Chapter 80: Chapter 76 Black Pearl
Yu Duo’s chosen restaurant was right next door. Her plans were meticulous, and she didn’t want to take an extra step while shopping. So, they took the elevator straight up to the top floor of the mall, arriving at this Yunnan cuisine restaurant called “Jinglan Upper Court.”
“I know this restaurant.”
Zhou Wang smiled in surprise when he saw the sign.
“Brother, have you eaten here before?”
Su Yajing was examining the luxurious and unique restaurant environment when she asked.
“No, I haven’t. It’s just that when I was chatting with Bella, she mentioned this place and recommended that I should try it sometime.”
...
Zhou Wang shook his head. “Because she’s a Wanda employee recommending a restaurant outside the hotel, I was really curious.”
“That’s because this restaurant is Ming City’s first Black… uh, Black what again…”
Yu Duo got stuck halfway through her sentence and anxiously bit her finger.
“Black Pearl restaurant.”
Zhou Wang picked up the conversation. “To be more precise, it’s the first Black Pearl Two-Diamond restaurant in Ming City.”
“Ah, right, that’s it… Black Pearl restaurant!”
Yu Duo nodded first, then pouted in disappointment, “That was supposed to be my line.”
“That’s why you chose the wrong major. With your bad memory, what are you doing studying broadcasting, huh?”
Shen Yutong looked at Yu Duo with disdain, pulling her away while curiously asking Zhou Wang, “What’s a Black Pearl restaurant?”
“I know, I know, it’s just… mm-mm…”
Before Yu Duo could finish her sentence, Su Yajing covered her mouth. She winked at Zhou Wang, urging him to continue.
“You can think of it as our Huaxia people’s own culinary standard, evaluated on three aspects: cooking skills, innovation and heritage, and the restaurant environment, ranging from one diamond to three diamonds.”
Having specially done some research, Zhou Wang explained, “Currently, there are only 11 Black Pearl Three-Diamond restaurants worldwide, with three overseas. There are about 60 Two-Diamond ones in total, and ‘Jinglan Upper Court’ is the only one in Yunan Province.”
“Wow, Brother, you’re amazing, you know everything!”
“It’s my first time hearing about it too…”
Su Yajing and Shen Yutong were busy trying to create some emotional value for Zhou Wang, while Cui Min’er, who hadn’t spoken in a while, couldn’t help but curl her lips.
“역겹다… isn’t it just copying the Michelin restaurant model.”
Cui Min’er’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the group to hear.
“Qing Dynasty is long gone, and you’re still talking about Michelin… But speaking of which, do you know how many Michelin restaurants there are in Korea?”
Zhou Wang asked with a faint smile.
While Cui Min’er was at a loss for words, Zhou Wang kindly reminded her, “As far as I know, there are 34, which is quite a lot.”
Cui Min’er lifted her head proudly at the mention.
“Of course, we have a unique understanding of cuisine!”
“Uh-huh, that’s pretty good. Keep it up, invent a few more world-class types of kimchi, and you’ll catch up to the level of one of our cities.”
“What?” Cui Min’er was startled.
“There are 35 Michelin restaurants just in Huaxia Beidou alone. See, it’s just a tiny bit short, isn’t it?”
Zhou Wang said thoughtfully.
“You…”
Only then did Cui Min’er realize, her pretty face flushed crimson, and she angrily stormed into the restaurant.
Su Yajing was both amused and a bit worried, “Brother, Min’er’s mood wasn’t great to begin with, don’t tease her so much… Although it’s kind of satisfying to see her being flustered~”
Su Yajing stuck out her tongue and hurried to catch up with Shen Yutong, who was rolling her eyes at her.
“Naughty boy.”
Trailing behind, Yu Duo hummed and pointed accusingly at Zhou Wang.
“Want to see something even naughtier?”
Zhou Wang suddenly moved closer to her, almost touching her small nose.
Yu Duo stood there in a daze, seemingly scared stiff, without any reaction.
Not until Zhou Wang, unable to hold back his laughter, playfully brushed her nose with his own.
Whoosh!
Yu Duo’s pupils trembled, and her face turned beet red. She retreated a few steps in shock, stammering incoherently, “You… you’re teasing me. I am, after all, Ranran’s sister…”
Zhou Wang laughed heartily, tousled her bun for a bit, then followed her into the restaurant.
…
Regarding this meal, while others might not have known, Zhou Wang certainly enjoyed himself.
Slow-cooked goose liver terrine with hawthorn, lobster mapo tofu, Yun-Guizhou rare pea flour with tempura snow crab, small coffee sugar-braised fresh abalone…
High-end ingredients combined with local cuisine, the clash between traditional Huaxia and modern culinary techniques, offered an exceptional experience for the taste buds.
Zhou Wang had never had Michelin, but the Black Pearl rating came as a delightful surprise to him.
Zhou Wang was thoroughly satisfied, and Su Yajing, who kept him company with cheerful banter, was also delighted. Only Shen Yutong, sitting in the middle, felt a bit odd.
Cui Min’er was one thing, as she had shown her displeasure towards Zhou Wang earlier, but why had Yu Duo also gone quiet?
What made Shen Yutong suspicious was that she caught Yu Duo secretly observing Zhou Wang more than once, muttering to herself…
This scene gave Shen Yutong a sudden hunch, knowing that Yu Duo was also someone who appreciated good looks. No way, could it be?
With everyone having different thoughts, they finished dinner and it was past 8 PM.
Although the Black Pearl Two-Diamond restaurant had top-tier flavors, the prices were undeniably steep. At the end of the meal, the bill for the five people totaled eight thousand.
But half of that cost was due to that small dish of sturgeon caviar.
30g priced at 4,888.
A true seafood assassin, living up to its name.
“We shouldn’t have ordered three servings of caviar. Even if our country produces some of the world’s best caviar, not many people would be so lavish!”
And when Yu Duo was paying, Cui Min’er, looking at the lengthy bill, once again made a sarcastic remark.
Originally, only a 10g portion of caviar was served, but since Zhou Wang found it delicious, Yu Duo ordered two more.
“Just that little bit of caviar isn’t enough for anyone. If foreigners at the table saw it, they’d think we couldn’t afford it… right, Duoduo?”
Zhou Wang winked at Yu Duo, who burst into laughter.
Only Cui Min’er was fuming with anger. She didn’t understand Zhou Wang’s teasing, but wasn’t she the only foreigner at the table?
…
After settling the bill, the girls became visibly more excited, even Cui Min’er temporarily forgetting her anger, her expression turned lively.
In the prime age for fun, aside from Shen Yutong’s bit of experience, the others were all first-timers at a club. Even Zhou Wang, usually good with alcohol, had never been to a proper club.
He was quite interested too.
The club wasn’t in the city center, but considering that Zhou Wang’s car couldn’t fit everyone and he also wanted to drink, he didn’t even mention it. They took two cabs and headed straight to Ming City’s Yunfang.
“Which club are we heading to?”
On the way to the next venue, Zhou Wang casually asked while rubbing Su Yajing’s slender waist.
“Star Fortress. Tongtong said it’s currently the top-rated bar in Ming City. She booked the spot a week in advance!” Su Yajing laughed.
“Isn’t Ming City’s best club supposed to be something like Oscar, OT, or so?”
Zhou Wang asked curiously, trying to recall where he’d heard the name.
Though Zhou Wang frequented quiet bars more when drinking, his childhood friend Yang Hao was quite the party-goer. He remembered Yang Hao mentioning Ming City’s top clubs, and none seemed to be named “Star Fortress.”
“Zhou bro, those are old news!”
Seated in the front, Shen Yutong turned back with a smile, “Now, the young people with some attitude in Ming City don’t go to those outdated traditional clubs anymore. It’s either all sorts of live houses or new bars with better vibes. You’ll see when we get there, it’ll be even more fun than you imagine!”
Having spent a day together, Shen Yutong was less reserved around Zhou Wang, her smile carrying a hint of mischief.
Zhou Wang sent out a text and then looked up with a smile, “Well, I’m looking forward to it.”