I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

After leaving Grandpa Huo's house.

Li Zhibai walked ahead with an aloof air, while Su Su followed behind, occasionally sniffing.

While listening to stories at my uncle's house just now, this somewhat sentimental girl cried her eyes out. Her eyes are still red, and she looks like a little panda who has just cried.

Walking to the car, Li Zhibai opened the door, sat in the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt with an air of nonchalance, and then took out his phone to type a message for Su Su to see.

[Sister Su, which restaurant in Jiangcheng has the best braised pork?]

Su Su pulled a tissue from the glove box and wiped her eyes, asking with a slightly nasal tone, "Master, do you want to eat braised pork?"

Li Zhibai nodded, then typed another line: [I'll treat you to dinner, consider it making up for the work meal I owe you today, and also let you try some other people's braised pork to get a feel for it.]

Su Su had many shops, and she quickly thought of a very famous one.

"I know a restaurant that makes really delicious braised pork, the kind that has won awards. I also know their head chef, who has been cooking Jiangnan cuisine for over 20 years and is a very skilled master chef."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhibai decisively snapped his fingers and pointed forward.

set off!

Su Su fastened his seatbelt, started the vehicle, and drove towards his destination.

Throughout the journey, Li Zhibai kept his head down, looking at the information recorded in his phone's memo app.

[A light maroon color, not a deep red]

Soft and chewy, not dry or crumbly.

[It's sparkling, like it's coated in honey]

Not too sweet, with a mild soy sauce flavor, but incredibly fragrant.

The aftertaste has a unique, subtle floral fragrance.

[The broth mixed with rice is enough to eat three large bowls]

【…】

He looked at the information he had recorded while switching to the photo album to look at the recipe for braised pork, comparing and verifying it repeatedly.

At the same time, he began to deduce in his mind how to make a divine braised pork dish that would make Grandpa Huo cry.

As Su Su drove, she occasionally glanced out of the corner of her eye at her master, who was deep in thought on his phone in the passenger seat.

Seeing her master so focused, she felt a strange, indescribable feeling well up inside her.

She remembered that when she was learning to cook, the chefs usually taught her how to process the ingredients, control the heat, and season the food. As long as the final product tasted good, that was all that mattered.

No one had ever told her that she could develop a new dish like her master.

Last time, when developing Bodhi Jade Cuisine, Master spent an entire night working on it so that the child could eat the egg fried rice he wanted, turning a dish that only existed in his imagination into reality.

This time, in order to make a braised pork dish, I listened attentively to an elderly man in his seventies recount his past for more than an hour, and even took careful notes.

It really gave her the feeling that her master's way of cooking was to incorporate those emotional stories into the dishes. It seemed that only in this way could he make dishes that people could never forget after just one bite.

Su Su really felt that she had learned something new, and it was something completely different from what she had learned before.

She secretly cheered herself on: Su Su, you have to keep going! Learn well from your master, and one day you'll be able to make dishes that make people cry with joy.

A dozen minutes later, the BMW Mini stopped in front of a stylishly decorated restaurant.

Li Zhibai got out of the car and was stunned when he saw the restaurant's sign.

——【Lotus Breeze and Drizzle: Jiangnan Cuisine】

What a coincidence! It turned out to be the same restaurant where he ate fried rice last time.

Wouldn't that save us money again...?

Su Su parked the car and walked over, introducing the place to him: "Master, this is the place. Their braised pork is really delicious."

Li Zhibai nodded, and then walked into the restaurant with her.

"Welcome to Lotus Breeze and Drizzle."

The waitress at the door smiled and made a welcoming gesture, but when she saw Li Zhibai's familiar face, alarm bells went off in her mind.

It's him!

It's the same customer who ordered the signature fried rice last time, and only said they were dissatisfied and asked for a refund after almost finishing it.

Here we go again!

The waiter, still smiling, led them to their seats, then secretly took out a walkie-talkie hidden in his apron pocket and reported the situation.

"Attention! Attention! The customer who requested the egg-free fried rice last time is here again! Repeat, the customer who requested the egg-free fried rice last time is here again!"

Upon hearing this, the people in the kitchen immediately felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Understood, I will pass it on to the head chef!"

……

back kitchen.

Chef Lao Fang was standing in front of the stove, tossing a large iron wok with a freshly cooked egg fried rice inside.

He is the head chef of Hefeng Xiyu Jiangnan Cuisine. He is 42 years old this year and has been a chef for more than 20 years. He has won the gold medal in the East China Culinary Competition. He is a very skilled and well-known chef.

His three most prized signature dishes are: signature fried rice with egg, Grandma's braised pork, and crab meat lion's head meatballs.

These three dishes have been sold at Hefeng Xiyu for a long time, with almost zero negative reviews and a consistently good reputation.

until that day.

That day, he was busy in the kitchen as usual when a waiter brought back a plate of fried rice that had been eaten down to just a little bit, but told him that the customer was very dissatisfied.

The waiter also said that the customer rattled off a whole bunch of complaints, such as the rice not being cooked enough, the egg not blending well with the rice, and the scallions being chopped too coarsely, affecting the texture...

Chef Lao Fang was so angry he almost lost it. He only started nitpicking and finding fault after the meal was finished?

But the waiter said the supervisor had already refunded the money, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger. Then he took a spoon and tasted the remaining fried rice, and found that there was nothing wrong with it; it tasted the same as before.

This made him even more convinced that the guy was deliberately picking a fight.

He originally thought the other party wouldn't come to their restaurant again, but unexpectedly, they came again after only a few days.

Old Fang's temper flared up immediately.

"Here we go again, nitpicking? Fine!"

"I'll personally order whatever he chooses today. I want to see what fault he can find this time!"

…………

The front dining area.

After Li Zhibai and Su Su sat down, Li Zhibai pointed directly to the braised pork on the menu and told Su Su to order it, while she could choose whatever else she wanted.

Su Su ordered a crab meat lion's head meatball, a stir-fried seasonal vegetable dish, and a braised pork and bamboo shoot soup.

They ordered two of the restaurant's three signature dishes today.

As for why they didn't order fried rice, it's because after Su Su ate Li Zhibai's fried rice, she had no liking for this restaurant's fried rice at all.

After the waiter finished taking down the order, he secretly glanced at Li Zhibai again.

This customer with facial paralysis hasn't uttered a single word since entering the room. He has a cold and aloof expression and seems much more difficult to deal with than last time.

They're probably holding back a big move to nitpick.

The kitchen staff must be extremely cautious!

After ordering the food.

Looking at Li Zhibai's face, Su Su asked curiously, "Master, how long did you laugh last night?"

Li Zhibai: [It wasn't very long, about an hour.]

Su Su: "......."

"An hour? Master, is that really necessary?"

Li Zhibai: You don't know the feeling of watching your bank account balance rise rapidly; it's completely uncontrollable.

You've never been poor, so you don't understand.

Twenty minutes later, the dishes started to arrive.

The dishes were served so quickly, they must have been partially pre-cooked. Otherwise, braised pork alone would never be ready so quickly without a pressure cooker.

As the waiter opened the lid of the small black casserole containing braised pork, a rich aroma of meat instantly wafted out.

The aroma was authentic, following the traditional Shanghai-style braised pork recipe.

There are eight pieces of braised pork in the casserole, each about three or four inches in size, with the skin facing up, presenting a beautiful deep reddish-brown color.

Just looking at the braised pork made him feel very hungry; it was much better than he had imagined.

Just as Li Zhibai picked up his chopsticks to try a piece of braised pork, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged man in a white chef's uniform and a tall hat standing not far away, staring intently at him with his arms crossed.

Li Zhibai: "..."

No, why is this guy looking at me like that? It's creepy.

Su Su, who was sitting opposite Li Zhibai, also saw the head chef standing in the back and whispered, "Master, that's Chef Fang, the head chef of this restaurant. I know him too. He's a very friendly person. He's usually busy in the kitchen and rarely comes to the front of the restaurant. Why did he come out today? His eyes are a bit strange..."

"Master, have you been to this shop before? Did you do anything there?" she suddenly asked.

Li Zhibai: [I didn't do anything. I just ordered a plate of fried rice with eggs, and after eating it, I said I wasn't very satisfied. Then they offered to let me return the meal, so I did. It's that simple.]

Su Su: "......."

No wonder the head chef personally came out to keep an eye on you; he's afraid you'll cause trouble again!