Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 184 Donglaishun

While they were chatting animatedly, things were bustling about. About thirty people, divided into four groups, each with four dishes, were being carried up the elevator by the handymen amidst the rumbling of the exhaust fans, where the dishes were then poured into large basins. By 11:30, the unique "exam" was over. Sister Jin led the handymen to clean up the kitchen, while Li Na led two waitresses to distribute the dishes.

After tidying up, they locked both doors and the four of them left the Cultural Palace and took a taxi to Donglaishun.

Donglaishun Restaurant is located on Guangrong Street, not far from Luyuan. It has its own processing and distribution center, which was next to Yingpan Cold Storage at that time. All its raw materials were processed by its own center, packaged, and delivered to the restaurant. It was also sold in supermarkets and shopping malls.

When they arrived at Donglaishun, Chen Hui and Chen Xiao were already waiting. Xiao Hong, carrying a small bag, was also sitting there talking to Chen Xiao. Xiao Wei came in, looked at Xiao Hong, and asked in surprise, "Xiao Hong? What brings you here? Don't you have class this afternoon?"

Xiao Hong looked at Sister Jin and Li Na following behind the two people and said, "You're here, Sister Jin and Li Na. I'll go back after I finish eating. I don't like hot pot; I'm tired of the cafeteria food. Besides, I've never been here before, so don't you miss me at all?"

Xiao Wei walked over with a smile and said, "How could that be? It's just that Lao Xia said you weren't coming, which surprised me. Let's go, have you ordered yet?"

Chen Hui said, "No, we just got here a little while ago. We were thinking of waiting for you guys to order some more so we could warm up."

A group of people walked into the restaurant. The operator came over to greet them and led them to a table. There weren't many people there at the moment, and the room was warm and cozy.

Xia Maosheng said to Chen Hui, "Hui, I've found you two capable assistants. Now you have someone in charge of the kitchen and the foreman."

Chen Hui paused for a moment, then turned to look at Li Na and Sister Jin. His eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "That's great, you're definitely a top player."

Chen Xiao, who was meeting Jin Jie and Li Na for the first time, overheard their conversation and whispered, "Who are those two? They're amazing!"

Xia Maosheng said, "The Cultural Palace Hotel has one person in charge of the restaurant and one in charge of the kitchen. The boss is often away, so they're the ones who manage everything. They're both very capable. Li Na said she'll find about ten pretty girls around 1.7 meters tall to work as waitresses for you. Oh, right, Hui Zi, the dorms... I forgot to arrange the dorms. Let's go over there after dinner and see how we can set them up. They need to be livable."

Chen Hui slapped his thigh and said, "Oh right, the dormitory! I completely forgot."

Chen Xiao asked, "Do we still need to set up dormitories?"

Xia Maosheng said, "It's essential to have dormitories in a large hotel; food and lodging must be provided."

Xiao Wei said, "Restaurants are so busy that people can't eat or sleep normally. No one can stand having to run back and forth like that."

Chen Hui said, "Let's do it, let's go over there and take a look. If it doesn't work, I'll ask Director Li for some ideas."

As they talked, they reached the table, and everyone sat down around it to order food.

Hot pot, also known as charcoal hot pot, is a specialty of northern China, distinct from southern hot pot. It uses a copper pot with charcoal burning in the center, where slices of meat or vegetables are cooked by dipping them in boiling broth. This differs from the mixed-cook style of southern China. The dipping sauces also differ. Southern sauces are based on sesame oil, with added minced garlic, Sichuan peppercorn oil, crushed peanuts, soybeans, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, salt, MSG, soy sauce, vinegar, fermented bean curd, and sesame seeds. Northern sauces are based on sesame paste, with added chive blossoms, fermented bean curd, soy sauce, vinegar, and chopped scallions and cilantro.

In the south, people eat it directly dipped in oil, which is called "oil dish". In the north, people dilute it with some soup when eating, which is called "flavor dish".

Southern hot pot features duck intestines, tripe, and blood curd as its main ingredients, accompanied by various vegetables, meatballs, and meats, but without staple foods. Northern hot pot features pork, beef, and mutton as its main ingredients, accompanied by vegetables, meatballs, and staple foods, as well as stir-fried dishes. Southern hot pot emphasizes spiciness, while northern hot pot is entirely mild.

In the North, people emphasize a balanced diet of staple and side dishes, but this isn't the case in the South. It's common to eat only vegetables and no rice. If you go to a restaurant in the South and ask what kind of staple food they serve, they'll usually look at you with great surprise: "You want to eat pig swill? No way!" They don't use that term.

Donglaishun is a halal restaurant and does not serve pork.

Back then, besides Lao Bian Dumplings and Li Liangu Pancakes, the more famous restaurants in Fengtian were Xilaishun, Fumanlou, and Donglaishun. Xilaishun and Donglaishun were both Hui Muslim restaurants that originated in Beijing, one in Wangfujing and the other in Xidan. Fumanlou was a local Fengtian restaurant, and at that time, Da Nan Fumanlou was quite prestigious.

Xilaishun can no longer be found in Fengtian (Shenyang), but its Xidan branch in Beijing is still there, while Donglaishun is thriving. The details of this situation are unknown, but operational problems certainly exist. No matter the business, if customers stop coming, it can't survive. Even if your father is the President of the United Nations, it won't help in this regard.

……

We ordered a hot pot, five plates of sliced ​​mutton, some green vegetables and radishes, and a few other hot dishes: braised beef, braised mutton, mutton shank, beef tendon, and mutton liver. These were all to be eaten—delicious and nutritious.

Lamb liver is remarkably effective in improving eyesight.

Before they had even finished their cup of hot tea, the dishes were served. The pot was on the stove, and the seven of them took off their coats and started eating heartily.

The broth is made with small seafood, like tiny dried crabs, dried shrimp, clams, and the like—not edible, just for flavor. Bone broth is added, and once it boils, finely chopped pickled cabbage is added. It's heated directly over charcoal, so it boils very quickly. Dates, garlic, ginger slices, and scallion segments are definitely included.

Once the soup boils, you can cook slices of meat in it. Northeasterners, regardless of gender, mostly love meat. All you can hear is the sizzling sound of boiling water hitting the hot walls of the copper stove. Steam, along with charcoal smoke and a fresh, fragrant aroma, rises up. After a few bites, you feel warm all over, and beads of sweat appear on your forehead.

Chen Hui helped Chen Xiao cook a few slices of meat, then turned to Xia Maosheng and asked, "Why are these meat slices cut so thin? And the pickled cabbage is cut so finely too. How much effort did that take?"

Xia Maosheng gave Chen Hui a disdainful look, ignored him, continued eating, and asked Xiao Wei, "How about some baijiu?"

Xiao Hong said, "Let's not drink anymore. Aren't we going to look at houses later? It'll be too cold going out after drinking."

Li Na said, "Come on, if you want to drink, I'll keep you company. I'd like some too. Let's drink less, otherwise it'll be really cold outside later."

The two shared a small cup, each drinking two liang (100ml) of Laolongkou liquor, which has been selling very well in recent years. Laolongkou is a sorghum liquor, a tribute liquor from the Qing Dynasty. Originally called "Shaoguo," it was a type of distilled spirit. Because it was brewed in the place where the Qing Dynasty rose to power, it was called "Longkou" (Dragon's Mouth), and its history spans several hundred years. Most of the baijiu in Northeast China originates from Shanxi (initially founded by Shanxi merchants), and Laolongkou is no exception.

Jin Jie has an outgoing and cheerful personality, but she eats in a very feminine way. She chews her food in tiny bites without showing her teeth, and she can take three or four bites of a slice of hot meat. Looking at the table, even Xiao Hong is eating a big slice in one bite.

Jin Jie kept her head down as she ate, but her eyes kept darting around, observing everyone. She looked at this person and that person, seemingly enjoying herself. Li Na said, "Jin Jie always eats like she's stealing food. It's so uncomfortable to watch. Jin Jie, can't you eat more? You take a big bite and I'll down a glass. I'm going all out today."

Jin Jie didn't say anything, she just chuckled, her face flushed pink, whether from the fire or from the heat.

(End of this chapter)