Wang Dabao couldn't resist the group's enthusiasm, and since he hadn't decided on lunch yet, he agreed and decided to check out the state-run restaurant.
Actually, there were public-private joint venture restaurants at the entrance of Mao'er Hutong that provided breakfast and lunch, but those were basic meals.
Foods like white flour steamed buns, mixed flour steamed buns, porridge, cornmeal porridge, and pickled vegetables were common. More luxurious options included boiled eggs, tofu pudding, and meat and vegetable dumplings. Stir-fried dishes were unavailable.
Wang Dabao's cooking skills are not great, and he's too lazy to cook.
If you want to eat it, you can only buy it outside, or go back to the island and have the head steward, Wang Ba, cook it for you.
I'd heard long ago that the chefs in restaurants of this era were truly skilled, but I hadn't had a chance to try them since I've been here all these days. Today, I guess I'm finally getting my wish.
These days, although there aren't as many elaborate funeral rites, people are really particular about their ingredients, using only pure, green, and pollution-free ingredients.
Most importantly, each of the restaurant's chefs had their own unique skills, which were incomparable to the assembly-line chefs of later generations.
The group of five arrived at the state-run restaurant, Hongxing Hotel, which was the closest to the police station.
It was lunchtime, and when I entered the restaurant, I saw that three or four tables were already occupied. The four waiters had probably finished serving the dishes and were leaning against the counter chatting and laughing with the invoice clerk.
Wang Dabao, Director Zhao, the instructor, and two deputy directors found a slightly larger table and sat down.
"Comrade, please order."
Director Zhao beckoned to the waiter, then grinned at Wang Dabao, "The chef at this restaurant is no joke. You'll see once you try it. We're only here today because of you. Otherwise, if we had let those two treat us to a meal here, they probably wouldn't have been able to sleep at night."
"Slander! Old Zhao is slandering us!"
A deputy director in his fifties laughed and said, "There are five of us, so we have to order six dishes. We promised to treat Deputy Director Wang to a meal, so we have to eat well."
"That's right, we have to order at least six dishes."
Another deputy director chimed in.
When Wang Dabao heard this, he thought to himself, "Wow, five people and six dishes, what a grand occasion!"
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