Chapter 59: Investigating Jiulong Gorge Restaurant
If it were someone who had never tried Cabbage in Boiled Water, or had rarely tasted an authentic version, they would definitely be quite surprised.
But for Zhao Yanglin, expecting a surprise was truly unrealistic.
He Xianfei knew his Cabbage in Boiled Water wouldn’t surprise him.
’Never mind me; even if the world’s foremost expert on Cabbage in Boiled Water came, they probably couldn’t surprise Zhao Yanglin, could they?’
He Xianfei was simply confident that the man would find no fault with his Cabbage in Boiled Water and would be thoroughly satisfied.
And now, that was indeed the case.
’Well, my task is complete, then.’
He Xianfei said, "Then I won’t disturb you any longer, Mr. Zhao. Please, take your time."
Zhao Yanglin nodded. "My apologies for taking up so much of your time, Chef He."
He Xianfei replied, "You’re too kind, Mr. Zhao. This is all part of my duty."
With that, He Xianfei left the private room.
...
"Chef He, what did Mr. Zhao say?" asked Executive Chef Wang Haibing.
He Xianfei replied, "He found no faults. He said it ranks among the best Cabbage in Boiled Water he’s ever had. He just wasn’t surprised by it."
"No surprise?" Wang Haibing frowned. "For a man like him, even the number one master of Cabbage in Boiled Water couldn’t surprise him, could they? Isn’t he asking for the impossible?"
He Xianfei smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Executive Chef. Mr. Zhao admitted himself that his expectation was unrealistic."
Wang Haibing nodded. "That’s good, then."
Wang Haibing’s culinary skills were on par with He Xianfei’s. However, when it came to the dish of Cabbage in Boiled Water specifically, his expertise was slightly inferior to He Xianfei’s.
If Zhao Yanglin had truly demanded a surprise, it would have been an impossible task.
Soon, word of Zhao Yanglin’s critique of the Cabbage in Boiled Water spread among all the chefs.
The chefs all started discussing it.
They all agreed that Zhao Yanglin’s expectation was far too unrealistic.
Thankfully, Zhao Yanglin knew it himself and didn’t express dissatisfaction with the Cabbage in Boiled Water.
Otherwise, if the news got out, it would have affected the reputation of their hotel’s Cabbage in Boiled Water to some degree.
The public would only hear that He Ting Hotel’s Cabbage in Boiled Water failed to deliver a surprise, and they wouldn’t care about the objective reality of the situation.
’A surprise?’ Qu Feng thought to himself as he listened to the other chefs. ’Our hotel’s Cabbage in Boiled Water might not be able to surprise Zhao Yanglin, but I know a place whose version just might.’
’I should go tell the Head Chef.’
...
"You’re saying the Cabbage in Boiled Water from Jiulong Gorge Restaurant could actually surprise Mr. Zhao?" He Xianfei said, looking at Qu Feng in disbelief.
Qu Feng replied, "I can’t guarantee it one hundred percent, but there’s a very high probability."
The reason Qu Feng knew that Jiulong Gorge Restaurant had added Cabbage in Boiled Water to its menu was that Liang Heng had told him.
After what happened last time, they had become unlikely friends.
Now they kept in regular contact.
Liang Heng had told Qu Feng that Li You had recently added Cabbage in Boiled Water to his menu. He also mentioned that he and Boss Jiang had gone to try it, and it was absolutely delicious. He even said it might just be the best Cabbage in Boiled Water in the entire country.
Qu Feng didn’t doubt Liang Heng’s words.
The Yangchun Noodles, beef noodles, and stir-fried shredded potatoes at Boss Li’s restaurant were all undeniably the best in the nation, and he figured the new Cabbage in Boiled Water would be no different.
Boss Li’s culinary skill was truly unfathomable.
Although he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain it would surprise Zhao Yanglin, the chances were definitely there, and they weren’t slim.
He Xianfei stared at Qu Feng. He simply couldn’t understand why Qu Feng would say such a thing.
’Is Qu Feng implying that the owner of Jiulong Gorge Restaurant’s Cabbage in Boiled Water is better than mine?’
’That’s ridiculous.’
’It’s absolutely impossible.’
Across the entire country, there were indeed a few chefs whose Cabbage in Boiled Water surpassed his, but their numbers were extremely limited.
That list certainly wouldn’t include the owner of some Mountain Restaurant.
’Ever since Master Qu lost to the owner of Jiulong Gorge Restaurant, he’s started to mythologize the man.’
’It’s really hard to understand.’
’Could it be that the blow left him a little delusional?’
"Master Qu, the fact that the owner of Jiulong Gorge Restaurant could make Yangchun Noodles better than you is certainly astonishing. But don’t you think you might be over-glorifying him?" He Xianfei asked.
Qu Feng gave a faint smile and replied, "It’s perfectly normal for you not to believe me, Chef He. In fact, it would be strange if you did. However, I’m not exaggerating his abilities in the slightest. I actually think his true skill is even more formidable than I imagine. Rather than stand here doubting, Chef He, why not take a trip to Jiulong Gorge Restaurant yourself? Then you’ll know whether I’m telling the truth or not."
"Well..."
He Xianfei’s resolve finally began to waver.
’Could he really be a culinary master, hidden away in the mountains?’
"But, Master Qu," He Xianfei said, "you should know that Mr. Zhao has tasted the best Cabbage in Boiled Water from all over the country. Even the version made by the number one chef for this dish would likely fail to surprise him."
Qu Feng replied, "The version from the publicly acknowledged number one master of Cabbage in Boiled Water might not be enough, true. But that doesn’t mean Boss Li’s version won’t be either. Of course, I’ll stick by what I said earlier—it’s not a one-hundred-percent certainty. I’m just saying there’s a high probability."
He Xianfei nodded slowly.
Although he was still reluctant to believe it, a trip to see for himself did seem to be in order.
After a moment, He Xianfei said, "Master Qu, how about we take a trip to Jiulong Gorge Restaurant together?"
Qu Feng replied, "Of course! I’d be more than happy to."
He Xianfei nodded. "I’ll go ask Mr. Zhao what he thinks. If he’s interested, we’ll invite him to come with us."
"That would be for the best," Qu Feng said.
Qu Feng was eager to see the look of utter surprise on Zhao Yanglin’s face after tasting the Cabbage in Boiled Water at Jiulong Gorge Restaurant.
...
In Zhao Yanglin’s private room.
Zhao Yanglin had already finished his Cabbage in Boiled Water.
He was still very pleased and quite content.
The trip had not been in vain.
He Xianfei knocked and entered the room.
He explained the situation to Zhao Yanglin.
Zhao Yanglin was both surprised and intrigued. "Are you saying that this owner’s Cabbage in Boiled Water might surpass even yours, Chef He?" he asked.
He Xianfei said, "To be honest, I don’t believe so. I’ve never been there myself. This comes from Master Qu Feng, one of our hotel’s mid-level noodle chefs. I’m telling you this, Mr. Zhao, to see if you might be interested. If you are, we’d like to invite you to investigate it with us. However, I must state one thing upfront: the place is very far. It’s more than a four-hour drive. Also, there’s a high chance you will be disappointed by this trip, Mr. Zhao."
Zhao Yanglin nodded. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Chef He."
Then, with barely a moment’s hesitation, he continued, "I’ll go. When it comes to food, even the slightest possibility is worth pursuing. Even if I end up disappointed, I won’t have any regrets. Besides, a drive of over four hours isn’t that far."
He Xianfei nodded. "Then when would be convenient for you, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Yanglin smiled. "We can leave right now."
"Alright," He Xianfei said. "Then let’s set out now."
He Xianfei was not one to procrastinate.
Since the decision was made and time permitted, it was best to leave immediately.
...