Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 219 - 216 Exceptionally Lively

Yan Yan was not the type to make a plethora of friends; usually, in any given place, she only had one or two really important friends.

In Wenzhou, there were Jin Jin and Jiao Zhifei, in Xiamen there was Ning Xuan, and in Melbourne, there was Bao Bao.

Lei Pili could also be considered an important friend from her time at Xiamen University.

But that was before Lei Pili began his relentless pursuit of Yan Yan.

Once Yan Yan realized Lei Pili’s intentions, she intentionally kept her distance.

Four best friends, and suddenly two showed up.

Besides friends, the crucial people in Yan Yan’s life included her cousin Yan Ling and her boyfriend Qi Yi, of course.

Overnight, Yan Yan felt that at least half of the most important people in her life had gathered in Milan.

Such a bustling scene was something Yan Yan had never experienced or dealt with before.

Monday.

In Milan, the busiest person was the "driver" Ye Mo from Yanlu Machinery’s Milan branch office.

Initially, Yan Yan had simply asked Ye Mo to find a driver to pick up Yan Ling and Bao Bao for breakfast and take them to their hotel.

Knowing that these two were followed by a large group, including "Little Yan," Ye Mo voluntarily applied to step down from his director role to become a driver.

With her fellow Wenzhou townspeople visiting Milan, Ye Mo would have gone to pick them up even if he barely knew them, let alone when the visitors were "Little Yan" and her group.

The first official gathering of the large group was at the Nobu restaurant in the ARMANI Hotel.

The one who chose this restaurant was not the "local guide" Ye Mo, nor the food-lover Yan Yan, but Qi Yi, who had come all the way from New York.

When Qi Yi checked into the ARMANI Hotel and found the Nobu restaurant, he didn’t even consult with Yan Yan before making a reservation.

For Qi Yi, seeing this restaurant in Milan felt like a miraculous serendipity.

When Qi Yi went to Melbourne to find Yan Yan, the first meal he had alone in the Crown Casino was at a restaurant called Nobu.

Now in Milan, the hotel Yan Yan had specifically chosen for him also had this restaurant. The "somber" memories of dining alone at Nobu definitely needed to be rewritten.

Besides wanting to revise his memories, another important reason Qi Yi chose to reserve this restaurant was that he knew Yan Yan was a loyal fan of Nobu.

Before Yan Yan’s parents arrived in Melbourne, the restaurants she most frequently mentioned going to with Bao Bao was Nobu.

Nobu could certainly be considered one of the most famous Japanese restaurant chains in the world, second to none.

This restaurant has a prestigious background, invested in by Hollywood blockbuster director, Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor Robert De Niro.

Aside from being an acclaimed actor, successful director, and businessman, he was also a well-known gourmet.

In the 90s, he savored the Saikyo Yaki black cod by Japanese culinary master Nobu Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, the most expensive residential area in the world, and was forever captivated.

After a "rigorous and extraordinary" four-year persuasion campaign, in 1994, Robert De Niro successfully persuaded Nobu Matsuhisa to collaborate in building their dream restaurant. The first global Nobu opened that year in New York.

Today, Nobu has launched 37 outlets worldwide; while 14 are located in the United States, the other twenty-three have spanned almost every major metropolitan city around the globe.

To say Nobu is a Japanese restaurant isn’t quite accurate.

The restaurant merges South American flavors with Japanese culinary elements, creating a unique style all its own.

Diners’ opinions about Nobu are definitely polarized. If someone expecting traditional Japanese cuisine walks into the restaurant, they are bound to be somewhat disappointed. (note 1)

But for those who are jaded by traditional Japanese food, they can’t forget Nobu’s unique blend of Japanese cuisine, innovation, and South American flavors.

Nobu’s signature dish is the Alaskan black cod with miso, marinated in Japanese sake and miso before being broiled.

The golden, crispy exterior encloses the fresh, tender, and smooth cod, which, when dipped in citrus soy sauce, blends the soft, crunchy, fresh, and fragrant flavors perfectly.

Another standout is the yellowtail sashimi with Jalapeno, a miraculous pairing that makes every taste bud seem to dance the samba with enthusiasm.

As an unconventional Japanese restaurant, the cocktails and desserts at Nobu are also noteworthy.

.........

Qi Yi had reserved dinner, initially hoping Yan Yan would arrive in the afternoon so they could have tea together.

However, upon arriving in Milan, the first thing Yan Yan did was not to ask "driver" Ye Mo to take her to see Qi Yi, but to find Lei Pili, who had arrived in Milan a few hours before her.

Yan Yan called Lei Pili, but the person who truly needed Lei Pili was Jiao Zhifei.

This oddly thinking younger sibling somehow managed to lose his passport on the Eurostar to Milan.

In Italy, losing a passport meant having to contact the consulate.

And instead of making individual calls to the consulate, a much more convenient approach was to seek Lei Pili’s help.

Jiao Zhifei was so thrilled to see Lei Pili that he shook hands with him for a full two minutes.

Lei Pili easily helped Jiao Zhifei navigate a series of complex procedures, and an emergency passport, which normally took a week to issue, became instantly available.

Such courtesy made Jiao Zhifei overwhelmingly grateful to Lei Pili.

Then Yan Yan introduced her younger brother to Senior Brother Lei, and an overjoyed Jiao Zhifei called him at least thirty times.

All sorts of thanks added up to more than could be contained in a basket.

Still not satisfied with just that, they insisted on dragging him to dinner.

Although Yan Yan had known Lei Pili was also in Milan, she had not intended to invite him to dinner.

Seeing Lei Pili would certainly not be a relaxed and happy occasion for Qi Yi, and Lei Pili didn’t seem eager to meet Qi Yi either.

This could be seen from him having declined more than twenty times.

Eventually, Jiao Zhifei forcibly dragged Lei Pili into Ye Mo’s car.

Yan Yan suddenly felt that the lively spirit she saw in Jiao Zhifei the day before was surely fake.

How could he still be so oblivious to reading the room?

With this, the already vibrant dinner escalated into a stage of overwhelming popularity.

.........

note 1:

Despite the many complaints about Nobu, its success is undeniable.

This year (2017) Nobu, along with other luxury brands, ventured into the hotel industry and opened its first global Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, London.