Imperial Crown.

Chapter 164 Conquer the taste buds
On the third floor of the Wallace Hotel, everyone was discussing excitedly, wanting to know what Raven would do.

The most anticipated one is undoubtedly Fiona.

Ever since she had eaten Raven's noodles with soybean paste last time, she couldn't forget the taste. Although she had tried to imitate it several times in private, she could never grasp the key points, and she was too embarrassed to ask Raven how to make it. Now she can finally taste the Baron's cooking again.

The most curious one was Annuo. In her opinion, Raven was an outstanding noble and lord, and a magician.

He may be good at weapon handling, battlefield command, and magic casting, but when it comes to cooking, the two images simply cannot overlap.

Just then, footsteps were heard. Everyone turned around and saw Raven walking out with a huge copper pot in his hand.

This pot has a peculiar shape, with a thick round base at the bottom and a chimney-like opening on top. The pot body is surrounded on top like a giant swimming ring.

It was the old-fashioned copper hot pot that was common before Raven traveled through time.

Seeing him coming to the main table, the people next to him quickly moved aside. Just as Raven put the pot in the middle, Weisdong stood up and said, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Raven raised an eyebrow and said, "Open it and take a look."

Weisdon opened the lid of the pot and immediately showed disappointment on his face - there was only a pot of slightly milky white soup in the pot, with scattered dried red dates and mushrooms floating on top.

"How do I eat this?"

"You'll know in a moment." Raven smiled and clapped his hands. Immediately, dense footsteps sounded behind him.

A group of waiters came over, the two in the lead were carrying another copper pot, and the others had more things in their hands.

The beef, mutton, and pork are all carefully selected parts, cut into thin slices and spread on the plate, they look so fresh; the lettuce, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, radishes and other colorful vegetables are also washed and picked clean.

The only regret is that Xiongyingling is too far from the sea and there is no seafood to eat. However, the "Jinsha Fish", a specialty of the Jinsha River, is also delicious. It is cut into thin slices, the small thorns are shaved off, and placed in a fan shape on the plate.

Someone else brought some charcoal and poured it into the copper pot through the chimney-like opening on top.

Eric, who had a military career, was the first to react: "Are you going to cook this?"

Raven smiled and nodded, "Almost. But before that, there's something else."

Two food carts were pushed up, filled with bowls of prepared dipping sauces, both dry and wet, which were brought to each person.

These were all configured by Raven himself.

The dry ingredients are crushed peanuts, crushed sesame seeds, salt and cumin. It’s a pity that there are no chili peppers in the mainland, otherwise it would add a lot of flavor.

The wet ingredients are the dipping sauce for Old Beijing shabu-shabu meat, which is a mixture of peanut butter and sesame paste. Some cooked sesame seeds are sprinkled on it for taste. According to Raven's taste, some minced garlic and chives should be added, but considering the air quality in the public dining environment, it was omitted.

The soup in the copper pot was almost cooked, and now it was boiling. Raven picked up a pair of long serving chopsticks from the plate, picked up a few slices of fat mutton and put them into the pot.

The meat slices were blanched in boiling water and soon lost their raw red color. Raven picked them up and put them on his plate. "This is the overall process. If you are not used to using chopsticks, you can use a slotted spoon. I have also prepared a fork. Everyone, help yourself and have enough food and clothing!"

It’s not that Raven doesn’t want to take care of others, but there are simply too many people present and he can’t take care of them all.

Weisdon was the first to move.

With him taking the lead, others followed suit.

There is no technical requirement for hot pot itself. Although they don't know what the chopsticks in Raven's hand are, and they don't know how to use them, it doesn't stop them from using spoons and forks to push the meat into the pot. For a while, the house was filled with the aroma of meat.

But the three ladies didn't move. Raven thought they were being reserved because of their status. Just as he was about to show his gentlemanly manners, he heard Denise ask, "Raven, how do you use the chopsticks you just held?"

Lux also said: "Are these chopsticks invented specifically for this hot pot?"

This question stumped Raven. There was no special reason why he used chopsticks. He just thought it was convenient to use chopsticks when eating hot pot. He didn't expect that they would focus on this.

Just as he was about to deal with it casually, Raven found that An Nuo was also looking at him with curiosity, or to be exact, he was looking at the chopsticks.

They all seem very interested.

"In fact, it is very simple to use..." Raven was a little stuck when he said this. Using chopsticks is an instinct that every Chinese person has developed since childhood. When it comes to explaining the techniques and principles involved, he really has no clue for a moment.

So Lei Wen had to teach and demonstrate step by step how to hold and use chopsticks.

Even as a second-rank priest, Lux found it difficult to master the use of chopsticks. The ends of the chopsticks would spread apart or one of them would simply fall off, and she always failed to grasp the key points.

Perhaps it was because holding a pen and holding chopsticks were somewhat similar, Denise seemed much more talented in this aspect. She was able to use it without much teaching from Raven. Although she was not very proficient, her wrist was very stable.

Even An Nuo tried it and it was very steady. However, he would subconsciously use his magic power to steady the chopsticks every time. It was hard to tell whether he knew how to use it or not.

Denise cooked a few slices of beef, put more than half on Weston's plate, and then put the rest on her own plate.

Imitating Raven's example, Denise covered the beef with sauce and put it into her mouth. A smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, which she tried hard to suppress.

She thought Raven did this just to create a lively atmosphere for everyone to eat, but she didn't expect the food to taste so good.

The freshly cooked beef has a meaty aroma and a soft chewy texture, and the fragrance lingers on your lips and teeth after chewing it.

Especially the bowl of sauce prepared by Raven, with the fragrance of sesame paste, the smoothness of peanut butter, and the occasional surprising crispy taste provided by the cooked sesame seeds. It gives people great satisfaction after taking a bite.

Paired with the icy cool Angel's Tears, it can clear away the greasiness in your mouth and is truly irresistible.

On the other side, Lux stubbornly refused the mutton that Raven gave her, and instead tried hard to control her unskilled chopsticks to put the meat into the pot and boil it. She looked so serious as if she was fighting a war.

There is a problem with using chopsticks to pick up meat. If you hold it too tightly, the part held by the chopsticks will not be cooked. Lacus was very nervous and used the chopsticks very hard, which resulted in this effect.

She imitated Raven and loosened her chopsticks, hoping that the soup in the pot would cook the meat. This step was successful, but when she tried to put the chopsticks away again, she caught nothing - the chopstick heads had spread apart again.

"Let me help you." Raven said, without waiting for Lux to refuse, he held her white and tender palm and adjusted the position of her fingers: "Would you like to try again now?"

Lux stared at the pot like a young hunter. She took the chopsticks and reached out to pick up some meat. Although a few pieces of meat still flowed, she finally managed to hold a piece firmly.

Putting the mutton on the plate, Lux even forgot the existence of the dipping sauce and immediately put it into her mouth.

Two small feet in cloth shoes were facing each other, the head shook slightly, and there was undisguised satisfaction in the eyes.

This was simply the most delicious mutton Lux had ever eaten. It was tender and smooth, without the slightest fishy smell. Instead, it had a unique flavor. Taking a bite of the mutton was like drinking a big bowl of thick meat soup.

This is not just the satisfaction of getting results after hard work.

Another factor was that she picked up her chopsticks too late. A lot of meat had already been cooked in the pot, and the various flavor substances had already been fully released. Now the pot was no longer a simple soup base, but real broth!
"Here, try it, it tastes very good." Denise had mastered the use of chopsticks and the joy of serving and distributing food to others. Seeing that Annuo's plate was always empty, she placed a few slices of freshly cooked sirloin on her plate.

An Nuo nodded and said, "Thank you."

She picked up the fork, dipped the beef in the dry seasoning dish, put it in her mouth, and raised her eyebrows slightly.

Having traveled to many places on the continent, this was the first time that An Nuo had eaten beef cooked in this way. The beef was delicious, and the dry ingredients provided saltiness and flavor. It was not amazing, but it was considered a delicacy among the foods An Nuo had eaten. But when paired with the soft texture and sweet taste of the iced Angel's Tears, the delicacy became the ultimate.

I had only heard of the name of Angel's Tears before, but I didn't expect its quality to be much better than rumored.

This dinner at Raven's house made her appreciate more than just the food.

She has lived alone since she was very young. She cannot be said to be lonely and helpless, but she has no relatives or friends. The only person who has been with her for a long time is her magical pet Xiao Mo. This is one of the reasons why she is so persistent in wanting to establish an academy.

Now, everyone sat together, eating from the same pot. Denise thoughtfully picked up food for her. For Annuo, it was like a home she had not returned to for a long time, and she could be a member of this family.

When the academy opens in the future, she will definitely bring all the students to eat hotpot together!
"Ms. Denise, I want that pork."

Denise immediately picked up a few slices and said, "Okay."

She was worried that the food she had picked up for Weisdon would not be eaten by Weisdon.

It's not that it doesn't taste good. Weisdon likes this way of cooking very much, but the prerequisite is that he has to cook and eat it himself. His mother's love seriously deprives him of the joy of doing it himself, and she always picks vegetables that he hates for him. He almost runs away with his hand on the bowl.

Seeing that someone had distracted Denise, Weston let out a long breath and gave Annuo a grateful look.

Hotpot is a way of eating that originated from the market, and it is not elegant. As plates of meat were finished, new meat was served, and drinks were consumed, the atmosphere became more and more lively.

Eric likes to eat meat, especially big chunks and big bites. He didn't like hot pot at first, but when he saw Weston next to him fork a whole plate of meat and put it into the pot, it was like a new world had opened up for him, and he started to imitate him.

Use a fork to pile up the fresh meat on the plate, put it into the pot, break it up and watch it until it is cooked, then use a large colander to break it all out and put it on the plate, pour all the dry and wet ingredients on top, stir it lightly, shake your cheeks and start to eat.

In this way, the satisfaction provided is no less than that of large pieces of steak or pork chops, and because it is juicy and delicious enough, you can feel the gravy flowing in your mouth with every bite, which is really satisfying!
He had wanted to toast Raven, but the meat was so delicious, and Baron Raven himself was eating so attentively and happily that he didn't want to ruin that feeling, so he just started eating without any hesitation.

At the same time, as the inventor of the "big pile of shabu-shabu" eating method, Weisdon was not willing to lag behind.

After all, he was only fifteen years old, and what he hated most were the complicated and complicated table manners, especially now that he had lost his right hand, which made it very uncomfortable for him to dine in formal occasions every time. Hot pot was really the food he liked.

What made Visdon even happier was that he also received a red envelope from Raven today, which was a full three hundred gold coins!

Although there is some gap compared to the 3,000 gold coins promised before, it is still a considerable achievement.

When Visdon thought of the three thousand gold coins, he looked at Eric with a somewhat unfriendly look.

So just when Eric wanted to scoop up the freshly cooked meat from the pot, Weston was quick to scoop it directly onto his plate.

Eric was stunned for a moment, then put down another plate of meat. This time, before he could make a move, Weston moved again.

This scene made Eric angry and amused. He stopped eating and just kept eating meat, wanting to see how long Weston could finish.

The two of them ate one after another, and the speed was getting faster and faster. Until the sixth round, Weisdong shook his red head and said, "No, I give up. I can't eat any more!"

Eric laughed, poured a glass of wine for Weisdong, and raised his own glass: "I toast to Master Weisdong."

Weisdon also picked up his glass, and after they clinked their glasses, they drank it all in one gulp, making the atmosphere even more harmonious.

In contrast, the situation at the other table was a bit "hot", mainly due to Bowier and Gray Hammer.

Bowell whispered, "Hey, Gray Hammer, eat elegantly! This is the Baron's family dinner, we must make a deep impression on him!"

"Elegant? Elegant ass!" Sohei didn't care: "If you want to be elegant, be elegant yourself, don't make me hungry!"

As he spoke, he had already rolled up a large plate of meat with a fork and put it into the pot. When the outside was cooked a few times but the inside was still red, he took it out, put it on a plate, poured some dipping sauce on it, and started to eat it in big mouthfuls.

Seeing his look, Bowell lowered his head, looked at the scalded and wilted vegetables on his plate, and slowly started to cut them with a knife and fork, but the smacking sound of Sohei's lips and the wafting aroma of meat made his hands begin to tremble.

"Hey, Sohei, Bowell!" Poirot greeted them both, burping.

"Bowell and Sohei," Bowell corrected, insisting on having his name first.

Suohei lowered his head, still concentrating on eating, and didn't care at all.

"Oh, Sohei is eating. Sorry, I didn't see it just now." Poirot said, "I thought you couldn't eat because you were too short. Sorry."

Bowell was furious and was about to blurt out the word "racist", and then Poirot put a spoonful of meat on his plate: "Eat it, if you can't reach it, come to me, we are all family!"

The aroma of meat filled his nose, and Bowell finally couldn't hold it anymore. He sprinkled some dipping sauce on it and took a big bite.

Meat is delicious, only the upper class should eat it.

Really fragrant!

Seeing Bowell's face relax, Suohei showed disdain and continued to eat with big mouthfuls!
As the banquet progressed, the three ladies, who had small appetites, left first under the escort of Raven. Fiona also left with old Gordon, and the atmosphere became more and more heated.

Eric and Vollaf loudly recounted their heroic deeds on the Bloody Highlands, while Poirot and others began to take credit, saying that without their logistical support, these soldiers would have to run naked!

If they were not convinced by each other, they would rely on their drinking capacity to decide the winner. There was a constant sound of clinking glasses, mixed with shouting and booing. It was a lively banquet that lasted from day to night. In the end, except for a few extraordinary people, basically no one could walk on their own.

The hustle and bustle on the third floor attracted the attention of the merchants on the first and second floors. They secretly inquired about the situation on the third floor, but the service staff here were all trained by old Gordon himself and were very tight-lipped. They only knew that the food upstairs was a kind of food called "hot pot".

The name sounded interesting, and since the Baron was treating them to food, they naturally became curious and ordered hotpot. The merchant Ino was no exception.

When the hot pot was served, he was stunned. It turned out to be just a pot with fire in the middle, which made him quite disappointed.

But after the waiter explained how to eat it and he ordered a few plates of meat and ate them himself, he began to admire Baron Raven's wisdom.

Hot pot is a novel form of food and does not require a chef. Each diner cooks for himself, which is undoubtedly a very new thing for the nobles who have never cooked.

The meat and vegetables provided by Wallace Hotel are extremely fresh, and the sauces are quite unique, which is really a wonderful enjoyment to eat.

Especially since the store is equipped with a temperature control array, even if the pot is steaming, people will not feel hot. Combined with the ice-cold Angel's Tears, it is definitely value for money!
Moreover, other businessmen cannot learn it even if they want to - the construction cost of this Wallace Hotel is probably around 6,000 to 7,000 gold coins. Most businessmen simply don't have that much money. Even if they do, they don't have as much reputation as Baron Raven!

That night, as many guests left, the reputation of Wallace Hotel and hot pot spread, and everyone praised it.

Fiona was also very happy. This time the hot pot gave her a completely different experience from the noodles with soybean paste. The last time it was refreshing, but this time it was rich and fragrant, both of which greatly opened her taste buds.

What she liked most was not the meat, but the vegetables cooked in the pot. They were full of the aroma of the meat but did not taste greasy. It was simply her favorite.

The most important thing is that hot pot can be replicated at home, but I still need some advice on the dipping sauce.

After washing off the smell of hot pot, Fiona came to her grandfather's room early the next morning, but saw an unexpected figure. She was so surprised that she even forgot to be nervous:
"My Lord Baron, why are you here!?"

……

(End of this chapter)