Since we're in Haishi, we should definitely try the local specialties.
Their hotel was located in a bustling area of the city, surrounded by numerous shops selling all sorts of things.
Before leaving, Zhao Qinglan asked the front desk if there were any good local restaurants or eateries nearby.
The receptionist was the same one who checked her in; she also had a strong impression of Zhao Qinglan, this "big spender."
When Zhao Qinglan asked, the other party enthusiastically recommended two shops.
There happened to be a hotel nearby, and after asking for directions, they walked there.
Perhaps it's because the food here is really good, and it's a restaurant, but the place was already about 70-80% full.
Zhao Qinglan wanted to have a nice meal with her family, so she asked if there were any private rooms available.
Fortunately, there were still private rooms available, and they went in with the help of a waiter.
After receiving the menu, Zhao Qinglan looked directly at everyone.
What would you like to eat?
"I'm fine with anything," Li Huai said first.
The eldest brother and his siblings were unfamiliar with the local cuisine of Haishi, so upon hearing this, they all looked at Cheng Tao.
Fortunately, Cheng Tao knew a little about it. "Aunt Zhao, our braised pork, eight-treasure duck, poached chicken, and shrimp are all quite good."
Zhao Qinglan glanced down at the menu. All the dishes were available, so she ordered them all. In addition to the ones Cheng Tao had mentioned, she also ordered braised pork hock, sweet and sour spare ribs, sea bass, and crab roe buns.
Since these were all meat dishes, she added two vegetable dishes and a soup.
The staple food is naturally rice. Rice is the staple food of people in Haishi. Although Zhao Qinglan and the others usually eat more noodles and steamed buns, it is not that they cannot eat rice.
There were seven of them in total, and ten dishes and a soup were enough. She thought that should be about right; if it wasn't enough, they could add more dishes.
Because Zhao Qinglan ordered almost all expensive dishes, the waiter glanced at her several times.
When the group was talking, the waiter realized they weren't locals. He figured they were probably from out of town and wanted to try some local specialties, so he emphasized that when he told the kitchen what to order.
The head chef in charge of the kitchen immediately got excited, feeling that these dishes needed to be made with extra care, so that people from other places could also taste their delicious food.
Sure enough, he made a few more demands on the kitchen helpers and apprentices.
Zhao Qinglan was unaware that the head chef was taking them seriously.
While waiting for the food, Zhao Qinglan asked Cheng Tao what fun places to visit in Shanghai.
She only knew that Shanghai had the Oriental Pearl Tower in the future, but Pudong was still undeveloped, so how would she know what places to visit in Shanghai now?
Cheng Tao tried his best to explore the limited knowledge he had about his hometown.
It must be said that the food served at this high-end restaurant was quite fast. The first dish was served in about seven or eight minutes, and then another dish was served every minute or so.
Once all the dishes were served, the waiter closed the door to the private room and left.
Seeing so many dishes that he had almost never eaten before, Erwa's eyes lit up.
Zhao Qinglan had eaten some of these dishes in her previous life, but she didn't know they were local specialties of Haishi back then, and she had never eaten others before.
When enjoying delicious food, her professional habits couldn't help but surface.
Hmm, this Eight Treasure Duck is pretty good. It also has bamboo shoots, ham, chestnuts, and other ingredients inside.
The poached chicken is tender, juicy, and delicious.
The braised pork is fatty but not greasy, tender but not mushy, sweet but not sticky, and rich but not salty.
The sweet and sour pork ribs are delicious, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors.
Apart from Cheng Tao, who had just eaten at home, Zhao Qinglan and the others were all hungry. They were full of praise for the various dishes prepared by the chefs, which were even better than usual.
They didn't have Zhao Qinglan's precise and professional evaluation; they just had one feeling: it was delicious!
If it's delicious, then eat more! Originally, each person had a bowl of rice, but it was all gone in no time. Zhao Qinglan had no choice but to call the waiter for ten more bowls of rice.
The bowls used for serving rice here are small ones; people with big appetites really need to eat several bowls to feel full.
In the end, they ate more than twenty bowls of rice in total, and Cheng Tao, who wasn't very hungry, ate the least, only one bowl.
With so much rice eaten, there was even less leftover food on the table; every plate was completely cleaned.
Erwa put down his bowl and chopsticks and let out a burp.
The waiter initially thought that since there were only two adults in their group, they might not be able to finish all the dishes and rice they ordered.
When Zhao Qinglan went out to pay the bill, the waiter came in to clean up and was amazed by how clean the table was.
"Wow, they really can eat a lot."
She couldn't help but spread the word, and the head chef in the kitchen was incredibly proud.
The chubby master, hands on his hips, began to lecture his apprentices.
"Cooking is a skill; there are no shortcuts. If you do it well, the guests will be satisfied and give you face. If you don't do it well, nothing else matters. Today's incident is a perfect example. The fact that the guests finished all their food is the greatest respect they can show to us chefs. Do you understand?"
The apprentices all nodded in agreement; their master was indeed the most capable.
After scolding his apprentice, the fat master leisurely hummed a tune.
Although Zhao Qinglan and the others didn't eat as much as Erwa, they were all quite full.
Once you're full, you're too lazy to move. She was originally thinking of wandering around, but now she said directly, "Why don't we go back to the hotel and rest before we go sightseeing?"
Li Huai neither agreed nor disagreed, and the children had no objections whatsoever.
When they arrived at the hotel, Zhao Qinglan learned that Cheng Tao wanted to stay in Da Wa's room and didn't want to go home.
"Cheng Tao, Auntie doesn't mean you're not welcome, it's just that you've only just come back and you're not staying at home yet, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Aunt Zhao, it's okay. My grandparents are very easy to talk to. I'll call them in a bit and tell them I'm not going home today."
"Okay, remember to say it."
As soon as Zhao Qinglan left, Cheng Tao used the hotel room phone to call home.
Grandpa Cheng and Grandma Cheng were quite surprised to hear that their grandson wasn't coming back.
When the elderly couple learned that their grandson was going to stay in the room of a boy named Cheng Tao and experience some kind of hotel, they were both amused and exasperated.
They were initially worried that inviting the family over for dinner would put pressure on them, but now their grandson is acting like a country bumpkin, wanting to freeload in their hotel room.
They find it funny just thinking about it.
The elderly couple didn't know anything about the hotel either, so they had to ask their grandson, Cheng Ce, for help.
After learning about the hotel's price range and the basic information about Zhao Qinglan and her husband from Cheng Ce, they also took a high regard for this place.
When Secretary Cheng mentioned it to his family, he didn't mention Zhao Qinglan and Li Huai's identities. He only said they were the parents of his child's friend, and they assumed they were just ordinary people.
However, now Grandma Cheng is even more enthusiastic about inviting Zhao Qinglan and the others to her home for dinner.
After all, their grandson not only freeloaded off the food and drinks, but now he's even staying at their place. They've come all this way, so they should at least show some appreciation.
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