Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 931 - 458: Where’s My Dinner?_2
Don't say, Qin Huai thinks this way of eating is quite good, really appetizing.
Zhao Cheng'an gave Qin Huai a glance with a look that said, "What are you even doing with this Versailles spirit," and said: "How would I know, I've never eaten braised shark fin before."
"I've only seen guests post pictures of Fen Garden's casserole shark fin in the circle of friends. It's a huge portion, truly a casserole. 58,000 per serving, the entire pot of shark fin is simmered in clear soup, covering the whole casserole. Ingredients include bamboo shoots, ham, mushrooms, magnolia slices, said to be the original version. Master Xia has an advanced version too, 68,000 per serving, adding fish meatballs, beef meatballs, shrimp meatballs, scallops, vegetables, tofu, all hand-made by Master Xia."
"Why does it sound like a hot pot?" Qin Huai responded.
"It is a hot pot. Initially, casserole shark fin was not Master Xia's signature dish; it was his apprentice Zhang... Zhang something who loved eating it. Master Xia made it every day, turned the casserole shark fin into a hot pot dish, adding whatever the apprentice loved as side ingredients, eventually creating this."
"Using casserole shark fin as a hot pot base, say, why does this Zhang have such good luck?"
Qin Huai: ...
Although Qin Huai also wanted to nod along with Zhao Cheng'an's words, considering he's someone who mixes braised shark fin with rice, he felt he really has no right to speak in this situation.
Hmm... how should I say it?
Actually, it's normal. The master has great skill; he can make whatever he wants, turning casserole shark fin into hot pot dish is understandable.
Zhao Cheng'an: ...?
Why are you quiet? At this point, shouldn't you be on the same team with me, righteously indignant, condemning how lucky this Zhang is?
Did you secretly betray the class behind my back?
Zhao Cheng'an fixedly stared at Qin Huai, who squeezed out a slightly guilty smile and slipped off to the sink to freshen up.
In the following time, Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an crazily researched Fen Garden's signature dishes online.
Indeed, Fen Garden's signature dishes are quite numerous.
Fen Garden, as Beiping's first private dining restaurant, has been renovating its signature dishes over the years since its opening. Initially, Fen Garden's signature dishes were some dishes that couldn't even make it on the menu now, like orchid bear paw and the like. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Later, Xia Mubing found hosting foreign guests was more lucrative, so the signature dishes became those especially to bamboozle foreigners, such as Peaches on the Plate (syrup-poured crust), Jade Fan (arranged fan-shaped vegetable cold platter), Snow-hidden Treasures (scrambled eggs with shrimp, ham, and crab meat), Moon Under Dark Clouds (pigeon egg stewed with seaweed), featuring grandiose names and beautifully presented, while tasting alright but extremely cost-ineffective dishes.
Until Xia Mubing took in apprentices, Fen Garden's signature dishes returned to normal, becoming truly expensive and highly challenging to make Shandong cuisine, abalone, fish fin, sea cucumber, bird's nest, which started to become permanent signature dishes on Fen Garden's menu.
As for which dishes are permanent, normally based on Zhang Guanghang's taste. Zhang Guanghang was a child when apprenticed under Xia Mubing, a Sino-French mixed foreign child, whose taste is certainly somewhat different from Beiping local children.
From bizarre occurrences like candied haws and fried sweet potato on the signature menu years ago, and from dishes whose names clearly indicate they aren't Shandong cuisine but rather a peculiar fusion of Chinese and French cuisine, it's not hard to see, Mr. Xia was quite painstaking to entertain his apprentice back then.
Under normal circumstances, Qin Huai wouldn't feel hungry without having breakfast or lunch, but today he felt a bit hungry.
Looking through Fen Garden's historical signature dishes made him hungry.
Master Xia is indeed too comprehensive.
As a Shandong cuisine chef, Master Xia's forte is undeniably Shandong cuisine, yet early years for profit, he also explored Cantonese and Min cuisine. Plus, later taking in a Sino-French mixed foreign apprentice, Qin Huai feels Master Xia should also have a slight understanding of French cuisine, the signature dishes lined up could form a Signature Dish Encyclopedia.
Listen, Signature Dish Encyclopedia.
This is the confidence of a master.
Initially, Qin Huai wasn't that looking forward to the blind box dinner at night, considering Ling Guangzhao and Tong Dayan had already prepared them mentally, explaining the probability of striking gold in the blind box recently approached zero limitlessly, due to Master Xia's recent bad mood.
Don't even mention the casserole shark fin, onion braised sea cucumber hasn't appeared in 10 months, if not for Master Xia's basic professional ethics, catching his foul mood, even green onions mixed with tofu might count as a dish.
Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an's hotel is not too far from Fen Garden, taking a taxi maximum 40 minutes counting traffic jams to reach. To be on the safe side, the two set off from the hotel at 5 with a phone album full of Fen Garden's historical signature dishes, gallantly setting forth.
"Qin Huai, what do you think we will open tonight?"
"Not sure, but I kind of want to eat crispy apple."
"How can you be so unambitious, can't you wish for Wanfu Meat instead? Even oil-soaked white carp would do, don't know why but today I particularly crave fish."
Two young men with aspirations boarded the taxi heading to Fen Garden.
Meanwhile, the kitchen of Fen Garden, still not yet open for business, begins to bustle.
As a private dining restaurant situated within a three-entry courtyard, Fen Garden has neither waiters nor any kitchen assistants. Daily cleaning and tidying chores at Fen Garden are done by hourly workers, cooking tasks in the kitchen—from ingredient preparation to dish cooking—are entirely handled by the master-apprentice duo.
Due to limited manpower, Fen Garden allows very few reservations daily, with lunch and dinner tables combined totaling no more than 18, and doesn't accommodate tables exceeding 6 people.
Despite only serving this many customers daily, such workload is still remarkably astonishing for Xia Mubing, a master already at 90 years of age.
In the kitchen, the previously encountered Zhang Guanghang at Taifeng Building's entrance with Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an was dutifully assisting Xia Mubing, meantime reporting situations.
"Master, just received a message from Boss Ling of Babaozhai saying the Yam Cake is made by Qin Huai of Huangji in Gusu. The recipe was found inside a book called 'Snack Encyclopedia' bought by Master Qin years back, and the words 'Chen Sheng' on the Yam Cake may possibly be written in that recipe, which Master Qin restored entirely including its appearance."
Xia Mubing multitasking several stove dishes hearing this from Zhang Guanghang paused: "A recipe inside a book?"
"You just mentioned the snack maker kid's name?"
"Qin Huai, Qin Huai of Huangji in Gusu. He has a snack called Guo'er, appeared on the opening cover of Zhiwei this year, isn't an obscure snack master." Zhang Guanghang said, "Also, one more thing, Boss Ling says tonight Master Qin and Chef Xiao Zhao from Zhiwei Restaurant are coming for dinner at Fen Garden, reserving a two-person set menu, Boss Ling asked if he could pay extra for a better dish added into their set menu."
Xia Mubing sneered: "He pays extra, do I lack this piece of dish money from Ling Guangzhao? Sending a box of Yam Cake trying to have me add a better dish, Ling Guangzhao sure is one with great face."
Zhang Guanghang used to Xia Mubing's attitude, remained silent continuing his work without bothering to observe Xia Mubing's miraculous intentions.
Xia Mubing focusing on several stove dish fire control alongside seasoning meat slices, while his mouth kept busy: "This Yam Cake wasn't even made by his Babaozhai chef, Ling Guangzhao truly knows how to self-aggrandize, even if I send dishes, it isn't for his Ling Guangzhao's face."
Zhang Guanghang: ?
Zhang Guanghang looked up dazed.
And then watched his ever-since-last-year mood-not-good leading to extremely unstable temper master angrily saying:
"Any extra ingredients tonight?"
Zhang Guanghang: "...Extra, two-spice oil explosion, premier tofu, black fish egg soup certainly can have an extra dish."
"What's the point of an extra dish like this? We ate their Yam Cake, returning with such isn't it making me Xia Mubing seem petty, Guanghang, you should have had something to fill your stomach this afternoon right?"
"...I should have."
"Good, for tonight's casserole shark fin you won't eat, when guests arrive serve the shark fin first letting them eat some hot pot."
"Make two cold dishes, make them look good, don't lose Fen Garden's face."
Zhang Guanghang: ...?
Now, domestically Yam Cake reached this level of preciousness.
So precious his dinner is gone?
"Alright Master." Zhang Guanghang didn't understand, nodded indicating he would do it.
