke open, revealing tender and juicy pork slices inside. The freshly cooked sweet and sour pork was still a little hot when you bit into it, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect sweet and sour taste.
The man was engrossed in his meal, while the new customer next to him, smelling the sour aroma, felt his stomach rumble.
"Fried eggplant fritters! Three servings! Thirty per serving!"
The customer rushed to the front and said, "I'll have one!"
The fried eggplant fritters sold out instantly, and Wen Fan quickly followed up with fried lotus root fritters, as well as stuffed green peppers.
The natural aroma of fried food is irreplaceable by any other dish, and Wen Fan's batter is perfect, with a crispy coating that's just right.
After preparing the eggplant and lotus root fritters, Wen Fan made a sweet and sour sauce. The eggplant fritters on the plate were divided into two sides, with the sweet and sour sauce poured over one side and a dish of spicy powder served on the other side.
As soon as the dishes were served, those who managed to grab them were munching away.
"My goodness, who told me that eggplant fritters could be made to this extent?"
"The lotus root fritters are also delicious, they're crunchy."
After consuming countless pieces of minced meat, Wen Fan said it was time for soup.
Since the pork bone soup couldn't be used today, it would have to wait until tomorrow, so Wen Fan made pork tenderloin soup, pork liver soup, and pepper pork tripe soup instead.
The pork broth was very popular, but the subsequent pork liver soup and pepper pork tripe soup were entirely up to personal preference.
Without saying a word, Chen Jiahe and his companion from the south each ordered a bowl of soup.
Chen Jiahe's soup was pork liver soup, while Zeng Assistant's soup was pepper pork tripe soup.
"fresh!"
Chen Jiahe's face flushed slightly, whether from the heat of the shop or from eating too quickly, he was completely satisfied with the bowl of pork liver soup.
Assistant Zeng even drank the pepper and pork tripe soup down to the last drop.
Looking at the empty plates on the table, the two realized they had eaten far too much that day, but they had never eaten such a "pig-killing feast" before.
Whether in the North or the South, Wen Fan seems to have mastered it to perfection, displaying both boldness and subtlety with effortless ease.
After burping, Chen Jiahe said, "Come again tomorrow."
Mother Wen is right, how can we possibly finish it all?
There were already more than a dozen dishes at lunch today alone.
The two stood up and gave up their seats, and soon a young couple sat down behind them.
"Boss lady, a serving of pork stew, please!"
In this cold weather, there's nothing more enjoyable than slaughtering a pig and eating meat.
Wen Mu readily agreed and sold the last serving of pork stew in the shop.
Then everyone was told to announce who wanted dumplings, and the kitchen would immediately start making them.
Wen Fan didn't make too much filling, just a three-ingredient filling.
The three-delicacy filling uses chives, wood ear mushrooms, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, and pork. The white dumplings float to the surface in the pot, and they're done after being boiled twice. A plate of dumplings is served with a bowl of dumpling soup. The dumpling wrappers were made by Yao Qingqin, and Wen Fan asked them to be a little thicker. The firm wrappers encase the three-delicacy filling, bursting with juice with every bite.
Eating dumplings with vinegar, and then drinking some dumpling soup afterwards—it's so comforting, you can't even describe it.
"I'm so full."
This phrase has become the standard greeting for customers leaving the store. Looking at the large sign on the counter that reads "Order appropriately," Mrs. Wen said she was powerless to do anything about it.
The guests struggled to their feet and walked out the door, and soon started posting videos online.
Family, guess what I ate today!
If you can eat such a pork stew in the city, you'd not only miss home, but you'd also want to bring your parents to try it.
Wenji's pork stew quickly became popular due to its fresh ordering method and the pork made fresh daily.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, three or four out of ten popular local videos are promoting Wen Ji's pork stew.
Some people below asked what was going on, while others quietly noted down the time, planning to go and try it.
Is it really slaughtered on the same day?
Yao Qingqin had known about this question for a while, and posted a picture in the comments section of Wen's father going to the mountains to buy pigs, with a blue-black sky in the background.
It looks like it's four or five in the morning.
[Wenji: Slaughtered fresh daily, from lively to the point of consumption, no more than six hours!]
After these words were spoken, there were no more dissenting voices; instead, some people pressed him to ask if he sold pork.
When Wenji was selling tofu before, some people complained that it wasn't worth the price, but now nobody mentions it anymore; everyone says they can accept the higher price.
Wen Fan certainly wouldn't sell pork; she's making sausages right now.
After stuffing a string of sausages, Wen Fan hung them on his balcony. They would be ready to eat in another two weeks.
Wen Fan made three flavors of fresh sausages.
Spicy, numbing-spicy, Cantonese style.
Wen Fan made up her mind to make several sausages from each pig, and to make them during the Chinese New Year so that she could have enough for a whole year!
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