Chapter 62: A Tempest in the Head Chef’s Heart
Arriving here again, Qu Feng was somewhat excited. He said, "Chef He, Mr. Zhao, let’s head over."
He Xianfei and Zhao Yanglin both nodded.
The three of them walked toward the restaurant.
At the entrance to the restaurant, Li You saw the three of them approaching.
He recognized Qu Feng.
He was a little surprised, but very happy.
He immediately went forward to greet them, smiling as he said, "Master Qu, welcome back."
Seeing Li You’s warm welcome, Qu Feng was also very pleased and said, "It’s great to see you again, Boss Li."
The two exchanged pleasantries.
Meanwhile, He Xianfei and Zhao Yanglin were utterly astonished.
’This young man is the owner here?’
’He’s way too young, isn’t he?’
Qu Feng had never mentioned Li You’s age, and they had never asked. They had just subconsciously assumed he was in his forties.
Who knew he would be so young?
’A young man like him... his Cabbage in Consommé could really be better than mine?’
’Wasn’t Qu Feng being a bit too hasty?’
He Xianfei grumbled inwardly. Already skeptical, he was now even more convinced it wasn’t true.
Zhao Yanglin, on the other hand, found the situation all the more interesting.
’Could a young man like this really be a culinary master hidden away from the world?’
It seemed completely impossible. But you can never be too certain about anything.
"Boss Li, allow me to make some introductions," Qu Feng said. "This is Mr. He Xianfei, the head chef at our hotel, and this is Mr. Zhao Yanglin."
’The head chef?’
Li You was quite surprised.
At the same time, it was clear this Mr. Zhao Yanglin was no ordinary person, either.
Both of them seemed to have impressive backgrounds.
’Are they just here to eat, or is there some other motive?’
Li You was curious, but his expression remained neutral. He smiled faintly and said, "Ah, Chef He and Mr. Zhao. It’s an honor to have you visit my humble shop."
"You’re too kind, Boss Li," He Xianfei and Zhao Yanglin said in unison.
"Boss Li, Master Liang told me you’ve recently added Cabbage in Consommé to your menu. That’s exactly why we’re here today. We’d like to try it," Qu Feng said.
’So that’s why.’
Li You smiled. "I’d be honored. Well then, the three of you, please come inside."
"You’re too kind, Boss Li."
The three of them walked into the restaurant. As they reached the entrance, they all noticed the "Available Today" sign.
Qu Feng said with delight, "Oh, I see you’ve also added Twice-cooked Pork."
"I just added it today," Li You said.
"Then it looks like our timing is perfect," Qu Feng said. "We’ll have to try that later, too."
Zhao Yanglin thought to himself, ’Other than the Cabbage in Consommé, these are all very common dishes.’
However, whether a dish was a true delicacy had nothing to do with how common it was.
With enough skill, a chef could transform even the most common dish into a masterpiece.
’If the Cabbage in Consommé turns out to be decent, I might as well try the other dishes,’ Zhao Yanglin thought to himself once more.
As for He Xianfei, he was thinking, ’That’s right, since I’m already here, I might as well try the Yangchun Noodles later. I’ll see just how much better it can possibly be than Master Qu’s.’
He Xianfei had never quite believed Qu Feng’s claim that the Yangchun Noodles here were far superior to his own.
Now he finally had the chance to test that claim for himself.
Each of the three men was lost in his own thoughts.
They walked into the restaurant, found a table, and sat down.
"Boss, we’ll start with three orders of Cabbage in Consommé," Qu Feng said.
Li You nodded. "Please wait just a moment. They’ll be ready soon."
With that, he turned and went into the kitchen.
"It’ll be ready soon," Zhao Yanglin said to Qu Feng and He Xianfei. "It seems the broth was prepared in advance."
Qu Feng and He Xianfei both nodded.
...
In the kitchen.
Li You considered for a moment and decided to use three heads of top-quality cabbage.
He began to work.
Before long, he reached the final step, completing it right there in the kitchen.
Then he brought the dishes out to Qu Feng’s party.
...
Qu Feng, He Xianfei, and Zhao Yanglin waited.
No one spoke.
As Li You brought over the Cabbage in Consommé, all three men immediately turned to look.
Upon getting a clear look, they were all momentarily stunned.
And that initial stun quickly gave way to utter shock!
The broth was unbelievably clear.
It looked exactly like plain boiled water.
On this point alone, it had already surpassed the Cabbage in Consommé He Xianfei had made that morning.
No, wait. It surpassed his not only in the broth’s clarity, but also in its fragrance.
An incredibly rich, savory aroma wafted directly into their noses.
It was intoxicating!
At that moment, a look of pleasant surprise already on his face, Zhao Yanglin said, "Chef He, Master Qu, of all the Cabbage in Consommé I have ever eaten, I must say this one is the absolute best in terms of both ’appearance’ and ’aroma.’"
Qu Feng was thrilled to hear this. Things were turning out even more perfectly than he had imagined.
Zhao Yanglin was already feeling a sense of delighted surprise, and he hadn’t even taken a bite.
’Boss Li’s culinary skill is nothing short of divine.’
’At least, for the dishes he’s introduced so far.’
’And to think I said I couldn’t be one hundred percent certain.’
’It seems I could have been far more confident.’
A tempest raged in He Xianfei’s heart, leaving him unable to find his composure.
Just a moment ago, before Li You had brought the dish over, he had been absolutely certain that this young owner’s Cabbage in Consommé couldn’t possibly surpass his own.
But now, the broth’s clarity and fragrance had, without a doubt, far surpassed his own.
He didn’t even need to taste it to be certain: this young owner’s Cabbage in Consommé was truly on a higher level than his.
He Xianfei couldn’t believe it. He refused to believe it.
But the proof was right before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to believe.
’How could this be?’
’How could this young owner’s skill with Cabbage in Consommé be this high?’
He Xianfei couldn’t wrap his head around it.
But one thing was now certain.
This young owner was truly a culinary master hidden away from the world.
Or rather, a prodigy.
He couldn’t calm down. He Xianfei’s mind was in turmoil.
Just then, Zhao Yanglin picked up his spoon and ladled up some of the broth.
He brought it to his lips.
The moment it touched his tongue, he was surprised all over again, and even more deeply this time.
In his mouth, the broth was even more aromatic.
It wasn’t just the fragrance; its texture was the pinnacle of broths for a Cabbage in Consommé.
Even the best broth from any Cabbage in Consommé Zhao Yanglin had eaten before paled in comparison to this one.
The difference wasn’t vast, but it was distinct.
And that was enough to be a delightful surprise.
A very delightful surprise, at that.
Zhao Yanglin was ecstatic.
He had never imagined that there was still a Cabbage in Consommé in this world capable of giving him such a delightful surprise.
This trip had been so, so worth it!
When it came to gourmet food, it was true that even the faintest glimmer of hope was worth pursuing.
Zhao Yanglin was glad he was a man who believed in that.
Otherwise, he might never have known that such a magical little restaurant existed, tucked away in this remote, picturesque mountain landscape.
True culinary masterpieces, it turned out, weren’t found only in bustling cities.
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