The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 461 You two are lucky!
To be fair, the fruit platter served by Fenyuan was among the finest of all fruit platters.

Even the most common watermelons and cantaloupes on the market are the sweetest, with extremely exquisite shapes, and every piece of fruit is impeccable.

But that doesn't change the fact that it's just a fruit platter.

Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an resignedly took turns eating, their appetites growing as they ate. Eventually, they lost their appetite and began discussing what the last dish might be.

"Zhao Cheng'an, do you think this guaranteed dish will yield sweet and sour carp?" Qin Huai asked wistfully.

"If the guaranteed dish has to be fish, I still want to eat braised silver carp with chili oil." Zhao Cheng'an expressed the same melancholy.

"Do you think it's possible for us to have a guaranteed minimum bet and then go for something big?"

"I want to eat braised silver carp with hot oil."

"At a time like this, do you only dream of being a silver carp drizzled with oil?" Qin Huai questioned from the depths of his soul.

Zhao Cheng'an was even more distressed, his distress tinged with hunger: "You won't even let me think about it? If I had known that coming early would end like this, I would have preferred to go with you to buy those damn sesame cakes. At least two sesame cakes could have filled my stomach. How about we finish this meal and then go buy sesame cakes? I think I can eat at least three sesame cakes, what about you?"

"I should be able to eat three sesame seed cakes, but I don't know why I don't feel full at all after eating a lot of cold dishes and fruit. In fact, I'm even hungrier," Qin Huai chimed in.

"What kind of filling do you want for your sesame seed cake? I'd like a beef sesame seed cake."

"Do you sell beef sesame cakes? I'll just buy some pork sesame cakes to make do." As soon as Qin Huai finished speaking, the aloof Zhang Guanghang came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of steaming hot fried double crispy sesame cakes.

Seeing that the hot dishes were finally served, Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an were both excited. After seeing that the dish was stir-fried double crispy, the two instantly felt that today's meal was worthwhile. Even if Chef Xia was angry, the last dish he served was a truly good one.

Deep-fried double crispy, a dish made with top-notch cooking skills.

The main ingredients are pork belly tips and duck gizzards (chicken gizzards can also be used; this stir-fried double crisp dish uses duck gizzards). Under normal circumstances, the cooking time for the entire dish will not exceed 15 seconds. It truly embodies the principle that a slight error in controlling the heat will result in a huge difference; even the slightest mistake in the chef's control of the heat will ruin the entire dish. It is a dish that absolutely utilizes the heat control to the extreme.

While mastering the control of heat, it also demands exceptional knife skills. The tip of a pig's belly requires a net-like pattern of cuts, and the duck gizzard requires a cross-shaped pattern. The difficulty of just these two types of cuts alone would be enough for an average chef to practice for decades.

Such top-notch cooking techniques naturally appeared on Fen Yuan's signature dishes. As for why it was "once," it's mainly because Xia Murui was getting old, her energy was not what it used to be, and she was too lazy to do such troublesome preparations, and the dishes she sold weren't as expensive as shark fin and sea cucumber dishes.

When Zhang Guanghang was at Fenyuan, Xia Murui was willing to make the stir-fried double crispy dish because his apprentices prepared the ingredients. A few years ago, when Zhang Guanghang went abroad to study his craft, Xia Murui simply removed the stir-fried double crispy dish from the menu and only made it when he felt like it. If he made it four or five times a month, he was considered to be in a good mood.

After getting the guaranteed double crispy fried dough sticks, Qin Huai and Zhao Chengan suddenly felt that their luck wasn't so bad today.

Such a top-notch dish should naturally be eaten while it's hot.

The two people, who were already starving from eating cold dishes and fruit, suddenly went all out, taking bites one after another, eating with gusto and gusto, as if they were starving ghosts, wishing they could even gnaw on the plates.

If Qin Huai were to use a game rating to evaluate this plate of stir-fried crispy pork belly, it would definitely be—

It can't be evaluated.

No relevant data found, rendering failed.

Cao Guixiang is also a very skilled cook, but her cooking style is actually different from Xia Murui's.

When she was young, Cao Guixiang worked as a full-time chef in Qiuxian County for a few years. Then she happily retired and became a housewife. She can cook elaborate dishes, but only when she is in a good mood and during holidays. Most of the time, she cooks home-style dishes.

Xia Murui, on the other hand, has been a front-line chef for more than half a century, working almost year-round. Her workload, her love for the chef profession, and her energy are all astonishing and unmatched.

The stir-fried double crisp is the greatest affirmation of Xia Murui's achievements over the past half-century.

At her age, Xia Murui may not have the physical strength to keep up, but her experience has reached a level that is unimaginable for ordinary chefs. The pure heat control required for dishes like "Oil-Fried Double Crispy" is enhanced by Xia Murui's almost overflowing experience, making it so delicious that it could easily surpass the taste of any chef today.

It's no exaggeration to say that Fen Yuan's stir-fried double crisp is the ultimate version of this dish that ordinary wealthy diners can enjoy.

As for why it's just ordinary wealthy diners, it's mainly because there's a retired master chef across the ocean who ranked first. If you're not so extraordinary that you can get him to cook for you personally, his stir-fried double crisp might be even more delicious. But Qin Huai hasn't tried it, so he won't comment.

Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an ate with a feverish enthusiasm, as if they hadn't eaten for three days.

After serving the dishes, Zhang Guanghang returned to the kitchen and found his master stir-frying diced pork with sauce while glancing at the monitor every now and then, seemingly distracted. He was multitasking, which risked going wrong, but it wasn't a big problem.

So what if things go wrong? Anyway, he won't get to eat this plate of stir-fried pork with soy sauce.

Stir-fried diced pork with soy sauce is also a dish that requires extremely precise control of heat, as it involves quick stir-frying to lock in the juices and ensure the meat remains tender. Before Zhang Guanghang could even finish his internal monologue, the stir-fried diced pork with soy sauce was ready.

Seeing the stir-fried diced pork ready, Zhang Guanghang quickly handed over the ingredients for the oil-drizzled silver carp. He also glanced at the monitor and found that the stir-fried double crispy dish was almost completely empty.

Zhang Guanghang: You eat so fast! Are you that hungry? No wonder you wanted to eat sesame seed cakes.

"Are they really that hungry?" Zhang Guanghang wondered to himself, while Xia Murui asked directly, "Ling Guangzhao wouldn't have starved the chefs attending the exchange meeting to save money, would he?"

"No wonder Qin Huai made her own yam cakes."

Zhang Guanghang: ...

“Master, I just heard them say they wanted to eat pork pancakes,” Zhang Guanghang relayed truthfully.

Xia Murui: ?

Do you love eating sesame seed cakes that much?

Xia Murui looked at Zhang Guanghang.

Zhang Guanghang: "...Master, we have no more dishes to move tonight. Oyster sauce lettuce won't fill us up."

"Go and count the ingredients again later, see if there are any left over, and if not, go and catch a couple more fish from the pond."

“Yes, Master,” Zhang Guanghang said, while his mind began to wander.

If the two guests outside have big appetites, will all the fish in Fenyuan Pond be killed today?
Zhang Guanghang thought.

For some reason, he had started to look forward to it.

When Zhang Guanghang came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of stir-fried pork cubes, Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an had already swallowed the last bite of pork belly and the last bite of duck gizzard, respectively.

The two of them weren't full, and even felt a little hungry, but they were already very satisfied.

Well, this is probably the satisfaction a professional chef feels when they eat top-notch food but are still not full.

Qin Huai even felt that he had gained a philosophical understanding from the food. Sometimes, it's not just about being full from good food that brings satisfaction; it's also about feeling satisfied even if you're not full from good food.

Just as Qin Huai was marveling at how he had actually achieved a spiritual level through a single meal, the stir-fried diced pork with soy sauce was served.

Stir-fried pork with soy sauce is essentially a dish of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside pork tenderloin cut into large chunks and coated with soy sauce, with a rich soy sauce flavor.

What does this pork dish signify?
Fragrant.

Qin Huai was stunned when he saw Zhang Guanghang carrying a plate of food toward him and Zhao Cheng'an. He even subconsciously turned around to look, wondering if he and Zhao Cheng'an had been so engrossed in their meal that they hadn't noticed the new guests behind them.

He turned his head and found that there was no one behind him. Zhang Guanghang coldly placed the stir-fried pork with soy sauce on the table, took away the empty plate in front of him, and said, "Stir-fried pork with soy sauce, please enjoy."

Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion and doubt in each other's eyes regarding their own mathematical abilities.

Weren't there already five dishes? Why is there still more?

"Um... excuse me." Qin Huai raised his hand slightly, choosing to ask directly, "Isn't our set meal supposed to only have 4-5 dishes? This is already the 6th dish."

"The two-person set meal guarantees 4 to 5 dishes, but that doesn't mean there will only be 4 to 5 dishes," Zhang Guanghang said casually. "Master is in a good mood today, so he can serve as many dishes as he wants."

Qin Huai & Zhao Cheng'an: !!!
It can be like this!!!

It turns out that the cashback from the package deals comes not only from the quality, but also from the quantity!
Qin Huai instantly forgot his lingering satisfaction and picked up his chopsticks to start eating heartily.

What do you mean by "not quite satisfied"? How can there be satisfaction if you're not quite satisfied? That's just a fantasy created to comfort yourself when you're starving and forced into a corner.

Eating is only truly satisfying when you eat your fill!

The satisfaction of eating braised shark fin with rice is true satisfaction!

While Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an were eating stir-fried diced pork with soy sauce, the guests at the second and third tables arrived. They were a couple and three middle-aged men who were obviously friends.

These five people were clearly regulars. Not only did they enter Fenyuan on their own, but they also calmly found a table and sat down. When they saw that Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an had already started eating, they even came over to take a look at their dishes.

"Stir-fried diced pork with soy sauce, Master Xia's cooking of this dish is also superb." The middle-aged man dressed casually said with a smile, and started chatting very familiarly. "It seems that there are only three tables of us left at 6 o'clock. You two young men came quite early."

Zhao Cheng'an was still very polite when necessary. He swallowed the diced meat in his mouth and nodded, saying, "This is our first time eating at Fenyuan. We accidentally arrived too early."

Hearing Zhao Cheng'an say that, the middle-aged man became even more enthusiastic: "Oh, is this your first time here? What dishes did you order? Would you like us to recommend some?"

"We couldn't get the signature dish, so we ordered a set meal."

The middle-aged man immediately understood, his smugness barely concealed: "It's normal to order a set meal if you don't get the signature dish. The set meal already has stir-fried pork with soy sauce, which is pretty good. At Fenyuan, you mainly have to be quick to grab the signature dishes. Just try a few times and you'll get them. The three of us had to try nine times before we finally got the shark fin soup!"

Upon hearing this, the couple, who had been sitting quietly playing on their phones, immediately looked up with envy: "Shark fin soup, Lao Fang, you're so lucky!"

"Hehe." Old Fang chuckled smugly, finished his act, and shut up, satisfied.

Although Zhao Cheng'an was a little envious, he wasn't too envious. After all, people don't envy things that are impossible to obtain.

Zhao Cheng'an ate a bite of diced meat followed by a bite of cucumber, lowering his voice and asking with anticipation for the next dishes: "Qin Huai, how many more dishes do you think we'll have next?"

"I don't know." Qin Huai shook his head honestly. "At most three or four dishes. Master Xia is in a good mood today, so the cold dishes and fruit platter at the beginning should be considered complimentary."

Zhao Cheng'an agreed, and his mood brightened considerably. He was starting to look forward to the meal more and more.

The other two tables of guests had already arrived, so the kitchen couldn't just serve Qin Huai and his companion. Zhang Guanghang came out first and served a cold dish to one of the two tables. Zhao Cheng'an asked about it out of curiosity and learned that this was a tradition of ordering food at Fenyuan.

Almost every table of guests orders one or two premium cold dishes, which is basically giving money away to Fenyuan. Those who can afford to eat here are not short of money, and even the cold dishes are of extremely high quality, so no one minds having some appetizers before the main meal.

"If that's the case, does that mean we only have three dishes left?" Zhao Cheng'an started analyzing again, but before he could finish, Zhang Guanghang served the dishes.

Qin Huai wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Zhang Guanghang was colder towards them than towards the other tables when he was serving them food.

"Please enjoy the oil-drenched silver carp." Zhang Guanghang said, then turned and left again.

Silver carp is not a particularly expensive ingredient. White silver carp, especially, is less valuable than bighead carp because it has more small bones, looser flesh, and can have a muddy taste if not prepared properly. Many small restaurants use white silver carp to pass off as bighead carp for profit, but this doesn't mean white silver carp is unpalatable.

There are many small bones, and a skilled chef with excellent knife skills can remove them in advance. The meat is relatively loose, but a chef with top-notch cooking skills can make it firm. If not handled properly, it will have an earthy taste. However, this is not a problem at all for a chef with excellent seasoning skills.

The reason why braised silver carp with oil became Fen Yuan's signature dish was because Zhang Guanghang loved to eat it. Also, because Zhang Guanghang was a child of mixed Chinese and French descent, he couldn't learn to spit out fish bones when he was young, so Xia Murui was extremely professional and meticulous in removing fish bones.

Of course, Xia Murui is now older and her eyesight is not as good as before, so she rarely does such meticulous things. Such complicated procedures are usually handled by Zhang Guanghang.

Zhang Guanghang has been away from Fenyuan for the past few years, which has resulted in the oil-drenched silver carp appearing less frequently on Fenyuan's dining tables than the stir-fried double crisp. The reason there are still silver carp in the pond is mainly because Zhang Guanghang occasionally comes back, and a few need to be kept in the pond to be caught and eaten as needed.

In a sense, getting a silver carp with oil drizzled on it from the set meal is like getting a hidden gem.

As soon as this dish was served, people at the next two tables immediately crowded around to watch, making envious noises:
"Oil-drenched silver carp, I haven't seen it in Fenyuan for a long time."

"You two are really lucky. Master Xia is in a good mood today. Normally, the set menu doesn't include dishes like this."

The envious voices stopped there. The oil-drenched silver carp was just a hidden gem, not a dazzling SSR. A few exclamations were enough.

This only applies to the other two tables of guests. For Zhao Cheng'an, the oil-drenched silver carp is the real SSR!

He wanted to eat all the way!

Now your dream has come true!

Zhao Cheng'an, even more ravenous than before, launched an attack on the oil-drenched silver carp, asking indistinctly between bites, "Qin Huai, do you remember which Guanyin I prayed to this morning? It was so effective!"

Qin Huai: ?
"You prayed to it yourself, don't you know which one you're praying to?"

"I don't know, I just found the picture online."

Qin Huai: ...

Send me the pictures later.

Qin Huai picked up a piece of braised silver carp with oil and inwardly praised Xia Murui's skill in cooking.

At the same time, he secretly glanced at Zhao Cheng'an.

They were all taught by the same master, so why is there such a big difference?

Although for Zhao Cheng'an, this same master was someone he had known for several lifetimes.

Regardless, the difference is significant.

In the kitchen, Zhang Guanghang worked silently while occasionally glancing up at the monitor.

Watching Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an wolfing down their food, seemingly no different from before, Zhang Guanghang couldn't help but wonder:

Just how bad was the food that Ling Guangzhao was providing these past two days? How could he have starved people like this?
What kind of fish are left in the pond now, and how many more fish does he need to get rid of?

I wish I hadn't loved eating fish so much when I was a kid; preparing fish is such a hassle.

Failed.

(End of this chapter)