Why the earthquake?

Because it’s unbelievable.

It was so unbelievable, the thicker rice noodles were gently picked up, and after blanching, various ingredients in the bowl adhered to the surface of the noodles. Though it’s just a chopstick full of noodles, various ingredients clung to the surface.

This was completely different from the bridge-crossing rice noodles I’ve had before!

Cheng Xiuli couldn’t stand it anymore. She swept her hair to one side, slightly tilted her face, and blew on the noodles before she started to eat.

To her surprise, the noodles weren’t hot.

Usually, when eating bridge-crossing rice noodles in the shop, they are almost always made in a clay pot, and from start to finish, they are scalding hot.

But what Chen Mo made was different; with the first bite, it wasn’t very hot.

Thinking carefully, initially, Chen Mo scooped the boiling broth into the bowl, and afterward, it went through the steps of blanching the platter’s dishes and noodles. So the noodles in the bowl not being very hot makes sense.

As a result, the noodles were at a very suitable temperature for eating, and Cheng Xiuli no longer had to worry. She simply started eating large bites.

The more she chewed, the more surprised Cheng Xiuli’s eyes became.

The freshly made thick rice noodles were smooth and had a very elastic and tender texture. The surface was coated with broth and juices from the ingredients. When chewing, one could clearly feel the unique delicacy and elasticity of the rice paste.

This was a texture she had never experienced before when eating rice noodles!

"No wonder Boss Chen insists on making them fresh. It’s indeed different from the rice noodles bought directly from the supermarket."

Cheng Xiuli now felt a bit embarrassed about her previous clumsy thoughts.

At first, when she saw Chen Mo making rice noodles on the spot and asking her company to do the same in the future, she thought Boss Chen was not only a culinary expert but also a marketing guru.

Making noodles fresh, isn’t that just a street-side gimmick?

She even had the thought that this mode could completely have someone pretend to make noodles on the spot, while actually cooking noodles that were all pre-soaked, the kind bought from the supermarket.

But at this moment, as she tasted it, she finally understood that it was not at all like that.

Those assorted meat and vegetable dishes clinging to the noodles, each had its own unique texture.

Together they formed a rich layer of sensations, some crispy, some soft and dense, others tender and smooth.

Each dish had its special flavor, but when mixed together, it didn’t seem out of place, only more and more fragrant the more you ate!

"How is it, delicious?" Chen Mo hadn’t started yet, but he saw that Cheng Xiuli had almost finished her bowl.

Of course, the question was purely redundant.

Without lifting her head, Cheng Xiuli just nodded slightly, held her bowl up, and drank two big mouthfuls of soup.

"Phew..."

In the scorching summer, having such a mouthful of hot soup.

I must say, although it felt great inside her body, her forehead still began to sweat unconsciously.

The top-level Lu Cuisine milk soup was dominated by a rich aroma, blended with the spiciness of pepper powder.

Though there were no chili peppers or salt, the richness and fragrance were surprisingly intense.

Faced with Chen Mo’s question, Cheng Xiuli attempted a simple evaluation, "The fish slices are very fresh and sweet, the chicken gizzards are crisp and elastic, and this soup base is amazing. Drinking it feels particularly rich, yet it doesn’t affect the original taste of the ingredients in the slightest. Boss Chen, you’re amazing!"

Seeing Cheng Xiuli’s thumbs up, Chen Mo smiled knowingly.

Bridge-crossing rice noodles from the system couldn’t possibly taste bad.

Moreover, this rice noodle dish was improved by replacing the chicken and duck oil used in traditional preparation with milk soup. Chen Mo believed that this way, the fresh and clean taste would stand out more when eating, with much less greasy feeling.

"President Cheng, you should know that in very upscale traditional Lu cuisine restaurants, the kitchen usually keeps milk soup ready, as well as clear soup."

With the experience of making rabbit heads, Cheng Xiuli knew what clear soup Chen Mo was talking about.

"There’s a rule in such restaurants: No dish without soup. If cooking, it certainly requires broth. If the kitchen runs out of soup, then the restaurant might as well close for the day."

Cheng Xiuli sipped her soup as she listened to Chen Mo discussing these things.

She felt quite emotional inside.

"Boss Chen, I really admire you."

"Huh?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"You truly treat every dish as a work of art."

Chen Mo didn’t quite understand what Cheng Xiuli meant.

He just listened as the other person slowly explained, "Looking at Night Market Street, no... I should say nationwide, in this day and age, how many chefs can achieve your level? Isn’t everyone focused on making money, how to reduce costs, how to substitute cheaper ingredients for the original ones, how to earn more profit? That’s what everyone’s thinking about."

Ah, so that’s what she was talking about.

Chen Mo chuckled and said, "Actually, back when I was still working a regular job, when I wasn’t in the restaurant industry. From a consumer’s perspective, I always had a question."

"Please, do share."

"It’s this: if I can be sure that the food in a restaurant is genuinely and wholeheartedly crafted by the chef and indeed uses authentic ingredients, I would be willing to pay a relatively high price to taste it. But why... is it so hard to find even such a restaurant?"

Cheng Xiuli couldn’t help but laugh.

She had the same question.

When she was younger, she loved eating out; it was either barbecue or hot pot or going to restaurants that served big stews and grilled dishes.

With age, she gradually became immune to these flavors and started to pursue the taste of the ingredients themselves. That’s when she began to favor Cantonese cuisine and similar styles.