Chapter 57 Winter Melon Sauna Chicken, Wet Stir-fried Beef Noodles. ...
While Tu Nanzhen was drinking another small bowl of soup, the waiter came over and served her some oyster tempura.
At a glance, you can see eight fried oysters on a white porcelain plate, with one in the center and the other seven arranged in a concentric shape. Each oyster is not only large, but also fried to a golden brown and crispy perfection, and you can already smell the aroma of oil. You can still vaguely make out the outline of the oyster.
Tu Nanzhen couldn't wait to pick up an oyster with her chopsticks and eat it.
You can hear a crisp crunch when you bite into it. The crispy and fragrant outer skin is very satisfying to eat. The oyster meat inside is fresh and tender with a slight elasticity. When you bite into it, a little juice will burst out, with the salty taste of the sea and a hint of sweetness.
The oyster meat is large, and the overall texture is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a salty and sweet flavor. The outer part of the oyster meat is soft and tender, while the center part has a meaty texture. It is soft, chewy and textured, and you can swallow it whole when you feel it's about right.
Tu Nanzhen finished the large oyster in one go, finding it very fragrant and delicious.
She used to occasionally order oysters when eating barbecue, and grilled garlic oysters were one of her favorites. She thought the oysters coated in the rich garlic flavor were very fresh, tender, fragrant, and flavorful. But now, she realizes that fried oysters are also quite good.
Coating the oysters in tempura flour before frying doesn't make them dry; instead, it locks in their moisture and adds a golden, crispy outer shell, making them taste even better. The combination of sweet and savory flavors is simply amazing!
Tu Nanzhen got a little addicted and ate three oyster tempuras in a row before stopping.
Even with the juices from the oysters moisturizing her mouth, eating fried food still made her mouth feel dry, so she picked up her glass of iced lemonade and took a few sips.
The icy-cold, sweet and sour lemonade instantly refreshes you, and with each sip, it washes away the lingering saltiness and dryness in your mouth.
Tu Nanzhen breathed a satisfied sigh of relief, secretly praising herself for being so clever; the iced lemonade and oyster tempura were a perfect match.
She then picked up an oyster tempura and ate it, fully experiencing the crispness, tenderness, and sweet and salty flavors of the oyster.
Looking at the four oyster tempuras left on the white porcelain plate, Tu Nanzhen still wanted to eat them, but told herself she couldn't eat any more. She would pack them up and reheat them for dinner, so that she could spread the calories across each meal.
Or you can simply have a big lunch, eating all the oyster tempura at its best, and then skip dinner. This way, you'll maintain a balanced calorie intake throughout the day.
Just as Tu Nanzhen was struggling with her decision, the waiter came over and served the last dish: dry-pot cauliflower.
The red chilies and green garlic shoots give this dry-pot cauliflower a rich color, and the red oil coats every piece of cauliflower, making it shiny and giving it a savory and spicy aroma.
Tu Nanzhen can eat spicy food. She usually eats light and bland food with little oil and salt in order to control her weight. She only eats spicy food when she indulges.
Seeing this spicy red dry-pot cauliflower and smelling its aroma makes my mouth water; it's a completely different kind of anticipation from oyster tempura.
She picked up two cauliflower stalks with her chopsticks and put them in her mouth, instantly feeling as if she were immersed in a rich, spicy flavor.
The cauliflower is crisp and tender, while the florets are cooked until soft and have absorbed the sauce, resulting in a rich, savory flavor.
The stem part should be slightly firmer, giving it a crisp texture. After tasting the salty, spicy flavor on the surface, you'll experience the sweet fragrance of the cauliflower.
Tu Nanzhen was pleasantly surprised to taste the subtle flavor of the cauliflower itself, and immediately felt that the dish was slightly more refreshing.
She then picked up a piece of cauliflower with her chopsticks and ate it. It was crisp and tender, and had a good texture. She could taste the rich and spicy flavor as well as the oily aroma, which made the cauliflower taste even better.
If there were a bowl of white rice available, Tu Nanzhen felt she could eat a lot of rice with this dry-pot cauliflower dish.
She ate a few more bites of cauliflower. The pile of cauliflower coated in red oil on the white porcelain plate was slightly less, and several slices of pork belly could be vaguely seen hidden among them.
Tu Nanzhen thought to herself, "Sure enough, the rich, oily aroma on the cauliflower comes from the pork belly. Adding a little pork to stir-fry any green vegetable will enhance its flavor and aroma. If you can add pork cracklings to stir-fry the green vegetables, it will be the most fragrant."
Unfortunately, she usually eats boiled or stir-fried vegetables, so it's a rare treat to have a dry pot cauliflower dish that's rich in flavor and spicy. She has to eat it to her heart's content!
Tu Nanzhen kept eating the dry-pot cauliflower. Occasionally, when she felt it was a bit too spicy or dry, she would drink a few sips of iced lemon water. When she took a break, she would have a bowl of soup to soothe her throat and eat some tender duck meat and a few soft and fluffy mung beans to satisfy her cravings.
She couldn't resist eating another oyster tempura in the end, and she really had to pack the rest to take home and eat them later that night.
As for the Smilax glabra, mung bean, and old duck soup and the dry-pot cauliflower, Tu Nanzhen decided to indulge and finish them all, too lazy to pack them up and reheat them.
She was very satisfied just eating the tender duck meat in the soup.
Tu Nanzhen thought to herself with delight that it would be great to have a indulgent meal at Gu's Private Kitchen in the future. The overall calories would not be too high, and the taste of each dish was so delicious that it would surpass many of the high-end restaurants she had eaten at in the past. It was indeed the food she had been longing for for so long, and it did not disappoint her!
A few tables later, Xu Feng and Chen Yusong returned to Gu's Private Kitchen to dine at a table in the corner against the wall.
Chen Yusong remained in his wheelchair, and Xu Feng helped adjust its angle to ensure it wouldn't block the passageway and would allow passersby to walk smoothly.
Xu Feng plopped down, feeling the cool air flowing around him. The sweltering heat he had felt from walking all the way from Suli Street, where the sun had made him feel dizzy, instantly dissipated.
He leaned back in his chair and laughed happily, "You know what, there's a reason why this restaurant is so popular. Besides the exceptionally good taste of the food, the service is also exceptionally attentive."
“You see, last time the waiter offered to help us move the wheelchair, this time when he saw us he brought out an aluminum ramp and set it up. I can push you up the ramp and into the restaurant by myself.”
“This ramp wasn’t here last time. I’m sure the restaurant noticed your need for accessibility when they saw you dining here last time and that’s why they provided it.”
Xu Feng nodded and sighed, "Actually, it's just a step, and two people can lift the wheelchair a little. It takes about the same amount of effort as moving a ramp and pushing the wheelchair up, but it makes people feel that the restaurant values customer needs, which is great!"
Chen Yusong listened with a smile the whole time. His mood had been better than ever since he saw the clerk carrying an aluminum ramp out of the cashier when he entered the store.
As an able-bodied person, I never noticed that there might be such obstacles in life. After being injured and put into a wheelchair, I found that some sidewalks were blocked by shared bicycles parked haphazardly, leaving only a narrow path for people to pass through; stone bollards were erected outside shopping malls to stop electric bicycles; one or two steps in front of shops... all of these could block my wheelchair from moving forward.
Discovering today that a restaurant I'd only dined at once recognized my accessibility needs and made improvements was truly delightful.
He smiled and nodded: "Indeed, that's rare, so there's a reason why this restaurant is so popular. And this ramp is convenient for more than just me; it also helps injured, sick, or elderly customers who need wheelchairs, as well as those with strollers."
This small change may encourage wheelchair users who have the courage to go out, allowing them to experience the kindness of the world and thus be more willing to venture out.
Hsu Feng agreed: "It was only after you were injured and put in a wheelchair that I realized how inconvenient the nearby infrastructure is from the perspective of a wheelchair user. If only various social organizations could have the same awareness as Gu's Private Kitchen under the supervision of official departments."
Chen Yusong smiled and said, "As the population ages and society progresses, more and more attention will be paid to this aspect, and it will be gradually improved."
This can be considered a beautiful expectation; there's not much else to hope for.
He laughed and said, "Alright, let's order quickly. The aromas wafting around are making me hungry."
Xu Feng was on leave again today. She waited at the hospital for Chen Yusong to finish his rehabilitation before taking a taxi over. She arrived a bit late and had to wait in line for a while before getting a seat.
Xu Feng nodded in agreement. They had already seen what dishes were available today on the official website. He asked, "Shall we do what we did last time and order everything to try? If we can't finish it, we can pack it up and take it home to eat?"
“Sure, it’s a rare treat to eat at a restaurant, so I might as well try everything, since they’re all new dishes,” Chen Yusong said.
I waved to the waiter to order, and also asked for a pot of monk fruit water.
After the shop assistant brought over the bowls, chopsticks, scalding tools, and monk fruit water, Xu Feng and Chen Yusong chatted while scalding their own bowls and chopsticks.
Chen Yusong remembered something and said, "Let me tell you, a lot of people in our rehabilitation area like to eat Gu's Private Kitchen. They often get together to order and have it delivered. I've also bought some to eat here a couple of times."
However, since he eats alone, he usually orders two dishes and a soup.
Once, when his mother came to visit him, Chen Yusong ordered a serving of all the meat dishes and ate with her.
My mom initially complained that he was wasting food, asking why he ordered four dishes and a soup for two people, making it look like a restaurant in a hospital room. She added that the leftovers would have to be reheated later, so it would be better to order again then.
Listening to his mother's nagging, Chen Yusong smiled and remained silent.
When we started eating, my mom was completely won over after tasting one of the meat dishes. She tried the other three dishes with the mindset that they couldn't possibly be any better, and each one turned out to be even more delicious than the last.
Even the soup was rich, delicious, and pleasant. In his mother's words, drinking a bowl of it made him feel completely comfortable, as if he had drunk a magic potion.
My mom was completely won over by that meal and even asked me what the restaurant was called.
After learning that Gu's Private Kitchen did not offer online delivery and that the only option was to eat at the restaurant and pay extra to have someone deliver the food, my usually frugal mother said, "It's a bit pricey, but it tastes delicious and the ingredients are fresh. It's probably quite healthy and hygienic. Order it if you want. Eating it will make you feel good and give you the strength to recover better."
Thinking of something, she smiled again, "Just let me know if you want to order any dishes from this restaurant. I'll come over for a meal whenever I have time. Once I've eaten there, I'll really miss it."
At that time, Chen Yusong smiled and agreed, saying that he would definitely tell her if he ordered Gu's private dishes in the future.
However, this time it was Xu Feng who came to the hospital to see him. The two of them barely discussed it before deciding to go through the trouble of coming to Gu's Private Kitchen for a meal.
Xu Feng had heard him mention before that the leftovers he had packed up and reheated attracted many patients in the ward to come and ask which restaurant it was from.
He chuckled and said, "The charm of Gu's Private Kitchen is truly irresistible; once you've tasted it, you'll never forget it. Even though I don't have time to come over, I've still ordered it delivered to my home once, haven't I?"
"I finally got a break, and the first thing I thought of was that I had to arrange to come over for a meal."
The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. They then chatted about work and life, occasionally taking sips of sweet monk fruit water to quench their thirst.
The waiter quickly came over and served a soup with Smilax glabra, mung beans and old duck. Xu Feng and Chen Yusong each got a bowl of soup.
Knowing how good the soup at Gu's Private Kitchen was, they even scooped out some of the mung beans, duck meat, and even Smilax glabra from it. Whatever they could find at the bottom of the spoon was what they wanted, and then they all started drinking the soup.
Chen Yusong wasn't afraid of the soup being hot. He picked up the bowl and brought it close to drink. At first, he was just testing the waters, but once he felt the temperature was acceptable, he started drinking it in big gulps.
This soup has a beautiful amber color and is very clear. It tastes mellow and sweet, with the aroma of mung beans and duck meat. Overall, it is very delicious and has a richer flavor than the pure sweetness of the monk fruit water we just had.
He drank most of the soup in one gulp, put the bowl back on the table, picked up his chopsticks, and ate a piece of duck meat.
The duck meat looked quite meaty and wasn't dry at all. It was tender and juicy, and it even released some sweet broth. As always, the meat in the soup was delicious.
He gnawed the duck meat clean, spat out the bones, and then picked up another piece of duck meat to eat.
After finishing the duck meat in the bowl, use chopsticks to pick up the mung beans one by one and eat them. Although the mung beans are not boiled until they become sandy like when making mung bean soup, they are still cooked until soft and tender, with a slightly chewy texture and a smooth mouthfeel.
Like picking at mung beans to relieve boredom, Chen Yusong finished the mung beans in his bowl, but didn't touch the Smilax glabra, instead picking it out and putting it on a plate.
Xu Feng was so focused on drinking the soup and eating the meat that he didn't say much. This soup was simply a treat. The rich and mellow taste made you realize that the essence of the ingredients had been extracted. Drinking a bowl of it made you feel like your life had been elevated.
He really likes duck meat. The meat is tender and juicy, and after absorbing the broth, the sweetness and aroma are enhanced when you bite into it. It's not stir-fried with too much oil and salt, so you can taste the purest flavor of duck meat.
He also ate some mung beans, but unlike Chen Yusong who picked them up one by one, he picked up the bowl and used chopsticks to shovel them into his mouth, chewing them until they were crumbly before swallowing.
After finishing the entire bowl of soup, including the broth, Xu Feng let out a satisfied sigh.
"Sure enough, the soup here is a pure and delicious soup, and every sip is a pleasure. I used to not be particular about drinking soup with meals, but when I eat at Gu's Private Kitchen, I feel that I have to drink soup. Even when I order errands, I ask for a bowl of soup."
Chen Yusong nodded: "Me too. We used to love making winter melon and duck soup in the summer to relieve the heat. This Smilax glabra, mung bean and old duck soup should have a similar effect."
"It should be, maybe it's one of those slow-cooked soups my mom loves to make," Xu Feng said.
As they chatted, they couldn't resist having some more soup. Even though they thought the soup was delicious, they restrained themselves, wanting to save most of their room for better meat dishes.
When the staff came over and served the oyster tempura, the two of them quickly started to try it.
The crisp crunch of chewing produced a sound, followed by nothing else.
After a while, Xu Feng exclaimed, "This oyster tempura is absolutely amazing! Oysters this big are of very high quality, and they're fried perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can even taste the oyster juice inside when you bite into them. It's salty, savory, and sweet—it's so delicious!"
"They were really fried perfectly. The outside was crispy and fragrant, while the inside retained the moisture of the oysters. The oysters were very fresh. I wonder how much they would sell for in a barbecue restaurant."
Chen Yusong couldn't help but make comparisons, and then realized that there was no comparison at all. Barbecue restaurants with oysters of this quality could sell them for a very high price.
Hearing him say that, Xu Feng wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right, those garlic oysters at barbecue restaurants, six of them that are slightly larger, cost us 68 yuan or even 88 yuan. Gu's Private Kitchen has oysters that are even bigger than that, a full eight of them, and they only charged us 58 yuan, it's such a great deal!"
After doing this, they appreciated the deliciousness of the oyster tempura even more. Xu Feng and Chen Yusong buried themselves in eating, one after another, without feeling greasy. Occasionally, when their mouths got dry, they would drink a few sips of monk fruit water.
Thankfully, the staff served the winter melon sauna chicken in time, preventing them from finishing all eight oyster tempura in one go.
When the two first saw the Winter Melon Sauna Chicken dish in Gu's Private Kitchen's daily menu notes on Xiaohongshu, they said that the dish sounded very light, and now that they saw the actual dish, it was indeed quite light.
The pieces of chicken on top of the white porcelain plate were tinged with a dark brown color, garnished with scallions, and mixed with common medicinal herbs such as cordyceps flowers and five-finger peach, as well as some shredded ginger. Pieces of winter melon were laid on top of the plate.
It looks rather plain, yet it's inexplicably tempting.
Chen Yusong picked up a piece of chicken and ate it.
The chicken tastes delicious and is tender. It must have been marinated in advance, giving it a light salty and savory flavor that doesn't mask the original freshness of the chicken, and it doesn't taste bland either.
He picked up another piece of chicken and ate it. This time, upon closer inspection, he could taste flavors such as cordyceps flower and five-finger peach, in addition to the freshness and saltiness of the chicken. It was quite good.
After eating three pieces of chicken, Chen Yusong finally picked up a piece of winter melon that was showing on the surface and ate it.
The winter melon was steamed until soft and tender, and the taste was unexpectedly good when you bit into it.
Perhaps during the steaming process, the chicken on top released its juices, which dripped onto the winter melon, and the winter melon also absorbed the sauce used to marinate the chicken, making it taste particularly delicious.
The refreshing sweetness of the winter melon blends perfectly with the savory flavor of the chicken, resulting in a tender, smooth, and savory dish.
After finishing one piece, Chen Yusong picked up another and ate it, then said, "Why do I feel like this winter melon tastes even better than the chicken?"
Xu Feng had just finished eating chicken nuggets and chicken meat when he finally had a moment to pick up a piece of winter melon to try it. After tasting it, his nonchalant expression changed.
After listening to Hao You's words, he nodded: "As expected, not a single dish in Gu's private kitchen is lacking, and even these side dishes are not simple. I originally thought that the main ingredient of the winter melon sauna chicken should be the chicken, and the taste is indeed very salty, fragrant and tender, but I didn't expect that the winter melon is the killer ingredient."
"The winter melon is sweet and delicious, but this savory flavor combined with the umami of the chicken is even better! It's absolutely amazing!"
Chen Yusong nodded frantically in agreement. He still had a winter melon in his mouth, his mouth full of sweet, salty and fresh juice. He chewed the winter melon flesh a few times and swallowed it, enjoying it immensely.
The two seemed to have discovered a new target for their meal, and they devoured the winter melon and steamed chicken dish with gusto.
For a moment, both of them wanted to wave and call the waiter for a bowl of rice to eat with them, as both the tender chicken and the savory winter melon were very appetizing.
But they all remained rational, after all, they had also ordered a bowl of stir-fried beef noodles, which was a main dish. Judging by the quality of Gu's Private Kitchen, this stir-fried noodle dish should taste quite good.
We ate, waited, and chatted, and finally the waiter brought out the stir-fried beef noodles I'd been longing for.
At first glance, this stir-fried beef noodle soup gives the illusion that there is as much beef as noodles. In fact, there is a lot of beef, if not as much as noodles, then at least more than half.
Dark brown slices of beef and green pieces of kale are mixed together and laid on top of the noodles. Upon closer inspection, the noodles are also mixed with tender white bean sprouts with yellow spots, glistening with oil. Just looking at them makes you feel that they are very flavorful.
Neither Chen Yusong nor Xu Feng were polite people. They didn't even take the serving chopsticks and directly used their chopsticks to mix the beef, kale, bean sprouts, and noodles in the white porcelain plate.
The stir-fried beef noodles, after being mixed well, didn't look as appealing as they did before, but they were easier for them to eat.
Chen Yusong pushed the empty bowl to the front of the plate, picked up the meat and noodles with his chopsticks and put them into the bowl. He quickly filled the bowl with his chopsticks.
Xu Feng followed suit and also picked up a bowl of noodles, and the two of them couldn't wait to start eating.
The noodles have a moist and smooth texture, are savory and flavorful with a hint of wheat aroma. This is a flavor that can only be achieved by stir-frying fresh noodles, and it's even more fragrant than some professional noodle shops.
When you bite into bean sprouts mixed with noodles, they have a slightly crunchy texture and a bit of juice, which makes the overall taste of the noodles much richer.
The beef is tender and has a savory flavor, and each slice is cooked to perfection, without being overcooked, tough, or chewy.
The kale was surprisingly the best part. It soaked up the savory sauce and was crisp yet smooth, with a savory and delicious flavor. Combined with its natural sweetness, it made you want to keep eating it.
Chen Yusong didn't distinguish between them; he would just stick his chopsticks into the bowl and eat whatever he could get his hands on.
The tenderness of the beef, the crispness of the kale, the crunchiness of the bean sprouts, and the smoothness of the noodles blend together to create a rich and diverse yet harmonious flavor. The rich, savory aroma completely whets his appetite, while the oily sauce satisfies his taste buds.
Chen Yusong ate half a bowl of noodles in one go and said, "I didn't expect this stir-fried beef noodles to be so delicious. The beef, kale and bean sprouts are all very fresh, and the noodles are also the kind with a strong wheat flavor. It's just different when it's stir-fried."
Xu Feng nodded repeatedly. He also ate a small half bowl of stir-fried beef noodles. If it weren't for replying to his friend, he wouldn't have stopped chewing so frantically.
"Yes, this stir-fried beef noodles is so oily and moist, I know the owner used a lot of oil when he cooked it, but I don't know why it tastes so good and not greasy at all. If other restaurants' stir-fried noodles look so oily, I would get tired of them after a few bites."
Chen Yusong guessed: "This oil was probably first used to stir-fry beef and kale, which have the aroma of meat, cilantro, and sauce. Then, when bean sprouts and noodles are mixed in and stir-fried together, it becomes even more fragrant. And although it looks oily, it may not actually contain that much oil."
He didn't believe that noodles fried with too much oil wouldn't be greasy; he could only say that the amount of oil was just right and it tasted delicious.
The two discussed how delicious the stir-fried beef noodles were, which didn't affect their eating speed. They quickly finished their noodles and then simultaneously let out a satisfied burp.
Chen Yusong and Xu Feng exchanged a glance and then laughed happily.
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