1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 191 So delicious I cried? (6k-page compilation)

Lin Zhiqiang entered the restaurant and greeted Zhao Tieying, saying, "Sister-in-law, are there any empty tables? I brought some friends to have a meal."

"Director Lin is here." Zhao Tieying glanced around the shop and pointed towards the kitchen, saying, "There's a table left over, please sit down. I'll come over and take your order in a bit."

"Okay." Lin Zhiqiang turned to Qian Siyuan and said, "Mr. Qian, we were lucky; we managed to get the last table."

“Then we are indeed very lucky.” Qian Siyuan nodded with a smile. The restaurant was not big, but it had nearly twenty tables, and the hall was full of textile factory workers.

At first glance, it looks like a cafeteria.

As he walked further in, Qian Siyuan looked around at each table, observing what dishes people were choosing to eat.

He recognized Mapo Tofu; he had it at the Guocheng Silk Factory canteen the day before yesterday. It was spicy and numbing, and tasted alright, except it was a bit salty, but it went well with rice.

He had also tried twice-cooked pork before. There was a restaurant in Chengdu that made it quite well, though it was a bit fatty.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes lighting up as he looked at the bright red shredded pork with green peppers on the table: "Director Lin, is this... Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish-flavored Shredded Pork)?"

"Fish-fragrant shredded pork?" Lin Zhiqiang followed his gaze and saw a plate of freshly served dish in front of the guests at the next table: shredded winter bamboo shoots, shredded wood ear mushrooms, and stir-fried shredded pork. It really was fish-fragrant shredded pork.

However, does Zhou Erwa Restaurant serve this dish?
Lin Zhiqiang looked back at the menu and saw that there was indeed a new wooden sign in the stir-fry area. The new dish for today was shredded pork with garlic sauce, which cost two yuan a serving and was placed in the same row as twice-cooked pork.

"Yes, it's shredded pork with garlic sauce," Lin Zhiqiang nodded.

Qian Siyuan's throat bobbed, his voice slightly hoarse, "Then let's order a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce."

"Okay, then I'll order one." Lin Zhiqiang nodded.

The three of them took their seats.

Lin Zhiqiang pointed to a wooden sign on the wall and said, "Mr. Qian, take a look and see what dishes you would like to eat, and order a few more."

Qian Siyuan looked at the menu for a while, then shook his head with a smile: "I don't know much about Sichuan cuisine either. Director Lin, you're familiar with this Sichuan restaurant, so you can order whatever you like."

"I wonder what Mr. Qian's tastes like? Would you like to order a few light dishes?" Lin Zhiqiang asked, looking at him.

Qian Siyuan said, "I actually have a pretty strong palate. I'm quite used to the food in Sichuan. I don't need to deliberately order light dishes, otherwise I'll miss the fun of Sichuan cuisine."

"Understood, then I'll order a few representative dishes to try." Lin Zhiqiang nodded, and just then Zhao Tieying came over to order. She ordered braised beef, braised beef, a platter of braised vegetables, Mapo tofu, stir-fried pork liver, and shredded pork with garlic sauce.

Five dishes and a soup are more than enough for three people.

He originally wanted to order a dish of crucian carp with agastache, but Qian Siyuan said he didn't eat crucian carp because it had too many bones, so he gave up on that idea.

Braised crucian carp with agastache is also a very distinctive Sichuan dish. After all, in many places, crucian carp is considered waste after being used to make soup because of its many fine bones.

But there are many ways to cook crucian carp in Sichuan cuisine.

Crucian carp, which is tender and easy to flavor, is quite popular.

It seems that people from Sichuan are naturally good at eating fish, and even many children as young as six or seven can eat fish very well.

Qian Siyuan looked around; the restaurant gave him a somewhat peculiar feeling.

It can't compare to modern restaurants in the United States, nor to luxuriously decorated hotels in Chengdu; it's just a typical small, individually owned restaurant common in county towns and small cities.

The floor was rough cement, without even floor tiles, but the walls were painted with a white lime plaster to make the hall look brighter and more spacious.

Incandescent bulbs hung above the tables, and because the wattage was not very high, the whole restaurant looked slightly dim.

In the United States, he definitely wouldn't have entered a restaurant with such an environment.

Yet, in this very environment, the floor is swept clean, the tables and chairs are spotless, and there's not even a trace of grease on the tabletops.

While he was eating at a grand hotel in Chengdu, his sleeves were stained yellow by the oil stains on the table.

On the contrary, it's not as meticulously prepared as this small restaurant.

He started from scratch, so he pays more attention to these details.

This alone greatly increased his liking for the small restaurant.

Everything should be viewed in context. In this small town in southern Sichuan, where rammed earth houses are everywhere, the restaurant is already a relatively decent cement building.

Those eating there were also employees of the textile factory, which had the highest income in town.

The prices on the menu are similar to those at Rongcheng Restaurant, which is probably on the expensive side for this town.

He believed in the people's choice.

However, his gaze kept drifting to the shredded pork with garlic sauce on the next table. Seeing the surprised and satisfied expressions on the faces of the guests eating the pork made him even more eager to try it.

Is that the taste?

Lin Zhiqiang observed him for a while, then asked with a smile, "Mr. Qian, do you like shredded pork with garlic sauce?"

Qian Siyuan withdrew his gaze and smiled, "To be honest, this is the first time I've seen this dish since I came to China. It looks very good."

"Mr. Qian's ancestral home is Zhejiang Province, right?"

Qian Siyuan nodded: "My father is from Hangzhou. When I came back this time, I went to Hangzhou to pay respects to my ancestors and met my father's older brother, who is my uncle. He is eighty years old."

"It's quite a coincidence that my wife is from Hangzhou, and I also worked in Hangzhou and Suzhou for a few years."

"You're from Shanxi, you studied abroad, married a woman from Hangzhou, and now you're settled in Sichuan for work?" Qian Siyuan chuckled. "You certainly have a rich experience."

"I studied technology, so I can go wherever I'm needed, which is fine," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. "The Jiaozhou Textile Factory is doing very well now. The newly introduced production lines have reached the international advanced level, and the technology is constantly improving. It will definitely get better and better in the future."

"It's clear you have excellent technical skills, and you handle interpersonal relationships perfectly well. You're very organized in your speech and actions," Qian Siyuan said, looking at him. "I entered China through Hong Kong this time, went to Guangzhou, then headed north to Hangzhou, and then to Sichuan. Along the way, I've seen China flourishing, with all kinds of industries, companies, and individual businesses growing rapidly. Everyone's talking about starting their own businesses. With your abilities, why not give it a try?"

Qian Siyuan lowered his voice and stared at Lin Zhiqiang.

Lin Zhiqiang's gaze did not waver as he smiled and said, "Mr. Qian, you are joking. The textile factory is becoming more and more prosperous, and the technological upgrades and iterations all need me. I certainly will not start my own business now."

Qian Siyuan smiled and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he said, "Let's talk about Jiaozhou. How many years has Director Lin been in Jiaozhou? Are there any places worth visiting in Jiaozhou?"

Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, "I've been in Jiaozhou for three and a half years. I've traveled around the surrounding areas during holidays. When you come to Jiaozhou, you definitely have to see the Jiaozhou Buddha. Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, this is the largest cliff carving in China and it's worth seeing. It's quite magnificent."

Secondly, there's Mount Emei, which is known as the most beautiful mountain under heaven. If Mr. Qian has enough time, it's definitely worth climbing it once; it will surely leave a lasting impression on you.

Of course, what Jiaozhou is most renowned for is its diverse cuisine. Niuhua Malatang, Mucheng Sweet-Skinned Duck, Suji Qiaojiao Beef, Bobo Chicken… each has its own unique charm, and you might not be able to find these dishes again after leaving Jiaozhou.

Qian Siyuan nodded repeatedly, glancing at his secretary sitting beside him: "I'll write it down and definitely try it when I have the chance."

"Yes," the secretary replied, taking out paper and pen to quickly write it down.

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan heard Lin Zhiqiang's voice and guessed that he had brought his overseas Chinese clients to dinner.

I don't know how the business deal went, but from their conversation, they seemed to be getting along quite well.

"Here, have some braised beef with ribs." Zhao Tieying brought over two bowls of braised beef with ribs and placed them on the table.

"Is this the Suqi Qiaojiao Beef you were talking about?" Qian Siyuan frowned as he looked at the beef soup in the earthenware bowl in front of him.

No, it wasn't just beef; he thought he saw tripe covered in granules? Or intestines cut into sections?

He was born and raised in the United States. Although he inherited his parents' eating habits to some extent, going to school, working, and starting his own business made him fully integrated into American society. He has always kept his distance from offal.

Beef intestines, beef tripe... This is terrible!

Qian Siyuan frowned, not daring to think about it further.

“Yes, this is Qiaojiao Beef, a medicinal dish that has been passed down for many years. It has the effect of dispelling dampness and cold, and also has a very good nourishing effect. I often come here to drink it.” Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile: “This dish was improved and passed down from the recipe by Zhou Yan, the owner of this restaurant. He even made it into the magazine Sichuan Cuisine, the Time Magazine of Sichuan cuisine.”

"That's amazing?" Qian Siyuan's eyes lit up; he understood the metaphor.

"Let me get it for you to see." Lin Zhiqiang got up and took the magazine from the menu wall. "Look at this cover, isn't it 'Qiaojiao Beef'?"

Qian Siyuan looked closely and his eyes lit up immediately: "This blue and white porcelain basin is really nice!"

“I meant the soup in the bowl,” Lin Zhiqiang said.

"Oh, oh." Qian Siyuan looked at it more carefully and nodded, "It really is the same, the earthen bowl has been replaced with a blue and white porcelain basin, I didn't recognize it at first."

He took the magazine, flipped through a few pages, and exclaimed in amazement, "This magazine is quite professional. I never expected that a small restaurant owner from this town could appear on the cover of a magazine."

"The reasons are all written in the interview. Perhaps after reading it, you will change your opinion on Qiaojiao Beef and have some new feelings about beef offal." Lin Zhiqiang turned to the interview page in the magazine.

"The boss is so young?" Qian Siyuan looked at the photo above and was a little surprised.

“Zhou Yan is twenty years old this year, which is indeed very young.” Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile: “Just like you said, nowadays, individual businesses are booming across China, and young people are having more and more opportunities.”

“I thought chefs who could be called ‘master’ were all quite old.” Qian Siyuan looked down.

He reads very quickly, a habit he developed over many years of browsing industry information.

I finished reading the two-page interview in no time.

"This young man is quite impressive. I never expected that such a bowl of soup would contain such a legacy." Qian Siyuan closed the magazine and looked at the beef soup in front of him again, his eyes now showing more curiosity and a desire to try it.

A medicinal dish with a history of over a hundred years, a soup that has saved countless lives. According to the magazine, the soup is fresh and delicious, and worth a try.

After a slight hesitation, he still picked up the spoon and scooped two spoonfuls of soup into his small bowl.

The soup is clear and has a rich beef aroma, without any gamey smell.

He had eaten clear broth beef hot pot in Guangzhou, but the meat flavor wasn't as rich as this.

I blew on it to cool it down and took a small sip.

The soup was a little hot, with a mild taste and an extremely delicious flavor!

That's right, extremely!

A bowl of beef soup that looked so clear had such a rich and delicious flavor, without a trace of gamey taste. Glug, glug!
He drank the soup in the bowl in two gulps, and a warm feeling rose from his stomach to his brain, making him feel warm all over.

Drinking a bowl of hot soup like this in autumn and winter is so comforting!
The magazine interview and the delicious soup greatly reduced his psychological discomfort with offal, but when he picked up his chopsticks, he still took a slice of beef first.

"This is the dipping sauce for the braised beef. Because the soup is light, the beef and offal are eaten with chili powder," Lin Zhiqiang explained.

"Wrap it in chili powder?" Qian Siyuan hesitated. He liked spicy food, but seeing this plate of chili powder, he decided to be more cautious.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that it's all chili powder; the actual spiciness isn't as extreme as you might think. It's a fragrant and spicy flavor. If you're worried, you can dip a little bit first," Lin Zhiqiang explained.

Qian Siyuan first tried a piece of beef without any dipping sauce. It was a large, thin, and tender slice, cooked to perfection, and was exceptionally fresh and delicious.

Then he picked up another piece, dipped it in a little chili powder, put it in his mouth and chewed it. His eyes immediately lit up.

This chili powder smells so good!

Completely different from what he expected, the spiciness was not prominent at all. The aroma of dried chili peppers blended with the aroma of roasted sesame seeds, and a touch of saltiness was added, like the finishing touch, adding a spicy flavor to the originally delicious beef.

He had never seen a dish like this before: stewed in clear broth, then served with chili powder.

It's so Sichuanese!
Six slices of beef were quickly eaten, dipped in chili powder.

He picked up another piece of translucent tendon, dipped it in chili powder, and took a bite.

The originally chewy tendons become exceptionally soft and tender after long stewing, and they have a unique flavor when dipped in chili powder.

After finishing the tendons, Qian Siyuan looked at the tripe and intestines in his bowl, a conflicted expression on his face.

"Wow! This tripe is so crisp! It must be fresh tripe, it tastes so good!" The secretary sitting next to me had already started to eat heartily and couldn't help but exclaim.

The secretary works at the Hong Kong office and is more accepting of these foods.

After all, Fujian is adjacent to Guangdong, where people dare to eat anything, and Fujianese people eat one bite at a time.

"Xiao Wang, is it really delicious?" Qian Siyuan asked, looking at him.

Xiao Wang nodded and said, "Mr. Qian, you must try it. Such fresh and high-quality tripe is a rare find, and the cooking time is just right, with no gamey smell at all."

Upon hearing this, Qian Siyuan picked up a piece of tripe, dipped it in chili powder, squinted his eyes, and fed it to his mouth.

Click!

The crisp and chewy texture made his eyes widen immediately.

Eh?
It's not quite what he expected!

It has such a crisp and refreshing texture that it breaks easily with a single bite. Paired with chili powder, it becomes more and more fragrant the more you chew.

"It's not bad. This is my first time eating tripe." Qian Siyuan's chopsticks had already unconsciously picked up a second piece of tripe.

He tried beef intestines on his own initiative. Unlike the crisp tripe, beef intestines have a soft and tender texture. When dipped in chili powder, they taste oily and fragrant.

Taking sips of soup every now and then while eating was such a wonderful feeling.

In no time, the bowl of braised beef was finished.

Qian Siyuan took off his suit jacket and put it aside. He also unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt. In the late autumn, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

This bowl of appetizing beef soup made him feel completely comfortable.

The aversion to offal has been overcome by this bowl of soup.

It's not as scary as I imagined!

It's been cleaned thoroughly, and the texture and taste are absolutely superb.

Foreign media have demonized it too much; after actually tasting it, it's not like that at all.

When it comes to food, the Chinese are definitely the best.

A platter of braised beef and braised vegetables was then served.

After tasting it, Qian Siyuan also praised it highly.

"Is this bean curd skin? It smells so good, it's like eating meat." Qian Siyuan asked Lin Zhiqiang with surprise as he picked up a piece of bean curd skin.

Lin Zhiqiang explained, "This is dried bean curd sticks, a type of soy product. Soy milk is boiled in a large pot, and then a very thin layer of soy milk skin is peeled off from the surface and dried to become dried bean curd sticks."

"It's amazing! The Chinese are simply geniuses!" Qian Siyuan couldn't help but exclaim. "Compared to the US, it's a culinary desert. The few Chinese restaurants there are extremely bad and not authentic at all."

Next up was stir-fried pork liver.

"The color of this stir-fried pork liver is so beautiful, a bright red that looks very appetizing." With the experience of eating braised beef, Qian Siyuan took the initiative to pick up his chopsticks, put a slice of pork liver in his mouth, chewed it, swallowed it, and nodded, saying, "So tender! The texture is smooth and tender, and it's especially fragrant!"

Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, "The key to spicy pork liver is tenderness! However, there are only a few chefs who can achieve this. It is very difficult to control the heat. It is said that the pork liver only takes about ten seconds from going into the pot to coming out. It is very challenging for a chef to ensure that the pork liver is tender and that the customers will not get an upset stomach after eating it."

"A dozen seconds?" Qian Siyuan clicked his tongue in surprise. He took the rice his secretary had served him, shoveled a mouthful into his mouth, and then put a piece of pork liver into his mouth. It was delicious and went well with the rice.

"Mapo tofu." Zhao Hong brought the dish to the table.

Qian Siyuan's gaze was drawn to the Mapo Tofu in the earthenware bowl. It was white with a hint of red, glistening with sauce and oil, and sprinkled with green garlic sprouts and minced beef, making it look quite tempting.

He examined it carefully and said, "This Mapo Tofu looks a little different from the one I had a couple of days ago. Is this sprinkled with garlic chive leaves? The one I had last time was sprinkled with scallions, and there was more broth than this."

"Then you must try this. It's definitely more authentic than the one from Guocheng Silk Factory." Lin Zhiqiang said with a hint of pride, "The founder of Mapo Tofu opened Chen Mapo Tofu, and he sprinkled garlic sprouts on top. Sprinkling scallions on top is not the authentic way."

"Let me taste it and see if there's any difference." Qian Siyuan picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful of Mapo Tofu into the bowl, blew on it, and then shoveled a piece of tofu into his mouth.

The freshly cooked Mapo Tofu was piping hot.

Qian Siyuan's tongue scrambled two dishes in his mouth before the tofu cooled down. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It wasn't this hot last time he ate it!

As the pain on the tongue subsides, a numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant sensation arrives. The tofu has an extremely smooth and tender texture, and the crispy and fragrant beef sauce has infused the broth and permeated the tofu.

hot!
But it's delicious!

This is Mapo Tofu. What did he eat at the Guocheng Silk Factory last time?
The tofu wasn't very smooth and had a slightly beany smell. The meat sauce seemed to be made with pork, which had a slightly gamey taste. The seasoning was even worse; I only tasted the spiciness and numbing sensation. I ate a bowl of rice in a daze and drank several glasses of water in the afternoon.

In contrast, the spiciness of this Mapo Tofu is milder, allowing each flavor to be released perfectly.

They were so friendly to him, an outsider.

It's just a bit too appetizing.

The oily broth seeped into the rice; one bite, and it was incredibly fragrant.

"My God, this Sichuan restaurant is so delicious! It's unbelievable!" Qian Siyuan finally couldn't help but exclaim.

After arriving in Sichuan, he believed he had tasted many unique and delicious foods.

But today, in this small restaurant in a rural town, he felt like he had entered a paradise of delicious food.

Because of his parents, he has always had a great fondness for Chinese food.

After his parents passed away, his wife was not a very good cook and was busy with work, so she ate out most of the time. Occasionally, she would go to a Chinese restaurant, but the food was not very authentic, and the taste in her memory began to become blurred.

This trip back to China has gradually unlocked my memories.

The feeling was especially strong during today's lunch.

Qian Siyuan's Mandarin, spoken with a foreign accent, drew sidelong glances from several tables of guests nearby; he spoke in a very foreign and sophisticated manner.

Moreover, Director Lin personally accompanied them, dressed in a suit and tie, looking quite respectable, most likely foreign or Hong Kong businessmen who came to the factory to discuss business.

The silk produced by Jiaozhou Textile Factory was exported overseas, and even foreigners came to the factory for inspection. This was not uncommon.

Lin Zhiqiang smiled, enjoying the shocked expressions on the faces of these foreigners who had never tasted good food before.

"Bring on the shredded pork with garlic sauce, your dishes are all ready." Zhao Hong brought over the shredded pork with garlic sauce and gently placed it on the table.

A slightly sour and spicy aroma rises with the steam, wafting into your nostrils.

Qian Siyuan looked at the shredded pork with garlic sauce with a complicated expression, and his hand holding the chopsticks was even trembling slightly.

Lin Zhiqiang looked at him with some surprise. This overseas Chinese businessman from the United States always gave people a sense of humor and composure, but after the shredded pork with garlic sauce was served, he seemed to lose control of his emotions a little.
Qian Siyuan picked up a piece of shredded pork with garlic sauce and put it in his mouth. The salty, fragrant, sour, and spicy flavors came over him. His eyes gradually widened as countless memories flooded his mind.

"Baby, Mommy will make you shredded pork with garlic sauce today."

"Mom, but why isn't there any fish in the shredded pork with garlic sauce?"

"Because the baby can't eat fish yet."

"Then I won't eat it!"

"Not eating? I'll eat the Shu Road Mountain! One, two..."

"I'll eat! I'll eat right now!"

……

"Mom, I want to eat shredded pork with garlic sauce again."

"I can't do it anymore. If you want to be my son again in your next life, I'll be your son again..."

"mom--"

……

He slowly chewed and swallowed the shredded pork with garlic sauce, and two lines of clear tears slid down Qian Siyuan's cheeks.

(End of this chapter)