Free Web NovelChapter 212: Chapter 212: 2 Head Chefs Come for an Assessment?
They were the head chefs of Juyuan Inn, a famous restaurant in South City.
Yesterday, the two had heard that a food stall on South City’s Yangzhai Street had blown up, its buns and juice without rival.
So, driven by curiosity and professional rivalry, the two of them came to size up the competition.
Hu Yongfa said grudgingly, still half-asleep:
"We finally made it in line. I came three times yesterday and couldn’t even get a spot. I can’t imagine how it could be *that* good!"
"It’s tough. I heard a bunch of chefs from our circle wanted to come and nitpick, heh, but they all got scared off by the long line. To this day, they still haven’t tasted a thing."
The two of them chuckled at the thought.
They were confident their own culinary skills were in no way inferior; this Boss Jiang had simply gotten lucky.
Jiang Liu was still in his shop, prepping the tuna and yak meat.
He had no idea that two master chefs had arrived outside, looking to find fault.
Not that it mattered. Even if Jiang Liu had known, he wouldn’t have cared.
He wasn’t afraid of them stealing his secrets. After all, half the reason his food was so exquisite was the support from top-tier ingredients. If he used ordinary fresh ingredients from the market, his food would still be delicious thanks to his culinary insight, but it would fall short of earning the title "top-tier."
By 6:20, he was nearly done with his prep.
Jiang Liu made three bowls of shrimp noodles and stir-fried a portion of pork.
The pork was from a young suckling pig, and he used spiral chilies he’d bought.
Because the chilies had been dry-roasted in the wok, the pork was infused with their fragrant, spicy aroma.
After they ate, Jun Qingmeng took Youyuan Tong to kindergarten.
Jiang Liu got back to work. He opened the pressure cooker, scooped out a piece of yak meat, and took a bite.
’It’s about ready. I’ll turn off the heat and let it simmer for a bit.’
「7:10 AM.」
Jiang Liu officially opened for business.
The fragrant aroma of the buns made Uncle Li so hungry his legs felt weak.
"You’re finally open! Quick, quick! Give me fifteen buns to start with."
"Brother Jiang, my great-grandfather came to me in a dream last night. He told me to bring him thirty buns. Can you make that happen?"
Jiang Liu looked up at the young office worker, speechless. "I bet it’s not your great-grandfather who wants them. It’s you, isn’t it?"
The young man laughed awkwardly. "Hahaha, you saw right through me! Guess playing the great-grandpa card doesn’t work here, huh? Haha."
The small shop filled up in an instant, while the line outside still stretched across the street.
The sheer chaos of the scene left new customers staring in disbelief.
’Is all this really necessary?’
’It’s like they’re all refugees fleeing a famine.’
Ten minutes later, however, once they finally got their hands on the buns, they shut up completely. Their table manners were no better than the regulars’—they devoured one bun after another, stuffing their faces until their eyes bulged. If anything, they looked even more like famine refugees.
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan finally reached the doorway.
Seeing the customers’ crazed expressions, the two chefs were left dumbfounded.
"If someone had told me a food stall could be this popular, I would never have believed them."
"It’s unbelievable. It’s like none of these people have ever eaten before. I’ve been a chef for decades and I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s terrifying."
Hu Yongfa was still shaken; he was genuinely a little scared by Jiang Liu’s fans.
Only by witnessing such a frenzied scene firsthand could one truly understand the allure of Boss Jiang’s food.
The most incredible thing was that as soon as these people entered the shop, their demeanor completely changed. They were no longer wild, but became cautious and respectful, even cleaning their own tables after they finished eating...
The two chefs exchanged a look of disbelief.
Yue Longfan took a deep breath. "Did you get a look at the takeout buns the customers are carrying?"
"I did. Their appearance is definitely something special."
Hu Yongfa nodded, his expression turning serious.
Although neither of them wanted to admit it,
their words had already conceded to Jiang Liu.
Who would believe he could attract so many customers if there wasn’t something special about his food? freёwebnoѵel.com
Two minutes later, a customer left.
The two chefs scrambled into the shop.
They were afraid that if they were a second too late, the empty spot would be snatched up.
"Excuse me, Boss. We’d like ten shrimp buns, five chive and egg, five three-delicacy, five pork and scallion, and five fennel, please."
Hu Yongfa added from the side, "And two bottles of juice and a plate of the yak meat."
"Sorry, we’re out of the Yak, Potato, and Mushroom Soup. All we have left are buns and juice."
"It’s gone already?"
The two were dumbfounded. They had come at 3:30 in the morning and still couldn’t get a main dish.
This was insane!
"Just the buns and juice then, just as we ordered."
Yue Longfan finished, then quickly added politely, "Thank you, Boss Jiang."
Jiang Liu smiled and nodded. "Go ahead and find a table. I’ll call you in a bit to pick it up from the counter."
"Sounds good."
Hu Yongfa and Yue Longfan found seats on a pair of stools.
The two of them caught the scent of the Yak, Potato, and Mushroom Soup wafting from the next table and exchanged a knowing glance.
’This Yak and Mushroom Soup is no simple dish!’
From the beefy aroma, they could distinguish the spices used.
But there were many other scents they couldn’t identify—aromas that seemed to come from the ingredients themselves, not from any artificial additives!
The office worker at the next table felt their ravenous stares and warily shifted his body to block Hu Yongfa’s view.
’An old man snatched a piece of meat right from my bowl last time.’
Hu Yongfa: ???
Soon, Yue Longfan brought the buns and juice to their table.
"Quick, let’s taste them."
"Buns first. The juice will affect our palate."
One picked up a shrimp and corn bun, the other a three-delicacy bun, and they both took a bite.
"Huh?!"
"This isn’t right! Is this even a bun? Or rather, is this a bun that can be made by an ordinary cook?"
Both of them were shocked to the core.
The moment they bit down, the wrapper proved incredibly soft and fluffy. The pure aroma of flour, mixed with the fragrance of corn oil, wafted into their nostrils.
The shrimp filling was crisp, tender, and savory. The seasoning was perfectly on point.
Even the spices within carried a natural fragrance.
"Incredible! The ingredients and seasonings are incredible, too!" Hu Yongfa’s chubby face was a mask of disbelief.
He had never tasted a bun this delicious in his life. As a professional chef, he understood the caliber of this bun better than anyone.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it could blow the buns served at the Olympics out of the water.
At the Olympics, athletes’ meals are prepared by top chefs using the most "simple and pure" ingredients and seasonings, all with the goal of keeping the competitors in peak condition.
After that, the two of them stopped talking.
They just lowered their heads and wolfed down the buns before them.
The entire shop was filled with the sound of loud, satisfied chewing.
Hu Yongfa ate with great relish, having completely forgotten why he’d come in the first place.
Seeing his companion eating even more ferociously than him, he grew anxious.
"Old Yue, nobody’s going to steal them from you! Can you slow down a little? Have some class, will you?"
"What the hell does class have to do with anything? Getting to eat these buns is a damn win in itself!"
The two were eating so fast they started to choke.
They grabbed their Venus apple juice and took huge gulps.
"Holy crap! Oh my god!"
"How is this juice even better than the fresh-squeezed stuff at our own restaurant?"
"It’s sweet and sour, the apple pulp is crisp and juicy... This is incredible!"
They were experts in all things culinary. They knew what juice should taste like.
They knew the absolute peak of what a bun could achieve better than anyone.
"This guy’s got something."
"More than ’something.’ He’s got everything."
