1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 108 Fame Should Be Achieved Early! (Bonus Chapter 14 for Alliance Leader Yixiao Tianqing)

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Expand your restaurant's influence with the previous issue of "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine! The magazine's deputy editor is currently dining at your restaurant. He's on a research trip to Mount Emei and hasn't yet finalized the content for the next issue. Take the initiative, seize the opportunity, get featured in the magazine, and become a rising star in the culinary world!]

[Task Rewards: Reward rarity is determined by influence. Task Acceptance: Yes/No]

A notification popped up in Zhou Yan's eyes.

“This task…” Zhou Yan frowned. It might not be easy to complete.
The magazine has been around ever since, and he was even invited to visit the magazine office after he became famous.

Sichuan Cuisine was quite influential in the 1980s and 90s.

The Sichuan cuisine craze of the 1980s not only led to the proliferation of Sichuan restaurants, but also resulted in a surge in popularity of various Sichuan cuisine books and magazines across the country.

However, Zhou Yan still decisively chose to accept.

Fame and fortune are always intertwined. He wanted to make his family's life better, so whether it was building a house or moving to the city, he had to earn more money!

He won't stay in Suji forever.

But once he left Suji, he had no family or brothers to support him, and no elders to protect him.

His reputation will be his armor, helping him to forge a path in Jiaozhou or Chengdu.

He needs to make some plans in advance, even if it's just paving the way for a few years from now.

Those who have been swept up in the era of self-media are more sensitive to trending topics and opportunities.

He absolutely has to be in this magazine!
You should become famous as early as possible!

……

"So fresh! My eyebrows are practically falling off from the freshness!"

He Zhiyuan looked at the empty bowl in his hand, his face full of amazement.

The soup looks clear, but it has a rich and extremely delicious flavor, indicating that it has been simmered for a full eight hours.

I picked up another slice of beef and tasted it without any sauce.

The beef slices are large, thin, and tender, and the blanching time is precisely controlled, making them exceptionally tender and flavorful with a subtle milky aroma. Children and the elderly should really enjoy them.

Then he picked up another piece of beef, dipped it in the dry dipping sauce, and the tender beef was immediately coated with a layer of chili powder.

As soon as it was put in their mouths, their eyes lit up.

This dry dipping sauce is spicy with a hint of numbing sensation, and has a savory and delicious flavor, instantly enriching the originally bland taste of the beef.

The chili powder is made from a variety of chilies, combining aroma, spiciness, and freshness with distinct layers of flavor. With the addition of Sichuan peppercorn powder and salt, they blend together perfectly, making it a truly wonderful dipping sauce.

In Sichuan cuisine, many light dishes are best enjoyed with a dipping sauce.

For dishes like braised pig's trotters, Jianyang mutton soup, and meat-filled tofu, the dipping sauce is the finishing touch; the difference between a good and a bad one can be significant.

Of course, Sichuan-style dipping sauces come in all shapes and sizes, and every skilled chef has their own signature dipping sauce recipe.

The dish of dried chili powder served with the braised beef with chili peppers is probably the best way to enjoy it.

He then tasted the other dishes in the bowl.

The tripe is crisp and refreshing, the beef tendon is soft and chewy, and the beef intestines are tender and soft—each has its own unique characteristics and flavor, and they are all delicious!

The soup was incredibly delicious.

He Zhiyuan and Xiao Li shared a bowl of soup, and Huang Chen went to get them another bowl.

"Three people shared a bowl of beef offal soup, and the soup can be refilled for free? This owner is really generous!" He Zhiyuan was a little surprised. Such delicious beef soup would definitely cost money at other places.

"The owner of this restaurant is a 20-year-old young man named Zhou Yan. The one over there tending the hot pot of 'Qiaojiao Beef' is his mother, the one cutting the beef outside is his father, and the little girl swinging her legs over there is his sister. This 'Qiaojiao Beef' is made by Zhou Yan. He is indeed a capable young man," Huang Chen said with a smile.

"Twenty years old? So young?!" He Zhiyuan exclaimed in surprise, his interest piqued even more.

"Old Huang, this is such a good restaurant, why didn't you take me here last time? Why did you take me to eat at a state-run restaurant?" He Zhiyuan looked at Huang Chen with some resentment. "If you had taken me here, I would have put him on the 'Four Wonders' segment of the first issue of 'Sichuan Cuisine' this year, and this 'Qiaojiao Beef' would have become a famous delicacy in Suji."

“The last time you came, this restaurant wasn’t open yet.” Huang Chen rolled his eyes at him and said, “Later, you should try his braised dishes and cold chicken salad. It’s a family recipe. After you eat, I’ll tell you about its history.”

"Are you going to add some mystery to this?" He Zhiyuan became even more interested.

The dishes they ordered started arriving one after another.

"This twice-cooked pork is so perfectly cooked, it's like it's been fried into a lamp-shaped indentation. It's glistening with oil when you pick it up, quite skillful indeed." He Zhiyuan picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, rolled up a garlic sprout, and put it in his mouth. He chewed and savored it carefully, nodding repeatedly: "Authentic second-cut pork, made with high-quality local pork, the boiling time is just right, the twice-cooking is also perfectly timed, and the seasoning is just right. Quite skillful!"

"Editor-in-chief, how does it compare to Rongleyuan?" Xiao Li asked.

He Zhiyuan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "It's almost identical to what the master chef at Rongleyuan stir-fried."

"Such high praise!" Xiao Li was surprised and subconsciously looked towards the kitchen.

The twice-cooked pork cooked by a twenty-year-old actually received such high praise from the deputy editor-in-chief!
You should know that the deputy editor-in-chief once said that the best twice-cooked pork in his mind was from Rongleyuan.

Next came the shredded beef, which He Zhiyuan also praised highly after finishing it, and quickly ate half a bowl of rice.

Braised pig ears and cold chicken salad are served.

Huang Chen opened the bottles and poured a glass for each of them.

"What did his father do before? His knife skills are truly superb." He Zhiyuan picked up a piece of ear, so thin that light could pass through it. The braising liquid had soaked into the ear, giving it a beautiful amber color, with the cartilage in the middle adorned with patterns. "He's a butcher, the best butcher in Suji."

"No wonder your hands are so accurate!" He Zhiyuan suddenly realized, and then put the ear piece into his mouth.

The ear pieces are sliced ​​very thinly, resulting in an excellent texture. The soft and chewy ear pieces intertwine with the crisp and crunchy cartilage to create a wonderful taste. The crunching sound echoes in the mouth, and the aroma of the braised meat bursts between the lips and teeth.

He Zhiyuan unconsciously slowed down his chewing, swallowed, and then quickly picked up two more pieces and put them in his mouth. He closed his eyes, chewed carefully, and savored the taste.

"Such authentic old braising liquid! It's prepared perfectly! I've only had something similar once in western Sichuan, but it's nothing like this." He opened his eyes, his gaze filled with amazement, and looked at Huang Chen, saying, "You said the owner is twenty years old? This braising liquid is almost as old as him, a family heirloom?"

"Your mouth is indeed unfathomable." Huang Chen nodded with a smile. "The old lady of the Zhou family is surnamed Zhang. When she was young, she set up a stall selling braised food at the Suji Stone Bridge. Zhang's braised food was famous throughout Jiaozhou. After the turmoil, she stopped selling at the stall and has now passed on the craft to her grandson, Zhou Yan."

“Zhang’s Braised Meat! I heard the owner of Jiaozhou Feiyan Restaurant mention it. He said that the braised meat sold in the restaurant used to come from Zhang’s Braised Meat in Suji, which earned them a lot of fame and regular customers. Later, Zhang’s closed down, and Feiyan Restaurant’s own braised meat was far inferior, so they simply removed it from the menu, thus losing many customers.” He Zhiyuan picked up a piece of braised pig’s ear, thoughtfully saying, “If the tradition can be passed down to this level, one can imagine how delicious it must have been back then.”

"A top-notch snack to go with drinks." Huang Chen raised his glass and clinked it with his.

He Zhiyuan only took a small sip; he had something on his mind and didn't want to get too drunk.

He also tried the cold chicken salad. The chili oil was very fragrant, and the chicken had a perfect texture, but it didn't impress him as much as the braised pig's ears.

He's had better food; this cold chicken salad still has room for improvement.

Finally, a braised pig's trotter was served. It had been chopped twice, but the skin wasn't completely severed, so it was still arranged as a pig's trotter on a plate and brought to the table.

"Braised pig's trotters! Still hot!" He Zhiyuan's eyes lit up.

The color of this braised pig's trotters is so vibrant, the caramel color is quite even, a bright red, steaming hot. When you poke it with chopsticks, the skin trembles and a little bit of oil oozes out.

Who could refuse that?

"Come on, let's divide it." He Zhiyuan used chopsticks to pick up the tender meat skin and separated it. He cut the pig's trotter vertically and horizontally, dividing it into four pieces.

Without any hesitation, he grabbed a piece of the pig's trotter tip and took a bite.

The pork skin melts in your mouth, the tendons are soft and sticky, and they fall off the bone with a gentle bite. The braising sauce has even seeped into the tendons. You can't stop eating them, they're so delicious.

"This old brine is so fragrant, I feel like even a belt would smell good if you threw it in!" He Zhiyuan licked his fingers, still savoring the aroma, and looked at Huang Chen, saying, "Old Huang, I admit it now, Su Ji does have some skill."

Huang Chen looked at him with a smug expression, tilting his chin up: "You said in your letter that if you admit it, you'll punish yourself with three drinks."

He Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Let's pack these pig ears and take them home. We can drink them slowly tonight. It's not possible now. I want to have a chat with the owner later."

“Okay.” Huang Chen nodded.

Xiao Li, who was picking up a pig's ear with his chopsticks, froze. He looked at the pig's ear on his chopsticks, then at the two leaders, and awkwardly smiled as he put it back.

Xiao Li: Please feed me peanuts.

Zhou Yan brought out a plate of stir-fried pig liver and served it to the people at the next table.

"Zhou Yan," Huang Chen greeted.

"Mayor Huang, is there something you need?" Zhou Yan walked over with a smile.

He Zhiyuan looked Zhou Yan up and down, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

So young!
He's also quite handsome.

His white chef's uniform was spotless, and he was a towering 1.8 meters tall. His appearance was absolutely top-tier among chefs, just like a movie star.

Huang Chen had a very good impression of Zhou Yan and introduced him with a smile: "This is my friend, the deputy editor-in-chief of Sichuan Cuisine magazine. He praised your cooking highly and would like to get to know you."

"Hello, I'm He Zhiyuan, you can just call me Lao He." He Zhiyuan stood up, wiped his hands on his clothes, and extended his right hand to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan glanced at his still slightly greasy hands after wiping them, and shook them without hesitation: "Hello, Editor-in-Chief He, I am a loyal reader of Sichuan Cuisine magazine. It is an honor to meet you. Your magazine is so well done and of such high quality. I benefit a lot from reading it every time."

"Really!" He Zhiyuan's eyes lit up, his face beaming. He gripped Zhou Yan's hand tighter, his voice trembling with excitement. "It's wonderful that this publication can help our readers and young chefs! That's exactly what we aimed to achieve with this magazine!"

“Yes…” Zhou Yan’s smile froze a bit, because he could feel the other person’s sincerity and heartfelt joy.

In this era, there are always a group of idealists who strive for their ideals.

He'll definitely subscribe to Sichuan Cuisine magazine next time!
"Boss, have we caught our crucian carp with agastache yet?" a customer at the next table asked with a smile.

He Zhiyuan quickly let go of her hand: "You go ahead and do your work. We can talk slowly after you're done. Your braised beef and braised pork are so good. I really want to discuss them with you."

"Okay, please enjoy your meal," Zhou Yan replied with a smile, then turned and went into the kitchen.

Successfully establishing contact with He Zhiyuan and leaving a good impression is a good start.

He Zhiyuan watched Zhou Yan enter the kitchen, then leaned over and whispered to Huang Chen and Xiao Li, "Great! This boss seems very kind and easy to talk to, unlike his mother who's incredibly fierce. I think I made a good impression on him, right? I wonder if he'll be willing to do an interview with us."

……

　Thank you to Yixiaotianqing for becoming the first Alliance Master of this book!
　　I'll be updating extra every day for the next few days!

　　Actually, I've been very diligent this month, updating more than 8 words a day, and staying up late every night to write!

　　So, please vote with monthly tickets! I'll add more chapters tomorrow! That's all!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)