Chapter 6 Sour Soup Fish Fillets, Steamed Beef.
Early in the morning, after having breakfast, Gu Qingqiu took her groceries and pulled her bed to the market.
She ran into her neighbors on Surrey Street, some of whom greeted her warmly, and she responded with a smile.
The elderly folks were curious about Gu's private kitchen. They hadn't thought much of the restaurant this young girl had opened before, but last night they heard several people say that the aroma wafting from her restaurant was wonderful. Those who had eaten there praised it repeatedly, as if they hadn't eaten in centuries.
However, despite their curiosity, they have no intention of trying it out yet.
Gu Qingqiu arrived at the vegetable market and quickly looked around the stalls at the entrance with practiced ease.
Passing by a fish stall, I saw large, fresh blackfish displayed on blue plastic wrap, their tails thrashing about. So I asked, "Boss, how much are these blackfish per pound?"
The fish stall owner smiled and said, "My fish are fresh. I just picked them up at four in the morning. They're eleven yuan a pound."
More expensive than chicken and duck, Gu Qingqiu nodded: "Okay, weigh out three for me."
"Okay." The shopkeeper picked up the three fish that Gu Qingqiu pointed to and weighed them. "One weighs two jin and eight liang, one weighs three jin and two liang, and one weighs two jin and six liang. The total is eight jin and six liang, which is ninety-four yuan and six liang. Just give me ninety-four yuan. If you want to make sauerkraut fish, I can debone and slice it for you."
The boss was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to make such a big deal so early in the morning. The blackfish weighed quite a bit, and some customers even wanted half a fish. Usually, people who buy this much fish are restaurant owners.
However, even though he has been selling fish for so many years, he still provides deboning and slicing services for customers who only buy half a fish.
Gu Qingqiu nodded: "Once the bone is removed, I'll take it back and slice it myself. Thank you, boss."
If she slices the fish herself, she can better control the desired thickness of the slices. After scanning the code to pay, she waits for the owner to debone the fish.
The owner was quick and efficient, handling the fish with a cleaver with remarkable skill. He even chopped the fish bones into small pieces and packed the fish meat and bones separately: "Alright, welcome back next time. I guarantee the fish I sell is fresh."
Gu Qingqiu smiled and agreed, put the blackfish into the shopping cart, and walked to the next stall.
Seeing that the duck meat stall from yesterday still had such good quality green-headed ducks, Gu Qingqiu bought four more, intending to continue making plum duck.
Passing by the beef stall, she looked at it and said to the owner, "Boss, give me five jin of this hanging tenderloin."
The "diaolong" is the tenderest cut of lean meat attached to the tenderloin on the cow's back. It has a very low fat content and a perfect lean-to-fat ratio, making it suitable for many beef-related dishes.
Then Gu Qingqiu bought seafood mushrooms, black-skinned chicken mushrooms, loofah, green beans, wood ear fungus, dried bean curd sticks, and bean sprouts. She originally wanted to go to the vegetable stall from yesterday, but then she saw that another vegetable stall was selling pea sprouts that looked quite fresh, so she simply bought five catties of pea sprouts.
Finally, she went to the grocery store and bought some preserved eggs, duck eggs, and ham, and also picked out a jar of golden broth sauce before leaving the market and going home.
Gu Qingqiu arrived at the restaurant, opened the wooden door, put the groceries she had bought in the kitchen, opened the windows to ventilate the place, rested for a while, and then started cleaning the restaurant before going into the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
In the creative park, a few employees at another women's clothing store heard from a friend at Yuan Design yesterday how delicious Gu's Private Kitchen was, and they were so curious that they decided to go there for lunch to try it out.
Liu Ying and Liu Jia, who share the same surname, usually keep in touch. She heard about Gu's Private Kitchen from Liu Jia and then told her colleagues. Now she sent a message to Liu Jia to ask about it.
[Liu Ying: Jiajia, are you guys going to Gu's Private Kitchen for lunch? We're planning to go too, you can come along if you're going.]
[Liu Jia: Yingying, we originally wanted to go, but Sister Zhang took Huishan out on a field trip. Dongqing brought his own lunch today, so I'll just order takeout for now. When you guys eat, remember to take pictures so I can enjoy it virtually!]
[Liu Ying: Okay! I'll definitely share it with you!]
Liu Ying sighed. If Liu Jia went with her colleagues, they could eat together at two separate tables and have some fun. But if it was just Liu Jia, it wouldn't be appropriate to ask her to come along, since Liu Jia wasn't very familiar with her colleagues.
She looked up and said to her colleagues, "Yuan Design said they're too busy to go yet, we'll go by ourselves later."
Wang Xiulian nodded: "Okay, then we'll close the door and go over when it's time."
Fang Zehua was also a little excited: "Okay."
Having worked here for so long, they've tried almost everything from the small food stalls in the nearby old streets to the various single-person meals on food delivery apps, and they're quite tired of it all. So, they're naturally looking forward to a new restaurant that they've heard is so delicious.
Moreover, going to a restaurant like this, ordering a few meat dishes to eat to your heart's content, and then splitting the bill later, can be considered a group meal. It's more substantial than a simple single meal, so of course it's exciting.
Unlike Yuan Design, which, even though it displays clothing, mainly takes orders for clothing design, the women's clothing store they run is open to the public. They serve customers who come in and occasionally sell some clothes.
Fortunately, they have fixed rest times. Around noon, when there are fewer people in the creative park, they close the shop, open their umbrellas, and head towards Suli Street.
"It seems to be that restaurant in front, in the middle of Suli Street, under the peach blossoms, with a log cabin style, just like Liu Jia described."
"It looks like there's already a table where people are eating. Let's go in quickly."
Liu Ying and her two companions quickened their pace as they entered Gu's Private Kitchen. The aromas grew increasingly rich, a mixture of sour and sweet scents from duck, fish, and beef, stimulating their taste buds and causing their mouths to water.
The meat and vegetables at this restaurant are really delicious!
As expected after a morning of anticipation, Liu Ying and her two companions found a wooden table to sit down and looked up at the menu on the wall, only to find that none of the dishes they had heard about were available.
Liu Ying asked in disbelief, "Jiajia said the boss decides the menu every day based on the ingredients he buys. That's way too much!"
Wang Xiulian hesitated for a moment: "None of the dishes that Yuan Design praised as delicious were served today. Will the taste be just average?"
Fang Zehua, however, was more determined: "Just by the aromas we smelled when we came in, and the way the people at the next table were enjoying their meal, we know the food must be delicious. Let's order quickly and eat as soon as possible."
The other two snapped out of their daze and started discussing what meat dishes they wanted to order.
"I think the plum-flavored duck is good, the sour soup fish slices seem pretty good too, and the steamed beef should be delicious as well, but we can't possibly finish all these meat and vegetable dishes, can we?"
"Soybean sprouts in broth are definitely a must-order; we need a side of greens, right?"
"How about we skip the tofu skin and loofah soup? It's our first time eating here, so let's just order all three meat dishes. If we can't finish them, we can pack them up for afternoon tea. Anyway, the restaurant has a microwave to heat them up."
After a discussion, the three of them came up with the classic line: "Since we're already here, let's order all three meat dishes together."
Gu Qingqiu noticed a new table of customers in the kitchen. She had just finished a little bit of work left. Seeing the customers looking at the menu, she kept scooping sauce onto the duck skin with a spoon. When the sauce had reduced to the desired consistency, she turned off the heat and went out.
"Welcome! What are your priorities?"
Liu Ying said, "Hello, we would like to order sour plum duck, sour soup fish slices, steamed beef, and pea sprouts in broth."
"Okay, just a moment."
Gu Qingqiu went to the cashier's computer to place an order, printed a receipt for the customer, then got three sets of bowls and chopsticks and washing dishes for them, before returning to the kitchen to get busy.
Wang Xiulian watched the boss's retreating figure and exclaimed, "The boss is so beautiful, and her cooking skills are so good too. Amazing!"
Fang Zehua nodded as he rinsed the dishes: "Yes, when I first saw her, I thought the owner was very pretty and quiet. Even though she was wearing a chef's hat and apron, she didn't have any oily smell on her when she came out of the kitchen. She seemed very clean."
Liu Ying thought so too, and before she could say anything, the boss brought out a dish of pickled plum duck.
"Thank you, boss!"
Alright, enough talk, let's start eating!
Liu Ying picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the sour plum duck. The first taste was sweet and sour, with the sweetness dominating and the sourness just a side dish, which suited her taste perfectly.
The duck skin is slightly charred, the duck meat is tender and juicy, with no fishy smell at all, and the sweet and sour flavor is complemented by an irresistible salty aroma.
Wang Xiulian and Fang Zehua nodded repeatedly after tasting the sour plum duck. Before they could say anything, they had already picked up another piece of duck meat with their chopsticks and stuffed it into their mouths, chewing it frantically.
The anticipation I'd been holding back all morning was finally released. The aroma I smelled when I entered the store truly landed on my tongue, and there was nothing more satisfying than that.
Then the owner served another dish: sour fish slices.
Chopped scallions float on the golden, rich broth, garnished with a few bright red chili peppers and pickled peppers. Snow-white fish slices are half-hidden among them, and the aroma of sour, spicy, salty, and fragrant flavors wafts powerfully into your nose.
Fang Zehua was the first to reach for a slice of fish with her chopsticks. She accurately picked up a piece, revealing it hidden beneath the golden broth—a beautiful double-flying slice. She carefully controlled her strength, afraid of breaking the slice, and safely put it into her mouth.
The fish slices are just the right thickness, about half a centimeter. They're not too thick and tedious, nor too thin and flimsy, resulting in a perfect texture when you bite into them.
The sour, salty, and spicy flavors permeate the fish slices, spreading instantly on the tongue upon biting into them. The meat is tender and delicate, allowing you to taste the most original freshness of the fish.
Wang Xiulian also tasted the fish slices and felt that the spiciness and sourness were perfectly balanced, complementing each other to make the fish slices flavorful and tender, with a slight numbing sensation on the tip of her tongue afterward. She couldn't help but drink some water to relieve the discomfort.
But the lingering aftertaste of this sour, spicy, and numbing flavor is delightful, and the freshness of the fish slices seems to linger on the tip of the tongue, making it irresistible to keep picking up more fish slices to eat.
Liu Ying picked up a slice of fish but first admired its shape. The tender white fish slice was covered with golden broth, and the edges were slightly curled into a beautiful arc, and the texture of the fish meat could be vaguely seen. After putting it in her mouth and tasting the sour, spicy and salty broth, she felt that the fish slice was smooth, tender and fresh when she chewed it. It was the taste of the fish meat itself.
This shows that the fish used by the restaurant is fresh enough and has delicious meat, which is why they can make such delicious sour soup fish fillets.
After the three of them ate heartily, Fang Zehua exclaimed, "The meat and vegetables at this restaurant are expensive for a reason. The taste is far superior to that of ordinary restaurants, and the portions are also unusually large. That big plate of sour plum duck must have weighed at least two or three pounds. We've been eating this sour soup fish slices for so long, and I see there are still quite a few fish slices at the bottom of the soup."
Wang Xiulian had already picked up some bean sprouts that had sunk to the bottom of the soup and was eating them. They were surprisingly tender and crisp, and they were soaked in the sour and spicy soup, making them very flavorful.
Of course, she couldn't help but drink water while eating, and sometimes her mouth was so spicy that she had to gasp for breath, but she still couldn't resist eating. This time she managed to free her mouth and said, "Indeed, there are more fish slices in this sour soup fish fillet than I expected."
In the past, when I ordered pickled fish for delivery, it would cost at least twenty yuan per serving, and there were only six or seven pieces of fish in it, with a large portion of the soup base consisting of bean sprouts and bean curd sheets.
Liu Ying ate several pieces of fish slices, and after tasting the aroma of bean sprouts, she finally shifted her focus and picked up a piece of pickled plum duck to eat.
They had already eaten almost half a plate of the sour plum duck earlier, so they were now eating slowly and deliberately, afraid that if they ate too much at once, they wouldn't be able to eat the steamed beef later.
Just then, the steamed pork slices arrived.
On a large white porcelain plate are sizzling slices of beef, topped with shredded ginger, chopped scallions, and lemon leaves. The edges of the beef slices are slightly curled, interspersed with minced garlic and a dark brown sauce, making them look incredibly tempting.
Everyone couldn't help but reach for the steamed beef with their chopsticks and start tasting it.
As Liu Ying ate the beef, the strong aroma of satay sauce filled her mouth. The charred beef flavor couldn't mask its tender texture, and it had a satisfying chewiness. When mixed with scallions and minced garlic, the flavor was rich and layered.
She couldn't hold back any longer: "Boss, please give me a bowl of white rice."
The sour plum duck and sour soup fish slices were both great dishes to eat with rice, but Liu Ying managed to resist them. She thought that she came here to eat meat and vegetables today, so she should try to eat meat and vegetables until she was full. How could she let white rice, which she could eat anytime, fill her stomach?
But with the crispy and tender beef, the satay sauce flavor would probably make the rice even more delicious!
Wang Xiulian doesn't usually like the taste of satay sauce. When she smelled the steamed beef with satay sauce, she hesitated about whether to eat it and was even a little disappointed.
Thinking about how good the owner's cooking skills were for the first two dishes, this steamed beef looks delicious. Maybe it will be even more fragrant if cooked with satay sauce?
With such expectations, she picked up a slice of beef and ate it. She was instantly captivated by the rich aroma of satay sauce. The addition of lemongrass was not just a garnish; the beef tasted refreshing with lemongrass, which not only neutralized the greasiness that might come from steaming and oiling, but also blended with the aroma of satay sauce to create a new flavor.
She was delighted that she could accept satay sauce, and even more pleased that the steamed beef was so delicious. She added, "Give me a bowl of white rice too, it'll be perfect to eat with this beef."
Fang Zehua is determined to eat only meat and vegetables and not rice. She doesn't have a big appetite, and even if she thinks that steamed beef is very appetizing, she can resist eating it.
Gu Qingqiu smiled and agreed, serving the two customers two bowls of white rice, and also bringing out the last dish of pea shoots in broth.
There were several tables of customers in the restaurant, and she was busy in the kitchen, serving the dishes according to the order of orders and the speed at which she cooked each type of dish.
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