Free Web NovelChapter 1113: Chapter 453: Father-in-law Wants a Delicious Yet Light Fish—How About a Poached Fish?
When the three fishing guys were washing their hands, Lin Xu saw that the big heaping plate of Glutinous Rice Lotus Root on the table was already down to less than half, so he put down Dundun, washed his hands, went into the kitchen, fished out a few more sections of Lotus Root, and sliced up two big plates full.
He plated them, drizzled on caramel sauce, and carried them out.
"Ha, so there’s still so much left. This piece is for you, Lele."
Shen Jiayue had just been fighting with Geng Lele over the last piece of Glutinous Rice Lotus Root; seeing Lin Xu bring out two more plates, she instantly turned all modest.
Geng Lele wasn’t stupid either. The one left on the plate had already gone cold, while what Lin Xu brought out from the kitchen was still steaming hot; which one to pick was obvious:
"You eat it, Yue-jie, I suddenly really want some big fish head. I can’t get it at school, I’m dying to dip freshly baked flatbread in the soup..."
Hearing how sincere she sounded, Shen Jiayue put that already-cooled piece of Glutinous Rice Lotus Root into her own bowl.
She ate while eyeing the two hot plates Lin Xu brought over, planning to finish this piece first and then grab two fresh ones. She’d always eaten it cold before, and never expected it would taste this good hot.
The Lotus Root was soft and glutinous, pulling into strands when you bit into it, while the Glutinous Rice was sticky and fragrant.
The two textures together, plus the unique sweet aroma of caramel, were just insanely satisfying.
While she was marveling at it, Lin Xu set the two plates down on both sides of the big dining table, with one of them right in front of Shen Jiayue.
This girl was eating the Glutinous Rice Lotus Root in her bowl while eyeing the piece on top of the plate that was drenched in syrup; just as she was about to grab it to claim ownership, she saw that Geng Lele, who’d just been going on about eating fish head with flatbread, nimbly snatched that piece away...
Waaah... my Glutinous Rice Lotus Root!
"Thanks for letting me have it, Yue-jie."
Geng Lele flicked her mushroom-cut hair, her face full of smugness.
Heh heh, the feint to the east and attack from the west really works; those thirty-six stratagems weren’t learned for nothing!
Shen Jiayue pouted helplessly. Fooled again.
Still, Xu-bao’s skills really were unbeatable. Every dish was insanely delicious. When I have time in the future, I’m definitely going to write a novel called "My Kitchen God Husband."
Record every little bit of our happiness.
Hmph, I’m not only going to shove dog food* in real life, I’m going to shove it in the book too.
(*PDA that feeds onlookers)
While she was muttering in her heart, Lin Xu came over and sat down next to her.
"So, how is it, taste okay?"
"Super yummy, every dish is amazing."
As soon as Shen Jiayue finished, a few of Mi Lan’s close girlfriends chimed in:
"Yeah, it’s too good. On the way here we were still saying that since this is our first time eating with Boss Lin and the lady boss, we should act reserved, but turns out we just can’t—way too tasty."
"I was originally planning to ask someone out for afternoon tea, but now it looks like I should head to the gym and hit the weights instead."
"Same here. It’s so good. It’s just a pity Lin Ji’s Food is too far. Boss Lin, when are you opening a branch near the East Third Ring? You can’t just bless the folks in Haidian and forget us Chaoyang people."
Lin Xu smiled and said:
"Right now Lin Ji’s Food still isn’t perfect enough. Let’s wait a bit. We’ll open branches after we’ve built up enough experience and reputation."
Lin Ji’s Food had only been open a short while; they couldn’t rush into opening branches. At the very least they had to wait until the back kitchen was fully staffed, funds were ample, and their name was even more well-known before considering expansion.
Lin Xu picked up a Lotus Root meatball wrapped in Glutinous Rice and tasted it. The Glutinous Rice on the outside had a slight chew, carrying the fresh fragrance of lotus leaf, making it very pleasant to eat.
The meat filling inside was savory with the unique fresh taste of Lotus Root.
Especially when he bit into the little bits of Lotus Root, that crispy-crunchy texture was just addictive.
One meatball, multiple textures—this method really was great.
Lin Xu felt that later he could add this to the banquet set menus and full-table menus so customers who booked could have more options.
But he wouldn’t put it on the regular menu at the shop; it required too many ingredients and would only drag down the back kitchen’s existing efficiency.
Xie Baomin sat next to Su Peipei and sampled every dish on the table.
Beside him, Xie Yuhang asked:
"Dad, by your restaurant-review standards, how’s Uncle Lin’s cooking?"
Once he asked, everyone else looked over too, wanting to hear the opinion of the head chef at the Fishing Platform.
Xie Baomin smiled and said:
"With my junior brother making these dishes, he could pick any one at random and it’d be enough to be the signature dish of any restaurant in Beijing. His skills really are flawless. If I’d known, I’d have brought that fish I caught over and had him make a dish, see if I could steal a little of my junior brother’s thunder."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Dundun lay on the little sofa beside them, continuing to bask in the sun.
If it hadn’t taken action just now, who knew when this lunch would’ve even started.
The little guy let out a tiny sigh.
This family, without this cat, would fall apart sooner or later!
At the dining table, Lin Xu scooped a spoonful of fish head meat into his bowl and ate slowly. He was getting more and more into fish heads lately, especially the lower half, that gelatin-rich fatty part that felt like drinking meat.
One bite in, the aroma of fermented soybean paste, the freshness of the fish head, and the richness of the Fish itself all melded together; it was simply exhilarating.
After finishing the Fish, he dipped the Scallion Oil flatbread in the thick fish soup and popped it into his mouth. The rich fragrance of the soup wrapping around the crispy, chewy Scallion Oil flatbread—now that was pure bliss.
This flatbread was even better than the Fish itself. Back in school, when he occasionally went out with his roommates for dinner, they would always order several extra portions of flatbread.
Old Sun was still thinking about fishing while eating lunch:
"Right now the sun’s directly overhead, the water temperature on the surface is up, the plankton in the water will get more active, and the fish at the bottom will take advantage of the warmer weather to feed. Just wait, this afternoon is definitely going to be another full keep-net."
