Chapter 21 Fried Rice Noodles, Watercress and Tofu Soup. ...
The store's Wi-Fi speed is quite good. Pressing the search button immediately brings up the relevant page. You don't even need to go into the user section to search further. The first page has two relevant results, both posted by Ji Jian Chuntang.
The first post was related to illustrations, featuring many cute avatars for fans to use. As a result, it received a lot of likes, shares, and comments, with over 300,000 likes, over 80,000 shares, and over 50,000 comments.
Gu Qingqiu looked at the first picture. The pink rabbit was holding an orange-red carrot and biting into it in an adorable way, its exposed teeth showing a soft and cute curve.
Another picture shows a golden moon hanging high in the sky, with a white bear sitting on a dark blue boat gazing up at the bright moonlight; both are quite cute.
Moving down to the second post, it's also a similar illustration sharing.
She clicked on it and saw Chuntang's homepage. Scrolling down from the pinned Weibo post, the latest post was about her own restaurant.
[Spring Tang's Return: Long time no see, everyone! (smiling and cute) During the days without updates, I was engrossed in drawing, but I was also living a good life. I couldn't resist climbing up here to share a hidden gem restaurant with you all. It's really delicious! (Please see the silly artist's demonstration below)]
This was my first time dining at Gu's Private Kitchen. I heard that the restaurant sets its menu every day based on the ingredients it purchases. I was lucky enough to have the best steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli that I've ever had.
The vermicelli soaked up the sauce, bursting with the aroma of garlic and saltiness, while also incorporating the freshness of the scallops. The scallop meat was quite large; in all my years of eating scallops, I've only seen meat this big a few times. It was soaked in the savory sauce and had its own natural sweetness. The meat was smooth and springy to the bite. I ate a whole plate of six scallops by myself.
The second delicious dish was sweet and sour pork with pineapple. The pork, fried to a golden brown and crispy, was coated in a thick sauce. It was sweet and sour, followed by the salty and savory flavor of the sauce. It was crunchy when you bit into it, but the meat inside was very tender.
The sweet and sour pork had a perfect ratio of lean to fat, making it tender and juicy without being dry or greasy. The pineapple was sweet and sour and crisp, complementing the savory flavor of the pork and the salty aroma of the sauce. I even tried some of the green, red, and yellow peppers; they were all quite delicious.
Braised beef brisket with dried bean curd is also a rare delicacy. The dried bean curd is cooked until soft and tender, soaking up the rich, savory broth. When you bite into it, in addition to the savory flavor of the broth, you can also taste a strong bean flavor, making you feel like you're eating plant-based protein (not really).
The beef brisket is braised until it's savory and flavorful, tender yet not tough, and has a bit of fat that makes it oily and adds to the rich texture.
The owner's high-end culinary skills extend beyond just meat dishes; his vegetables are delicious too. The shiitake mushroom and bok choy dish is eye-catching from the moment it's served. The dark, tender shiitake mushrooms and vibrant green bok choy are mixed together, drizzled with a thick, dark brown sauce, slightly glistening with oil, yet refreshingly light.
The shiitake mushrooms tasted just as tender as they looked, with a unique winter mushroom aroma and a pleasantly salty flavor. The bok choy was crisp, refreshing, sweet, and juicy, and the sauce also had a savory flavor. It would make a great side dish with a bowl of white rice.
Unfortunately, I had already finished the bowl of rice I ordered earlier, along with the sweet and sour pork with pineapple and the braised beef brisket with tofu skin, so it was impossible for me to order another bowl of rice now. Because there was an even better coconut chicken soup coming up later.
This soup is served in two ways: the restaurant provided a generous half-bowl of chicken, along with a dipping sauce. Even after simmering in the soup for a long time, the chicken remained tender and juicy. Dipped in the sauce, it was savory, spicy, and had a hint of coconut flavor from the soup.
This soup is even more delicious. It's clear with a slightly thick consistency, and tastes exceptionally sweet, with the savory sweetness of the chicken. The red dates and goji berries also add a touch of sweetness. The coconut meat is crunchy and has a rich coconut flavor. This is the best soup I've ever had.
I couldn't resist buying coconuts and drinking coconut water these past few days, but it doesn't taste as good as the coconut chicken soup at Gu's Private Kitchen.
Gu's Private Kitchen is located under the peach blossom tree in the middle of Suli Street, Jiangshi. Make sure you go to the right place. You can also find this restaurant on Dianping (a Chinese review platform) to check its opening hours. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays, so don't go there in vain (I won't name names, but I'm not saying anyone has gone there before).
Address of Gu's Private Kitchen in Fujiang City;
Attached are: Steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli.jpg, Sweet and sour pork with pineapple.jpg, Braised beef brisket with dried tofu.jpg, Mushrooms and bok choy.jpg, Coconut chicken soup.jpg, and the whole plate.jpg
It was quite a long Weibo post, and Gu Qingqiu was moved by it. This Ji Jian Chuntang really loves her family's meat dishes. The comments section was also very active.
[Chrysanthemums Don't Bloom: Oh my god, Tang Bao is finally back online! It's like a miracle, the missing person has returned!]
[White Rose's Eternal Love: Wow, I'm drooling over this Weibo post late at night! It looks so delicious! Looking at the photos, I wish I was born in Jiang City, otherwise I'd rush there to eat it tomorrow!]
[nivecr: I love reading bloggers' daily life posts. You can tell they really love this restaurant, which is why they wrote such a long review. Every dish looks delicious.]
[Even breathing hurts! :! I'm in Jiang City, and there's such a delicious restaurant here! I have to find time to eat there!]
[Camera recording daily life: I quite like this blogger, but this post looks like an advertisement. No way, I'm really going to unfollow.]
[I'm craving lychees! Oh my god, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, and coconut chicken soup are all my favorites. If I have the chance to go to Jiang City, I'll definitely ask to try them!]
The comments section was quite active. Apart from a few fans who suspected it was an advertisement, most of the fans were saying they definitely wanted to try the restaurant if they had the chance.
Gu Qingqiu noticed that the Weibo post had over 80,000 likes, over 10,000 reposts, and over 3,000 comments.
Compared to the blogger's previous popular Weibo posts, the data wasn't great, but it's already quite surprising that this Weibo post, which seems to be an advertisement and is completely different from the previous ones, has achieved this level of data.
If even 10% of those who read this Weibo post are willing to try Gu's Private Kitchen, it will bring a lot of customers to her small restaurant.
Gu Qingqiu smiled, liked the Weibo post, and followed the user "Ji Jian Chun Tang" before exiting to browse other messages.
There are so many things trending on Weibo, and every single one is fresh and exciting. Whether you're just following the gossip or keeping up with current events, it's a great way to relax.
Gu Qingqiu didn't realize it until after 1:30 a.m., when Sister Zhou had finished washing the dishes and put them all in the sterilizer.
She smiled and said, "Sister Zhou, you've worked hard. Go back and rest early."
"It's not tiring at all, boss, you should get some rest too," Sister Zhou said with a smile. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Boss, the meat and dishes in our shop are so delicious. My daughter is on holiday this weekend, so I'd like to bring her here when I'm at work this afternoon so she can try the food in the evening. I'll order and pay separately then. My daughter is very well-behaved and won't interfere with the shop's business. Is that alright with you?"
She takes four days off a month, which follows the shop's closing time. That means she can't bring her daughter to eat here, since the shop is closed and her daughter has to go to school.
Ms. Zhou enjoys delicious meat dishes at restaurants every day, and she wants her daughter to try them too.
Gu Qingqiu thought it was something serious, and smiled when she heard this: "Of course, Sister Zhou, you don't need to be so polite. How much can a child eat? He can just eat with us tonight, and you don't need to pay."
Sister Zhou quickly waved her hand: "Boss, no need, no need, I'll pay for her portion myself. How can I come to the store to eat for free? It's already very kind of you to cover my lunch and dinner."
"Alright, it's settled then. Sister Zhou, just bring the kids over this afternoon. Go home and rest now," Gu Qingqiu insisted.
During this time, Sister Zhou got to know the boss's personality. He usually spoke gently and kindly, but once he made a decision, it was hard to change it.
She readily agreed: "Okay, thank you then, boss. You should get some rest too."
After Sister Zhou left, Gu Qingqiu went upstairs, turned on the air conditioner, and lay down on the bed to sleep.
Taking a one-hour nap at noon makes me feel refreshed and energetic when I wake up, as if all the fatigue from the morning has been dispelled. I feel full of energy and can do anything with enthusiasm.
A little after 3:30, Gu Qingqiu went into the kitchen to start processing the duck meat.
Around four o'clock, Sister Zhou brought her daughter over and greeted her with a smile: "Fangfang, this is my boss. She cooks very well. You can just call her 'sister'."
He then smiled at Gu Qingqiu and said, "Boss, this is my daughter, Zhou Fangfang, she's ten years old this year."
Zhou Fangfang tilted her head slightly and looked at the beautiful older sister walking towards her. When she smiled, the dimples on her cheeks were incredibly gentle.
She had a good impression of her mother's boss even before they met, because this job provided them with financial security, and her mother had more time off so she could have breakfast with her and take her to school.
Upon seeing her in person and noticing her beautiful appearance, Zhou Fangfang, who was slightly smitten, took a liking to this older sister and greeted her with a smile: "Hello, sister, you can call me Fangfang."
Gu Qingqiu also quite liked this little girl. She looked well-behaved and sensible, and her round eyes were full of the liveliness and cunning that one should have at this age.
She smiled and nodded: "Hello, you can come to the store often during your holidays. Your mother often praises you to me."
During casual conversations over meals, she learned about Sister Zhou's family situation, and Sister Zhou was very proud of her daughter.
Zhou Fangfang felt a little shy after hearing this. She glanced at her mother and then looked at the shop owner, replying, "Okay, sister, I'll come over to play whenever I have time."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Gu Qingqiu told Fangfang to play by herself while she went back to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
Sister Zhou had her daughter sit at the innermost table to do her homework, and she also started cleaning the restaurant.
As lunchtime approached, customers began to arrive one after another, and the tables gradually became lively. Zhou Fangfang moved a chair and found an empty spot in the dining area to sit down. Not bored, she picked up her mother's phone and started browsing Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform).
She doesn't usually have the chance to play with her mother's phone.
The kitchen staff were incredibly busy, and Sister Zhou was also constantly on the move, attending to customers in the dining area. Hearing the sincere praises from those who enjoyed the delicious meat dishes, Sister Zhou felt a sense of pride.
Once all seven tables in the dining area were full and most of the dishes ordered by the customers had been served, Sister Zhou, after receiving instructions from the boss, took her daughter to the kitchen for dinner.
The small table in the kitchen is quite small; it's usually just right for two adults to sit, but with a little girl added, it feels a bit crowded, but it also makes the atmosphere more intimate.
Gu Qingqiu steamed a whole sea bass for dinner, along with a generous amount of braised duck with perilla leaves and fried pork ribs with mint, as well as some green vegetables and soup.
"Eat up, Fangfang, try my cooking and see how it is."
Zhou Fangfang said playfully, "Why would I need to taste it? Sister, your cooking skills must be absolutely amazing. I was just outside and smelled the aroma of meat and vegetables wafting over from other people's meals. It was so delicious that my stomach kept growling."
Gu Qingqiu was delighted to hear this: "Then hurry up and eat, don't be shy."
Zhou Fangfang smiled and agreed. After her sister picked up her chopsticks and ate a piece of rib, she then picked up some fish with her chopsticks.
She usually loves eating fish, whether it's steamed, pan-fried, or braised. She was surprised to see steamed sea bass with egg outside; she'd never seen fish prepared that way before.
The moment the fish enters your mouth, the savory aroma of the fermented black bean sauce blends perfectly with the unique freshness of the fish. It's also incredibly tender and smooth to eat. The feeling of eating fish without worrying about bones is simply amazing!
"This fish is so delicious, fresh and fragrant with no fishy smell at all. It tastes even better when dipped in fish sauce."
"Eat more if it's delicious."
After receiving her sister's response, Zhou Fangfang picked up several more pieces of fish and ate them. Dipping them in the fish sauce made them even saltier, more fragrant, and sweeter.
She scooped up a piece of steamed egg with a spoon and ate it. The steamed egg was smooth and delicate to eat, with the aroma of eggs as well as the fresh sweetness and salty fragrance of fish.
As she ate, she gradually relaxed. The ribs were crispy and tender with a refreshing mint aroma, and the duck meat had a pleasant perilla fragrance. The duck meat had a slightly charred skin and firm, tender meat inside. Even the kale was delicious.
Zhou Fangfang ate a lot of meat with her rice, and then filled a bowl with soup. She found it to be sweet and rich, and even the bones and meat tasted delicious. She also ate a lot of the various beans that had sunk to the bottom, and her little belly was bulging with fullness.
Sister Zhou enjoyed the meal immensely. Watching her daughter savor the meat and vegetables on the table with such delight and happiness, she felt doubled in her joy.
She knew that the owner had specially cooked all the meat and vegetables tonight because her daughter had come, and she was very grateful.
My daughter likes the meat dishes at restaurants, and she will definitely bring Fangfang here to eat from time to time when she has the chance, but she should pay next time, otherwise she will feel bad.
Watching the little girl eat like this, Gu Qingqiu's appetite also increased, and the meat and vegetables tasted even better.
Yes, she's a great cook!
They ate quickly, mainly because they were worried that there might be something to do at the dining area. After finishing their meal, they quickly put the bowls, chopsticks, and plates in the sink, folded up the table, and Zhou Jie went out to serve customers, while Gu Qingqiu went to the stove to continue working.
Zhou Fangfang took her mother's phone and went to a corner of the shop. Occasionally, she would look up through the glass at the owner's sister cooking in the kitchen, her movements skillful and beautiful.
She did want to watch closely from inside the kitchen, but Fangfang knew that the kitchen was a sensitive area of the restaurant, and it would be unhygienic for unauthorized people to go in and get close to the stove, so she decided to peek through the window from the outside.
A little later, after washing the dishes and putting them in the sterilizer, Sister Zhou rinsed the restaurant with the cleaning water, said goodbye to her daughter and the owner, and went home.
The night was hazy, and the dim streetlights cast the shadows of a big and a small child holding hands, creating a particularly heartwarming scene.
Zhou Fangfang was so happy that she jumped up and down, and couldn't even walk properly: "Mom, I'm so happy today! I met the boss sister who was so nice to you, and I ate such delicious meat dishes."
Sister Zhou smiled as she held her daughter's hand: "I'm glad you're happy. The meat dishes at the restaurant are really delicious. I'll bring you here to eat again when I have the chance."
“Okay, from now on, the thing that makes me happiest is looking forward to you taking me to the restaurant, Mom,” Zhou Fangfang said slyly.
Sister Zhou was both amused and exasperated: "Okay, Mom understands. How about I bring you over every weekend?"
Zhou Fangfang nodded frantically, very satisfied: "Okay, okay, thank you, Mom."
The mother and daughter happily walked home, while Gu Qingqiu went upstairs on Suli Street, turned on the air conditioner in her room, grabbed her clothes, and went to take a shower. After washing up, she lay down on the bed and played on her phone, starting her relaxing time of the day.
Business was still very good on Sunday, even better than on Saturday. Gu Qingqiu heard from Sister Zhou that two or three tables of people came specifically after seeing the recommendations on Weibo. They kept taking pictures while eating and left happily in the end.
After listening, Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "It's good that we didn't disappoint them."
Business was slightly slower on Monday, but still better than the previous week. The lines outside the restaurant were getting longer and longer during mealtimes, and Gu's Private Kitchen was barely able to keep up with the demand.
Having survived what working-class people call a deadly Monday, Gu Qingqiu was given a day off on Tuesday, and Sister Zhou also took a day off to rest.
She slept until she naturally woke up, washed up, and then stir-fried some rice noodles. She hadn't eaten the rice noodles she bought during her last break; they had bean sprouts, carrots, and other side dishes, so a simple stir-fry with soy sauce was delicious.
The rice noodles were very thin, and after being stir-fried, they turned a dark brown color, moist and savory. The bean sprouts were tender and juicy, and the carrot shreds were sweet. It would have been even more fragrant if they had been missing some scallions.
While looking at her phone, Gu Qingqiu ate fried rice noodles. After leisurely finishing her breakfast, she casually washed the plates, chopsticks, and pot.
Seeing the bright sunlight streaming in through the window, shimmering around the two thriving mint leaves, she filled a small cup with water and watered the mint.
After resting for a while, Gu Qingqiu remembered the tempting video she had just seen on Xiaohongshu and tentatively decided on a meat dish for tomorrow. She simply grabbed her shopping cart and headed out to the market.
This time, she had a clear goal: to go directly to the pork stall to buy pork. Because she arrived a little late, the pork stall seemed to have much less meat, leaving some empty space. There were four or five people queuing to buy pork, and Boss Zhu was very busy.
Gu Qingqiu waited a while, and when it was her turn, she said, "Good morning, Boss Zhu. I want five catties of pork belly and three catties of pork shoulder."
For making char siu, you can use pork shoulder, pork belly, or many other cuts of pork, and they all taste great. Pork shoulder is also called "Imperial Concubine Meat," but many butchers call it pork shoulder, so she just used that name too.
"Okay, sure." Boss Zhu pulled the towel hanging on his shoulder to wipe the sweat from his face and replied. He looked up at the customer and his face immediately lit up with surprise. "Hey, Boss Gu, what brings you here to buy meat today? I was wondering earlier why you didn't call to order meat."
Ever since Gu Qingqiu called Boss Zhu to order meat, Boss Zhu has changed his way of addressing her from "young lady" to "Little Boss Gu".
She laughed and said, "Our restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. I only thought of coming here to buy meat because I had a dish that needed to be marinated a day in advance. I didn't prepare in advance, so I just came to the market to buy it directly."
Boss Zhu said, "Hey, you young people are so energetic. Even during your break, you're still thinking about the restaurant tomorrow. I'll cut you the best pork belly and pork shoulder."
You have to admit, Mr. Zhu is quite capable; his pork is famous throughout the market.
He swiftly sliced the pork belly and pork shoulder, and Gu Qingqiu noticed that he was picking out pieces with very little black fat, which meant that the pork was fresh, delicious, and had plenty of fat.
Mr. Zhu was generous; after cutting the pork, weighing it, and calculating the price, he rounded down the price by eight yuan.
Gu Qingqiu smiled and thanked him, her impression of Boss Zhu improving even more; he was a shrewd businessman.
After putting eight pounds of pork into her shopping cart, she went to buy a block of tofu, a bunch of watercress, some scallions, ginger, and garlic, and then went to the grocery store to buy a jar of seafood sauce and char siu sauce.
On the way back, I stopped by a fruit shop and bought a pound each of apples and navel oranges.
Back at the restaurant, Gu Qingqiu put the ingredients she bought in the kitchen, then hurriedly went upstairs to turn on the air conditioning in her room, before coming down to turn on the fan in the dining area and sitting there to cool off.
Once the heat subsided and she felt more comfortable, Gu Qingqiu went into the kitchen. She rinsed a cup of rice to cook, enough for lunch and dinner. She would also make a watercress and tofu soup later, and lunch would be ready.
She is now processing the pork belly and pork shoulder she bought. After washing the pork, she cuts it into large strips and pokes holes in them with a toothpick so that it will marinate better later.
Take out two bowls that are big enough to fit in the refrigerator cabinet, pour in seafood sauce, char siu sauce, spare rib sauce, and hoisin sauce, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and salt and stir well. Gu Qingqiu chopped the scallions, ginger, garlic, and cilantro and put them into a blender to grind them, then poured them into the marinade in the bowl.
She placed the pork strips into two separate bowls, rubbed them with a thick layer of marinade, covered them with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator to marinate thoroughly. She would take them out to make char siu the next day.
After finishing these tasks, Gu Qingqiu started making watercress and tofu soup.
Wash the watercress thoroughly, cut the tofu into cubes, boil water in a pot with a few drops of oil, add the watercress and cook until tender, then slide in the tofu cubes and continue cooking. Finally, add a little salt to taste.
Watercress is mainly eaten in winter and spring, and it's not quite in season at the end of April, but some vegetable stalls in the market still sell it. Gu Qingqiu suddenly wanted to eat it, so she bought some.
The rice was cooked by then. Gu Qingqiu originally planned to cook lunch and take it up to her room on the second floor to eat while enjoying the air conditioning.
But she wasn't as hot as when she first came back. Considering that she would have to take the food up now and then take it down later, she simply took it to the table in the dining room where the fan would frequently blow on her and sat down to eat.
Adding a little more water to the rice makes it moist and soft, while the tofu is tender, smooth, and fragrant with a hint of saltiness. It tastes great with white rice.
Watercress is cooked until soft and tender, and tastes sweet, crisp, and tender. A sip of watercress and tofu soup makes it especially refreshing.
After finishing a simple lunch and washing the dishes, Gu Qingqiu went back upstairs to rest.
The afternoons and evenings are easy to pass; as long as you don't have to work, everything is leisurely.
When Gu Qingqiu woke up the next morning, it took her a while to accept that the restaurant would be open for business that day.
After washing up, she first called to order some beef. After having breakfast, she went to the market to buy meat and vegetables. After returning home, she rested for a while and then went into the kitchen to start her busy day.
Around noon, Zhang Yonghao and a few others took a break from their busy schedules to discuss lunch in the office buildings near Suli Street.
The last time they ate at Gu's Private Kitchen was last Thursday. They didn't come here because they had the weekend off and weren't working. They were too busy with meetings on Monday to eat here, and the restaurant was closed on Tuesday. No matter how busy they are today, they have to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen!
But they're quite busy this morning, and I guess they won't finish their work until late. Gu's Private Kitchen is so popular now, you might not be able to buy meat and vegetables if you go too late.
Her family only makes a limited number of meat dishes each day, saying that once the stock is used up, the owner can't make that many meat dishes.
Jin Shicheng suggested, "If Gu's Private Kitchen doesn't offer delivery, how about we order a delivery service?"
Zhang Yonghao's eyes lit up: "Great idea, Brother Cheng! We're too narrow-minded. Let's just call it errand running."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. The errand fee would only be a dollar or two more per person when split among themselves, no big deal!
So Zhang Yonghao was once again entrusted with an important task: to place an order for a delivery person to pack lunch from Gu's Private Kitchen.
Meanwhile, in Jiang City's CBD, Shen Mengmeng was also planning to place an order to have food delivered to Gu's Private Kitchen.
She was a loyal fan of Ji Jian Chun Tang. She had been very tempted by the Gu Family Private Kitchen recipes that Ji Jian Chun Tang shared a few days ago. And since they were all in Jiang City, it was perfect timing and location. She deserved to be able to eat such delicious meat dishes.
She had been too busy to eat at the restaurant the past few days, and it was closed yesterday. After looking at the photos countless times and craving food, she decided to have it delivered to her office by a delivery person.
Work is so tiring, I need to eat well!
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