1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 177 Jiaozhou's Number One Mapo Tofu! (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets: 1133)

Watching Zhou Yan run his restaurant so successfully, making the small restaurant near the textile factory a success, Huang Ying felt a little envious, and every day she would come up with many new ideas for running a restaurant.

Feiyan Restaurant is a century-old restaurant in Jiaozhou, passed down through four generations. Its foundation is much better than Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

If she were to run it, she is confident she could do a good job.

Anyway, he's definitely more reliable than Huang Bing.

She used to think of herself as a child, eating and playing every day, always carrying a handful of candy and chocolate in her pocket, and living a very happy life.

But Zhou Yan's appearance changed some of her thoughts.

Zhou Yan is only twenty years old.

She's eighteen, which isn't young anymore.

It's time to start my own business and do something!

This enthusiasm even surpasses his attraction to Zhou Yan's appearance.

During this period, apart from coming to Zhou Erwa's restaurant, she spent the rest of her time at her own restaurant, learning accounting from her mother and receiving distinguished guests with her father.

The more I learned, the more I realized there were many intricacies involved, but it also became increasingly interesting.

She didn't know if it would work out, but she kept it in mind and planned to go back and discuss it with her parents to see what they thought.

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan could already hear Grandpa Wang's voice, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Wang Yu has also recovered, and now he can occasionally meet up with Qiu Qi for a meal. I guess they usually correspond quite frequently.

Good.

The meaning of reunion is simply to stay in touch.

As the bell rang to signal the end of the workday at the textile factory, workers poured out of the factory, their eyes invariably drawn to the cars parked at the gate, causing them to slow their pace.

Cars were already a rarity back then.

Not to mention a brand-new imported car with a black license plate.

"The black license plate belongs to a foreign businessman, right? Are they here to inspect the factory?"

"I don't think so. When foreign businessmen come to the factory for inspection, their cars are always driven into the factory. They always park in the parking lot in front of the office building, not at the factory gate."

"Maybe they're here to eat at Zhou Erwa's restaurant. I heard yesterday that Zhou Yan's braised beef with 'Qiaojiao' was on the cover of Sichuan Cuisine magazine. They must be guests who came because of its fame."

The guests were talking amongst themselves, their eyes turning towards the restaurant and landing on Duan Yuyan.

She wore a brown leather jacket over a beige wool sweater, paired with a black midi skirt and Mary Jane shoes. Her hair was styled in soft curls, and she wore a hat, diamond earrings, and a necklace that sparkled, making her seem to radiate light as she sat there.

The female workers' eyes lit up.

In Suji Town, and even in Jiaozhou, the female workers of the Jiaozhou Textile Factory were at the forefront of fashion.

Although they usually wear work clothes, on holidays or when there are group performances, they all dress up in bright red and green, competing to be the most fashionable.

But their fashion sense seemed a bit lacking compared to the woman in front of them.

In the past two years, textile factory workers have successively bought televisions for their homes, and the outfits worn by Hong Kong and Japanese drama stars have become a trend.

Sachiko shirts, bell-bottoms... these are all fashion styles I learned from TV.

Compared to the trendy clothes shown in the TV series, the local tailor's work looked somewhat clumsy.

She looked like a star straight out of the TV show, with beautiful and fashionable clothes, curly hair, fair and smooth skin, an elegant and composed demeanor, and sparkling jewelry.

With just one glance, everyone was certain that the car at the door belonged to this fashionable young woman.

On TV, these socialites and heiresses always travel by car.

Very reasonable.

Customers entered the store one after another.

Many girls chose to sit at the table near Duan Yuyan and her friends, wanting to get a closer look at their Hong Kong style outfits and learn from them.

Some people feel that this is a bourgeois invasion, and they avoid it and stay far away from it.

Duan Yuyan didn't care. Anyway, in Jiaozhou, she was always being watched wherever she ate, so she was used to it.

There's no way around it, being good-looking always brings some troubles.

She has known it since she was a child.

Mapo tofu? They've got a new dish!

"I saw it when I was eating noodles this morning! I originally wanted to eat at the cafeteria for lunch, but I still wanted to try Boss Zhou's Mapo Tofu."

"Mapo tofu is a famous dish in Chengdu! Last year, my third uncle went to Chen Mapo Tofu and ate there. He bragged about it for half a year afterward, saying that the tofu was even better than meat, and the taste was absolutely amazing!"

"Is Boss Zhou's version authentic? I feel like I've been eating in the cafeteria for so many years and I've never seen Chef Xiao make Mapo Tofu."

"Eighty cents a serving isn't cheap, considering tofu is only two cents a pound."

The guests were quite excited when they saw the newly added Mapo Tofu on the menu, and some were already preparing to order it.

At this moment, Zhao Hong came out of the kitchen with two servings of Mapo Tofu and served them to Duan Yuyan and Huang Ying respectively.

The guests' eyes immediately lit up as they looked over.

Duan Yuyan's gaze was drawn to the bright red Mapo Tofu, and she whispered, "This Mapo Tofu looks really good!"

"The sauce is glossy and oily, white with a hint of red, and you can smell the spicy aroma. This Mapo Tofu really looks good," Grandpa Wang nodded in agreement.

At the next table, Huang Ying had already filled her bowl with rice and was looking at the Mapo Tofu in front of her with shining eyes: "The thickening is just right! The tofu pieces are perfectly combined and don't fall apart at all. It's even made with beef sauce. It looks amazing!"

Every time she goes to Chengdu, she makes sure to have a meal at Chen Mapo Tofu. Sometimes, even if her husband has other plans, she'll still go and eat there herself.

There's nothing I can do; I simply can't find this taste when I go back to Jiaozhou.

Although Li Laosan's Mapo Tofu also used beef sauce, his thickening technique was poor, and the tofu didn't stick to the broth, greatly diminishing the flavor.

The Mapo Tofu at Leming Restaurant is also half a pound and eight ounces, and even the meat sauce is made with pork.

The Mapo Tofu made by Zhou Yan looks very similar to Chen's Mapo Tofu.

The glistening sauce, the green garlic shoots, the red broad beans, and the white tofu create a visually appealing dish that looks incredibly appetizing.

The cornstarch slurry was thickened just right, evenly coating the tofu; in professional terms, it was "bundled"!
Like a shell, it binds the tofu inside, providing the first layer of insulation. Then, a layer of oil is applied to the outside, making it difficult for the tofu to dissipate its heat.

Mapo tofu is all about being piping hot. As a side dish, it's best enjoyed with rice.

Huang Ying picked up a spoon and scooped a spoonful into her bowl first. The oil and soup quickly seeped into the white rice, giving it a glossy red sheen.

"Young lady, why don't you try this Mapo Tofu and see how it tastes?" the uncle at the next table said with a smile.

The other guests also looked at Huang Ying with expectant expressions.

With its chubby figure and round face, Huang Ying exudes a friendly aura and clearly has a particular authority on food.

In this day and age, it's impossible to achieve this physique without a substantial family fortune.

Two years ago, many people were still starving.

"Uncle, don't worry, this Mapo Tofu looks authentic." Huang Ying replied with a smile, picked up her chopsticks, and took some tofu from the bowl.

The tender tofu sank into the chopsticks as soon as they were picked up, trembling as if it would break at any moment.

Without over ten years of food-loving experience, picking up this piece of tofu won't be easy.

This small piece of tofu, coated in gravy and chili oil, topped with minced beef and sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn powder, was blown on and then fed directly into the mouth.

hot!
It's the first sensation felt on the tip of the tongue.

Numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, crispy, tender, and juicy noodles make their grand debut!

Huang Ying raised her eyebrows, making them seem like they were about to dance.

exactly!
That’s the feeling!
This Mapo Tofu is so authentic!

Huang Ying shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth. The rice, soaked in the broth, was savory, fragrant, spicy, and incredibly delicious!
A sound of swallowing saliva came from the side.

"Order it, don't hesitate! This tastes just as authentic as Chen Mapo Tofu! Spicy, savory, tender, and piping hot, the flavor is unbeatable!" Huang Ying turned to the uncle who had just asked the question and said, "Look at the amount of beef sauce in this serving, it's at least an ounce of beef, tender and incredibly fragrant! Is 80 cents a serving expensive? I don't think so! It's absolutely delicious with rice, if you don't, come find me, I'll reimburse you."

"Okay, I'll order one too!" The uncle nodded with a smile. The young girl was eating so heartily, and she was quite interesting to talk to.

Not only him, but the customers who were initially hesitant also rushed to place their orders.

No wonder it costs 80 cents a serving.

A serving of Mapo Tofu with a small amount of minced beef!
That's incredibly generous.

"Your expression and evaluation are a bit exaggerated. Is it really that delicious?" Huang Bing had just ladled himself a bowl of beef soup and saw Huang Ying eating with great enthusiasm, so he asked casually.

"It's so delicious it'll make you fly!" Huang Ying nodded, extremely confidently stating, "The best Mapo Tofu in Jiaozhou! Without a doubt!"

"Didn't the old man say that the best Mapo Tofu in Jiaozhou is at our Feiyan Restaurant?" Huang Bing didn't believe it.

"I blushed when I heard the old man say those words." Huang Ying pouted. "Of course, it wasn't wrong before Zhou Yan made this Mapo Tofu. But now, it's time to step aside."

"I don't believe it's really that delicious." Huang Bing picked up his chopsticks and was about to pick up some tofu.

“This is a soup dish, you have to use a ladle to scoop it into a bowl to eat it. If you pick it up and break it into tiny pieces, how are other people supposed to eat it?” Huang Ying glared at him.

Huang Bing's chopsticks were halfway extended when he pulled them back. This wasn't Huang Ying's invention; her old man had said it too.

Their family is very particular about food. Today, with the old man not around, he actually felt a sense of oppression from Huang Ying.

There's no other way but to have some soup for now.

At the next table, Duan Yuyan couldn't wait to scoop a spoonful of Mapo Tofu into her bowl.

When she first came to Chengdu, she went to Chen Mapo Tofu with her father. There were leaders present, and she only ate one piece of tofu before feeling too embarrassed to take any more.

I only remember it being spicy and numbing, and the taste was pretty good.

A spoonful of tofu made her eat almost half a bowl of rice; it was quite appetizing.

Today's Mapo Tofu is served in the same earthenware bowl as the Qiaojiao Beef, and the portion is quite generous, a full bowl, and it looks almost the same as the Mapo Tofu she remembers.

She had ordered it once before at Feiyan Restaurant, and it was okay, but it wasn't as amazing as Chen Mapo Tofu.

It even made her feel like it wasn't the same dish.

She tried to pick up the tofu, but it was too tender and broke apart with her chopsticks. After two attempts, it shattered into pieces.

Duan Yuyan looked at the cracked tofu in the bowl, then at the chopsticks in her hand. It seemed a little different from what she had expected.

"Use a spoon, this is soft tofu, it's not easy to pick up with your chopsticks," Grandpa Wang reminded him with a smile.

"Okay." Duan Yuyan took another spoon and scooped up the tofu from the bowl and fed it to her mouth.

hot!
The Mapo Tofu that had just been served was so hot that she was startled. If it weren't for the many people watching her, her first reaction would have been to spit it out.

Fortunately, the scalding sensation subsided quickly, followed by the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, then the spiciness of fermented broad bean paste, the umami flavor of minced beef and bone broth, and the aroma of green garlic sprouts.

The crispy beef topping is fragrant and tender, and the tofu is so tender that it melts in your mouth!
All her imaginings about Mapo Tofu were fulfilled in this one bite.

It tastes very similar to the one I had at Chen Mapo Tofu, but there are some slight differences.

like……

This one tastes even better.

It must be a difference in seasoning; it's not as salty, just right.

good to eat!

The taste and texture are absolutely amazing.

"This Mapo Tofu is really good, but it definitely needs to be eaten with rice; it's a great dish to eat with rice!"

Putting down her spoon, Duan Yuyan ladled half a bowl of rice for herself and quickly shoveled a mouthful into her mouth.

The fragrant and fluffy rice balanced the spiciness on the tongue and removed any excess saltiness, bringing unparalleled satisfaction.

It turns out that rice tastes exceptionally good when paired with certain dishes.

She scooped a spoonful of Mapo Tofu onto the rice, pressed it down with the spoon, and the tofu crumbled, scattering into the rice like snowflakes. She then scooped up a spoonful of the tofu and broth mixed with the rice and fed it to her mouth.

Duan Yuyan's delicate eyebrows lifted, and her expression brightened.

Mapo tofu with rice, this way of eating is absolutely amazing!
PS: (Mapo Tofu Rice) Bonus Chapter - Please Vote!

　Please give me a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)