1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 88 Master Zheng's skill level is truly exceptional! (Seeking monthly votes!)
Cold dishes are served first, which is a tradition of outdoor banquets.

But these cold dishes look really good today.

The braised pig ears were sliced ​​extremely thinly, and piled up on the plate, making them look quite substantial. Some of the slices even peeked out from the pile and were translucent.

The color of the marinade after soaking in the sauce is so beautiful, like bright red amber, with the cartilage in the middle adorned with patterns, making it look quite aesthetically pleasing.

You rarely see such thinly sliced ​​ear pieces at a typical outdoor banquet. The local cooks are busy preparing steamed dishes and braised dishes, so the cold dishes are all sliced ​​by the aunties who help out with the cooking. It's considered good if they can slice them evenly.

The chef's knife skills for today's cold dishes were excellent.

The braised pig's head meat is cut a bit thicker than the ear pieces, with a good balance of fat and lean meat. It is also soaked in the braising liquid, and its bright red color is extremely tempting. It is glistening with oil, and you can't help but imagine its oily texture even before you taste it.

The fascia of braised beef shank is as colorful as amber, making it look equally tempting.

The last serving of cold chicken salad was particularly eye-catching.

Each chicken nugget is coated in bright red chili oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The spicy aroma of the chili oil is already wafting through the air, making you want to swallow your saliva.

In some places, cold chicken salad is also known as "saliva chicken" because its appearance is so tempting that it makes your mouth water just looking at it.

These leaders usually have good meals at home and often attend banquets held in public areas.

Nine-bowl feast is nothing special to them; the local chefs' skills are all pretty much the same, and eating too much of it can feel greasy.

Every family has its own unique cold dishes, and these three look pretty good today.

"These braised dishes and cold chicken salad look really good," Deputy Director Sun Yan said with a smile. "Zhou Yan, did you learn your skills from the old lady?"

"You've really mastered the art of presentation," Huang Chen said with a smile.

When they came to visit during holidays, the old lady would sometimes invite them to stay for lunch.

If you go to another restaurant, they might refuse, but the old lady's braised dishes and cold dishes are so delicious that I usually bring an extra bag of rock sugar and shamelessly insist on having a meal with her.

Not to mention Suji, you can't find such delicious braised dishes and cold chicken even in Jiaozhou.

We can only eat it once or twice a year, and sometimes just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

The old lady smiled and nodded: "He learned it from me. He's self-employed and runs a restaurant near the textile factory. He's learned most of my skills."

"That's wonderful!" Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Whether it's good or not, we'll only know after we try it." The old lady said with a smile, "Don't be shy, the dishes are all served, let's start eating."

Since the old lady had spoken, everyone followed suit.

Sun Yan picked up a piece of ear, without dipping it in chili powder, and fed it directly into his mouth.

The braised pig ears, soaked in the savory aroma, have a soft and chewy texture with a hint of crunchy bone. The savory aroma bursts in your mouth, becoming more fragrant with each chew, resulting in an exquisite taste.

Correct!
This is the taste!

It tastes exactly the same as what the old lady made; you can't tell the difference.

After swallowing, the lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth is a long-lasting, unforgettable aroma of braised food.

Sun Yan picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then let out a satisfied sigh: "Well done, this braised pig's ear is truly a great dish to accompany wine!"

On the other side, Huang Chen tasted a piece of braised pig's head.

With one part skin, six parts fat, and three parts lean, the pork head meat has a tender and juicy texture when you bite into it. The slight thickness adds a meaty feel that goes perfectly with the pork head meat.

The braising sauce and oil blend together, making it rich but not greasy, tender but not mushy, and incredibly delicious to chew!

If not prepared properly, pig's head meat will have a strong odor and be greasy.

This dish in front of me is simply the pinnacle of braised pig's head!

The flavor of the braising sauce and the thickness of the slices complement each other perfectly; neither can be omitted.

Huang Chen also took a sip of wine and exclaimed, "This braised pig's head is delicious. Zhou Yan's skill level is already eight or nine points above that of the old lady. Next time I crave braised food, I can go to his shop to eat it."

That's really great news!
The others who tried it also praised it highly.

Sun Yan looked at Zhou Weiguo with a hint of envy and said, "Weiguo, you're really lucky to have such a good meal."

Zhou Weiguo smiled and nodded: "Zhou Yan's cooking skills are indeed quite good, and he learns things very quickly."

He had just tasted a bite of braised pig's head and was actually a little surprised. How could Zhou Yan have learned it in just a few days?

The braised food I made tasted slightly different from what the old lady made, but it was already excellent.

"Let me try this cold chicken salad again. The last time I had the cold chicken salad made by the old lady was the year before last. Since then, when I've had cold chicken salad made by other people, it always feels a bit lacking." Sun Yan picked up a piece of chicken with skin from the bowl.

The red chili oil evenly coats the chicken, seeping into the bone crevices. Sesame seeds sway gently with the chicken. Before you even take a bite, the numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorn oil and the smoky fragrance of red chili oil fill your nostrils.

The chicken was put into the mouth and chewed.

Oh!
This chicken skin is so crispy! You can even hear the sound when you chew it.

The chicken is tender yet firm, with a satisfying chewiness. The sesame seeds burst open as you chew, adding a fresh and flavorful touch. Even the bones are spicy and delicious.

It has all seven flavors: numbing, spicy, sweet, salty, sour, fresh, and fragrant!
The various flavors are balanced and harmonious, with a rich and layered taste. It's fresh, fragrant, and delicious, making it incredibly flavorful.

Some cold dish chefs only focus on the presentation of their cold chicken, with the flavor only on the surface. It tastes good at first, but becomes less and less flavorful the more you chew.

But the chicken flavor has already permeated the chicken meat, making it more and more fragrant the more you chew.

"Absolutely amazing! This cold chicken salad is absolutely delicious! The five flavors are perfectly balanced, it's unbeatable!" Sun Yan exclaimed, completely won over.

Upon hearing this, the others could no longer resist and also picked up their chopsticks to try the cold chicken.

"It's really delicious! Even better than the state-run restaurants!"

"The cooking time was perfect! The chicken skin was crispy, and the meat was tender yet chewy, not mushy!"

"This chili oil smells so good! It would be perfect for mixing with noodles!"

Everyone praised it highly and frequently raised their glasses, instantly creating a lively atmosphere.

"Weiguo, what's the name of Zhou Yan's restaurant?" Huang Chen asked.

He stays in the town dormitory from Monday to Saturday, and it's quite convenient for him to ride his bike to the textile factory for a meal; it only takes ten minutes.

Upon hearing this, everyone else also looked at Zhou Weiguo.

These four cold dishes alone are worth trying.

If guests come over, just pack these four dishes to take home, and then cook two more simple dishes. The guests will be very satisfied.

Some guests are suitable for family dinners, and there is such a demand.

“It’s right at the entrance of the textile factory, Zhou Erwa’s Restaurant,” Zhou Weiguo replied. “Okay, I’ll try it another day.”

……

In those days, there weren't so many elaborate wedding ceremonies. When the bride and groom entered the house, they were served tea to mark the bride's new address. After the wedding banquet was served, chopsticks were distributed to everyone.

Second Uncle Zhou Ze toasted the guests sitting on the threshing floor, and didn't forget to advertise for Zhou Yan: "These cold dishes are braised and mixed by our Zhou Yan. If you like them, go to his restaurant next time. His restaurant is right at the entrance of the textile factory, and the workers at the textile factory love to eat there. His business is booming."

The guests already raved about the cold dish, so they naturally responded enthusiastically after hearing this.

Everyone knows that Grandma Zhang makes excellent braised dishes, but you only get to eat them when the Zhou family holds a banquet, which is quite a rare treat.

Now that Zhou Yan has learned the old lady's skills, she even opened a restaurant, so it will be much easier to eat there in the future.

"Old man, this is exactly the taste, not bad at all! I'll get a serving every week to take home with my drinks from now on, it's really great!"

"Great! Now we can each have a few more slices."

Zhou Hongwei looked at the old man and grandfather whispering and found it a bit funny. He quickly picked up a piece of ear and put it in his mouth.

Delicious! It really is delicious!

Is Zhou Yan serious?

They actually learned how to make Zhang Zuzu's braised dishes.

Look at those two, they're almost moved to tears.

As everyone ate, the hot dishes were served one after another.

Stuffed in a bowl, braised pork belly with salt, stuffed pork belly, steamed pork with rice flour, braised chicken, pearl meatballs, Dongpo pork knuckle, and pork tripe soup—these are the eight famous dishes.

A braised carp was also served.

Nine large bowls, accompanied by four cold dishes.

This table full of meat and dishes looks delicious and looks amazing!

This looks much better than what most rural cooks make.

With all the dishes served, the chef and his assistants were finally able to relax.

Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, who was covered in sweat, and said with a smile, "The three of us are really amazing."

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang smiled upon hearing this. It was their first time organizing a large-scale banquet, and so far it seemed to be going quite well.

"Everyone has worked hard today. We've reserved two tables here. Please come and sit down to eat." Zhou Jie brought over the dishes and arranged for them and the helpers to sit down and eat.

The head chef holds a very high position at banquets; a special seat is reserved for him, and the host must have someone accompany him.

"Zhou Yan, is there any more cold chicken salad and pig ear slices? The leaders' table is almost finished eating." Zhou Jie pulled Zhou Yan aside and asked in a low voice.

"We're out of pig ears, but we have an extra plate of cold chicken salad. You can take it." Zhou Yan turned around and brought him the extra plate of cold chicken salad.

"Alright, go sit down first and keep your master and Master Zheng company. You've worked hard today." Zhou Jie picked up the cold chicken and left quickly.

"Come on, let's eat!" Aunt Zhao shouted to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Momo had already sat down at the children's table to eat. As the darling of the whole group, she hadn't stopped eating since she woke up in the morning, so there was no need to worry about not having enough to eat.

On the contrary, because she was worried that she would eat too much, Aunt Zhao had emptied her pockets three times.

“Okay!” Zhou Yan replied, quickly following and sitting down next to his master.

There was another meal tonight. Given Zheng Qiang's low alcohol tolerance (he can't drink more than one cup of alcohol), Zhou Yan poured him a cup of tea.

"Let's drink tonight, until we're completely drunk!" Zheng Qiang picked up his teacup, looking quite bold.

Master Xiao smiled without saying a word, "That's too soon."

Criminals will return to the crime scene to admire their masterpiece.

The chef would secretly hide to observe the guests' reactions.

"This braised pork belly is absolutely delicious! It's truly the work of a master chef!"

"This garnish is truly delicious! It's also great with sweet potato noodles!"

"The braised chicken is truly delicious! This soup is absolutely amazing!"

"Chef Xiao's cooking skills are absolutely superb! No wonder he's the head chef of the textile factory!"

The steamed dishes today received unanimous praise from the guests, who also showered Chef Xiao with compliments.

The same nine dishes, with similar ingredients, can look completely different when prepared by different chefs.

Master Xiao picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and smiled slightly, displaying the demeanor of a master.

"This braised fish is also great today! It's spicy, sour, and sweet, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and very flavorful."

"The fish is so tender and there's not a trace of fishiness. No wonder it was prepared by the chef at Rongcheng Restaurant! He's really skilled!"

"Things have gotten better for us too. We can now enjoy the flavors of Chengdu restaurants right here in the village."

Zheng Qiang's braised fish was unanimously praised by the guests, and even the aunties who helped at the table said it was delicious.

Zheng Qiang's lips curled into a wild smile.

That's right! That's exactly the effect we wanted!

Master, I didn't let you down!
"Master Xiao, please try my braised fish and give me some pointers," Zheng Qiang said to Master Xiao with a nonchalant expression.

"Master Zheng is joking again. What advice could I possibly give? Everyone who ate it praised it. The braised fish at Rongcheng Restaurant must be exceptional. I'll try it and then ask you for your guidance later," Xiao Lei said with a smile.

Zheng Qiang's mouth almost stretched to his ears after hearing this. He waved his hand and said, "Oh, no way. Master Xiao, just ask whatever you want. My master said that communication among colleagues should be open and honest so that we can learn from each other and make progress together."

Zhou Yan pursed her lips, going through all the painful things in her life in her mind, and almost couldn't suppress her smile.

Chef Xiao picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish belly meat, coated it with the thick broth, and put it in his mouth. He savored it carefully, picked out two fish bones, and nodded, saying, "Hmm, this fish is spicy and fragrant, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The broth has been completely cooked into the fish meat, and the fishy smell is suppressed very well. The broth is also perfectly seasoned."

"Chef Zheng's control over the heat and seasoning is impeccable; his skill level is truly exceptional!"

After hearing this, Teacher Zheng was beaming with joy, his eyes darting left and right, almost floating on air, and he smiled so brightly.

“I think your skill in making braised fish is on par with my senior apprentice Xu Yunliang. If you make a dish, he might have to back down,” Chef Xiao continued.

"I..." Master Zheng was about to say something modest when his eyes suddenly widened, and he turned around sharply to look at Master Xiao. "You...who did you just say?"

　Another long chapter~
　　Asking for a monthly ticket!
　　There will be more updates tonight!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)