Chapter 85, September 22nd: Sauerkraut and Sliced Pork, Five-Finger Hair...
After finishing the night-blooming cereus, Rao Xiaoqing's mouth was filled with sweetness, and she then used her chopsticks to pick up other soup ingredients to eat.
I didn't bother to pick out anything when I was ladling the soup; I just scooped out whatever was available. But now that I look closely, I realize that this night-blooming cereus and pork rib soup also contains apricot kernels, barley, poria cocos, and ginger. No wonder the soup looks so clear, yet the flavor is so rich and mellow.
The soup ingredients were all cooked until very soft, and the almonds still had a slightly crunchy texture. However, she couldn't tell which almonds were from the south and which were from the north. She could only roughly determine them by the taste on her tongue. The ones that tasted slightly sweet were from the south, while the ones that tasted a bit bitter were from the north.
The Job's tears were soft and chewy, and the poria cocos was also palatable. I finished the rest of the soup in no time.
Rao Xiaoqing couldn't help but exclaim, "Gu's Private Kitchen's soup is absolutely amazing! It has a rich and sweet flavor, and all the ingredients are top-notch. The pork ribs are fragrant, the night-blooming cereus flowers are sweet, and even the apricot kernels, barley, and poria cocos are delicious."
She usually drinks soup without eating the broth, but at Gu's Private Kitchen, she couldn't resist eating the broth. Who could resist such fragrant pork ribs!
Lin Baoqin had been drinking the soup and eating the soup base at the same time. Now that she had finished a bowl of soup, she nodded and said, "The soup here is really delicious. It tastes pure and is very nutritious. The price is very reasonable. Unlike the soup in other restaurants, which is quite expensive, it's either too salty, too bland, or just watery and doesn't seem to have much soup base. They call it bone broth, but it only has two big bones. I'll eat my hat if you can scrape a single piece of meat off the bones!"
As she spoke, her words revealed her resentment towards other restaurants. She used to be able to tolerate Gu's Private Kitchen soup because she had never tried it before, but now she couldn't stand it at all.
Fang Ruizhu nodded repeatedly: "To drink such a hot and sweet soup makes me feel like my life has been worthwhile! The soup is delicious, and the ingredients are delicious too, like the pork ribs, the king oyster mushrooms, and all the barley and almonds. I ate them all!"
She spoke the last four words with extraordinary force, as if she were about to wipe out the entire enemy team in a video game.
Rao Xiaoqing and Lin Baoqin both burst out laughing upon hearing this.
Just as the three were thinking about getting another half bowl of soup, before they could even do so, the waiter brought over a large bowl of pickled cabbage and sliced pork. The tender slices of pork were so plentiful that they filled the entire surface of the bowl, and you could only vaguely see the golden pickled cabbage at the bottom through the gaps. The emerald green scallions and bright red chili peppers were garnished on the slices of pork, making them look oily and very fragrant.
So everyone decided to try the pickled cabbage and pork dish first, and drink the soup later.
Rao Xiaoqing put several slices of meat into the bowl, and then looked into the bowl and found that the golden yellow things hidden under the meat slices were not only pickled cabbage, but also bean sprouts, dried tofu and slightly whitish enoki mushrooms, which she also picked up.
These ingredients absorbed a lot of the golden broth from the sour soup and tender meat, and after a short while in the bowl, several spoonfuls of it had seeped out.
Rao Xiaoqing picked up a slice of meat to eat first. It was smooth and slippery, and the meat was tender and juicy. In addition to the aroma of meat, the sauce also had the aroma of pickled cabbage. It was salty and fragrant with a subtle sourness, which was very refreshing.
She ate two slices of tender pork before picking up a piece of pickled cabbage. The pickled cabbage was more refreshing, crisp with a salty and savory flavor. The sourness wasn't strong; it was more like a richer flavor.
Rao Xiaoqing guessed that the salty and sour taste of the pickled cabbage had probably already blended into the golden broth during the cooking process, and then been absorbed by the sliced meat, bean sprouts, bean curd sheets and enoki mushrooms.
This dish is definitely good with rice, but because it's not very salty, it can also be eaten on its own.
After finishing the sliced pork and pickled cabbage, she started eating the enoki mushrooms. The enoki mushrooms were soft and smooth with a bit of chewiness, the bean sprouts were crisp and juicy, and the bean curd sheets were full of bean flavor, all with a rich pickled cabbage aroma, which was quite delicious.
After finishing her meal, Rao Xiaoqing reached out with her chopsticks to pick up some slices of tender and flavorful meat. The meat was smooth, tender, and fragrant, and because it had the aroma of pickled cabbage, it was quite salty and sour, which made it very delicious. Of course, she also ate quite a bit of pickled cabbage.
She was able to resist asking for rice, but Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu were so captivated by the aroma of the pickled cabbage and pork dish that they felt it would be a waste not to eat such a delicious meat dish with rice. They even asked Rao Xiaoqing if she wanted rice, each with their own reasons.
"Rice is a staple food after all. You need to eat enough carbohydrates to have energy. Don't eat a bowl of rice with pickled cabbage and sliced pork now. When the dishes like steamed chicken with five-finger peach and baked sea bass in a casserole are served, you'll have to order a bowl of rice to eat with them, right? Let's eat it early and enjoy it early."
This is like buying something online and knowing that there might be a big sale or Double Eleven promotion in a month or two that would save you a lot of money, but you still convince yourself that it's worth it to buy early and enjoy it sooner, even if it means paying a little more for a month of enjoyment.
Rao Xiaoqing was persuaded and nodded, saying she wanted a bowl of rice too.
They waved to the waiter to bring over three bowls of white rice, and the three of them enjoyed eating the rice with pickled cabbage and sliced pork even more.
They didn't waste the golden, fragrant broth; they scooped some onto the rice and ate it. It was moist, salty, and sour—it was incredibly delicious.
After the initial excitement of the pickled cabbage and pork dish wore off, before we could even catch our breath, the staff brought over a steamed chicken with five-finger peach.
Today, I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the pickled cabbage and pork dish in front of me looked golden yellow, and this steamed chicken with five-finger peach also looked golden yellow, only the color was a little lighter. But the chicken was glistening with oil, I don't know if it was chicken oil that seeped out of the chicken, and the five-finger peach was mixed in with it in strands.
Rao Xiaoqing picked up a piece of chicken and ate it. The outermost chicken skin was crisp and delicious, while the chicken meat inside was firm and tender. It was oily and tasted salty and fragrant, and it also seemed to have the aroma of five-finger peach.
The aroma of the five-finger peach is quite unique, somewhat like coconut and somewhat like milk, subtly lingering in every inch of the chicken's texture, serving as a garnish without overpowering the main flavor, ensuring that the chicken can taste its original flavor.
She was really enjoying it; it had been a long time since she had tasted such light and flavorful chicken. It was delicious when she mixed it with rice.
Lin Baoqin also ate a piece of chicken and exclaimed, "This dish is delicious! I always thought that five-finger peach was only used for making soup, but I didn't expect it to taste so good when used to steam chicken. It retains the original flavor of the chicken while adding a touch of aroma. This chicken is so tender and juicy, it's really delicious!"
"It's really delicious. It's supposed to be light, but it's very flavorful. The chicken skin is crispy and the meat is tender and firm. It's also very tasty with rice," Fang Ruizhu agreed.
The three of them chatted and ate chicken at the same time. The crisp chicken skin was very satisfying to bite into, and the chicken meat was firm and tender with a little bit of juicy flavor. They could tell that the chicken must have come from a fresh and plump chicken.
Rao Xiaoqing sighed inwardly at how good the quality control of Gu's Private Kitchen's ingredients was, making her feel safe and secure eating there, and that the price was well worth it. She ate the chicken while occasionally shoveling a bite of rice into her mouth.
The restaurant was undoubtedly lively. While enjoying the delicious food, people shared their thoughts with family and friends at the same table. Even if they tried to keep their voices down, it was still quite loud with seven tables of customers talking at the same time, but no one found it noisy.
Listening to the customers at the surrounding tables praising the delicious food brings a sense of joy that comes from sharing, and a satisfaction that you feel you have good taste and that others can appreciate the delicious meat dishes.
"This night-blooming cereus and pork rib soup is so delicious today! The soup looks clear and tastes great, with a rich and sweet flavor. It has the sweetness of the night-blooming cereus and the meaty aroma of the pork ribs. Even the barley, almonds, and poria cocos taste better!"
"This pickled cabbage and pork dish is also very good. I declare that this is my favorite pickled cabbage and pork dish after the sour soup fish slices. The pork slices are smooth and tender when you eat them, and they are full of the salty and savory flavor of the pickled cabbage soup. The pickled cabbage is also crisp and delicious. The enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts and bean curd sheets are also very good."
"If you ask me, this steamed chicken with five-finger peach is truly delicious and flavorful. The chicken meat is especially tasty, with crisp skin and tender, firm meat that has a slight chewiness. You can taste the original flavor of the chicken while also enjoying the refreshing aroma of five-finger peach. It tastes fresh and quite good. You should try it!"
"..."
Rao Xiaoqing occasionally chatted with her friends. While the three of them were engrossed in enjoying their food, she would secretly prick up her ears to listen to the conversations of people at other tables. After hearing them praise the taste of Gu's Private Kitchen, she would secretly smile with pride.
Actually, besides wanting to eat delicious meat dishes, her intentions when she came to Gu's Private Kitchen were not entirely innocent.
Previously, she had seen some netizens sharing on Xiaohongshu that their acne scars faded, their skin tone brightened, and they could become more beautiful and lose weight after eating Gu's Private Kitchen. But for her, that was secondary. What interested Rao Xiaoqing more was the netizens' sharing of how their bodies improved, they fell asleep easily and had better sleep quality, they no longer had back pain, they hadn't had any minor illnesses for a long time, and they were full of energy and vitality.
Since coming across these notes, Rao Xiaoqing has been carefully observing her surroundings. She doesn't know if it's just her imagination, but it seems that she felt more relaxed and energetic a few days after eating Gu's Private Kitchen last time, and she didn't feel tired even after walking for a long time.
Is it really that amazing? If I eat more of Gu's Private Kitchen dishes, will my health improve? Will it be more effective than intrathecal medication?
Rao Xiaoqing was skeptical and didn't tell anyone, intending to observe further. Anyway, the meat dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen were so delicious that even without the supposed miraculous healing effects, simply enjoying the food was a pleasure.
Just then, a waiter came over and served a casserole-baked sea bass. She retracted her thought, which was probably just wishful thinking, and began to anticipate the fresh meat dish.
Just like the name of the dish suggests, it was even served in a clay pot, with neatly arranged pieces of sea bass on top, sprinkled with scallions. It looked savory and fragrant, and you could already smell the fresh aroma of the fish.
"This sea bass looks delicious! It smells so fresh and fragrant!" Lin Baoqin picked up her chopsticks, eager to try it.
Fang Ruizhu swallowed the saliva that had welled up in her mouth: "It tastes really good, let's eat quickly."
After saying that, he was the first to extend his chopsticks.
Rao Xiaoqing smiled and agreed, then picked up a piece of sea bass with her chopsticks and put it in her bowl to eat.
The sea bass meat is long and evenly thick. She doesn't dislike the fish skin; in fact, she quite likes it. When she takes a bite, she first feels the smoothness of the fish skin, followed by the fresh and tender texture of the fish meat. The aroma of fermented black beans is particularly strong, adding a touch of saltiness.
The fish becomes more fragrant the more you chew it, making it a memorable dish. Unfortunately, the fish is too tender, and you can only swallow it after a few bites.
After finishing a piece of sea bass, without saying anything, Rao Xiaoqing picked up another piece of fish and started eating.
The fish skin is still very smooth, and when you bite into it, it feels as thin as fine gauze, yet you can taste a slight bouncy texture. The fish meat is very fresh and fragrant, with no fishy smell at all. The fermented black beans are salty and savory, and when you've almost finished chewing, you can scoop up a mouthful of rice and mix it in with your mouth, and you can still taste a lot of fish flavor.
Rao Xiaoqing couldn't help but praise: "The sea bass is so fresh. This casserole cooking method is quite flavorful. It's especially salty and fragrant with fermented black beans."
Lin Baoqin had just eaten three pieces of fish in a row and couldn't stop.
She nodded and said, "It is indeed very fresh, and the fishy smell has been removed very well. It tastes only of the freshness of the fish, and the salty and savory flavor of the fermented black beans is very rich. There is absolutely no fishy smell, which is so friendly to customers like me who have a sensitive palate!"
Fang Ruizhu usually doesn't care much for fish; she doesn't particularly like it, but she doesn't dislike it either. She just tries it occasionally.
However, when it comes to fish dishes in Gu's private kitchen, she can't do it in the usual way at all. She really liked the gastrodia elata and fish head soup last time. It was fresh, sweet and fragrant and left a lasting impression. Not only did she drink the soup, but she also went to poke at the fish head meat to eat.
She also loved this braised sea bass in a clay pot. She just ate two pieces of fish, biting into the meat and skin together. Her mouth is still full of the salty and savory flavor of fermented black beans and the fresh aroma of fish.
She laughed and said, "This fish is really good. I only knew that sea bass could be used to cook with pickled fish or steamed sea bass before. I didn't expect that sea bass cooked in a casserole would be so delicious."
"Yes, I feel that the dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen are prepared in a very fresh and delicious way. They have never disappointed us," Rao Xiaoqing said.
The three of them continued eating, their chopsticks constantly reaching for the pot of sea bass.
As you eat, you'll find that this casserole-baked sea bass is really plentiful. Apart from some onions, ginger, and garlic at the bottom for seasoning and aroma, the entire casserole bowl is filled with sea bass meat, stacked in two layers. The three of us ate quite a lot and still had a lot left over.
Of course, while eating fish, I also took a look at the pickled cabbage and pork slices and steamed chicken with five-finger peach that came earlier. After all, even the most delicious fish can get boring if you eat it for too long. It's good to have some pork slices with the salty and sour taste of pickled cabbage and tender and juicy chicken to change things up. The delicious taste kept me in my mouth and kept me in a pleasant state.
Rao Xiaoqing, who initially said she would resist eating rice, finished a large bowl of rice first. The three meat dishes in front of her were so delicious that they went perfectly with rice. Whether it was the pickled cabbage with sliced pork or the casserole-baked sea bass, they were all savory and flavorful enough to be eaten with rice.
If you scoop a spoonful of sauce onto the rice beforehand, the plump and soft rice grains will definitely taste of pickled cabbage or fermented black beans.
Steamed chicken with five-finger peach is mainly served with rice to enjoy the original flavor of the chicken. The broth ladled from the dish is also poured over the white rice, making the rice taste more fragrant and sweet, with a subtle chicken aroma, which is quite delicious.
Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu finished their bowls of white rice with various kinds of meat, letting out satisfied sighs and saying that they were full.
Rao Xiaoqing laughed and said, "You guys take a breather and rest to digest. There's still a dish of stir-fried chives and dried tofu that hasn't been served yet."
As soon as she finished speaking, the shop assistant brought over a plate of stir-fried chives and dried tofu, and Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu burst out laughing.
Sister Zhou looked puzzled, not knowing what they were laughing at, since she hadn't done anything wrong.
Fearing she might misunderstand, Rao Xiaoqing gently explained the whole story. After listening, Sister Zhou smiled and said, "I see. You need to rest for a while to avoid feeling too full. Thank you for enjoying our food so much."
Lin Baoqin is a talkative person who is not afraid to express her feelings. She immediately praised, "The dishes you have served today are really delicious. The pork rib soup with night-blooming cereus is very sweet and refreshing. The pickled cabbage and pork slices are salty, sour, fresh, and tender with a rich flavor. The steamed chicken with five-finger peach has the original flavor with the fragrance of five-finger peach. The casserole-baked sea bass is fresh, fragrant, tender, and smooth, with the aroma of fermented black beans that goes very well with rice. The three of us haven't stopped eating since the dishes were served!"
Fang Ruizhu sat to the side and nodded silently in agreement.
Rao Xiaoqing also laughed and said, "Yes, coming here for a meal is truly a pleasure, it makes us very happy."
"Thank you so much for your kind words. I will pass them on to the boss. She will be very happy to hear them!" Sister Zhou said with a beaming smile.
Rao Xiaoqing nodded: "Haha, okay, please thank the boss for the 20% discount for us."
She lowered her voice slightly when she said this, after all, it was a discount given by the boss. Although there was a legitimate reason to explain if other customers heard it, it was better to avoid trouble and make things difficult for the boss.
When Sister Zhou heard this, she smiled and agreed, saying, "Please enjoy your meal," before running to the glass window to serve the freshly cooked meat and vegetables to the respective customers.
Rao Xiaoqing and the other two had just said they needed to catch their breath and rest for a while, and that they needed to digest a little more so they could have room in their stomachs. But as soon as the shop assistant turned to leave, they couldn't resist picking up their chopsticks and eating stir-fried chives and dried tofu.
This dish looks very green, with tender chives clustered together, and long, one-and-a-half-inch thick strips of dark yellow tofu mixed in, the exposed cross-section of which is the color of white tofu with a hint of soy sauce.
Rao Xiaoqing first picked up a piece of dried tofu to eat. The dried tofu was slightly harder than the usual tofu and the overall texture was rather dry. It was probably because it absorbed the aroma of the chives when it was stir-fried with them and then simmered with water, so it still tasted a bit moist.
The dried tofu has a rich bean flavor, is very chewy, and has a salty and savory taste. It tastes quite good when eaten with the aroma of chives.
There was no more white rice left, so Rao Xiaoqing ate only dried tofu, but she couldn't help thinking that the dried tofu was quite good with rice. After eating two pieces of dried tofu, she picked up a piece of chives with her chopsticks.
The chives look tender, and when you bite into a mouthful of them, they are still very fresh and tender. The fresh aroma of chives mixed with salty flavor instantly fills your mouth. As you chew, you can taste the juice in the chives, and at the same time, you can also taste some bean flavor.
I must say, stir-frying chives and dried tofu together is a perfect match; neither interferes with the other, and they complement each other beautifully.
Upon hearing this idea, Rao Xiaoqing chuckled softly, drawing the attention of Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu, who were also happily eating stir-fried leeks and dried tofu. She then explained the idea with a smile.
Lin Baoqin shook her head with a laugh: "Xiaoqing, you still have the imagination as always. I suddenly thought of that saying, 'turtle and mung bean,' hahaha."
Fang Ruizhu pretended to be angry: "How could you say such things about our delicious chives and dried tofu? Is that appropriate?"
Lin Baoqin put down her chopsticks, clasped her hands together, and begged for forgiveness: "I was wrong, I was wrong. I affected Miss Fang's appetite. I'll punish myself by eating half a bowl of soup, okay?"
As he spoke, he picked up the bowl and placed it over the soup basin. He scooped up half a bowl of soup with a spoon and immediately picked it up to drink. He slurped it down with great gusto, and anyone who didn't know better would think he was drinking alcohol.
Fang Ruizhu shook her head with amusement: "Just reward yourself."
"Drink slowly, don't overeat again," Rao Xiaoqing advised helplessly. If you drink too much soup later, you'll feel uncomfortable again.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin Baoqin finished half a bowl of the night-blooming cereus and pork rib soup in one gulp, savoring the lingering fragrance in her mouth.
The three chatted idly, giving their stomachs a chance to catch their breath and digest, and every now and then they would pick up their chopsticks again to eat some meat and vegetables.
They had the same tacit understanding as last time: meat and vegetables could be packed up, but vegetables tasted much worse if eaten after a while, so they had to try their best to finish this stir-fried chives and tofu.
Fortunately, the three of them were still quite capable, and by eating and resting intermittently, they managed to finish the entire plate of stir-fried chives and tofu.
Lin Baoqin leaned back in her chair, secretly stroking her swollen belly under the table, and let out a heavy sigh: "I can't take it anymore, I can't eat another bite."
Fang Ruizhu felt that even her breath smelled like chives: "Fortunately, chives and dried tofu are not very high in calories. Eating more of them to supplement dietary fiber and protein is good for the body and won't make you fat."
"Anyway, it's good that we've finished eating." Rao Xiaoqing also breathed a sigh of relief and said this with a smile.
At any other restaurant, she could eat until she was seven or eight tenths full and then never touch it again. But at Gu's Private Kitchen, she was perfectly content even when she was stuffed.
Of course, she also gained a new insight: "Next time, we shouldn't eat too much at the beginning. We should restrain ourselves and save some room for the vegetables later. We must eat the vegetables first when they are served, so that we won't be as stuffed as we were today."
Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu nodded in agreement, saying that it made sense and that they would remember it and do so next time!
The three of them rested for a while, then waved to the staff to bring four takeout boxes and began packing up the leftovers.
Each of the three of them bought a box of different dishes: pickled cabbage and pork, steamed chicken with five-finger peach, and baked sea bass in a casserole. They each picked their favorites to take home for dinner. Fortunately, they each had their own favorites, so there wasn't much of a conflict between them.
There was still quite a bit of the bawanghua pork rib soup left. The soup and ingredients were scooped up with a ladle and put into a takeaway soup bowl. Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu had a tacit understanding and decided to give the soup to Rao Xiaoqing to take back and drink.
Lin Baoqin said, "This soup is very nutritious, you should take it home and drink more of it."
Fang Ruizhu laughed and said, "Yes, we should eat more of this. We'll come back to eat here again next time."
They were longtime friends and knew about Rao Xiaoqing's health condition.
Knowing their good intentions, Rao Xiaoqing didn't refuse and agreed with a smile: "Okay, thank you. Please rest assured, I will definitely finish all this soup to get more nutrition."
Lin Baoqin and Fang Ruizhu waved and laughed, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry."
They got up and went to the cashier to pay. The total bill was 260 yuan, plus 4 yuan for takeout. The clerk did some work on the computer and gave them a 20% discount: "Hello, the total is 211 yuan."
"Okay, thank you." Rao Xiaoqing smiled and thanked her, then scanned the QR code to pay with her phone.
The three of them walked out of the restaurant happily, saying that the meal was really good value, saving them more than 52 yuan, which made it even cheaper per person.
Lin Baoqin started singing: "Today is a good day, the weather is so sunny and clear..."
Rao Xiaoqing and Fang Ruizhu walked and laughed, humming along as they went.
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