Chapter 113, October 20th: Beef Brisket and White Radish Soup...
Sister Zhou smiled and nodded: "Okay, no problem, I'll take care of it right away."
She quickly went to the cashier to print out the order and delivered it to the customers at this table. Then she placed another order on the glass window, followed by the bowls, chopsticks, teacups, and washing utensils. Finally, she brought over a pot of chrysanthemum tea and said, "Please enjoy."
Jiang Chengyi and the other two each scalded and washed the bowls and chopsticks in front of them.
To be honest, people in northern restaurants aren't this particular about eating. The bowls, chopsticks, and teaware that the staff serves are used directly. In the south, there's a custom of rinsing and washing bowls, chopsticks, and teaware. They've adapted to local customs, so they don't seem unfamiliar with doing these things.
After pouring herself a cup of chrysanthemum tea and taking a few sips, Jiang Chengyi said, "This chrysanthemum tea tastes pretty good. It's refreshing and sweet, and it's quite comforting to drink during this seasonal change."
Wei Fang nodded: "It's quite good. Only high-quality chrysanthemums can produce such a wonderful aroma, with a subtle sweetness that soothes the throat."
Yan Tinghe was quite excited. After saying that the chrysanthemum tea was good, she couldn't help but share: "I saw that the dishes on the next few tables looked really good. They looked even more tempting than the pictures we usually see online. The whole restaurant was filled with all kinds of aromas, which made me hungry."
They overslept and rushed out the door this morning, so they haven't even had breakfast yet. But it's not a big deal, since they usually eat two meals a day on weekends anyway, and they can eat more later since they didn't eat breakfast.
Jiang Chengyi nodded: "I'm hungry too, but I'll take a picture of each dish as soon as it's served, to keep as a souvenir and to share it on my WeChat Moments so everyone can be envious, and I can also post it on Xiaohongshu to get some traffic."
Those who follow Gu's Private Kitchen know that now, whether on Xiaohongshu or Weibo, using the hashtag "Gu's Private Kitchen" brings in traffic, and it's a very active kind of traffic, with pretty good likes and collections.
It's not necessarily for gaining followers or anything. I just feel that it's a great honor to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen. Plus, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, such a special day for family reunion, and I have to share this with the dishes I've been craving!
They wanted to share their joy with strangers online. Well, actually, they had been drooling over food from netizens for a long time, so this time they wanted to post photos of various delicious foods and share their experiences to tempt their friends.
Wei Fang also said, "That's exactly what I'm planning. Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, and a lot of people will definitely post on their WeChat Moments. We have to do something too! Posting pictures of dishes from Gu's Private Kitchen will make us look good!"
Many people in her company know about Gu's Private Kitchen. Most of them only became interested after seeing Yang Shuyi eat at the restaurant, which was trending on social media. She herself had been paying attention to it much earlier.
However, although the colleagues in the company are craving it, since it is far away, they can only say that they will try it when they travel to Jiang City. So far, no one has been to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen.
Now she's finally in luck, and she'll soon be able to eat the dishes she's been longing for.
Hearing her two good friends say this, Yan Tinghe, who rarely posts on WeChat Moments, was also tempted. She decided to take some photos of the dishes when they arrived and post them on WeChat Moments later to join in the Mid-Autumn Festival festivities and prove that she was still alive.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the waiter quickly brought over a beef brisket and white radish soup. After thanking the waiter, the three of them took out their phones and snapped photos of the first dish.
After taking the photos, the three of them put down their phones and finally had the time to appreciate the soup. Calling it a soup would be more accurate than calling it a meat dish, except that the meat dish was covered in broth. Since Gu's Private Kitchen always has a soup on its daily menu, it's clear that they consider this dish a soup.
The large double-eared soup bowl is filled with a clear, pale yellow broth. You can see the brown beef brisket and chunks of white radish inside, and there are plenty of chopped celery floating on the surface. You can already smell the fresh aroma of this beef brisket and white radish soup.
Jiang Chengyi and the other two took turns using the provided soup spoons to scoop a bowl of soup into their own bowls, which naturally included beef brisket and white radish.
Wei Fang was the first to scoop up a spoonful of soup and drink it. The hot soup was a little too hot to drink but still acceptable. She instantly tasted the rich and fresh meat flavor, and the sweetness spread between her lips and teeth.
Perhaps it is precisely because of the hot soup that the freshness, aroma and sweetness are brought out to the fullest. It is refreshing to drink, and even after swallowing it, you can't help but linger on the aftertaste.
She scooped up three more spoonfuls of soup and drank them. Each sip was fresh, fragrant, and sweet. The aroma of the beef brisket and the sweet fragrance of the white radish blended together to create a unique flavor that belonged to the late summer and early autumn season.
Jiang Chengyi drank more heartily. After tasting the soup with a spoon and finding its fresh, sweet flavor appealing, she fell in love with it. The soup was also at a comfortable temperature, so she simply picked up the bowl and drank it in large gulps.
The soup is rich and flavorful, and the savory aroma of the meat and the sweet taste of the white radish spread from the mouth to the stomach, along with the warmth. It makes you feel warm all over and even a little sweaty, but it's very comfortable and refreshing.
After finishing the entire bowl of soup, she picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of beef brisket to eat.
The beef brisket has a richer and more savory meat flavor than the soup it was in earlier. It's tender yet has a slight chewiness. Because it was cooked in soup, it doesn't have too much saltiness or savory flavor. Instead, it highlights the natural aroma of the beef brisket. It also absorbs the fragrance of white radish, making it slightly sweet. The taste is as delicious as expected.
Jiang Chengyi exclaimed, "As expected of Gu's Private Kitchen, it lived up to our expectations. It really is as delicious as it looks online!"
Wei Fang nodded: "It's true that no matter what the ingredients or cooking method, everything from Gu's Private Kitchen is delicious!"
Yan Tinghe drank half a bowl of soup, ate two pieces of beef brisket and three pieces of carrot, and was very satisfied: "This soup, as the first dish served, really lived up to its reputation. The soup was fresh and sweet, the beef brisket was tender and chewy with a hint of sweetness, and the white radish was so soft that it melted on the tongue. It was sweet, juicy and had a meaty aroma."
"Really? I'll try it." Jiang Chengyi quickly swallowed the beef brisket in her mouth and picked up a piece of white radish to eat.
These white radish chunks really did taste just as He had described—soft, juicy, sweet, and delicious. They must have absorbed a lot of the oil from the beef brisket, making them quite flavorful.
After finishing a piece of white radish, Jiang Chengyi couldn't help but savor the taste, and then ate the rest of the white radish pieces in the bowl in one go.
Wei Fang also got hooked after just one bite of the white radish, even finding it more fragrant than the rich and mellow beef brisket flavor.
The three of them didn't have time to talk and buried their heads in eating the beef brisket and white radish chunks in their bowls. Their mouths were full of the aroma of meat and sweetness. In the end, Yan Tinghe and Wei Fang even finished the remaining soup in their bowls.
Even Jiang Chengyi, who initially drank the whole bowl of soup heartily, couldn't resist taking a spoon and scooping out another small half bowl of soup to drink.
The three of them looked relaxed and content. The stress and slight discomfort caused by rushing over early in the morning had completely disappeared, and they felt relaxed and comfortable from their mouths and stomachs to every part of their bodies.
If the staff hadn't just happened to come over and served a dish of sweet osmanthus and chestnut pork ribs, they probably would have had another bowl of soup. It's good that they stopped now; they can save room for the delicious meat dishes later, as soup is just too filling.
This Osmanthus and Chestnut Pork Ribs dish is served in a clay pot, topped with fine golden osmanthus petals. The evenly sized pieces of pork ribs and the equally golden chestnuts are tinged with a dark brown color, making them look bright and tempting. There is also a generous amount of broth in the pot.
After everyone finished taking photos, Jiang Chengyi picked up a piece of pork rib with her chopsticks and ate it.
The first thing you taste is the rich, savory sauce flavor. The ribs were probably deep-fried beforehand, so you can feel a slight crispiness when you bite into them. The meat is tender and juicy, and it falls off the bone with just a little bit of chewing. It's especially delicious.
In addition to the meaty aroma, you can also taste a hint of chestnut and a delicate osmanthus fragrance. The savory and slightly sweet flavor is quite delicious.
Originally intending to eat a chestnut, Jiang Chengyi couldn't resist picking up a piece of pork rib to eat because the meaty aroma in her mouth was too strong.
After savoring the tender, juicy, salty, and sweet flavor of the ribs once again, she finally picked up a chestnut to eat.
The chestnuts look round and plump, and their golden color becomes deeper after boiling. They are soft, sweet and glutinous when you bite into them, with a dense and delicate texture. Because they have absorbed a lot of the soup, they taste salty and savory.
Of course, this chestnut also absorbed some of the delicate fragrance of osmanthus, making it taste richer than a plain chestnut.
After tasting the ribs and chestnuts, Wei Fang couldn't help but praise: "This dish tastes amazing! The ribs are tender and flavorful, and the chestnuts are soft, sweet, and delicious, with a subtle osmanthus fragrance!"
Yan Tinghe also loved the dish: "These ribs are really fragrant, with a slightly crispy texture and tender meat. Just like the online reviews say, they use high-quality ribs! The chestnuts are also delicious, soft, sweet, and savory. The osmanthus is the perfect finishing touch, elevating the flavor of this dish by at least two levels, and it's very fitting for today's Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Jiang Chengyi felt that they had expressed all her feelings, and she couldn't find anything more to praise, so she could only say, "It really smells delicious, and it looks like it would go well with rice. Would you like a bowl of rice?"
Wei Fang and Yan Tinghe agreed without much thought. The osmanthus chestnut pork ribs were savory and delicious, and they were sure to enjoy them with rice. Even if they didn't want a bowl of rice now, there would be even more delicious meat dishes later. They might as well enjoy them now since they would have to order them sooner or later.
Jiang Chengyi immediately waved and called for the shop assistant to bring three bowls of rice.
The three of them each took a bowl of rice, and immediately used a spoon to scoop a spoonful of sauce onto the white rice, and began to eat it with the tender ribs and soft chestnuts.
Jiang Chengyi deliberately controlled herself. When she saw that a third of the rice in her bowl had been gone, she quickly stopped eating and only ate the ribs and chestnuts instead of rice. Otherwise, she would have to eat the meat dishes later without rice.
She also reminded her friends, "You two shouldn't eat too much rice, otherwise you'll have to ask for more rice when there's no more to eat."
The words were a bit convoluted, but Wei Fang and Yan Tinghe both understood. Everyone was consciously controlling their figure. Eating a bowl of rice at noon was normal, but adding another bowl would be excessive, and it would be wasteful if they couldn't finish it.
After a brief moment of satisfaction, everyone stopped eating their ribs and chestnuts and slowed down their pace, chatting as they went. Most of their conversations consisted of praising the delicious food.
Soon the waiter brought over another dish of pan-fried chicken with lemon. The three of them took out their phones and snapped a few photos before finally appreciating the dish.
The pan-fried chicken with lemon looks incredibly flavorful and clear. Each piece of chicken is golden and crispy, coated with a rich, brown sauce, mixed with light yellow, refreshing lemon slices that are also slightly oily and have absorbed some of the sauce.
Yan Tinghe: "It looks like this chicken is from the thighs; it looks quite tender."
After examining it carefully, Wei Fang confirmed: "It should be chicken thigh meat. This kind of meat is more tender and will definitely taste delicious after being pan-fried!"
Jiang Chengyi said with a laugh, "When I first saw the name of this dish, I thought it was dried lemon and fried chicken, but now I know it's dried lemon and fried chicken."
The ingredients and cooking methods can be completely different depending on how the name of a dish is spelled.
Wei Fang laughed heartily: "You know what, it is easy to misunderstand. Pan-fried chicken should smell pretty good."
Yan Tinghe urged, "Stop chatting and eat quickly, I can't hold back anymore."
After saying that, she immediately picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and ate it. The amber-colored chicken, coated in sauce, tasted salty and fragrant as soon as it entered her mouth, followed by the sour aroma of lemon slices. The two flavors intertwined and tasted very unique.
After breaking through the sauce, the chicken skin is crispy and fragrant, and if you bite deeper, you can feel the tender and juicy meat.
After a few chews, the savory aroma of the chicken mingles with the sour aroma of the lemon. The lemon's sour aroma somewhat neutralizes the greasiness of the chicken and enhances its freshness.
After finishing the chicken, she habitually exclaimed, "This lemon pan-fried chicken is also very good! The chicken thigh meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, savory and flavorful with a touch of lemon sourness, making it even more delicious!"
Yan Tinghe had just eaten a piece of chicken and was pleasantly surprised: "I've discovered that there's a reason why Gu's Private Kitchen's dishes taste so good. What people online say is true. In addition to the owner's excellent cooking skills, each dish is also related to the selection of high-quality ingredients. For example, the Osmanthus Chestnut Ribs used earlier were made with fatty spare ribs and fresh chestnuts, and this Lemon Pan-Fried Chicken is made with very fresh chicken thigh meat. The texture and taste are quite different."
Wei Fang nodded: "You'll know once you eat at the restaurant. Both the soup and these two meat dishes are very delicious, and they use high-quality ingredients. It's definitely worth the price. At 58 yuan per dish, we got a great deal!"
Jiang Chengyi agreed: "Indeed, I feel that the taste of five-star restaurants in our area is about the same, and even Gu's Private Kitchen is better! Moreover, even five-star restaurants can't update their menu every day like Gu's Private Kitchen does. Opening blind boxes is so much fun! It's just a pity that we're not from Jiang City, otherwise we could come here from time to time to open blind boxes and enjoy a meal!"
Yan Tinghe deeply agreed: "Moreover, so many people online are hoping that Gu's Private Kitchen will open a branch, but now it seems impossible. After all, only the owner is cooking. It feels like even if he hires chefs and trains apprentices, they might not be able to make such delicious food. So the headquarters will be firmly established in Suli Street, Jiang City. Its reputation will only grow, and it will become increasingly difficult to get a meal there."
After she finished speaking, she sighed, looking quite melancholy.
Wei Fang added insult to injury: "Besides, we're not from Jiang City. We each have our own jobs and lives, so we can only come over for a meal occasionally when we have free time. What are we going to do then!"
The three of them started to openly envy the people of Jiang City, only regretting that their boss wasn't from Henan Province. Otherwise, if Gu's Private Kitchen were located in Henan Province, even if it wasn't in their city, they could easily go there on weekends to eat, saving a lot on travel expenses.
Why……
Sigh...
Sigh...
The three of them became more and more melancholy as they talked, even though they had been very happy just a moment ago.
Jiang Chengyi picked up another piece of chicken and ate it. She once again tasted the crispy outside and tender inside of the chicken, which was salty, fragrant and sour, refreshing and delicious. Her slightly depressed mood quickly improved and she regained her previous joy.
She smiled and said, "Alright, don't overthink it. Since Gu's Private Kitchen is destined not to open in our area, we should take advantage of the time to eat to our heart's content and enjoy such delicious food."
Wei Fang perked up as well: "Yiyi is right, we should enjoy life to the fullest. We're already sitting in Gu's Private Kitchen, so let's not think about anything else. Let's just enjoy this meal and have a good time! Besides, we have a three-day holiday for Mid-Autumn Festival this year. We can come over for lunch or dinner while we're in Jiang City. It's okay to spend a little more time queuing. Let's eat our fill first!"
Yan Tinghe made a decision: "Forget about dieting for the next three days. I'm going to eat my fill at Gu's Private Kitchen and make up for all the food I missed before!"
Wei Fang: "Support!"
Jiang Chengyi exclaimed excitedly, "Eat quickly, eat quickly!"
The three of them excitedly picked up their chopsticks and continued eating, occasionally picking up ribs or chestnuts, sometimes beef brisket from the beef brisket and white radish soup, and sometimes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside chicken that was very fresh and refreshing.
Nobody bothered to pick up the lemon slices. They make the water taste pretty good when soaked in lemon water, and they make the chicken quite fragrant when cooked with lemon. But they're rather sour when eaten alone.
After eating for a while, the three of them put down their chopsticks one after another. This was both a short break after eating meat and vegetables continuously, and a way to slow down and control themselves, so that they wouldn't eat too much and finish the two meat dishes and soup that had already been served, leaving them unable to eat the rest of the dishes.
Jiang Chengyi looked around the restaurant and then looked outside. She happened to hear a staff member explaining something. She said with relief, "Although we got up late today and didn't make it to the first round of meals, the wait wasn't too long. You can see there are still so many people queuing outside. I also heard the staff member say that it seems like all the lunch numbers have already been issued. They said that the ingredients are limited and the maximum amount prepared has already been used up."
Yan Tinghe picked up her phone and checked the time: "We finished distributing the numbers earlier than usual today, but considering everyone is out having a reunion dinner for the Mid-Autumn Festival, it's normal. We're lucky; we were earlier in line and have already eaten two dishes and a soup at the restaurant."
She follows Gu's Private Kitchen's official account and frequently checks related information, so she naturally knows Gu's Private Kitchen's lunch and dinner hours and roughly when the reservations end.
Many netizens also enthusiastically analyzed queuing tips, reminding people to try to arrive at the restaurant before it opens, as queue numbers are usually distributed by midnight at the latest.
Like today, the Mid-Autumn Festival, it's only around 11:45 AM, and another customer came to get a number. The staff politely and apologetically informed them that all the numbers had already been distributed.
Moreover, the timing may not be accurate. Before they even notice, the staff may have already turned away some customers who rushed in to get a number, just like before.
All I can say right now is, thank goodness they were able to enjoy Gu's private kitchen dishes.
If you make a trip to the restaurant today and miss out on lunch, the disappointment will only double on Mid-Autumn Festival.
Wei Fang laughed and said, "A thousand words are not as good as thanking us for coming to Jiang City on a whim. Everyone managed to get up and come here for dinner today. Come on, let's have a toast!"
They didn't order beer or any soft drinks, so they simply raised their glasses of chrysanthemum tea to clink glasses.
“Come on, this is a toast to myself. I still have the courage to just pack up and go!” Jiang Chengyi raised her water glass and said with a smile.
Yan Tinghe also raised her water glass: "Come on, let's toast to our happy meal at Gu's Private Kitchen today, and to our friendship. I hope we can come back to eat Gu's Private Kitchen again in the future, for countless meals, hahaha!"
The three raised their cups of chrysanthemum tea and clinked them together, producing a crisp sound. In the slightly noisy and lively restaurant, it wasn't out of place, but it also showed the joy of Jiang Chengyi and the other two, and was in keeping with the happiness of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
They each took a sip of chrysanthemum tea and then continued chatting.
Jiang Chengyi glanced around casually, noticed something, and whispered, "Look at that table near the cashier, isn't that little boy in a wheelchair?"
A little boy who looked to be only five or six years old, thin and frail, with skin so pale it was almost sickly white, sat in a small, dark blue push wheelchair with Ultraman patterns on the wheels.
To be honest, many things look quite cute in a mini version. An Ultraman pattern is also very childlike for a five or six-year-old boy, making one wonder if the child's dream is the well-known desire to become Ultraman and save the world.
However, when such a thing is a wheelchair, a mini version of a children's wheelchair, it is a little heartbreaking to look at, and Ultraman, who symbolizes light and hope, also makes people's eyes water.
She restrained herself and looked away.
Wei Fang and Yan Tinghe turned around to look after hearing this, but after seeing clearly, they quickly looked away and turned back, despite all the thoughts in their minds.
Paying too much attention to someone at such a time, even if it's just out of curiosity and no malice, is disrespectful.
Wei Fang whispered, "I saw it. I don't know if it's an illness or an injury. It's sitting in what I think is a custom-made children's wheelchair."
Yan Tinghe shared her quick observation: "The little boy looked rather pale, but it didn't seem too bad. If he was simply sick, he must have been ill for quite some time. At least his family has accepted the situation and seems to be in a good mood. His parents and grandmother or maternal grandmother were enjoying their meal with him."
Jiang Chengyi sighed, "Life is already so hard, it's nice to be able to come and have a meal at Gu's private kitchen. At least when you eat such delicious meat dishes, you can temporarily forget about your illnesses and troubles and feel happy."
Wei Fang: "Yes, I hope that all the illnesses in this world can receive appropriate treatment and recover their health as soon as possible. I don't know why, but I don't usually feel much when I see disabled people, but I can't help but feel sorry for children when I see them like this."
“It’s normal. It’s just that it’s rare to see children in wheelchairs,” Yan Tinghe said.
They didn't talk much; they just shared their feelings and that was it. Talking too much and turning into gossiping about other people's sad stories behind their backs didn't feel right.
Just then, a waiter came over and served a dish of braised crab in golden broth. This dish looked much more refined and upscale, and it was just as fresh, fragrant, and delicious as ever. The three of them forgot about the slightly melancholy matter and instead took out their phones to take pictures and appreciate the dish.
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