Chapter 55 Braised ribbonfish, pork belly rolls with potatoes, white...
Lin Xia and Niu Niu slowly savored the yam, carrot, and pork rib soup.
The soft and fragrant yam infuses the soup during the simmering process, while the aroma of meat and the sweetness of carrots further enhance the flavor. The addition of red dates and goji berries, each with its own unique sweetness, makes this soup incredibly complex and flavorful.
After drinking a bowl and a half of soup, the mother and daughter let out another satisfied sigh.
Niu Niu rubbed her tummy: "Mommy, this soup is so sweet and fragrant. I've never had such delicious soup before. But my tummy is so round, I won't be able to eat anything later."
After finishing a bowl and a half of soup, plus the soup ingredients, Lin Xia felt somewhat full.
She silently reached out and touched her stomach, then smiled and said, "It's okay, we only drank soup, it'll digest soon. Your dad hasn't arrived yet."
Niu Niu nodded: "That's right, if we drink a lot of soup, we'll be able to go to the toilet quickly."
She had been so focused on drinking the soup that she forgot about her favorite cola, and now that she was a little full, she had lost interest in it.
Lin Xia smiled and nodded in agreement. That was what she had been thinking too, which was why she had drunk another half bowl of soup.
No matter how much soup fills her stomach, a trip to the toilet will solve the problem. Anyway, she needs to eat slowly and wait for Song Jingshan to arrive.
The restaurant served the food much faster than the mother and daughter had expected; the staff quickly brought out a braised ribbonfish.
The pieces of ribbonfish on the white porcelain plate were bright red, and the flowing sauce was a deep reddish-brown that shone brightly. The ribbonfish pieces were garnished with finely chopped scallions, which added a touch of green.
As for fish, ribbonfish is one of the few types of fish that Niu Niu can eat.
Seeing the richly colored braised ribbonfish, and considering she hadn't had anything she liked for lunch, Niu Niu couldn't help but swallow hard, looking quite hungry.
Lin Xia knew from the braised ribbonfish that it must taste good. She glanced at Niu Niu sitting opposite her and swallowed, then smiled and said, "Eat if you want, we'll eat while we wait for your dad."
"Yay!" Niu Niu smiled happily upon hearing this.
She is not old, but because she was trained well from a young age, her chopsticks-holding posture is standard, and she often receives praise from kindergarten teachers. She has also served as a model student for chopsticks use in her class.
Then, she picked up the long chopsticks with her little hands, reached out and carefully picked up a piece of ribbonfish that was neither too big nor too small, and put it in the bowl.
Then Niu Niu pushed the bowl toward her mother: "Mom, can you help me remove the fish bones?"
Ribbonfish is considered to have relatively few bones. Apart from the large bone in the middle, there is fish meat on both sides. Niu Niu will carefully eat the fish meat on both sides in turn, leaving a large, clean, and intact piece of fish bone.
However, the head and tail of the ribbonfish pieces also have many small bones, so adults usually need to help remove them with chopsticks.
Lin Xia smiled and agreed. She picked up her chopsticks and quickly removed some of the fish head and tail from Niu Niu's bowl, placing it on the plate with the bones. After confirming several times that there were no other fish bones besides the large bone in the middle, she pushed the bowl back to Niu Niu: "Eat quickly."
Because her chopsticks had been picking up fish pieces with sauce from the head and tail, Lin Xia didn't rush to eat the fish. Instead, she put the chopsticks to her mouth and tasted the sauce first.
Salty, savory, and sweet, with the fresh aroma of fish, just tasting a little of the sauce was enough to leave a lingering fragrance in one's mouth. Lin Xia was once again certain that this braised ribbonfish tasted great, and that coming to Gu's Private Kitchen today was definitely the right decision.
So Lin Xia reached out with her chopsticks and picked up a piece of ribbonfish from the plate of braised fish and put it in her bowl. She noticed that all the pieces of braised ribbonfish on the plate were cut to almost the same size, with only the head and tail parts being slightly smaller.
Unlike Niu Niu, who had to remove the bones from the head and tail of the fish before eating it, Lin Xia picked up a piece of braised ribbonfish from her bowl and took a bite right away.
Niu Niu had already eaten the braised fish pieces before her mother.
She took a bite of the fish, her teeth sinking into the flesh with a little force. After feeling the large piece of fish bone, she carefully chewed and bit off as much fish meat as possible, slowly savoring it.
It's savory with a hint of sweetness, the fish skin is slightly charred, and the fish meat inside is tender. There's not a trace of the fishy smell that Niu Niu dislikes. When you chew it, you can taste the salty and fresh flavor of the fish meat. It's very flavorful.
Niu Niu chewed the fish until she was almost done, then swallowed it and picked up the piece with her chopsticks again to take another bite.
As they ate, they felt it wasn't enough, so they used the spoon that their mother had specially asked the waiter to bring them to scoop the glistening, dark red sauce from the braised ribbonfish onto their own bowl.
Niu Niu scooped up the piece of ribbonfish covered in the still-flowing sauce with a spoon and brought it to her mouth. She took a big bite of the fish and savored the rich, salty sauce, trying to taste a hint of sweetness in the saltiness.
The ribbonfish meat, coated in sauce, seemed even more flavorful. It was not only savory and delicious, but the fish meat also seemed more tender. Niu Niu just thought it smelled so good.
She has her own little trick for eating ribbonfish: first, you can finish eating the fish meat on one side, and then you can see a whole big fish skeleton and a lot of fish meat on the other side.
Now, use chopsticks to pick it up again, and you can peel the big fish bone off the fish meat. That way, you can eat the meat without worry later.
She held up a large piece of fish bone with her chopsticks: "Mom, look! It's whole!"
Lin Xia was still enjoying the delicious braised ribbonfish. The salty and sweet fish was particularly satisfying and very fresh. The ribbonfish skin was also slightly charred because it had been pan-fried beforehand. It was the best ribbonfish she had ever eaten.
She looked at the large fish bone and nodded with a smile, praising, "Wow, Niu Niu is so clever! That way you won't get a fish bone stuck in your throat."
“Hehe, yes.” Niu Niu smiled and nodded.
Having barely overcome her craving for braised ribbonfish, she has now returned to her usual talkative self.
"Mom, let me tell you, this braised ribbonfish is absolutely delicious! It's salty and sweet, the fish is so tender, and it doesn't have any of the flavors I dislike. The ribbonfish is especially fragrant after you drizzle the sauce over it with a spoon. You should try it too."
Lin Xia was delighted to hear Niu Niu say she liked the braised ribbonfish. At first, she was worried that Niu Niu usually ate fried ribbonfish, which was then braised with water, scallions, ginger, garlic, and a simple sauce. She wondered if Niu Niu would be able to eat this braised ribbonfish.
Now I can not only eat, but I also enjoy the food, so this meal was worthwhile.
Lin Xia said, "Okay, I'll try drizzling the sauce over the ribbonfish later. Eat as much as you like."
"OK!"
Niu Niu nodded in agreement, picked up her cola, took a couple more sips, felt the bubbles surging as they slid down her throat and into her stomach, and let out a satisfied burp.
Niu Niu picked up her chopsticks again and ate the ribbonfish in the bowl. She ate with great care and abandon, biting into a piece of fish and chewing it vigorously. She savored the salty, savory, and sweet flavors before swallowing.
Lin Xia eats meat quite quickly; she had just finished a piece of ribbonfish.
Unlike Niu Niu, she didn't eat cautiously. She picked up a piece of fish, brought it close to her mouth, and bit into both sides of the fish. Just as she felt the big fish bone, she held on and bit into it, slowly savoring the fish meat.
The ribbonfish is savory and flavorful, with slightly charred skin and tender flesh, and a hint of sweetness.
Lin Xia felt that the braised ribbonfish was not only well-seasoned and flavorful, but also marinated before cooking, and most importantly, the ribbonfish was very fresh.
Fresh ribbonfish has firm flesh and a unique freshness, unlike the ribbonfish she sometimes buys at the market that are advertised as fresh but are actually frozen and then thawed before being sold. When cooked, the fish feels a bit loose.
Lin Xia then picked up another piece of ribbonfish and dipped it in the bright red sauce at the bottom of the plate, saving herself the trouble of using a spoon to drizzle the sauce over it.
Lin Xia picked up the fish pieces and placed them in front of her, aiming them at the bowl on the table to avoid dripping the sauce onto the table. She then began to eat the fish with gusto.
The fish pieces coated in sauce were indeed more fragrant, with a rich salty and savory flavor, and the subtle sweetness seemed more pronounced. The fish was tender yet slightly bouncy.
Even though it wasn't particularly salty, the salty and savory flavor of the ribbonfish lingered in my mouth after chewing and swallowing.
Lin Xia didn't give herself a chance to linger, eating the fish bite after bite.
After she finished eating the ribbonfish, she looked over at Niu Niu and realized that the child had already eaten two pieces of ribbonfish, and now the third piece of ribbonfish in the bowl was half-eaten.
Lin Xia was a little surprised. Niu Niu could usually eat ribbonfish, and you could even say she liked it, but she ate it slowly, as if she was testing the waters, afraid that she might accidentally spit it out.
It's rare to find someone who can keep up with your pace, or even eat faster than you.
She glanced at the maroon sauce hanging from Niu Niu's lips, then smiled and pointed to her own mouth: "Niu Niu, wipe this with a tissue."
"Okay." After replying, Niu Niu ate the remaining half of the boneless ribbonfish meat on her chopsticks in one bite, with great gusto.
He then grabbed a tissue from the table to wipe his mouth, grinned at the sauce stains on the white tissue, and said, "Hehe, I've turned into a little cat with graffiti."
Lin Xia smiled and said, "It's okay, Niu Niu is clean now. Do you want me to order you a bowl of rice to eat with the braised ribbonfish?"
The braised sauce on the ribbonfish is perfect for mixing with rice, and the ribbonfish itself is savory and flavorful, making it the perfect accompaniment to rice.
Seeing Niu Niu eat so much ribbonfish, she wondered if it would taste better with rice. Of course, her main wish was to have a bowl of rice with the braised fish pieces.
Niu Niu's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, I want a small bowl of rice."
"Okay, we'll have two bowls of rice. You can scoop out a small half bowl, and give the rest to your dad." After saying that, Lin Xia waved to the waiter and ordered two bowls of rice.
The rice was already cooked. The staff took two bowls of rice from the rice cooker from the cupboard and brought them over quickly.
The bowl wasn't small, and the rice was piled up into a small ball on the surface of the bowl. Lin Xia picked up a bowl and used a spoon to mix the rice into Niu Niu's bowl.
Just as I stirred the small round ball on the surface of the bowl, I heard Niu Niu shout, "That's enough, that's enough, Mommy!"
Lin Xia wasn't a parent who liked to give her child extra food. There was so much delicious food tonight, and she hoped that Niu Niu would eat more meat and vegetables, so she nodded in agreement.
She originally wanted to eat a separate bowl of rice, but she didn't expect there to be so much in one bowl, so she simply left the whole bowl of rice for Song Jingshan and ate the rest herself.
Niu Niu had already started eating. She picked up a piece of ribbonfish and, just like her mother had done, dipped both sides of the fish in the sauce. She then put it in a bowl so the sauce would drip onto the rice before starting to eat.
As usual, she picked up the ribbonfish and ate one side of the meat first. After taking a big bite of the fish, she put the fish piece aside in the bowl, chewed it a few times, and then mixed it with some rice to eat.
The rice itself is coated with some braised sauce, giving it a salty and savory flavor. When you bite into it, the aroma of the fish and the rice blend together, making it taste better than eating the ribbonfish alone.
Niu Niu found enjoyment in eating this braised ribbonfish, happily munching on a bite of fish followed by a bite of rice.
Lin Xia also enjoyed the meal very much. The braised ribbonfish was indeed very appetizing. The tender and savory flavor of the fish and the soft and sticky rice were mixed together, and the braising sauce added a rich sweet and savory aroma. How could she not be happy?
The rice in both of their bowls was sinking very quickly.
Fortunately, the staff brought over a dish of pork belly rolls with potatoes, saving their bowls of rice from running out.
Niu Niu looked at the plate of pork belly rolls with potatoes and exclaimed excitedly, "Mommy, it's French fries!"
“Yes, it’s fries, but these are cut into strips and braised. They’ve probably been fried before, so the taste might be a little different from regular fries, but it should still be very fragrant,” Lin Xia said, giving Niu Niu a heads-up.
Niu Niu nodded: "I know."
On the white porcelain plate are strips of meat shaped like firecrackers, with one strip in the center and the others arranged in a concentric pattern.
Each golden potato strip is wrapped around a thick slice of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, sprinkled with white sesame seeds and chopped green onions, and glistening with sauce.
Lin Xia nodded: "Let's eat. We'll try it first, and save some for your dad later. He just messaged me saying he's on his way."
Niu Niu was already eager to try the delicious food, but her limited understanding made her think about her father who hadn't arrived yet.
Hearing her mother's words, she happily replied "Yay!" and immediately picked up her chopsticks to eat a piece of pork belly wrapped in potato.
The pork belly was rolled up with potato strips, with some potato strips sticking out from both ends. In Niu Niu's eyes, that was French fries.
She leaned over and took a bite of a fry, experiencing the same creamy, savory texture, but it wasn't as crispy.
Niu Niu put the pork belly roll and potato into a bowl, then turned it around and picked it up, eating the last bit of fries sticking out.
The fries tasted delicious, having absorbed some of the savory sauce, and were smooth and delicate. Niu Niu chewed them up and swallowed them in just a few bites.
She excitedly shared, "Mom, these fries are different from the fries we usually eat. They're not as crispy, but they're still delicious. They have a salty sauce inside, and they taste just like regular fries, but a little more moist."
Lin Xia also picked up a piece of pork belly and wrapped it with potato to eat. Unlike Niu Niu, she wasn't as delicate in tasting the potato. She took a big bite and ate the pork belly and potato together.
The pork belly was pan-fried until crispy and fragrant, and you could see the oil sizzling out when you picked it up with chopsticks. It felt oily and moist when you ate it, but it wasn't greasy at all.
The pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, eaten together with slightly crispy potatoes, creates a delightful combination of meaty and potato aromas. The sauce permeates the dish, adding a savory and delicious flavor. It's truly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making it incredibly tasty.
She could finish a pork belly roll with potatoes in just two bites, leaving the aroma of pork belly and the salty flavor of potatoes lingering in her mouth.
Hearing Niu Niu's words, she nodded: "Yes, I think fries taste pretty good, especially when eaten with pork belly. They're not greasy, and the texture is even better!"
"I only ate the fries on both sides." Niu Niu held up her chopsticks to show her mother that only the pork belly was completely wrapped around the fries, and then put them in her mouth to eat.
This time, in addition to the creamy and savory texture of the potatoes, there was also the caramelized aroma of the pork belly. All Niu Niu could think of was "So fragrant!" This pork belly and potato roll smells so good!
Pork is her favorite and most frequently eaten meat. She loves to eat ribs, lean meat, and pork belly. She enjoys braised pork belly, pork belly stewed with dried bean curd, pork belly stewed with sauerkraut, and even pan-fried pork belly.
Niu Niu nodded repeatedly and said, "Mom, this pork belly and potato roll smells so good! The pork belly is fragrant and the potatoes are fragrant too. Let's make this dish next time."
Lin Xia agreed with her daughter. The pork belly rolls with potatoes were indeed delicious, but she didn't know if she could make them the same way herself.
She said, "We can try making this dish at home. You should be able to find a tutorial online, but I can't guarantee it will taste as good as tonight's."
Niu Niu said understandingly, "It's okay, Mom, I love everything you cook."
"That's good, I'll remember what you said." Lin Xia smiled, thinking to herself that her daughter was indeed the best at coaxing her.
However, this pork belly roll with potatoes shouldn't require much skill. If it's made to a decent standard, it'll be quite delicious. I wouldn't dare compare it to a professional dish like Gu's Private Kitchen.
Moreover, the pork belly I just ate was very fresh, and even the oozing fat was fragrant. The meat was flavorful without being fishy. Besides the good processing method, it's not easy to buy such good pork.
Next time I want to make this dish, I'll have to buy local pork.
Niu Niu picked up another piece of pork belly and wrapped it with potato. This time, she didn't bother eating the potatoes at the front and back ends first. She discovered that the pork belly and potatoes tasted best when eaten together.
She opened her mouth wide and took a big bite of the potato at the front and the pork belly roll in the middle. Her mouth was filled with the aroma of meat and potato, savory and delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
After chewing for a while, use chopsticks to mix a mouthful of rice. The rice mixed with the savory sauce with the aroma of meat is also delicious, and the taste is no worse than the braised ribbonfish rice from before.
Niu Niu ate with gusto, and Lin Xia also discovered that the pork belly rolls with potatoes and rice were delicious. The mother and daughter embarked on a new round of delicious feast, and of course, they didn't forget to share the braised fish pieces with everyone.
They were so engrossed in their meal that they didn't even notice Song Jingshan walking over.
Song Jingshan had already left work on time, but unfortunately the roads were a bit congested during the weekend evening rush hour, so he only arrived now.
Seeing Lin Xia and Niu Niu eating so intently, he smiled and walked over to Lin Xia, pulled out a chair and sat down: "Is it that delicious? You didn't even notice me coming over."
Lin Xia nodded: "It's delicious. No wonder so many people recommend this restaurant online. I'll have to give it five stars on Dianping later."
As she spoke, she put down her chopsticks with her right hand, turned around and took the teapot to pour barley tea into his water cup.
Niu Niu excitedly shared, "Dad, let me tell you, this braised ribbonfish and pork belly rolls with potatoes are absolutely delicious! I ate so much ribbonfish and pork belly rolls with potatoes, and I even ate half a bowl of rice."
"Wow, that's amazing! Niu Niu is so great, I'll have a taste too!" Song Jingshan chimed in.
He thought to himself that the meat dishes at this restaurant must taste really good, that Niu Niu was so happy eating there. The rice in her bowl was indeed empty, with only a few grains of rice left soaked in sauce. Moreover, Lin Xia had just praised the restaurant for its delicious food.
From the moment he entered the restaurant, a variety of aromas wafted into his nostrils, whetting his appetite. Song Jingshan realized he was truly hungry.
He raised his water glass and took a few sips of barley tea to quench his thirst. After catching his breath from the heat he had just walked in, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the pork belly roll with potatoes that Niu Niu had so enthusiastically recommended.
The pork belly was glistening with oil, and even when it wasn't so hot anymore, you could still smell the aroma of meat. The aroma became even stronger as you ate it, with a hint of char and a rich, savory flavor.
As you bite into it, you can taste the creamy and savory flavor of the potato. It's perfect when eaten with pork belly, and it's not greasy at all.
After finishing his meal, Song Jingshan nodded and said, "Hmm, this pork belly roll with potatoes is really delicious. It's savory and not greasy at all, and it's quite satisfying to eat."
Niu Niu was delighted to hear this: "Right? I knew this pork belly roll with fries was delicious. Although it's not as fragrant as the ones we usually eat, it's salty enough."
Song Jingshan didn't correct him that they were potato strips, not French fries. He could just taste that the potato strips were fried together with the pork belly, but they were softened by simmering and were very flavorful.
He nodded: "It really is delicious."
Niu Niu chuckled and said, "Mom promised me she'd make this dish at home sometime, saying it might not taste as good as it does here. I said it's okay, I won't mind."
Song Jingshan glanced at his wife, then looked at Niu Niu and smiled: "Niu Niu is so lucky. Mom is willing to try to make whatever you want to eat. You'll have to eat as much as you did today."
In the past two years, in order to ensure that Niu Niu eats more nutritious food, Lin Xia has been working hard to find recipes to make all kinds of delicious meat dishes, and her cooking skills have been improving with each cooking session.
Even when Song Jingshan was resting, he would go into the kitchen to help out and made a lot of simple meat dishes for Niu Niu.
Every time they see their daughter enjoying the food they've carefully prepared, the couple feels an indescribable joy and satisfaction.
Niu Niu nodded in agreement: "I know, I feel that this pork belly roll with fries will be delicious no matter how it is cooked, I'm sure I'll eat a lot of it."
As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and made a big circle, exaggerating as much as he could.
Lin Xia couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Alright, alright, I know you'll eat a lot later, so eat more now."
"Okay," Niu Niu replied. She had recently met a playmate in the next class at kindergarten whose hometown was in Northeast China. Her speech often jumped between "okay," "great," and "okay."
Seeing that Niu Niu had picked up her chopsticks again and reached for the half-eaten pork belly roll with potatoes, Song Jingshan chose to follow his wife's chopsticks and picked up a piece of braised ribbonfish.
He eats ribbonfish by biting off both sides at once. He first bites off the small fish bones and some brown meat from the head and tail before eating the ribbonfish meat.
The braised sauce is salty with a hint of sweetness, and the fish meat is incredibly tender. The combination of the fish meat and the slightly charred fish skin makes for an absolutely delicious flavor.
He chewed, and the salty and savory flavor of the fish gradually filled his mouth, leaving a fishy aroma in his mouth. After savoring the flavor, he swallowed, feeling extremely satisfied.
Song Jingshan couldn't help but praise, "This braised ribbonfish is delicious, so flavorful!"
It was totally worth the trip to Gu's Private Kitchen today!
Niu Niu swallowed the pork belly and potato roll in her mouth and immediately said, "Yes, I love it all, Dad, it tastes even better with rice!"
Lin Xia pushed the untouched bowl of white rice in front of him: "Eat it."
Song Jingshan smiled and agreed. Under Niu Niu's expectant gaze, he picked up another piece of braised ribbonfish and ate it with his rice.
The rice, soaked in the braised sauce, takes on a savory and sweet flavor, along with the fresh aroma of fish. When eaten together with the tender fish meat, it's hard to distinguish between the fish and rice; all you feel is the wonderful fragrance that makes it especially delicious with rice.
He nodded: "Niu Niu is right, this braised ribbonfish is indeed very appetizing."
Niu Niu was delighted to hear this and urged, "Dad, why don't you try making pork belly rolls with potatoes and rice?"
Song Jingshan smiled and agreed, then picked up a piece of pork belly wrapped in potato with his chopsticks, placed it on top of the rice in the bowl, and pressed it down slightly to let the fat and sauce from the pork belly soak into the rice.
He then took a bite of the pork belly and potato roll and ate it. The pork belly was oily and savory, and the potato was soft and fluffy with a similar savory flavor.
Then, mix in a mouthful of glistening, dark brown rice. The savory aroma is so rich that the rice, even when eaten with pork belly and potatoes, is still very flavorful.
He nodded and praised, "Pork belly rolls with potatoes are still very delicious and go well with rice."
"Then eat more." Niu Niu coaxed her father by repeating what her mother had just said to her, and then picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of pork belly wrapped in potato to eat.
Song Jingshan continued eating, sometimes eating braised fish pieces, sometimes eating pork belly wrapped in potatoes, and soon the large bowl of rice was half gone.
As he ate, he felt a bit thirsty. Just then, he had moved the empty bowl that came with the rice aside, so he picked it up and placed it in front of the soup bowl. He used a soup spoon to ladle himself a bowl of soup, and also added some yam, carrot chunks, and pork ribs.
Song Jingshan whispered to Lin Xia, "There's quite a lot of ingredients in this soup, and it looks pretty good. Did Niu Niu eat any?"
Lin Xia nodded: "Yes, I ate quite a lot, including ribs. They said they were delicious. You'll know once you try them."
Judging from her tone, Song Jingshan knew she also liked the soup, so he started drinking it.
The soup was milky white and looked very rich, which showed that all kinds of ingredients had been simmered to extract their essence. He took a sip of the soup and found it to be mellow, sweet, and the warm temperature was just right.
After drinking several sips of the soup, I could taste the fragrance of the Chinese yam, the sweetness of the carrots, red dates, and goji berries, and the meaty aroma of the pork ribs.
After drinking enough soup to relieve the dryness in his mouth, Song Jingshan picked up his chopsticks and ate a piece of Chinese yam.
The yam is cooked until soft and tender, with a powdery texture and a unique fragrance. Because it is soaked in soup, it also has the sweetness of the soup.
The carrot chunks were as sweet as ever, soft yet slightly crunchy.
I thought the pork ribs used for soup would be bland, but they tasted surprisingly good. I guess they were cooked for a long time, because the ribs were so tender that they fell off the bone easily, and they had a delicious meaty flavor with a hint of sweetness from the broth.
Song Jingshan enjoyed the food more and more, picking out and finishing the three pieces of pork ribs in his bowl, and once again giving Gu's Private Kitchen a high score in his mind.
Not only were the two meat dishes delicious, but the soup was also exceptional. In this soup, the ribs were all high-quality, and the yam and carrots were also of excellent quality, which is why the soup was so clear, sweet, and fragrant.
He then finished the yam pieces and carrot chunks in the bowl, picked up the bowl and drank the remaining soup in a few gulps, letting out a light breath and feeling very refreshed.
Just then, a waiter came over and served a dish of braised cabbage and tofu.
Lin Xia and Niu Niu had been looking forward to the new dishes for a long time, and immediately turned their attention to this only vegetarian dish.
Song Jingshan was also a little curious. He had just heard his wife say that she had ordered all the dishes on the menu. The two meat dishes and one soup that had already been served were absolutely amazing. He wondered how this vegetarian dish would be.
Pieces of tofu, glistening with the yellow hue of sauce, and tender stir-fried cabbage, are arranged alternately on a white porcelain plate, with the sauce flowing between them and garnished with green and red peppers, all glistening with oil.
Song Jingshan picked up a piece of tofu and some cabbage for his wife, and then put some more into Niu Niu's bowl, saying, "Try it quickly."
He also picked up a piece of tofu and tried it.
The tofu was about the same size as the ones usually cooked at home, but thinner. It was soft, tender, salty, and savory when you bit into it, with the flavor of soybeans and a hint of the sweetness of cabbage.
The sauce coating the tofu made its surface even smoother and more delicate, and it tasted savory and flavorful. Song Jingshan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this tofu tasted better than the tofu he usually ate.
He picked up some more cabbage and ate it.
The cabbage is cut into sections and stir-fried until soft and tender, making it easy to bite into. It also releases a sweet and savory juice.
This dish uses a lot of oil, so the cabbage is also oily and smooth, and it also has a hint of tofu flavor.
Cabbage and tofu complement each other perfectly, making the whole dish smooth, refreshing, and savory.
Niu Niu had finished the tofu and cabbage that her father had put in her bowl. She slurped it up and said with a smile, "This dish is delicious too! The tofu and cabbage are so good!"
Lin Xia nodded in agreement: "It really tastes good. The aroma of tofu and the fresh fragrance of cabbage blend together perfectly, and it's savory and delicious. It's true that you need to add more oil when stir-frying vegetables or tofu to make them taste better."
Song Jingshan chimed in, "It seems that the Gu family's private kitchen is all-around excellent; they can even make such a simple dish as braised cabbage and tofu taste so delicious."
Niu Niu nodded emphatically: "We must come to this restaurant often from now on!"
After she finished speaking, she reached for another piece of tofu with her chopsticks. This kind of tofu, with a slightly charred exterior and a smooth interior, is very slippery and has a savory flavor that Niu Niu loves.
After hearing what she said and seeing her eating with great relish, Song Jingshan and Lin Xia exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.
As long as Niu Niu eats a lot and is happy, we don't mind coming as many times as we want. Besides, the food at Gu's Private Kitchen tastes so good, and they like it too.
"Okay, we'll come here to eat often from now on."
The family of three enjoyed their delicious dinner. During the meal, Lin Xia took Niu Niu to the restroom in the restaurant. When they came out, they felt refreshed and their stomachs were much emptier, so they could eat something else.
When Song Jingshan saw the mother and daughter return, he smiled and pointed to a dish on the table: "The milk chicken strips that the waiter brought over just now are also the last dish."
Niu Niu looked at the milk chicken strips with curiosity in her eyes, but she didn't seem to want to eat them. It was clear that she didn't intend to eat them because the dish was made of chicken, but not the kind of fried chicken that was crispy and fragrant.
Lin Xia looked at the milk chicken strips. The white porcelain plate contained a richer white milk, or rather, a milk sauce. Golden chicken strips were faintly visible in the sauce. It looked a bit like the milk and mushroom soup she used to order at a pizza shop. It should taste pretty good, and she could imagine that it had a strong milk flavor.
The milk chicken strips were sprinkled with jasmine flowers and a few red goji berries; just looking at them, you could almost smell the fragrance of jasmine.
"Great, all the dishes are finally served."
After Lin Xia finished speaking, she sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took the first bite of a chicken strip.
The chicken strips were still coated in milk sauce, and thankfully she was quick enough that they didn't drip onto the table and instead slid smoothly into her bowl.
Taking a bite of a chicken strip, the first taste is the rich aroma of milk, followed by the slightly crispy outer shell and the tender meat inside, with a salty and savory flavor, and a hint of spiciness. There is also a subtle yet undeniable fragrance of jasmine.
Lin Xia guessed that the spicy aroma might have been absorbed during the marinating process of the chicken strips, which greatly enhanced their flavor.
The jasmine fragrance clearly comes from the jasmine flowers, adding a touch of freshness to the whole milk chicken strip dish.
Even after simmering and reducing the sauce with milk, the chicken strips still retain a slightly crispy outer shell, while absorbing the milk, resulting in a flavor that combines the freshness of chicken with the aroma of milk.
She tossed the remaining half chicken strip into her mouth, chewed it quickly, and swallowed it. The rich aroma of milk lingered in her mouth. Lin Xia felt that this meat dish was no worse than the braised ribbonfish and pork belly rolls with potatoes she had eaten before.
Seeing that Niu Niu was paying close attention to the milk chicken strips she was eating, I knew she was interested in this dish. Perhaps the previous dishes tasted so good that they had built up her anticipation, and even though I don't eat chicken, I couldn't help but keep an eye on it.
Lin Xia casually remarked, "This milk chicken strips taste really good. The flavor is somewhat similar to the milk mushroom soup we had before, with a particularly strong milky aroma."
"The chicken strips were probably fried first, and then soaked in milk to cook them, so they were still a bit crispy. The chicken inside was very tender, savory and delicious with a little bit of spice, and the strongest flavor was the milk. Oh right, there was also a faint jasmine scent. Didn't you used to love the smell of jasmine?"
"I still prefer this dish. It doesn't taste like chicken at all; it's just the aroma of milk and the crispy, salty flavor."
Song Jingshan had just tried two milk chicken strips and thought they tasted pretty good. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a rich milky aroma. The jasmine fragrance was also a major feature. It was a novel meat dish that would be quite surprising to eat occasionally.
Sensing his wife's subtle recommendation, Song Jingshan played along, sharing his honest opinion: "I also think this milk chicken strip tastes great. The chicken is crisp and tender, and the milk flavor is very rich. I wonder what brand of milk they used."
Lin Xia nodded seriously: "We can ask the shop assistant later if we can buy a case to try at home. It's good whether we drink it regularly or use it to make milk and mushroom soup."
Niu Niu was already a bit conflicted. She felt that this milk chicken strip looked pretty good. The braised ribbonfish and pork belly rolls with potatoes were so delicious, so this dish should be just as good, right?
But she doesn't like eating chicken, so she only eats fried chicken nuggets and popcorn chicken, which are not shaped like chicken meat.
Hearing her parents praise the milk chicken strips so highly, Niu Niu's little brows furrowed into a knot, and she pursed her lips repeatedly.
Should we eat, or should we eat?
As if she had already agreed in her heart, she subconsciously stretched out her little hand to her closest mother and made a small gesture with her thumb and forefinger.
"Mom, how about I try this milk chicken strip? I want the smallest one, could you pick it up for me?"
After saying this, Niu Niu was a little nervous, both looking forward to it and afraid of being disappointed after eating it.
Lin Xia was overjoyed, but her face only showed a hint of surprise. She smiled and nodded, "Okay, Niu Niu, why don't you try it and see how it tastes? I'll pick out the smallest chicken strip for you."
She picked up her chopsticks and reached for the plate of milk and chicken strips. The milk sauce had formed a considerable depth, and many of the chicken strips were half-exposed, so she picked them up entirely by feel.
Lin Xia pulled the chicken strips she had picked up completely out of the milk sauce and showed them to Niu Niu. After picking up a few, she chose the shortest one and said, "I think this is the shortest chicken strip in the whole dish. Do you want to eat it?"
When she was picking out the pieces, she was already choosing the shortest ones. This time, she selected the shortest of the short ones, so even if there were any that slipped through the net, this one would still be one of the shortest chicken strips.
Niu Niu was very satisfied and picked up the bowl to take the bowl: "Okay, I'll take this one, thank you, Mom."
"You're welcome."
Lin Xia put the chicken strips from her chopsticks into Niu Niu's bowl. She and Song Jingshan weren't in a hurry to eat, intending to see if Niu Niu could eat the chicken strips.
Under her parents' gazes, Niu Niu calmly prepared to eat the milk chicken strips in her bowl. They always looked at her like that when she tried some dishes that she didn't usually eat at home.
She could already smell the aroma of milk and her favorite jasmine.
Niu Niu picked up the only milk chicken strip with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. She smelled the rich milk and jasmine aroma, but there was no chicken smell. After confirming that her senses did not find it offensive, she confidently opened her mouth and took a bite.
She chewed it a couple of times, and just as her parents had said, the chicken strips were a bit crispy and fragrant, the meat inside was very tender, with some texture, and didn't have a very strong chicken flavor.
Or rather, it has a chicken flavor, but it's masked by the rich aroma of milk and a hint of jasmine. What you taste more of is the salty and savory flavor emanating from the chicken strips, with a touch of spiciness.
Niu Niu chewed for a while until she felt it was almost done, then swallowed, still able to taste the milk flavor in her mouth.
After taking three or four seconds to make sure she didn't feel any nausea, she opened her mouth again, took a bite of chicken strip, and continued eating.
The chicken strips are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. In addition to the rich milk aroma, you can occasionally taste the overflowing milk with each bite, making the flavor even richer. The combination of milk and salty flavor does not feel strange, but rather creates a harmonious taste, as if milk is born to be eaten with this chicken.
Niu Niu completely abandoned her reservations, finished the remaining small piece of chicken strip, and then reached out with her chopsticks to pick up a milk chicken strip, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.
That speed was almost as fast as when I ate braised ribbonfish and pork belly wrapped in potatoes.
Lin Xia and Song Jingshan were delighted to see this. They were hoping that Niu Niu would eat this milk chicken strip, and they were also quite confident because Gu's Private Kitchen's cooking skills were indeed excellent.
But they didn't expect it to be so easy. After praising the dish a few times, Niu Niu took the initiative to say she wanted to try it. After trying a bite or two without any problems, she started eating it in big mouthfuls.
After finishing another milk chicken strip, Niu Niu even discovered the flavor of mixing it with rice. She looked up and shared with a smile, "Mom and Dad, this milk chicken strip mixed with rice is also quite delicious. The rice is soaked in milk and has a milky and jasmine aroma. It tastes really good when mixed with chicken strips."
Lin Xia looked surprised: "Really? Niu Niu, you really know how to eat. I'll try some too."
As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks again, took a chicken strip soaked in milk sauce, placed it on her rice to moisten it, and then ate it.
After tasting the milk chicken strips, I was single-mindedly thinking about how to coax Niu Niu to try this dish.
Feeling completely satisfied, the milk chicken strips tasted even better than before. The rice, having absorbed some of the milk and jasmine flavors, was also surprisingly delicious. When eaten with the chicken strips, it had a savory and flavorful taste that wasn't bland at all.
She nodded and praised, "The taste is indeed very good. All three meat dishes are quite appetizing today."
Song Jingshan followed his daughter's recommendation and ate the milk chicken strips with his rice. Hearing his wife's words, he silently nodded in agreement.
He preferred the braised cabbage and tofu dish, so he put some cabbage and tofu, along with the sauce, on top of the rice in his bowl, letting the sauce drip onto the rice.
The plump, white rice grains are drizzled with various sauces, resulting in a rich and varied color, and the taste is not bad at all.
After savoring the smooth and delicate aroma of soybeans and the sweetness of cabbage, it's also very satisfying to mix it with a mouthful of white rice.
He added, "Braised cabbage and tofu is also very good with rice, you should all have some."
However, no matter how delicious the rice was, Lin Xia and Niu Niu finished their bowl of rice after sharing it.
Lin Xia asked helplessly, "Niu Niu, do we want another bowl of rice?"
She wanted to have another bowl of rice, but she was also a little conflicted. Her stomach was already a bit full, and she wanted to eat more meat and vegetables rather than rice.
Niu Niu and her mother had the same idea. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head and said, "I'd rather eat more meat. I can't eat rice anymore, even if it's something sweet."
The following sentence is a response to what Dad just said.
Song Jingshan laughed after hearing this: "Then you should eat more meat and vegetables. Go back to kindergarten and eat white rice."
After hearing this, Niu Niu rolled her eyes, mimicking a character from the TV series she watched with her mother last night: "I eat vegetables too, okay!"
Lin Xia chuckled and shook her head, siding with her daughter: "Alright, stop listening to your dad and eat."
Song Jingshan backed down at the right moment: "Okay, okay, I misspoke. Niu Niu eats her vegetables well at kindergarten too. Eat up."
Niu Niu then smiled and happily began to eat.
Even when the family of three felt full, their appetite remained undiminished. They enjoyed braised ribbonfish, pork belly rolls with potatoes, milk chicken strips, and braised cabbage with tofu. Occasionally, they would also have a small bowl of yam, carrot, and pork rib soup, and they ate quite a bit of the pork rib meat from the soup.
When they were all too full to eat anymore, Lin Xia made the decision: "Let's pack it up and reheat it for breakfast tomorrow. It's not worth it to overeat."
Niu Niu let out a burp: "Okay, I'll eat again tomorrow!"
Actually, we finished all the braised ribbonfish and braised cabbage with tofu, there were three pieces of pork belly rolls with potatoes left, five or six pieces of milk chicken strips left, and some soup and soup stock left.
Normally, she might be too lazy to pack leftovers when eating out, but with such delicious dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen, she couldn't bear to waste even a single bit.
Song Jingshan counted and waved to the shop assistant to bring over two takeout boxes.
Lin Xia looked at Niu Niu's full but happy smile and felt content as well. She secretly hoped that Niu Niu could eat like this every day from now on.
When the staff brought over the takeout boxes and bags, Song Jingshan was in charge of packing up the leftovers, while Lin Xia and Niu Niu exclaimed in amazement at how beautiful the takeout bags were.
The restaurant was doing very well. After seeing off tables of customers who had eaten and drunk their fill, it welcomed tables of hungry and anxious customers. Sister Zhou was busy serving dishes in the dining area, while Gu Qingqiu was in the kitchen swinging a wok so hard that the flames shot up.
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