Chapter 45: Ordinary Ingredients Can Also Be Top-Tier Delicious, Cooking Is Truly Magical
Besides the Cabbage in Boiled Water, the customers had of course ordered other dishes as well.
There were orders for Beef Noodle Soup, Yangchun Noodles, and Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes.
After noting down all the customers’ orders, Li You walked into the kitchen.
First, he would make the Cabbage in Boiled Water.
He would prepare all five servings at once.
After a series of preparations, he reached the final step: pouring the broth.
Li You thought for a moment and decided to complete this final step at the customers’ table.
A fine dish shouldn’t just be a feast for the taste buds; it should also be a feast for the eyes, captivating them with its charm.
And the final step of preparing the Cabbage in Boiled Water was a perfect way to demonstrate that visual appeal.
Li You first brought out five deep plates, each with a cabbage heart arranged in the center, and placed them on the customers’ table.
The customers looked on, some of them puzzled. ’Is this Cabbage in Boiled Water?’ they wondered. ’It’s not what I heard it was like. Wasn’t the secret supposed to be in the broth? So where is it? And this cabbage doesn’t even look that special!’
Although it was artfully shaped, like an unopened flower bud, which was quite delicate.
But that was it. It was hardly a stunning surprise.
’How strange.’
However, one person’s eyes lit up.
The man in the plaid shirt, for example.
He quickly took out his phone, aimed the camera at the deep plate, and got ready to record.
The others were confused. "Old Yang, what are you filming? The cabbage is shaped nicely, but there doesn’t seem to be anything worth recording!"
The man in the plaid shirt, whose name was Yang Zheng, replied, "You’re right, there isn’t much to film right now. But in a moment, we’re going to witness a miracle. You all should get your phones out and be ready to record, too."
’Is that so?’
The others were still skeptical. They couldn’t understand what kind of miracle could possibly happen to a simple cabbage heart.
Just then, Li You approached, holding a ladle of the scalding hot broth for the Cabbage in Boiled Water.
Yang Zheng’s eyes grew even brighter.
The rest of the customers just watched Li You with puzzled expressions.
But as Li You slowly poured the broth over the cabbage, their eyes gradually widened in astonishment, their faces lighting up with a look of unprecedented delight.
They finally understood what Yang Zheng had meant earlier.
This truly was a moment to witness a miracle.
It was like watching a beautiful Snow Lotus slowly blossom before their very eyes.
’It’s so beautiful!’
’A miracle is actually happening.’
’I never expected this dish to have such a magical moment.’
’This was worth every penny!’
The customers were all thrilled.
They all scrambled to take out their phones and start recording.
They had missed recording the blooming of this first "Snow Lotus."
But it didn’t matter; there were still four more to go.
Amidst the customers’ eager anticipation, the remaining four "Snow Lotuses" bloomed one by one.
The blooming process was magical and beautiful.
Once fully bloomed, they looked noble, elegant, and exceptionally pretty.
A dish like this was almost too beautiful to eat.
But of course, that was an impossible thought.
It was time to eat, and they dug in immediately.
First, the broth.
Although the broth was as clear as boiled water, its savory aroma was incredibly rich, wafting directly into their noses.
Even just looking at the broth was magical in itself.
’How can a broth with such a rich aroma be as clear as water?’
’It doesn’t make sense!’
Li You explained, "That’s because after the broth is made, minced chicken and pork are added to clarify it. The minced meat absorbs the impurities in the soup. By repeating this clarification process, the broth becomes as clear as water."
’So that’s how it’s done.’
The customers understood now. Looking at it this way, 568 yuan for one serving really wasn’t expensive at all.
Then, the customers all picked up their spoons and scooped up some broth.
They took a sip.
The savory flavor instantly exploded, filling their entire mouths. It was so much more delicious than the broth of the Yangchun Noodles.
This was a savory deliciousness unlike anything they had ever experienced.
’So this is the taste of a famous state banquet dish.’
’I’ve finally tasted it.’
Everyone felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and excitement.
Yang Zheng said with satisfaction, "I’ve finally had authentic Cabbage in Boiled Water broth. It’s countless times better than the one I tried to make myself."
The other customers said, "Isn’t that obvious? How can your cooking skills even compare to the boss’s?"
Yang Zheng laughed. "That’s true. Alright, let’s try the cabbage. As much as we hate to, we have to eat it eventually."
The other customers all nodded, then each picked up a piece of cabbage and put it in their mouths.
It was just as savory, and incredibly refreshing.
It was countless times more delicious than cabbage prepared in any ordinary way.
’So, an ingredient as common and ordinary as cabbage can be made this delicious.’
’Cooking truly is full of magic.’
Of course, not just anyone could produce such magic through cooking.
Only a top-tier chef could create something so magical.
And to be able to eat such a magical dish was, without a doubt, incredibly fortunate.
The customers all felt extremely lucky.
They continued to eat.
Soon, all the cabbage was eaten, and all the broth was gone.
One serving for five people was, in the end, far too little. They hadn’t eaten their fill at all.
However, their main goal had just been to experience the taste of a famous state banquet dish.
And every single one of them had truly experienced it. It was indeed an incomparably delicious and wonderful meal.
So, despite everything, they were all still very satisfied.
A short while later, the Beef Noodle Soup, Yangchun Noodles, and Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes were also served.
The customers began to eat once more.
Even after having the Cabbage in Boiled Water, these other dishes were also incredibly delicious, and they were filling.
Gradually, everything was finished.
Everyone felt satisfied once again.
"Nothing beats the food here!" all the customers exclaimed with feeling.
After resting for a bit, the customers scanned the code to pay.
The total bill came to 3,204 yuan.
Another three thousand-plus yuan deposited. Adding the 585 yuan from Ye Shengge’s earlier purchase, the total was now 3,789 yuan.
Although there was still a long way to go to break 8,000 yuan in a single day’s revenue, Li You was already very satisfied.
’I’ll call Mom and Dad later to tell them the good news. They’ll be happy, too.’
"Boss, are a lot of those fruit trees outside newly planted? I don’t remember seeing so many last time I was here!" Yang Zheng said.
Li You nodded. "That’s right, they were just planted in the last couple of days. I’m planning to create an orchard. I’ll be planting more new varieties soon."
"Great! That’s a great idea! You should make it a Hundred Fruit Garden. A hundred different kinds of fruit, that would be awesome!" many customers chimed in.
Li You smiled. "A hundred different types of fruit might be a bit difficult. But I’ll plant as many different kinds as I can."
"Okay. We look forward to you planting more fruit trees, Boss."
"Come on, let’s go take a walk through the orchard. Let’s see what kinds of fruit trees the boss has planted. Think we can identify them all?"
"Yeah! Let’s go. We should be able to, right? Unless the boss planted some trees that are uncommon around here."
"Let’s go, let’s go."
The customers were all very interested.
"Boss, we’re going to go take a look at your orchard."
"Sure!"
All the customers got up and filed out of the restaurant.
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