Chapter 77 Steamed Pork Belly with Perilla and Winter Melon, Cold Beef Salad...
Upon reaching the entrance of Surrey Street, the three got out of the car and slowly walked into the street.
Actually, Xu Shiren and Feng Jianguo wanted to walk faster. Normally, they would walk briskly to the restaurant as soon as they got off the car, almost running. Only when their butts touched the chairs at Gu's Private Kitchen and their hands were on the table could they relax.
But there's nothing I can do. Today I'm with my old boss. When he was young, he always walked with a leisurely and unhurried pace. Now that he's older and has just recovered from a long illness, it's okay if he walks slower. We should have plenty of time.
Looking at the old, quaint, yet vibrant streets and alleys, Zhao Yongnian recalled some things from his youth and said with a smile, "I've never actually been to Suli Street before, but we've been around this area quite a few times. Do you remember the Intermediate People's Court of Jiang City, which is about two kilometers away from here?"
Xu Shiren replied, "How could I not remember? We used to go to the Intermediate People's Court on Diejing Road quite often. We got tired of the food in their canteen, so we would often go to the pig's feet rice shop across the street. We ate pig's feet rice and pig's feet noodles there at least a hundred or two hundred times."
Feng Jianguo laughed and said, "Old Xu, now that you mention it, I immediately think of the taste of that bowl of braised pork trotters rice. The pork trotters are soft, tender, and not greasy, with a rich and fragrant braised flavor. The pork skin is full of collagen when you bite into it, and it's especially good with rice. My mouth is craving it right now."
Xu Shiren said, "I do think it's a pity that we found out about Gu's Private Kitchen too late. I heard that on Labor Day they have braised pig's feet, braised chicken, braised duck, and braised platter, etc. These used to be Gu's Private Kitchen's signature dishes. They must have been very fragrant. I imagine they were even more fragrant than the pig's feet rice and pig's feet noodles we ate at for so many years! What a pity!"
Feng Jianguo couldn't help but nod in agreement: "What a pity! I really want to try the braised pig's feet from Gu's Private Kitchen. It must be delicious, the kind that makes you feel like you're in heaven."
So the two of them actually looked regretful and even sighed.
Zhao Yongnian was practically speechless. He never expected that his simple reminiscing about the past would lead these two to veer so far around the corner, all the way to Gu's Private Kitchen. Upon reflection, the topic seemed to still be related to his own words, just a bit more divergent.
He said, "Alright, alright, you two stop sighing. We're almost at your favorite restaurant."
When Zhao Yongnian arrived at the entrance of Gu's Private Kitchen, he found that the restaurant had a nice environment. Although the peach trees planted in front of the door were not in bloom, they could still provide shade. The style of the restaurant was a kind of wood style, which suited his taste. It was just a bit small, with only seven dining tables.
The waiter led them to a quiet four-person table against the wall. Xu Shiren gestured that he would call her over when they wanted to order, and then pointed to the menu on the wall and asked his old boss, "Old Zhao, do you like today's dishes? What would you like to eat?"
Feng Jianguo added at the opportune moment: "When Lao Xu and I come here to eat, we usually order everything. After all, four dishes and a soup isn't much. Since we're already here, we should at least try every dish, right? We usually can't finish it, so we each pack some to take home and eat it for dinner."
"Don't laugh at me, Lao Zhao, but we've come here so many times that we each bring our own takeout containers to avoid having to pay a dollar for each container every time. We can eat what we want and save money where we can. The staff are also very nice and don't look down on us at all."
Zhao Yongnian shook his head with amusement: "You two are really something, you've become quite the experts at it."
He glanced at the menu on the wall; the handwriting was flowing and angular, and he couldn't help but nod.
Today's menu:
Steamed pork belly with perilla and winter melon, 58 yuan;
Beef and cucumber salad, 58 yuan;
Scallion oil swimming crab, 58 yuan;
Mushroom and scrambled eggs, 38 yuan;
Taro fritters, 15 yuan per bowl.
Zhao Yongnian said, "Since you've all said so, let's order all four dishes. But it seems there's no soup today. Is this taro soup supposed to be sweet soup? It's actually 15 yuan a bowl."
Feng Jianguo stated, "It's rare that there's no soup today. Usually, there's always a soup, and it's always rich and flavorful with plenty of ingredients. Today, there's only this sweet soup, but I imagine it will taste quite good. Anyway, I'll unconditionally trust Gu's Private Kitchen. I'd like a bowl of this taro fritter."
Xu Shiren also said, "I haven't had sweet soup in a long time, so I'll try Gu's Private Kitchen's sweet soup today. I must say, the name of this sweet soup sounds quite novel, something like Taro Chickpeas, which is interesting."
Zhao Yongnian became interested after hearing this and nodded, saying, "Alright, then let's have three bowls of taro soup. I'll try it out and see just how delicious this sweet soup is."
After he finished speaking, he looked around the restaurant and noticed that there were only two tables of customers when he entered. In the short time it took to discuss what dishes to order, the restaurant was already full, and there were several people queuing outside.
Xu Shiren waved to the waiter: "Hello, we'd like to order everything on the menu, and three bowls of that taro fritters, please."
Sister Zhou nodded: "Okay, may I ask if the taro fritters should be served as soon as they are made, or saved for last?"
Xu Shiren looked at his former leader and Feng Jianguo, indicating that he would listen to their opinions.
Feng Jianguo also looked at his old leader: "Old Zhao, what do you think?"
Zhao Yongnian said, "I think we should serve it after the meal. Don't people always say that fruit and dessert are best served after a meal? If we serve it right after it's made, it's not good to leave it uneaten while it's fresh. If we eat it, it will fill our stomachs and we won't be able to eat the dishes that you all say are delicious."
Xu Shiren gave him a thumbs up: "You're so thoughtful, that makes sense!"
Feng Jianguo nodded: "Old Zhao is right, let's save this taro snack for last."
Zhao Yongnian was amused and waved his hand with a smile: "Alright, alright, stop teasing me."
Sister Zhou waited until they finished speaking before smiling and saying, "Okay, I understand. Then these three bowls of taro noodles will be served last. Please wait a moment, the dishes will be served shortly."
After confirming that she wanted Pu'er tea, she first went to the cashier's computer to print out the order and brought it over. She then placed one copy under the glass window, followed by three sets of bowls, chopsticks, teaware, and washing utensils. Finally, she went to brew a pot of Pu'er tea.
Xu Shiren and Feng Jianguo offered to help their old leader scald the bowls, chopsticks, and teaware, but he refused, saying, "No need. I'm not in good health, but I can still do something as simple as scalding the bowls and chopsticks."
“Alright, let’s each get our own perms,” Xu Shiren said readily. “Seeing how energetic you are, I feel relieved.”
Feng Jianguo nodded: "That's right. I hope you can eat a few more meals of Gu's Private Kitchen so that your health will get better and better. Then the three of us can run a marathon together."
Zhao Yongnian and Xu Shiren both burst out laughing upon hearing this.
After rinsing the teaware, they poured tea and chatted while waiting for the dishes. Occasionally, they would glance at the dishes already served on the surrounding tables, which looked and smelled incredibly tempting, making them even more hungry.
Zhao Yongnian also began to look forward to the dishes at this restaurant.
They chatted about their recent lives and the current situation of their children and grandchildren, complaining in their mouths but their eyes were full of pride. No one deliberately brought up the things that happened in the procuratorate. They were all retired, so they should worry less about those things.
Soon, the waiter came over and served a dish of steamed pork belly with perilla and winter melon. On the white porcelain plate, neatly stacked pieces of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat were piled on top of translucent, slightly thick slices of winter melon. The pork belly was moist and glistening with oil, and also had a slightly soy sauce color. It was sprinkled with perilla leaves, red chili peppers, and minced ginger and garlic, which looked very tempting.
After looking at it, Xu Shiren exclaimed, "This dish looks quite light, but it inexplicably makes me feel that it is very flavorful and delicious."
Feng Jianguo also said, "Gu's private kitchen has always been good at steamed dishes. For example, the steamed beef with loofah and the steamed pork ribs with taro were quite fragrant."
Zhao Yongnian smiled and picked up his chopsticks: "Alright, alright, if you want to eat, then hurry up and eat."
He was the first to pick up his chopsticks and eat a slice of pork belly, and then Xu Shiren and Feng Jianguo followed suit and picked up their chopsticks to taste the pork belly.
The moment Zhao Yongnian put the pork belly in his mouth, he knew it would taste good. The pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, was soft and tender. The fat was not greasy at all, while the lean meat was juicy and tender, with a light fragrance and a salty aroma.
Before he could even savor the taste, after a few bites, he felt it was about time and instinctively swallowed it whole.
Zhao Yongnian reached out his chopsticks and picked up another piece of pork belly to eat. It was just as delicious as the previous piece. This time, after savoring the tender and juicy texture of the pork belly, he chewed and swallowed it. He then discovered that he didn't feel greasy even after eating two pieces of pork belly.
He then picked up a piece of winter melon and ate it. The winter melon was steamed until it was soft and tender; if he hadn't been careful with his chopsticks, the slice would probably have broken the moment he picked up the plate.
When you bite into a slice of winter melon, the flesh is soft and tender, and as you chew, it releases a rich, sweet juice with the savory flavor of pork belly.
Zhao Yongnian realized that the pork belly released its own oil during the steaming process, so it didn't taste greasy at all.
Meanwhile, the overflowing oil seeps down onto the winter melon slices underneath and is fully absorbed, making the winter melon slices taste oily and fragrant. The two complement each other perfectly.
He actually thought the winter melon slices were more flavorful than the pork belly, so he picked up two or three more slices and ate them. His mouth was filled with the sweet and refreshing juice, and he felt very refreshed.
After tasting several slices of pork belly, Feng Jianguo said, "I knew the steamed dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen would be delicious. The pork belly is tender, juicy, and flavorful without being greasy."
After swallowing the winter melon slices in his mouth, Xu Shiren said, "Yes, the quality is as good as ever! The pork belly is savory and flavorful, fatty but not greasy, and the winter melon slices are rich, sweet, tender and juicy, with a savory aroma of meat. The taste is absolutely amazing."
After they finished speaking, they both looked at their old leader.
Zhao Yongnian reluctantly chimed in, "First of all, I have to admit that the restaurant you brought me to is indeed quite good, judging from the first dish. We made the right choice."
"This pork belly is salty but not greasy, fragrant but not oily. As for the winter melon slices, I personally think they are more fragrant than the pork belly. They have their own original sweet juice, and they also have the meaty aroma of the pork belly. They are perfect to eat with a bowl of rice."
Xu Shiren, understanding the unspoken meaning, said, "How about we have a bowl?"
Feng Jianguo was the first to agree: "I think it's a good idea!"
Zhao Yongnian laughed heartily: "No one knows me better than Lao Xu."
"Of course," Xu Shiren replied smugly.
He waved to the shop assistant and asked him to bring over three bowls of rice.
Once everyone had a bowl of rice and they were all seated, the three of them continued eating.
Zhao Yongnian is a connoisseur of food. He reached over with his chopsticks and picked up the pile of winter melon and pork belly together, placing them on top of the rice. He let the sauce slide smoothly onto the rice, subtly infusing it with flavor.
Then I ate the pork belly and winter melon slices one after the other, letting the salty and savory flavor of the pork belly and the sweetness of the winter melon slices mix and spread in my mouth. Then I chewed a mouthful of rice and swallowed it all at once. It was so refreshing.
Xu Shiren then scooped two spoonfuls of the sauce from the steamed pork belly with perilla and winter melon and poured it over the white rice. Instantly, the plump rice grains became translucent with a hint of soy sauce and glistened with oil.
He was eating pork belly and winter melon slices with rice, each with its own unique flavor.
Feng Jianguo had already taken the lead and picked up a perilla leaf to eat. It tasted uniquely fragrant, slightly sweet, and had a minty coolness that was refreshing on a summer day.
He said, "You two should also try these perilla leaves; they taste quite good."
Xu Shiren and Zhao Yongnian agreed.
After tasting the perilla leaves, they felt that in addition to the fragrance, coolness, and slight sweetness that Feng Jianguo had mentioned, there was also the meaty aroma of meat and the sweetness of winter melon.
The aroma of perilla, the savory flavor of pork belly, and the sweetness of winter melon intertwine in this dish, creating a lingering and delightful taste.
On the contrary, the red chili peppers and minced ginger and garlic on top are just for adding some bright color to the dish. You can only taste a little bit of spiciness and ginger and garlic flavor when eating the pork belly.
Zhao Yongnian stopped eating midway through his meal; a third of his bowl of white rice was gone. He actually wanted to eat more, but he knew he had to save some room for the other dishes.
To be honest, it's a bit amazing. Whether he's eating out or at home, no matter how delicious the food is, he always tries to restrain himself when eating.
But at this moment in Gu's Private Kitchen, this dish of steamed pork belly with perilla and winter melon is not exactly a legendary dish, but it is very attractive and makes people want to eat it again and again.
He could tell that the ingredients in this dish, from the pork belly and winter melon slices to the perilla leaves, were all of high quality and very fresh, making him feel healthy and reassured to eat it.
Feng Jianguo and Xu Shiren also put down their chopsticks one after another. Just then, the waiter brought over a dish of cold beef and cucumber salad.
The deep bowl contains sliced beef and crushed cucumber pieces mixed together, along with a lot of minced red chili, minced scallions, ginger, garlic, roasted sesame seeds, peanuts, and cilantro. It looks tempting with its savory aroma, yet refreshing, and the sweet and sour smell seems to float in the air.
Xu Shiren reminded him, "Old Zhao's beef and cucumber salad looks like it'll be a bit spicy, and the sweet and sour flavor will be quite strong. Try it and see if you can handle it. If you really can't, we'll just eat a little and wait for other dishes."
He was worried that Old Zhao, who had just recovered, wouldn't be able to eat these spicy, sour, and sweet foods.
Feng Jianguo nodded in agreement: "Yes, there's also scallion oil crab and mushroom scrambled eggs later. Now we can continue with steamed pork belly with perilla and winter melon."
"Don't worry about me, you two. I know what I'm doing," Zhao Yongnian said.
His mouth was already watering from the sweet, sour, and slightly spicy aroma. He picked up his chopsticks, reached over, and took a bite of the beef and cucumber salad, putting it in his bowl to eat.
The beef slices are tender yet firm, with a slight chewiness, making them just right for chewing.
While eating, you can fully taste the seasonings absorbed by the beef slices; there's a hint of spiciness, and a mix of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. I guess there were some sesame seeds on the beef slices, because you could also taste the sesame aroma when you bit into them.
Add a slice of cucumber to eat. The cucumber is crisp, tender, and sweet, with a little juice oozing out. It's a refreshing treat unlike the winter melon slices we just ate.
In addition, this cucumber also has a slightly spicy taste and a sweet and sour flavor, making it particularly refreshing and appetizing.
He could accept the level of spiciness and sweetness, so Zhao Yongnian kept eating with his chopsticks, sometimes picking up beef and sometimes cucumber.
The combination of scallions, ginger, garlic, roasted sesame seeds, peanuts, and cilantro, along with cucumber and beef, creates a rich and varied flavor profile, making it a true feast for the senses.
He was engrossed in the food, and Xu Shiren and Feng Jianguo were also completely absorbed in it.
After swallowing the chewed beef slices mixed with sesame seeds, peanuts, and cilantro, Xu Shiren let out a satisfied burp, feeling that even the air he exhaled tasted sweet, sour, and spicy.
He laughed and said, "I have to say that the cold dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen are also very good. This beef and cucumber salad is especially flavorful. It's not too spicy, and it has a numbing sensation in your mouth. The sweet and sour taste is just right. The roasted sesame seeds and peanuts are also very fragrant. Not to mention the main ingredients of this dish, beef and cucumber, you can eat as much as you want without getting tired of it."
Feng Jianguo nodded: "You can tell from the taste that this beef is the kind of beautiful snowflake beef slices. It's tender, firm, and a little chewy. The cucumber is also quite crisp. It's really appetizing."
Zhao Yongnian also sincerely commented: "This beef and cucumber salad is indeed appetizing. The combination of sweet, sour and spicy is just right, and even I, who can't handle spicy food very well, can accept it. The beef is quite tender and firm, the cucumber is crisp and juicy, and even the roasted sesame seeds, peanuts, and cilantro are fragrant."
While the main ingredients of this dish are beef and cucumber, the smooth and fragrant roasted sesame seeds, the dense and crunchy peanuts, and the cilantro also have a strong presence, adding a lot of aroma to the dish.
Xu Shiren is the kind of person who knows how to climb the ladder of success. He was like that when he was young and he is still like that now that he's retired.
He said, "So, Lao Zhao, I didn't make a mistake inviting you to this meal today, did I?"
Feng Jianguo couldn't help but praise his beloved Gu's Private Kitchen: "Yes, Lao Zhao, aren't you especially glad you agreed to come out to eat with us? Otherwise, you would have missed out on such a delicious meal, or even many more meals in the future."
Zhao Yongnian was at a loss with the two of them. He shook his head with a smile and replied frankly, "I am very grateful to my two old colleagues for their hospitality. They invited me to eat such a delicious meal. This restaurant is indeed top-notch, better than many other restaurants we have eaten at."
"I'm so glad I didn't refuse your invitations. Getting together with friends and enjoying some good food really lifted my spirits."
Xu Shiren has been watching a lot of TV dramas and surfing the internet since retiring, so he's quite a trendy old man. He laughed and said, "You're making it sound like you're giving an acceptance speech. Are you going to thank the Party and the country, and thank this peaceful and great world?"
Zhao Yongnian nodded deliberately: "We really have to thank them, otherwise how could we sit here and enjoy such a delicious lunch? Of course, we should thank the chef of this restaurant the most."
Speaking of this, Feng Jianguo had something to say. He pointed to the glass window and said, "Old Zhao, look into the kitchen from this window. The chef cooking inside is the owner of this restaurant. He's so young, yet he runs the restaurant so well and his cooking skills are so good. It's truly rare. Talented people emerge in every generation."
Zhao Yongnian looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a slender and tall figure with a simple and neat ponytail, wearing a white chef's hat and a white apron. Just by looking at the way she flipped and stirred the food, you could tell that she was a skilled cook.
I never expected that the owner of this restaurant would be so young.
He nodded: "It's really impressive that you have such culinary skills at such a young age. You've certainly run the restaurant very well. Look how many people are queuing up outside."
Xu Shiren laughed and said, "Back then, when Lao Feng and I first came to this restaurant, we knew that the chef here was also the owner of the restaurant. When we were so young, we had the same idea as you, and we thought he was really amazing."
He recalled that when he came to eat there, it happened to be the time when someone reported that there was a problem with the restaurant's food. Food and Drug Administration staff came to take samples, and the owner was very calm and composed when dealing with the staff.
After the on-site sampling and testing showed no problems, a customer asked to have their table's food tested for any issues. The owner generously told them to go ahead and test it, showing complete confidence and apprehension.
The final result was good, of course. The owner apologized for affecting everyone's dining experience and gave the customers a 20% discount.
It was after that incident that his positive impression of the restaurant reached its peak.
After he finished speaking, Feng Jianguo said honestly, "It was from that time that I realized the owner of this restaurant not only has excellent cooking skills but also a lot of courage. Now I admire young people like him. We also saw the official test report issued by the Food and Drug Administration. There were no problems at all. The ingredients were very fresh and nutritious, the kind that makes you feel at ease. No wonder the owner was so confident when we asked for the test."
The two spoke highly of it.
Zhao Yongnian listened with great interest and concluded by saying, "According to what you've said, the owner of this restaurant is indeed quite remarkable. With such confidence and composure, it's no wonder he can make such delicious dishes and run the restaurant so well. I've gained a lot from this trip with you today."
"That's good, that's good." Xu Shiren and Feng Jianguo smiled like Maitreya Buddhas upon hearing this.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the waiter came over and served a dish of scallion oil swimming crab.
On a large oval plate, crab bodies and legs are neatly arranged from the center outwards. Four crab shells are placed diagonally, interspersed among the crab meat. The shells are orange-red and glistening with oil, while the crab meat is plump, thick, and snow-white. The crabs are garnished with chopped scallions and garlic, and the sauce on the plate is also orange-red and glossy.
The air was filled with a faint, enticing aroma of crab, making one want to dig in.
Zhao Yongnian said, "These crabs look big and meaty, and the crab roe looks delicious. Let's eat them all."
Xu Shiren: "Eat!"
Feng Jianguo: "Eat!"
The three of them stretched out their chopsticks, each picked up a piece of blue crab and put it in their bowls, then started eating with their hands.
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