Chapter 21: The Most Delicious Beef Noodles, The Top-Tier Knife Skills
Elated, he began to cook the first bowl of beef noodles for a customer.
He boiled the water. Once it was bubbling, he added the noodles, followed by the beef broth and seasonings. Li You performed every step as if he had practiced it thousands of times, his movements both deft and precise.
This precise execution, combined with top-tier ingredients like the noodles, beef broth, and chili oil, guaranteed that the bowl of beef noodles would be exceptionally delicious.
Once the noodles were in the bowl, he drizzled on a little chili oil and sprinkled some cilantro on top.
Finished.
The beef broth was clear and aromatic. The beef looked tantalizingly tender. Bright red chili oil floated on the surface, while fresh, emerald-green cilantro provided a stark contrast. The noodles themselves were smooth and had a lustrous, golden sheen.
Its color, aroma, and flavor were all perfect.
He served it to Ye Shengge.
"All right. Give it a taste."
Ye Shengge was instantly amazed.
This was a visually stunning bowl of beef noodles.
And its rich aroma was captivating.
Its appearance and fragrance were vastly different from the Yangchun Noodles, but they exuded an equally powerful allure.
Even the best beef noodles she’d ever had in Lanzhou couldn’t compare to how appetizing this bowl looked.
Based on appearance and aroma alone, this bowl of beef noodles had already surpassed the best she’d had in Lanzhou.
Next up was the most important part: the flavor.
Ye Shengge took out her phone and snapped a few pictures. Then, she eagerly picked up her chopsticks and dug in.
She started with a mouthful of noodles.
They were smooth and had a satisfying texture. It was completely different from the Yangchun Noodles, yet just as unimaginably delicious.
After just one bite, Ye Shengge was certain: this bowl was far more delicious than the best beef noodles in Lanzhou.
It was also much better than the best she’d ever had anywhere else.
’Of course, if there’s a place in Lanzhou or anywhere else that serves even better beef noodles than the best I’ve ever had, then my conclusion might be premature.’
’But the chances of that,’ Ye Shengge thought, ’are slim to none.’
’Even if such a place did exist, it would be nearly impossible for it to surpass the bowl right in front of me.’
Next, she tried a piece of beef.
It was fall-apart tender and incredibly fragrant—also unbelievably delicious.
Ye Shengge had never tasted beef this good.
Both the noodles and the beef were the pinnacle of deliciousness.
Ye Shengge was overjoyed.
’So it wasn’t just the Yangchun Noodles. This young boss’s beef noodles are just as amazing.’
’Yesterday, I thought the Yangchun Noodles here would be the only noodle dish to make it onto my personal list of must-eats.’
’But now, I have to add these beef noodles to the list as well.’
’I considered adding the best beef noodles from Lanzhou, but they always felt like they were missing something.’
’But with this one, I have no hesitation at all.’
’I only came here today for the Yangchun Noodles.’
’Who would have thought I’d get such a wonderful surprise?’
’Oh, right! I need to tell Uncle Luo that this place has beef noodles now.’
’I wonder if he’s still in Changxi County?’
Ye Shengge picked up her phone and sent Luo Feng a message, "Uncle Luo, Boss Li You has beef noodles now! I’m eating them as we speak, and they’re unbelievably good. Even better than the best I’ve had in Lanzhou."
A moment later, Luo Feng replied, "That’s great! Boss Li’s noodle-making skills really are on another level. I just left Changxi a little while ago. If I’d known, I would have stopped by for a bowl before I left. But no matter, good food is worth waiting for. I’ll see when I can make some time to go."
"Okay, Uncle Luo. You have to come try it. It’s seriously so good."
"Count on it!"
After her chat with Luo Feng, Ye Shengge went back to her noodles.
Slowly, she finished the noodles, the beef, and drank most of the broth.
She felt utterly content.
She said to Li You, "Boss, I had no idea you could make beef noodles this well. They’re even better than the best I’ve had in Lanzhou. I think from now on, the best beef noodles won’t be found in Lanzhou, but right here at your place."
Hearing such high praise from Ye Shengge, Li You beamed and said, "I’m so glad to hear you say that, Miss Ye. I just hope that every customer who comes into my shop leaves happy and satisfied."
Ye Shengge gave him a thumbs-up. "Well said, Boss. And don’t you worry. I’m sure every single customer who eats here will leave happy and satisfied. If they come in a bad mood, your food is sure to cheer them up. At least for a little while."
Li You said, "I hope every customer who walks in can forget their worries."
Ye Shengge said, "They will, I’m sure of it. Boss, yesterday I said that your Yangchun Noodles would probably be the only noodle dish on my personal must-eat list. But now, I have to add your beef noodles."
Li You chuckled. "Perhaps you’ll be adding even more to that list soon."
Ye Shengge smiled as well. "Now that you say that, you’ve got me excited!"
Li You said, "Feel free to get your hopes up. Would you like to try the stir-fried shredded potatoes now?"
Ye Shengge nodded. "Yes, please. I’ll have an order."
Li You said, "Just a moment."
With that, Li You went into the kitchen to prepare her first order of stir-fried shredded potatoes.
Of course, Li You had stir-fried shredded potatoes countless times in the past, and they always turned out pretty well.
Stir-fried shredded potatoes was a fascinating dish. As long as you had even a little bit of cooking skill, it was hard to make it taste bad.
It was considered one of the easiest stir-fries to make.
However, making it exceptionally delicious was another matter entirely.
But now, Li You could make the most delicious stir-fried shredded potatoes in the world.
He took a portion of shredded potatoes from the Storage Pavilion, rinsed them twice under clean water, then drained them and set them aside.
He then prepared the right amount of shredded green pepper, shredded red pepper, and minced garlic.
He lit the stove and, once the wok was hot, poured in peanut oil.
Peanut oil or sesame oil was best for this dish.
How hot did the wok need to be? How much oil should he add? Li You grasped both with perfect precision.
He added the shredded potatoes, green and red peppers, and minced garlic, then began to stir-fry them rapidly.
The force and speed of his stir-frying had to vary depending on the intensity of the heat.
Only by doing so could he produce the most delicious result.
It all came down to a chef’s talent, experience, and intuition.
At this level of heat, Li You could perfectly control his force and speed, as if by pure muscle memory.
After a few tosses, he added the right amount of salt.
He tossed it a few more times.
He plated the dish.
This was a plate of the most delicious stir-fried shredded potatoes in the world.
Well, strictly speaking, it wasn’t.
The ingredients—the potatoes, green peppers, and red peppers—were only of medium quality.
If they had been high-grade, or even premium-grade, the dish would have been even more delicious.
Once every step of the cooking process was perfected, the only way to improve the flavor was to upgrade the ingredients themselves.
Premium ingredients were a matter of luck; you couldn’t just go out and find them.
Therefore, this plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes could already be considered perfect in its own right.
He brought it out to Ye Shengge.
Ye Shengge was full of anticipation, but she also mentally prepared herself for the possibility that it might not be very good.
’After all, just because Li You has world-class noodle-making skills doesn’t mean his stir-frying is on the same level, right?’
’The two are completely different skills, after all.’
However, the moment Ye Shengge saw the plate of shredded potatoes Li You brought over, she immediately realized her assumption was probably wrong.
’Just look at that knife work! Li You’s stir-frying skills must be incredible.’
’The potatoes are shredded so beautifully.’
’While the dish itself doesn’t demand exceptional knife skills, to be able to shred them this beautifully means his skills are practically top-tier.’
’With knife skills like that, there’s no way his cooking could be bad!’
Now, Ye Shengge felt nothing but anticipation!
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