Chapter 25 Spicy Clams and Crab Stick Tofu Casserole. ...
Finally, it was the weekend. Around 10:30, Yang Liu and her family drove towards Suli Street.
As he looked at the road, which was becoming increasingly familiar yet somewhat strange, Yang's father, sitting in the passenger seat, was stirred up some memories.
“I remember this place. There used to be a fabric market nearby, and it was quite lively with small merchants coming to buy goods. There was also a brewery behind this street, but it was moved to the outskirts of Jiang City due to the policy of relocating secondary industries to tertiary industries. In addition, some urban villages were demolished to build office buildings and shopping malls, and new business districts have sprung up. This old street is not as lively as it used to be.”
He sighed, "It's been many years since I've been here."
Even though her daughter works nearby and has come back to help deliver documents to her home after retirement, she never noticed how close she was to these old streets.
Besides, there's nothing much to see.
My father is a native of Jiang City. From childhood to adulthood, Yang Liu's favorite thing was to sit in the car and listen to my father, who was driving, tell me what this street used to be like, that street used to be paddy fields, this was the former site of the fire brigade, and there was a 200-300-year-old Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) memorial archway there.
Now it was her turn to drive, and her father sat in the passenger seat, still telling her these seemingly novel stories from Jiang City.
She smiled and said, "Then it's perfect to come and see how things have changed here. There are quite a few restaurants on Suli Street, but we usually order takeout and rarely come here to eat. When we do order takeout, we mostly order from restaurants in the two nearby squares. It wasn't until my colleague brought me here that I realized there was such a delicious restaurant hidden inside."
Sitting in the back seat, Yang's mother shook her head with amusement. She had lost count of how many times Xiao Liu had mentioned how delicious Gu's private kitchen was these past few days, which had raised her expectations for the restaurant even higher.
I had been to Suli Street that day and knew that parking was difficult there, so I parked the car in an empty space on the side of the road nearby, and Yang Liu and her family walked to Suli Street.
After entering Suli Street, many restaurants on both sides of the old street had started to open for business at this time. Yang Liu and her family looked around but were not attracted at all. They went straight to the entrance of Gu's Private Kitchen under the peach blossom tree.
Looking at the shop, Yang's mother remarked, "The decoration has a nice wooden feel to it."
"It's quite nice." Mr. Yang nodded. He thought the peach tree next to the door was quite nice. Although the flowering season was almost over, it was still very pleasing to the eye.
Yang Liu strode into the restaurant and took a seat at a small table, even though there was only one other table of customers waiting for their food. She called out, "Mom and Dad, come in and sit down."
Mr. and Mrs. Yang hurriedly went inside and sat down. The air conditioning in the restaurant was set to a perfect temperature, which helped to alleviate the heat that had accumulated on their journey.
Having heard their daughter explain that the menu for Gu's Private Kitchen changes daily, the two instinctively looked up at the menu on the wall.
Yang's mother said with a hint of regret, "There's no handmade fish ball soup today."
"The owner doesn't make handmade fish balls, so naturally this shop doesn't sell handmade fish ball soup." Mr. Yang said something pointless, but after being glared at by Mrs. Yang, he quickly added, "I think this winter melon, barley, and pork rib soup is quite good. It's good for relieving summer heat and dampness, and it's a delicious soup."
When they go out to eat, they almost always order soup; it's a family tradition. Yang's mother nodded, "Try this soup later. Xiao Liu, see what you'd like to eat."
Yang Liu looked at the menu on the wall.
Today's menu:
Sweet and sour pork chop, 58 yuan;
Spicy clams, 58 yuan;
Crab stick and tofu casserole: 58 yuan;
Cold spinach salad, 28 yuan;
Winter melon and barley pork rib soup, 58 yuan.
She thought for a moment and said, "Mom and Dad, since there are pork ribs in the soup, let's not order the sweet and sour pork chops. Let's order the other dishes and try them."
Yang's father took a look and saw that apart from the sweet and sour pork chops, there were only three dishes and a soup. Apart from the ribs, there didn't seem to be any real meat, so it was a bit bland, but still acceptable.
He nodded: "Okay."
When you go out to eat, you should eat to your heart's content. This has always been Yang's mother's principle. Although she thought that 58 yuan for a dish of clams was a bit expensive, she still smiled and happily replied, "Okay, then let's order these."
After calling over the waiter to order the dishes and a pot of monk fruit tea, Yang Liu and her family washed the dishes and waited for their food while chatting and drinking tea.
They found that in just a short while, around 11:20 a.m., the store was almost full of people.
In the kitchen, Gu Qingqiu started cooking according to the menu handed to her by Sister Zhou.
Dishes like winter melon and barley pork rib soup and plum pork ribs, which take a long time to prepare, were cooked in advance. Crab sticks were shredded and tofu was cut into pieces. The clams in the pots had been soaked in oil, salt, and water for more than an hour to remove the sand.
Having just finished making a crab stick and tofu casserole, Gu Qingqiu wrote the table number on a slip of paper on a tray and placed it under the transparent glass window before returning to the stove to prepare to stir-fry spicy clams.
The clams in the basin had purged all the sand, and the black mist that had condensed on them had dissipated somewhat compared to when they were first bought that morning. Gu Qingqiu put a portion of clams into a separate pot, added shredded scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, and then covered the pot to cook.
Two minutes later, she opened the pot lid and found that all the clams had opened. She took the clams out and put them on a plate, leaving the broth in the pot for later use.
Heat oil in another pot, add minced garlic and chopped chili peppers and stir-fry until fragrant. Then pour in the original broth from braising the clams, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and MSG in appropriate amounts, and the aroma will become even stronger. Finally, pour in a bowl of cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
As the spatula occasionally stirred the pot, the dark brown sauce, coated with chopped chili peppers and garlic, gradually thickened, bubbling and gurgling.
Once she figured the heat was just right, Gu Qingqiu poured in all the cooked and opened clams and kept stirring them so that each clam was coated with the sauce. The aroma of freshness, saltiness, and spiciness kept wafting over, and even Gu Qingqiu, the head chef, found it a bit tempting.
Finally, she sprinkled chopped green onions and cilantro on top, then took a porcelain plate to plate it. Gu Qingqiu carried it to the glass window, placed a table number slip under the plate, and returned to the stove to continue cooking the next dish.
On the dining side, the Yang family sipped their monk fruit water and smelled the aroma wafting over from the first table next door. Finally, their first dish, spicy clams, was ready.
The white porcelain plate is covered with a thick, dark brown sauce. Each clam is coated in the sauce, and the plump clam meat is faintly visible through the sauce on its shell. Garnished with minced garlic and chili peppers, the clams are also decorated with green scallions and cilantro.
Logically speaking, clams are usually quite small and thin during this season, but this plate of spicy clams looks like each one is quite meaty, and the quality is no worse than during the best season for eating clams.
"Eat quickly, the smell is making my mouth water," Yang's mother said anxiously.
She picked up a clam and put it in her mouth, tasting the salty, spicy flavor. The spiciness was a bit strong, but it was also accompanied by a fresh and fragrant taste, so it was still acceptable.
After sucking up all the sauce inside and outside the clams, use your tongue to deftly roll out the plump meat from the shell, spit out the clam shell, and indulge in the salty, savory, and tender flavor.
Mr. Yang quickly ate a clam, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "These clams are a bit spicy, but they're fresh enough, the meat pieces are quite large, and they're well-seasoned."
Some dishes use strong seasonings to mask the fishy smell and lack of freshness of the ingredients, while others use strong seasonings to highlight the freshness and deliciousness of the ingredients.
The clams are filled with a smooth, thick sauce that is salty, fragrant, and spicy, yet the clam meat remains incredibly fresh and flavorful despite the spiciness.
However, he couldn't help but drink several mouthfuls of monk fruit water to relieve the spiciness. Fortunately, the monk fruit water had cooled down a bit, which was enough to alleviate the spiciness. Otherwise, he probably would have had to go to the freezer to get an iced drink.
Even so, Mr. Yang still excitedly reached for the spicy clams with his chopsticks and continued eating.
Yang Liu can handle spicy food quite well. When she was little, she often secretly took her pocket money to the corner store to buy spicy strips. While her friends were screaming and sticking out their tongues because of the spiciness, she just thought the spicy strips smelled delicious.
As they grow a little older, they can eat spicy hot pot and spicy crayfish without batting an eye, and their tolerance for spiciness keeps increasing. Now, they can eat spicy clams as easily as eating a home-cooked meal.
Oh no, there are still some differences.
She sucked on the savory sauce coating the clams, the spiciness filling her mouth and stimulating her taste buds. After skillfully biting into the tender clam meat, she spat out the hard shell and bit into the clam meat again. The meat was so tender and the savory aroma filled her mouth and nose, and she couldn't help but pick up another clam to eat.
This time, she directly used chopsticks to pick up the open clam and brought it to her mouth. She bit one side of the clam shell and sucked out the thick sauce inside. Then, she used the chopsticks to open the shell and bit into the clam meat hidden inside. She didn't need to chew much. After feeling the soft, tender and fresh flavor of the clam meat, she only needed to bite a few times before swallowing it directly.
Yang Liu ate with gusto, and her parents ate just as quickly.
After eating a few clams, Yang's father would always drink a few sips of monk fruit water to calm himself down. When the monk fruit water in his teacup was almost gone, he would quickly pour half a cup to let it cool.
Yang's mother no longer complained that the spicy clams were too expensive at 58 yuan a serving. Not to mention that she could buy such plump and tender clams in this season, the cooking skills alone were excellent. She had never eaten such fresh, sweet, salty and spicy clams before.
When they had eaten about a third of the clams, the waiter brought out a crab stick and tofu casserole. It wasn't that the restaurant was slow to serve; it was just that they ate the clams so fast, one after another without stopping.
The crab stick and tofu soup in the bowl is golden and rich with a hint of orange-red. The tender white tofu and crab sticks are partially exposed and partially hidden under the golden broth. The bright green peas are a striking addition, and you can already smell the freshness and aroma of crab roe in the air.
Yang Liu decisively switched to eating crab roe and tofu casserole. She scooped crab sticks and tofu into the bowl with a spoon, along with several spoonfuls of the golden-orange soup.
The first thing I tried was the soup from the crab stick and tofu stew. As soon as I tasted it, I realized that the crab roe aroma in the air came from the salted duck egg yolk. The soup was delicious with a slightly grainy texture, and it was sweet with a hint of saltiness.
Then, when eating crab sticks, tear them into slightly thick shreds. You can see the white and tender meat with a hint of orange-red. They are soft, tender, and sweet. You can even bite into the strands along the lines you feel on your tongue.
Yang Liu knew that crab sticks were mostly fish paste. Cheap crab sticks bought at the market when having hot pot tasted just like fish balls, with only a floury texture and very little fish paste content.
The crab sticks used in this dish from Gu's Private Kitchen are obviously of high quality, with a high fish paste content. When you eat them, it really feels like you're biting into fish meat, and you can feel the freshness and sweetness.
The tofu is as white and tender as jade, trembling slightly when scooped onto a spoon, coated in a rich, golden broth. The first taste is the salty aroma of salted duck egg and the freshness of crab sticks. With each bite, it becomes smooth and rich in bean flavor.
Yang Liu scooped up another spoonful, and this time the crab sticks and tofu were eaten together with the soup. The salty and savory flavors intertwined, and the tenderness and slight texture were mixed together. Every bite was an extremely pleasant experience.
She ate with a happy smile, then called to her parents who were still enjoying the clams: "Mom and Dad, you should try this crab stick and tofu casserole too, it's absolutely delicious."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Yang also scooped a spoonful of crab stick and tofu casserole. With a good feel for it, he deliberately scooped up a full spoonful of crab sticks, tofu, and soup, stuffed it into his mouth, and ate it, then nodded repeatedly.
"So fresh! So sweet! I never expected that crab sticks and tofu would taste so good when cooked together. The broth is delicious too. I must have added salted egg yolks to cook with it, otherwise it wouldn't be so salty and fragrant."
Yang's mother ate the tofu and crab sticks separately, followed by a couple of sips of the golden broth. The tofu was smooth, the crab sticks were fresh and fragrant, and the broth was a perfect blend of salty, sweet, and savory flavors. She couldn't help but smack her lips, savoring the lingering taste.
She doesn't usually like eating crab sticks and never buys them when she goes to the market, thinking they're all processed products and she doesn't know how much starch they contain.
Xiao Liu occasionally buys whole bags of spicy crab sticks as snacks. They taste exactly like spicy strips with some flour and a touch of fish paste, leaving a mouthful of seasoning flavor.
But this crab stick and tofu casserole completely shattered her preconceived notions. The crab sticks were so tender that you could tear them into even thinner strips with your tongue and teeth. Every bite had a firm, meaty texture, and the fish paste was very flavorful. You couldn't taste any flour at all.
Because they're coated in a savory and delicious broth, the crab sticks are moist and flavorful, making them unforgettable.
The tofu was still so tender and smooth, and you could taste the aroma of soybeans when you bit into it, along with the freshness of crab sticks and the savory aroma of the soup. Although you couldn't see any trace of salted duck egg, your mouth was filled with the unique salty and savory flavor of salted egg yolk. The sandy texture blended into the soup, making it a memorable dish.
When I ate clams earlier, I resisted the urge to ask for a bowl of rice, thinking that when you eat out, you should eat more meat and vegetables, and you can eat rice anywhere.
But at this moment, Yang's mother still waved to the shop assistant to ask for a bowl of rice, and Yang's father quickly asked for a bowl as well.
Yang Liu resisted the urge and immediately ordered another bowl of crab stick and tofu casserole to eat.
Soon, the waiter brought over two bowls of rice. Mr. and Mrs. Yang, who had been married for many years, acted in unison, scooping crab sticks and tofu onto the white rice. The rich, golden broth dripped onto the rice grains, instantly turning them an enticing golden color.
They don't really like soup rice, so they restrain themselves from pouring too much soup on the rice. This time, they mix it with crab sticks and tofu, which is fresh, savory and delicious, and especially satisfying.
They were enjoying their meal, and the other six tables in the restaurant were also eating heartily.
"I didn't expect this restaurant to cook clams so well! They're fresh, juicy, savory, and spicy—it's so satisfying!"
"This crab stick and tofu casserole is the essence of the dish. The crab sticks have a good texture, which tells you that there is a lot of fish paste in it. The tofu is also tender. Taking a sip of the soup will make you feel like you're in a dream world."
"I love this plum pork chop. It's so sweet and sour and really whets the appetite. I used to only know that fried pork chops were delicious, but after eating it for lunch, I realized that braised pork chops are also so delicious. You really have to be a good cook."
"This cold spinach salad is also good; it has a good balance of sour, spicy, and vinegary flavors, and the spinach itself is very refreshing."
Smelling the delicious aromas wafting from inside and listening to the customers' enthusiastic praise, Lin Guoran and Huo Youjin, who were waiting in line at the door, also felt their mouths water.
Ever since they had a meal at Gu's Private Kitchen that day, the couple had been thinking about it. These past few days, either Lin Guoran had to supervise evening self-study, or Huo Youjin had to work overtime, so they decided to wait until Saturday to come over for dinner.
The young couple slept in late that morning, and soon after they got on the road, they found that their car was out of gas, so they had to detour to refuel. This detour led them to encounter several congested sections of the road, and by the time they reached Suli Street, it was already 11:40 a.m.
When they arrived at Gu's Private Kitchen, just as expected, it was already packed with customers. Luckily, there was still one chair left in the queue, so Lin sat down to rest, while Huo Youjin stood to the side.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, the area in front of the restaurant only felt the heat of the approaching sunlight, not the direct sunlight. With the shade of the peach trees and the cool air from the air conditioner inside the restaurant, it wasn't really hot.
Huo Youjin said in a low voice, "After we finish ordering, we'll pack up everything and put it away. We'll send it to Lao Wu later."
"Okay," Lin replied helplessly.
Huo Youjin suffers from insomnia, a problem he's had since college. He has difficulty falling asleep at night, even with earplugs and a quiet environment. Poor sleep quality at night also leaves him feeling unwell the next day.
But on the very night he ate at Gu's private kitchen, he unusually fell asleep quickly after putting on earplugs and closing his eyes in bed, and his sleep quality was excellent. He slept soundly until dawn, and when he woke up, he didn't feel tired at all, but rather full of energy.
He was happy to share the good news with his wife, and he thought it was because he was too tired from working at the company the day before yesterday, and he was in a great mood after eating delicious Gu's private dishes. He was relaxed and fell asleep easily.
Over the next few days, he slept as usual, and the time it took to fall asleep continued to shorten. His sleep quality was also good, and his good energy during the day led to improved work efficiency.
However, he has carefully observed that his sleep time has gradually increased over the past few days, but it is still much better than before. He is no longer startled awake in the middle of the night by the sudden roar of trucks passing by on the nearby highway.
After some thought, Huo Youjin eliminated all the fixed quantities and only the Gu family's private dishes that he had unexpectedly eaten that day remained.
If someone had told him before that eating delicious meat and vegetables could improve his sleep quality, and with immediate results, he would have scoffed. He thought that even advertised medicinal diets required long-term consumption to be effective, not some kind of miracle drug.
But he couldn't help but believe it; there was simply no other influencing factor.
After telling his wife about his discovery, Lin was indeed skeptical: "I admit that Gu's private kitchen is indeed delicious, you could even say it's the best food in Jiang City, but it's impossible for it to improve sleep. Of the salted egg yolk chicken wings, passion fruit sour soup beef, hand-torn cabbage, and handmade fish ball soup we ate that day, which of these ingredients could help us sleep?"
Huo Youjin said something that he himself found somewhat absurd: "Sometimes the ingredients aren't that important. As long as they're fresh and delicious, they can help you sleep?"
“Then I think your sleep problems are purely psychological. You fall asleep when you relax,” Lin retorted.
Huo Youjin suggested, "How about this, when we go to Gu's Private Kitchen for dinner this weekend, we can pack some meat and vegetables in advance and take them to Lao Wu for testing, so we'll know whether there's anything wrong with them."
Old Wu works at an institution that does food testing. He didn't do this test because he suspected that Gu's Private Kitchen's meat dishes contained any magical drugs; he just wanted to get an answer out of a desire for the truth.
We should continue to enjoy Gu's private kitchen dishes. While satisfying our palates, we can also observe whether our sleep time will shorten again after eating their delicious meat dishes.
That's why I whispered those words earlier.
They arrived at a time that was neither too early nor too late. After waiting in line for a while, about ten more people joined the queue outside the restaurant, waiting to eat.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Lin Guoran and Huo Youjin were led by the staff to a square table in the store that could seat four people. When it came to ordering food, they ordered everything because they had a secret purpose.
Lin, drinking the passion fruit lemonade served by the waiter, joked, "Thanks to you, I can finally enjoy a full-course meal of Gu's private cuisine today."
"Come on, even if it weren't for this, you would have ordered everything on the menu today anyway," Huo Youjin said. He remembered that before he even mentioned the sleep issue, Huo Youjin had already said he would order everything at Gu's Private Kitchen next time he came.
So what if the two of them can't finish their food? They can pack it up, reheat it at home, and eat it later that night. Isn't this a kind of Chinese virtue of diligence and thrift?
After washing the dishes, the two drank passion fruit lemonade, which was sweet with a hint of sourness and icy cold. The heat they felt while waiting at the door dissipated considerably.
When the shop assistant came to remove the scalding glass basin, Huo Youjin said, "Hello, could you please give us five takeout boxes first? Thank you."
He really went all out. If he were just packing at home, he could at most separate the dishes with soup from those without. But if he were sending them for testing, it would be better to pack each type of meat and vegetable separately to get the most accurate results.
Ignoring his wife's teasing glances, Huo Youjin remained unfazed.
Although Sister Zhou found it strange that the customers wanted to pack their food before the dishes had even been served, she figured it was normal for two people to prepare to pack up four dishes and a soup beforehand since they definitely couldn't finish them. As a waitress, she didn't need to worry about that and just needed to meet the customers' needs.
When the clerk brought over five takeout boxes and one takeout bag, Lin was pleasantly surprised: "The store has changed the takeout bags and boxes! They're custom-made, and they look really nice."
The most eye-catching thing is the takeout bag, which is a refreshing light green, a bit like the tender green of mint. The five characters "Gu's Private Kitchen" with their calligraphic style are printed prominently below the handle. In the center is a cartoon drawing that looks quite interesting and familiar. After thinking about it, I realized that it was the scene at the entrance of the restaurant.
Beneath the peach tree was a log cabin-style restaurant, where a small white spotted dog lay lazily, its dark eyes fixed on the restaurant.
The interior of the restaurant is depicted simply yet clearly, with seven realistic tables and a transparent glass kitchen. Even the stoves and spatulas in the kitchen are clearly visible. A young woman is cooking with her back to everyone, wearing a white chef's hat on her head and her black hair tied up in a neat ponytail. The chef's apron on her waist reveals the words "Gu's Private Kitchen" in a very detailed way.
Lin scrutinized the takeout bag, examining every detail closely: "The packaging design is excellent. Even people who have never been to Gu's Private Kitchen before will be curious and want to come and see if it's really as warm and inviting as the pictures depict."
People sat around seven dining tables, and on the tables were dishes such as braised pork with preserved mustard greens, lemon shredded chicken, stuffed shrimp with green peppers, steamed four treasures in lotus leaves, and fish head tofu soup—all very appealing meat dishes that looked and smelled delicious.
Huo Youjin's focus was on the takeout box. It felt sturdy and was made of high-quality material. The white frosted finish and the light green lid made it look quite nice.
"This takeout box is just as good as the one from Xinfeng Restaurant. It's worth the five yuan." He felt a little better.
Besides the delicious food, Xinfeng Restaurant is also known for its high-quality takeout containers. People who have eaten there and then take out leftovers often wash them clean and keep them to use when they occasionally need to bring in meat or vegetables.
Lin smiled and said, "It's pretty good, but it's a pity it needs to be sent for testing. Otherwise, I could take it home, wash it, and continue using it."
Huo Youjin said magnanimously, "It's alright. Anyway, I'll be eating at Gu's Private Kitchen often in the future, and there will be plenty of takeout orders."
The couple smiled, and soon the staff brought out spicy clams and crab stick tofu casserole. They didn't have time to talk anymore. After Huo Youjin used the extra pair of chopsticks to set aside enough for two or three tests and put it into the takeout box, they picked up the chopsticks and started eating.
The sauce on the clams is savory and spicy, and the clam meat is plump, tender, and flavorful. If you find it too spicy, a sip of ice-cold passion fruit lemonade will be just right.
The crab sticks are sweet and fresh, with a fish paste flavor in every bite. The tofu is tender and smooth with a bean aroma. The soup is savory, sweet and salty with a slightly grainy texture. Even the green peas are soft and chewy.
Soon the waiter brought out another dish of plum pork chop, glistening with oil and drizzled with a clear sauce.
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