Chapter 115 Visiting Song Ji's Restaurant in Search of Delicious Food
"Food Detective" is a popular local TV show, and Su Hang, as the host, is quite well-known. However, Su Hang has been feeling increasingly depressed lately.
At the beginning, the show was not well-known, and the production team had to find out where there was good food on their own. Then Su Hang, the young director Xiao Chen, and the cameraman Zhang Ge went to find out.
This is a genuine search for delicious food, without any commercial advertising, which is why the "Food Detective" program has been able to gradually gain popularity.
After the ratings went up, the production team became a hot commodity for the TV station, but troubles also arose. Originally, the production team took the initiative to find restaurants, but later it gradually evolved into the producer directly deciding and requiring the production team to visit restaurants that had paid sponsorship fees.
Of course, due to the strong insistence of the original production team, restaurants that accept bribes could not be featured in every episode. Therefore, the production team has adopted two methods for selecting restaurants: one is to openly list them on the show's official website and through audience text message recommendations; the other is to use a covert approach.
Of course, when making public statements, they only emphasize the first point.
Su Hang should have been satisfied with maintaining the status quo, but he was still young, having only graduated from university two years ago. Because of his family connections, he was well protected and still had some pure ideals and naivety. He felt that recommending those restaurants that accepted bribes would be a disservice to the viewers who watched their show every day.
Su Hang is also a foodie. Every time he visits those restaurants that require bribes and pretends that the food is absolutely delicious, he feels like he is lying through his teeth.
Therefore, Su Hang is always very happy when he visits restaurants that are actually recommended by the audience, as he neither disappoints the audience's trust nor fails to enjoy a good meal.
When visiting restaurants, the production team is always very careful to avoid letting the restaurant staff know their true identities before the food is served, and to experience and observe from the perspective of the most ordinary diners.
At that moment, Su Hang straightened his clothes, put on his mask, and entered the room to ask the receptionist, "Hello, I have reserved a table for three people for lunch today. My surname is Chen, and my phone number is xxx."
Before visiting a restaurant, Su Hang naturally first made sure to understand the restaurant's style and atmosphere.
Shen Hui smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Chen, please follow me."
Su Hang said, "My two friends will be here later, and we'd prefer to go to a private room."
Shen Hui said, "Mr. Chen, if there are three of you, I would recommend our main hall. You don't need to worry about privacy, as there are screens between the seats in our main hall."
Su Hang insisted on a private room. They had come to visit secretly, and it was too inappropriate to film a meal scene in the living room. Even if the private room was more expensive, Su Hang understood.
“Okay, please follow me.” Shen Hui didn’t insist, but answered Su Hang’s question, “The price is the same for the private room and the main hall, but it’s more convenient to eat in the main hall if there are fewer people.”
In fact, customers with four or fewer people tend to choose the main dining area when they come to Song Ji, as it is more convenient for everyone to pick up food.
Su Hang was quite surprised to hear this answer, and his goodwill towards Song Ji suddenly increased. It seemed that this was not a restaurant that liked to rip off customers.
Su Hang initially learned about Songji's name from a recommendation platform, but when he learned about Songji's prices, he thought they were too expensive and not affordable for the average person.
When ordering, Su Hang ordered some recommended dishes and then sat in the private room to wait.
Song Ji's food service was quite fast. Crispy pork, fish-flavored eggplant, shredded beef with pickled peppers, twice-cooked pork... one dish after another was served. However, Su Hang was wearing a mask and sat on the chair like a statue, not moving at all.
However, his eyes couldn't help but linger on the dishes, and his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably several times.
Isn't this too fragrant?
His stomach was rumbling with hunger, completely whetting his appetite. His anticipation for Song Ji's dishes reached its peak. He knew that restaurants chosen by the masses were never bad!
When Pang Ru, who was serving the dishes, saw this, she kindly said, "Sir, our dishes taste even better when they're hot."
Su Hang picked up his cup to take a sip of water, but then remembered his mask and slowly put it down, feigning composure: "It's okay, my two friends will be here soon. How much longer until all the dishes are served?"
Looking at the steaming, fragrant dishes, Su Hang could hardly resist!
Pang Ru said, "You also ordered a spring water sour soup fish. This dish uses freshly killed live fish, so it will take a little longer to arrive. I estimate it will take another fifteen minutes."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Su Hang a few more times. She felt that his figure and features looked somewhat familiar; he was tall and thin, and looked a bit like a model.
Is it because most good-looking people in the world are similar?
However, when facing the guests, Pang Ru, though curious, did not look at them for long, only glancing twice instead of once.
Su Hang asked, "Is it already being done?"
Pang Ru felt the voice sounded somewhat familiar and quite pleasant, so she nodded, "Yes."
Su Hang smiled and said, "Okay."
As soon as Pang Ru left, Su Hang immediately took off his mask, quickly picked up his chopsticks, and swiftly stuffed a piece of twice-cooked pork into his mouth.
This dish was served the fastest. The selected meat was premium pork belly, with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, and a beautiful shape. The slices of meat were pan-fried until they formed indentations, with translucent fat and firm lean meat, coated in a light layer of soy sauce. It exuded an extremely delicious meaty aroma at all times, which had already made Su Hang dizzy with temptation.
If it weren't for the fact that his colleagues were still waiting anxiously outside, Su Hang would have eaten long ago.
Now that he's getting ready to go out and pick up his colleagues, it's not unreasonable for him to have a piece of twice-cooked pork before going to eat, right?
There's still so much left on the plate; Brother Zhang and Xiao Chen definitely can't finish it all. Besides, this pork belly should be eaten while it's hot; the texture changes when it gets cold.
The moment Su Hang picked up the food, he came up with countless excuses for himself, but the instant he put the food in his mouth, all the excuses turned into, "It's so delicious, I can't resist!"
How can twice-cooked pork be so delicious!
Desperately suppressing the urge to eat another piece, Su Hang quickly chewed a few bites, turned around, and strode out of the private room.
We can't stop or turn back; our colleagues are still outside in the cold wind!
Su Hang rushed to the door and waved to Brother Zhang and Xiao Chen, who were hiding nearby.
Brother Zhang carried the camera to the front desk. Shen Hui reached out to stop him, but Su Hang deftly took off his mask, quickly introduced himself and his purpose, and even showed Shen Hui his work ID.
Actually, Shen Hui recognized him without his introduction. She had also watched "Food Detective" and naturally knew the host.
This is just too unbelievable!
The food detective actually visited Song Ji's restaurant?
Don't they have to pay to visit restaurants?
Song Ji definitely didn't pay. Last time they talked about "Food Detective" in the store, Manager Song seemed a bit confused, clearly indicating that he hadn't watched the show.
Even if Manager Song gets inspired by their conversation to advertise, he still needs connections to bribe people. Shen Hui knew this when she worked at Rongxia Xiaochu before; the manager had even found someone to bribe people.
But now, the host of "Food Detective" has appeared right in front of Song's restaurant...
This made Shen Hui feel a little dazed. Was she dreaming?
Su Hang was so tempted by the twice-cooked pork he had just seen that he couldn't help but ask, "Hello, may we go in and eat now?"
Shen Hui, whose professionalism has always been impeccable, quickly reacted, extended her hand, and her polite smile couldn't hide her genuine joy: "Of course, please come with me."
After leading the person into the private room, Su Hang immediately sat down in his usual spot, picked up his chopsticks, and prepared to eat.
When the photographer, Brother Zhang, saw this, he thought that Su Hang was being too unrestrained today. As the senior member of the production team, Brother Zhang still said to Shen Hui, "Hello, we don't need any other services. If it's not necessary, please don't bother us."
Shen Hui calmed herself down and said, "Okay, but there's one dish on your menu that's not yet served: Spring Water Sour Fish."
Zhang was puzzled. They used to work together so well. Su Hang would go into the store first to order, and then call them after the food was served. This way, they could capture the most authentic customer experience. Why was Su Hang acting so strangely today?
Brother Zhang glanced back and saw that the host of their program picked up his chopsticks and gently picked up a little bit of food, being very careful not to damage the plate, even though the dish was not fancy and looked like an ordinary home-cooked meal.
But this behavior... tsk!
Can't wait even a second? Are you that hungry?
Brother Zhang was disappointed in Shen Hui, but he covered it up and said, "Okay, just serve the food. We don't need anything else."
After the door to the private room closed, Brother Zhang didn't say anything more and immediately turned on the camera.
When the red light came on, Su Hang reacted instantly, his smile perfectly timed. He first used a guiding gesture to direct the audience's attention to the dishes on the table.
"Dear viewers, as you can see, we are now in Song Ji's private room..." Su Hang spoke standard Mandarin with clear and distinct pronunciation, which sounded very pleasant to listen to, but at this moment his tone had a hint of excitement that was not easily detected.
He didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks, because he had already secretly stuffed some food into his mouth while Zhang Ge and Shen Hui were talking. He pointed to the nearest plate and introduced it as if he were appreciating a work of art: "Let's take a look at this fish-flavored eggplant first."
Su Hang turned to the side, and Brother Zhang gave him a close-up. Su Hang's voice came through: "Fish-flavored eggplant is a dish that many viewers can make. Before coming to Song Ji, I was also curious why such an ordinary home-cooked dish was priced so high. But when I saw these dishes, my doubts were answered."
Su Hang picked up the serving chopsticks and slowly tasted a piece of eggplant. A happy smile immediately appeared on his face: "This dish can be said to be the textbook of Sichuan cuisine flavor. Its fish-fragrant sauce is sour, sweet, salty and fresh, and the proportions are so precise that it is as if it has been weighed with a balance scale. All the flavors are perfectly integrated into the sauce. The most rare thing is that the eggplant is cooked through and soaked in the soup, but its shape is still firm. This cooking technique is truly masterful."
As Su Hang spoke, he picked up another piece of golden, glistening crispy pork, put it in his mouth, and a crisp "crunch" sound was clearly transmitted through the microphone.
He let out a satisfied breath, his tone filled with genuine excitement: "Did everyone hear the sound of the crispy pork? This is the real 'crispy'! The outer layer of batter is thin and crispy, while the meat inside is still full of juice. The numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorns is the finishing touch, cutting through the greasiness and enhancing the fragrance."
"In many hot pot restaurants, crispy pork is served as a complimentary dish, but here it is a main dish that can take center stage, and you can taste the chef's absolute confidence in the oil temperature and cooking time."
Photographer Zhang Ge and Su Hang are old partners. The success of "Food Detective" is inseparable from Su Hang's expressiveness. Su Hang is very talented and quick-witted in hosting. Every time he tastes a dish, his facial expressions, words, and hand gestures can make a dish that is only 8 points delicious.
But Suhang performed exceptionally well today!
He continued to taste and introduce the food, but he never repeated himself. His expressions were even more vivid. He seemed to be tasting some divine delicacy with every bite of the food, as if he were floating on air with happiness.
Looking at the colors of the dishes on camera, Brother Zhang had to admit that the color combinations were very vibrant, making one's mouth water just by looking at them.
Brother Zhang has been in this line of work for quite some years, but this is the first time he's ever been unable to resist while filming, especially with the aroma of the dishes constantly wafting towards him, making it truly irresistible.
Watching Su Hang savor the food with such ecstasy, Brother Zhang wondered to himself, "Is it really that exaggerated?" At the same time, he couldn't help but feel envious. Being a host must be great; you get to be the first to taste even the dishes.
...
Meanwhile, Shen Hui immediately told Song Xinran about it, her excitement barely concealed: "Manager, 'Food Detective' is coming to our store!"
Song Xinran was cooking, and the noise from the kitchen made her not understand Shen Hui's words for a moment. She laughed and said, "Is this show really that good? You're thinking about it even at work."
Shen Hui raised her voice: "No, it's the production crew who came to our shop, they're in the private room right now!"
He Zhi understood immediately, and his reaction was even stronger than Song Xinran's: "What?! They've come to our shop? They've come to Song's Restaurant?!"
Shen Hui: "Yes!"
He Zhi immediately turned his gaze to Song Xinran, thinking to himself how much money the store manager must have invested; she must have gone all out.
Song Xinran was still a little confused: "Why are they in our shop? Who invited them?"
"Manager, didn't you invite them?" He Zhi blurted out.
Song Xinran: "No, I haven't watched their shows."
There was a moment of silence.
Shen Hui immediately said, "What should we do now? They're in a private room and said they don't need anything else and asked us not to disturb them."
Shen Hui can handle other things in the shop very efficiently and cleanly, but when it comes to such a big matter as the famous "Food Detective" coming to visit Song's restaurant, Shen Hui is a little unsure.
Not only Shen Hui, but everyone in the kitchen except Song Xinran was in a daze. People they usually only saw on TV were actually next to them? And they hadn't even sent a letter. Was this real?
Song Xinran thought for two seconds and said, "Then let's do it this way."
"How is it?" Shen Hui asked.
Song Xinran remained calm and composed, saying, "Just treat them like ordinary customers. If they don't want to be bothered, we shouldn't pay too much attention to them."
Shen Hui: "Is that all? Don't we need to do anything more? How about we bring them some snacks or drinks? Oh right, they still have a plate of spring water sour fish soup that hasn't been served yet. Let's put more fish slices in it so it looks more affordable."
The spring water sour soup fish was cooking on the stove at that moment, and He Zhi immediately wanted to start cooking when he heard this.
Song Xinran stopped her, saying, "No need, let's do it this way. Just like before, our restaurant's spring water sour fish soup is already quite a generous portion."
Shen Hui frowned slightly, but she would still obey Song Xinran's words: "Okay."
Song Xinran explained, "Since the 'Food Detective' program team visited Song's restaurant unexpectedly, they must have wanted to experience the treatment of ordinary customers. If we did something special, it would seem unrealistic. Besides, do you really think we're neglectful of ordinary customers?"
"Of course not," Shen Hui said. Although Song Ji's dishes are relatively expensive, they do not cheat on the portion sizes and ingredients. Customers who can accept the price do not feel that it is not worth the money.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "That's fine then."
She said thoughtfully, "In this light, the 'Food Detective' program is a rare gem of a show. Our restaurant didn't deliberately invite or promote them, but they came on their own initiative, and they even used a surprise visit format."
"No wonder Pang Ru and Zou Xiaoguang loved this show so much." I can still vividly recall the excited expressions on Pang Ru and Zou Xiaoguang's faces when they talked about it.
Shen Hui hesitated, wanting to say that the information she had received when she was at Rongxia Xiaochu was completely different from what she had heard before.
He Zhi also looked confused. This was not the process and procedure when the production team came to Rongxia Xiaochu to film before. Why is it completely different this time?
But regardless, with Song Xinran's words, they knew the main strategy for dealing with the situation.
After the sour fish soup was prepared, Shen Hui asked Pang Ru to take it in and told her about the special features of this table of guests.
Pang Ru's eyes widened instantly, and she stammered, "W-what? 'Food Detective'?! Really? They're really coming to our shop?"
Shen Hui had gradually calmed down and nodded calmly, saying, "Yes, don't be too agitated. You represent the reputation of Songji!"
Pang Ru was immediately filled with excitement, clenching her fists: "Okay, I will definitely stay calm! I won't disgrace Song's family!"
Shen Hui patted her shoulder: "While you're at it, see what they're doing."
Pang Ru nodded: "Okay!"
She looked at Shen Hui with admiration: "Sister Hui, you're amazing! You were so calm even after hearing this news. I want to learn from you!"
Shen Hui smiled faintly, thinking that the shock had already passed.
The calmest person should be the store manager, right? Everyone in the store stared wide-eyed at the news, looking incredulous, but the store manager remained calm and composed, as if he were talking about the weather.
That's someone from TV, a celebrity!
"Go serve the food, be careful," Shen Hui instructed.
Pang Ru nodded vigorously. She picked up the sour fish soup with both hands and walked step by step toward the private room. She felt that she was not going to deliver food, but more like a spy going to gather information.
Behind her, the store employees all focused their attention on her.
A short while later, Pang Ru came out empty-handed, closed the door to the private room, but looked somewhat dazed.
Shen Hui quickly stepped forward and asked, "How is it? What are they doing inside? Are you satisfied with the food at our restaurant?"
He Zhi stood awkwardly to the side. Although he didn't ask anything, his eyes were very anxious. His hands were twisted together so tightly they were almost like a pretzel. He was the one who made that fish-fragrant eggplant. He couldn't let anything go wrong!
Pang Ru's voice was a little dazed: "If I didn't know Su Hang, I would have doubted whether they were from 'Food Detective'..."
"What's wrong?" Shen Hui asked hurriedly.
Pang Ru: "As soon as I went in, they put the camera next to them and the three of them started eating together."
"Isn't this a TV show being filmed? The 'Food Detective' I watch on TV isn't like this."
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