Chapter 115 Osmanthus Tea Cheese is very popular.
Li Chengan ate with gusto, and Zheng Fanyan, Grandma Li, and Lele also enjoyed their meal immensely.
Zheng Fanyan quite liked this autumn vegetarian stew. The flavor was light but not bland, combining the fresh aromas of shiitake mushrooms, dried bean curd sticks, and wood ear mushrooms. The addition of high-quality ingredients like cordyceps flowers further enhanced the flavor, elevating the dish to a whole new level.
The sauce in this dish is just right, not too thick, yet it enhances the aroma and makes the ingredients tender and smooth. Whether it's shiitake mushrooms, dried bean curd sticks, wood ear mushrooms, or cordyceps flowers, they all taste much fresher and more tender, with a smooth texture and a blend of fresh and savory flavors. Every bite is delicious and leaves you wanting more, no less satisfying than the rich and flavorful meat dishes mentioned earlier.
Grandma Li was eating this dish with the intention of learning how to make it. Ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and dried bean curd were all things she had at home, and cordyceps flowers could also be bought. Making this dish shouldn't be difficult.
It tastes delicious when cooked this way, and Lele loves it, which is the biggest advantage. I can think about how to make it again later.
Lele didn't think too much about it, and unlike adults who can appreciate and savor the dish from their own perspectives, he simply thought it smelled delicious.
The shiitake mushrooms are tender and slightly chewy, the wood ear mushrooms are crisp, the dried bean curd is soft and tender, and even the thin and long cordyceps flowers are fresh and delicious.
He ate spoonful after spoonful, not caring what he scooped up, since everything was quite delicious and he could eat the rest sooner or later anyway.
As before, the family of four remained silent for a while after each dish was served, focusing solely on eating. However, having already consumed a considerable amount of meat and soup, their appetites were limited, and they ate more restrainedly this time.
Zheng Fanyan finished half a bowl of autumn vegetable stew. She didn't want to eat anymore, but looking at the tempting ingredients in the casserole, she couldn't resist picking up some dried bean curd with her chopsticks and eating it.
The dried bean curd sticks are cooked until soft and tender, easy to chew yet still retaining a slight chewiness. The aroma of soybeans and the savory flavors blend together, creating the pure, original fragrance of dried bean curd sticks, which is much tastier than traditional braised pork belly with dried bean curd sticks.
Li Cheng'an put down his chopsticks and let his stomach catch its breath.
After finishing her bowl of autumn vegetable stew, Grandma Li didn't intend to take any more. She wasn't eating herself, but was thinking of her grandson, smiling as she asked, "Lele, did you like those orange-red cordyceps flowers? They're good for you, Grandma can scoop some more for you, okay?"
Lele, the little boy who eats slowly and chews carefully, wasn't actually that full. He had originally planned to ask his dad to give him half a bowl after he finished eating, but after hearing his grandma's words, he nodded and said, "Okay, I also want shiitake mushrooms, dried bean curd sticks, and wood ear mushrooms, I'll eat them all!"
The last two words were spoken with great enthusiasm and excitement, suggesting that he truly had magnanimity.
Zheng Fanyan gave her husband a look, and Li Chengan immediately coughed lightly and said, "Lele, there's going to be Osmanthus Tea Cheese later. I just saw it on the next table and it looks like a dessert. If you eat this now, you won't be able to eat dessert later. It's really uncomfortable to be too full!"
Lele thought for a few seconds and said, "Okay, Grandma, I'll eat some more cordyceps flowers then."
He's a smart child; he knows that overeating is bad and will make him feel nauseous. Actually, he was already a little full, but he couldn't resist the temptation to eat more earlier. His father persuaded him to stop, and not wanting to disappoint his grandmother, he compromised.
Grandma Li smiled and agreed, praising Lele for being so good. She was just about to stand up to get some cordyceps flowers from Lele's bowl when she saw her son had already taken the initiative and put the cordyceps flowers into Lele's bowl.
Li Cheng'an also controlled the amount, giving Lele five cordyceps flowers as a token gesture.
I don't know if the dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen are really that magical. Normally, if it takes this long to eat, Lele would have complained of being tired and asked to be fed. But this time, he was full of energy and didn't complain of being tired. He picked up the spoon again, scooped up some cordyceps flowers, and started eating.
The three adults stopped eating and just watched Lele eat cordyceps flowers while chatting for a while.
Grandma Li: "We made the right choice coming to Jiang City this time. After eating here, I know why this restaurant is so popular. All the praise online is genuine and not fake!"
Zheng Fanyan: "It's really good, it didn't disappoint us. Luckily we came early today, otherwise we don't know how long we would have had to wait in line, and we might not have even been able to get a number."
Taking Lele out is not easy; there are many things to prepare. After all that, we arrived a little later than expected in the morning. Fortunately, although we had to wait in line for a while, it was still within an acceptable range. After having a hearty and delicious lunch, we felt even more satisfied and thought that all the trouble was worth it.
Li Chengan: "After eating here once today, we've gained experience. For the next two or three days, we try to arrive early to wait for the restaurant's opening hours, and ideally, we can be among the first to enter the restaurant after it opens. Anyway, whether we arrive at the exact time or wait in line, we still have to wait. But at least we can enter the restaurant as soon as it's time to eat, which is honestly much more comfortable."
Grandma Li: "What you said makes sense. The main reason we came to Jiang City this time is to eat more of Gu's private cuisine. It's better to come early and queue up. Otherwise, if everyone comes early to queue up, we'll end up at the back of the line when we come at the usual time. It would be really regrettable if we couldn't even get a queue number."
Zheng Fanyan: "I think it's a good idea."
She looked at her son, who was still eating cordyceps flowers, and said, "Lele, what do you think? Let's try to get up early, get ready, and come to the restaurant to queue up so we don't have to wait so long at the door."
This child loves to stay in bed during holidays and is very difficult to wake up.
Although Lele said she was enjoying the delicious cordyceps flower, she was still listening to the adults talking.
He finished chewing and swallowing the last piece of cordyceps flower in his mouth, then nodded and promised, "Sure, I'll get up early! After all, being able to eat such delicious food makes this deal worthwhile."
The three adults burst out laughing. This child has been talking about business lately, always bringing up whether a deal is worthwhile or not. It's probably just another new game the kids in kindergarten are playing.
Zheng Fanyan: "Okay, Lele is the best. We'll see how you perform in the next few days."
Grandma Li encouraged, "Our Lele can definitely do it."
Lele nodded: "I will. Just call me when the time comes, and I definitely won't stay in bed."
Li Cheng'an smiled after hearing this, swallowing the words of encouragement that were on the tip of his tongue. It seemed that he didn't need to motivate Lele; Lele was a very principled child and would do what she promised.
Amidst the laughter and conversation, the waiter came over and served the Osmanthus Tea Pudding, four small dishes in total, one for each of the three adults and one for each of the three children: "Please enjoy."
"OK, thanks."
The family of four all looked at the small dish of Osmanthus Tea Cheese in front of them. The tea cheese was the same pale yellow color of the osmanthus petals from the Osmanthus Chestnut Ribs they had just eaten, a very autumnal color.
The tea pudding is generally pale yellow, topped with a light, translucent mousse that appears to be made with tea, and sprinkled with osmanthus petals. Upon closer inspection, you'll find that these aren't fresh osmanthus petals, but rather edible ingredients shaped like osmanthus petals to add to the autumnal atmosphere.
Below the round tea cake is a layer of light and clear tea. If you touch the edge of the plate slightly, the tea at the bottom will ripple in circles.
The whole Osmanthus Tea Cheese looks elegant and sophisticated. No one doubts that it's just a pretty face with no substance. The subtle aroma alone is enough to make you want to try it.
Zheng Fanyan even began to imagine the taste of this dessert. It should be a taste that continues the elegant tone with moderate sweetness, with a light fragrance of osmanthus and a mellow tea aroma. It should also be chewy and soft.
She took out her phone and took several photos of the Osmanthus Tea Cheese in front of her from various angles.
Each small dish came with a white porcelain spoon. She picked it up and scooped up a spoonful of tea to drink. The first thing she tasted was the familiar, light fragrance of osmanthus. The tea was very rich, like black tea, and its mellow sweetness blended perfectly with the osmanthus fragrance, which matched its elegant appearance.
Unexpectedly, the tea brewed this way tasted quite good. After finishing her first sip, Zheng Fanyan couldn't help but scoop out another spoonful and drink it again.
She tasted the tea and felt that its sweetness was not only due to the black tea itself and the delicate fragrance of osmanthus, but also because it seemed to have a refreshing quality. After taking another spoonful, she realized that the sweetness was probably the sweetness of pear.
Once you notice this, take a spoonful of tea and you'll be able to taste the pear flavor.
The tea soup, with its simple base, blends the richness of black tea, the delicate fragrance of osmanthus, and the sweetness of pear. How could the tea pudding taste even better?
Zheng Fanyan finally decided to temporarily give up drinking the tea soup. Using the provided white porcelain spoon, she cut the tea jelly and pale yellow tea cream from top to bottom and tasted them.
Before I even had a chance to bite into it, just a light touch of my tongue and the tea cheese in my mouth felt like it had already melted away, smooth and delicate, filling my mouth with the subtle fragrance of osmanthus and the rich aroma of milk. It really shouldn't be called tea cheese; it should be called osmanthus cheese.
After taking a bite, the tea jelly was indeed smooth and delicate. The tea jelly was as bouncy and tender as it had appeared visually. Compared to the cheese, it was much lighter and more refreshing. The tea aroma was rich with the fragrance of osmanthus and the sweet taste of pear. It was similar to the previous tea soup, yet each had its own unique flavor.
The combination of tea jelly and cheese doubles the joy in both taste and aroma. After savoring its rich, sweet, and delicate fragrance, you can swallow it without much chewing. Then, quickly scoop out a piece from the whole Osmanthus Tea Jelly with a spoon and eat it.
Zheng Fanyan grew to love this dessert more and more with each bite; its sweetness was just right, its fragrance delicate and subtle, everything was perfect.
Looking at this elegant and delicate Osmanthus Tea Cheese, and tasting its amazing and long-lasting flavor, her sense of happiness soared, and she felt that this Mid-Autumn Festival lunch at Gu's Private Kitchen had come to a perfect end.
The dishes were all incredibly delicious, each one more flavorful than the last; there was no limit to how fragrant they could be.
Li Cheng'an also thought that the Osmanthus Tea Cheesecake tasted pretty good. Unlike ordinary desserts that are overly sweet and have a lot of cream and are very heavy, this Osmanthus Tea Cheesecake was elegant and fragrant, with just the right amount of sweetness. The ingredients were very common and not particularly high in calories. Indeed, this kind of Chinese dessert is still the best.
Grandma Li hadn't eaten many desserts before, but after her son got married, thanks to her daughter-in-law, she started to try many of the currently popular desserts, allowing this old lady to catch up with the trend.
As she ate the Osmanthus Tea Cheese in front of her, she quickly gave her opinion: this dessert tasted better, with just the right amount of sweetness and a pleasant fragrance. It didn't have a strong aroma, but after swallowing it, she couldn't help but savor the aftertaste.
This small plate of Osmanthus Tea Jelly costs 15 yuan. When she ordered it, she thought it was expensive, but now she is convinced that it should be sold at this price, and even feels that they are getting a good deal.
Unable to use the white porcelain spoon that came with the small dish, Lele had to continue using his own chopsticks. He was far more interested in the overall pale yellow osmanthus tea pudding than the tea soup at the bottom of the plate, so he ate the osmanthus tea pudding first.
A spoonful of tea yogurt melted in his mouth, smooth and delicate, with a rich milky aroma and the flavor of osmanthus. This was because he had previously eaten the osmanthus-flavored chestnut ribs and chewed on the delicately fragrant osmanthus petals, which allowed him to taste the subtle osmanthus fragrance mixed with the milky aroma.
Tea jelly has a chewy and soft texture, just like eating regular jelly, with a tea flavor and a refreshing sweetness.
Unlike his mother, Zheng Fanyan, he couldn't taste the sweetness in the tea jelly because of the pears; he simply found the tea strangely sweet.
Lele ate spoonful after spoonful with great relish, and besides the occasional words of praise from her parents and grandmother, she could also hear the conversations of the customers at the surrounding tables.
"Choosing Gu's Private Kitchen for our Mid-Autumn Festival meal today was definitely the right choice! Mom and Dad, didn't I tell you the food was delicious? It's absolutely much better than Guangxiangju, which you both love. Every dish is fresh and tasty, and the price is reasonable. You've already tried the soup and meat dishes, and they were incredibly delicious. This Osmanthus Tea Cheese is absolutely amazing, it beats so many other desserts!"
"This lunch really made me feel like I was celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. The soup was as delicious as ever, and the Osmanthus Chestnut Ribs were absolutely amazing. Both the chestnuts and ribs had the flavor of osmanthus. The Golden Osmanthus Tea Cheese was also superb. I didn't expect Gu's Private Kitchen to be so good at making desserts. It was light, fragrant, sweet but not cloying, and my mouth was full of the fragrance of osmanthus."
"I think that although the lemon pan-fried chicken is a fairly common dish, the chicken is tender and the skin is slightly crispy, which makes it very fragrant. The lemon and garlic flavor actually cuts through the richness quite a bit. The Golden Broth and Jade Stew with Blue Crab sounds very high-class, and it tastes just as high-class. The hand-picked crab meat is fresh, tender, and sweet, which is especially refreshing. The crab roe is simply the essence of the dish, and the taste is absolutely amazing!"
"Anyway, I think every dish today is amazing, easily surpassing other restaurants' Mid-Autumn Festival group meals. The price is also incredibly cost-effective. The only slightly expensive dish today is the Golden Broth Jade Soup Braised Crab, which costs 88 yuan, but with so much hand-picked crab meat and crab roe, it's totally worth it."
"..."
After eating most of the Osmanthus Tea Rice Cake, Lele couldn't help but say, "Dad, Mom, Grandma, many older brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts said that this meal was delicious and a great deal! Can we come here to eat often in the future?"
After asking the question, he added, "Not the three days of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the days to come."
If Zheng Fanyan and Li Chengan initially brought Lele to Jiang City specifically to eat Gu's Private Kitchen because of its supposed magical effects that might help Lele recover, they changed their minds after having lunch there.
Even though Lele didn't feel any improvement after eating there for three days, just for the delicious food at Gu's Private Kitchen, she was already very willing to come to Jiang City again to enjoy a few more meals like that.
They had a very good impression of Gu's Private Kitchen, which also made them feel a sense of familiarity with Jiang City, a city they had never met before.
Li Cheng'an understood his wife's meaning and replied to his son with a smile, "Sure, whenever we have a holiday of more than three days, we can come to Jiang City together to eat Gu's Private Kitchen and eat our fill!"
Lele immediately beamed with joy: "Yay!"
Grandma Li was also very happy to see her grandson's bright smile.
She no longer complained about how much it would cost to travel all the way to Jiang City just for travel and accommodation, and that there was no guarantee she'd even get to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen. But now, Grandma Li felt it was worth the money; if she arrived early enough, the chances of getting a table were quite high.
If it really benefits Lele's health, then we would be more than happy to let her settle in Jiang City with Lele.
Grandma Li, who had worried endlessly about her grandson, smiled kindly as she looked at Lele, who was enjoying his osmanthus tea pudding with a blissful expression. She felt incredibly satisfied.
She picked up a spoon, bent down, and scooped up a piece of Osmanthus Tea Jelly. It was delicately fragrant and not very sweet, but it was sweet enough to warm her heart.
By the end, Lele's family, regardless of age or gender, had bulging bellies, yet they managed to finish all the Osmanthus Tea Milk, even drinking all the tea soup at the bottom of the small plates.
Zheng Fanyan placed her right hand on the dining table, rubbing her excessively bulging belly. Looking at the remaining meat and vegetables on the table, she pondered, "How about we pack these up and reheat them for dinner tonight? If it's not enough, we can order some more takeout."
The restaurant updates its daily menu, but the dishes for lunch and dinner are the same throughout the day. Actually, it's perfectly fine to eat here for both lunch and dinner; you'll never get tired of it and will feel twice as happy.
However, there were obviously too many customers today, making it difficult to queue. There were also quite a few leftover dishes from lunch, so I suppose it would be the same to just reheat them in the hotel's microwave for dinner.
Grandma Li nodded: "I think that's a good idea. Apart from the osmanthus tea pudding, we've finished the rest of the soup and meat dishes. That's enough for us to have for dinner. If we don't have enough, we can order takeout. We can't waste this."
Li Cheng'an naturally listened to his wife and mother; the remaining dishes were indeed enough to eat.
Lele nodded repeatedly, "Okay, Mom, let's eat these again tonight, they're delicious!"
"Haha, okay." Zheng Fanyan couldn't help but laugh, pleased. She waved to the clerk, "Hello, could you please bring me one soup bowl and four regular takeout containers? Thank you."
Actually, she had finished all the crab meat and roe in the Golden Broth and Jade Stew with Blue Crab. There were only a few potato chunks, carrot chunks, and a rich, sweet and sour tomato sauce left. Normally, she would have mixed these with other dishes and packed them up to save every penny. She was very frugal.
Since Lele fell ill, she and Li Chengan have spent a lot of money on Lele. A ventilator costs 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, a good children's wheelchair costs 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, and a children's standing frame costs tens of thousands of yuan. The expenses for similar medical assistive devices are quite large.
But I'm in a good mood today, and it's not good to mix tomato juice with other dishes in the takeout because it might cause the flavors to mix. If I end up making both dishes taste bad just to save a dollar, it won't be worth it. I might as well just get four takeout containers.
The clerk smiled and agreed, then immediately went to get a soup bowl takeout container, four regular takeout containers, and two pretty light green takeout bags.
Zheng Fanyan took the food, stood up, and started packing. Li Chengan also picked up a takeout box and started packing the dishes in front of him. Grandma Li wanted to help, but her son and daughter-in-law refused, so she turned to taking care of Lele, wiping her mouth and hands.
After the family finished getting ready, Zheng Fanyan pushed Lele, who was in a wheelchair, while Grandma Li carried two bags of takeout meat and vegetables, and Li Chengan took his phone and went to the cashier to pay.
After paying, he naturally took over from his wife and started pushing Lele, who was in a wheelchair.
The shop assistant quickly took out a folding ramp from behind the cashier, unfolded it, and laid it on the steps at the entrance: "That's fine, be careful."
"OK, thanks."
Li Chengan pushed the wheelchair around and went down the slope backwards, which was particularly smooth and easy.
Because the slope of the ramp met the standards for an accessible ramp, Lele didn't lean back much while going down backwards in her wheelchair, and a bright smile spread across her face.
Lele looked at the shop assistant and felt that her gaze was particularly warm. He returned her a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Auntie. The food here is especially delicious. I will come here often!"
Hearing this, Sister Zhou felt her heart soften and nodded with a smile, saying, "You're welcome anytime!"
Lele nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Okay, okay, Auntie, see you next time!"
"See you next time!" Sister Zhou smiled and waved goodbye to the optimistic and well-behaved little boy.
Li Chengan, Zheng Fanyan, and Grandma Li all smiled and thanked the shop assistant before pushing Lele away.
The walk from the restaurant to the street in Surrey is neither too long nor too short. Grandma Li couldn't help but exclaim, "This restaurant is really great. In addition to the delicious food, it also pays great attention to accessibility. They specially prepared a ramp, which makes things much more convenient for us."
Li Chengan nodded: "That is indeed very rare."
Many restaurants have steps at the entrance. In the past, when we took Lele out to eat, we had to lift her up in her wheelchair. It's only because she's small and light now that one person can manage. But when we go out to eat, we still try to choose restaurants in large shopping malls that don't have steps or thresholds.
Like Gu's Private Kitchen, which has its own movable ramp, the staff immediately brought out the ramp and offered to help when it was their turn in line, which was really heartwarming.
The smooth experience of using the ramp when leaving made this Mid-Autumn Festival lunch a truly perfect ending.
Zheng Fanyan smiled and said, "I had heard parents from Jiang Province praise the ramps before, saying that this restaurant not only has delicious food, but also does a good job in terms of accessibility. Parents are happy to bring their children to eat here, and adult patients also like to come."
Since Lele fell ill, and after reading more messages from fellow patients' groups, she has become extra careful about accessibility when she goes out, checking for ramps wherever she goes.
Gu's Private Kitchen really stands out in this respect. Considering the needs of special groups, this alone makes them feel that this restaurant must be very good.
Lele chuckled and said, "I really like this slope too. You don't even need to carry me; I can get in and out in no time!"
The three adults burst out laughing upon hearing this.
The family of four walked happily out of Suli Street and took a taxi back to their hotel to rest. They were still chatting about what time would be best to come from the hotel to queue for dinner the next day, full of anticipation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
