The Game of Life-Chapter 628 - 626: Confirm the Menu

Chapter 628 -626: Confirm the Menu

Wang Hao was somewhat panicked.

He had just finished Jiang Jiankang’s candied soft-shelled turtle and turned to see Ji Xue’s shepherd’s purse tofu meatball soup, while also catching a glimpse of Zhang Guanghang preparing lemon-flavored codfish. On the left, Dong Shi was rummaging in the fish tank, selecting mandarin fish, and to the right, Wu Minqi was doing the same in search of a variety for his bean paste fish. Behind him, Dong Li was stir-frying a dish of chive and squid that was doomed to be eliminated even before it reached the table.

Wang Hao wasn’t just somewhat panicked; he was very panicked.

Wang Hao looked at Jiang Feng, who was fishing out the last bits of the pickled and bacon soup, his mind a blank except for the desire to seek help from his dear Feng, no, Boss Feng.

The so-called hell was nothing more than this.

Jiang Feng saw the appeal in Wang Hao’s eyes.

...

Jiang Feng drank the last sip of soup that tasted like spring and was slightly salty at the end, put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and walked over to Wang Hao.

“Wang, what do you think of this candied soft-shelled turtle? Doesn’t it fit perfectly as a dish in the spring seasonal set menu? From the moment I heard that the restaurant was planning a spring set menu, the first thing I thought of was the candied turtle. It’s incredibly suitable: delicious, nourishing, and sells at a high price. There couldn’t be a more perfect dish,” Jiang Jiankang enthusiastically praised his own creation, “apart from the pickled and bacon soup, this is the most suitable dish.”

Jiang Feng reached Wang Hao and patted Jiang Jiankang: “Dad, can I have some turtle? I’m a bit hungry.”

Wang Hao: ?

Then Jiang Feng began to eat the candied soft-shelled turtle.

Wang Hao gave Jiang Feng a look, Jiang Feng looked back at him, and continued eating the candied turtle.

Wang Hao: …

Jiang Jiankang was still asking: “Wang, why aren’t you speaking?”

Ji Xue’s shepherd’s purse tofu meatball soup had already been served in front of Wang Hao.

Wang Hao knew he probably couldn’t escape today’s predicament.

“Mr. Jiang, I think the flavor of your candied turtle is absolutely fantastic, but… I’ll have some soup first, I think I ate too quickly just now and may have choked a bit.” Wang Hao hadn’t thought of enough praise for the candied turtle yet and had to opt for something else to collect his thoughts.

Wang Hao ate while Ji Xue explained on the side.

“Shepherd’s purse and yellow croaker are both seasonal foods in spring. Every year when spring came, my dad would make this dish.”

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“These shepherd’s purse balls are made from minced shepherd’s purse mixed with tofu. The shepherd’s purse used was delivered this morning, freshly picked and very juicy. After briefly blanching, it is chopped, which makes it tender. Mixed with tofu and seasoned with a little salt and sesame oil, although it is very light, it is also very refreshing, which is very suitable for this season.”

“These yellow croaker balls were made by hand this afternoon. The fish was freshly killed, skinned and cut into chunks, then ground up and marinated. Cooking the yellow croaker balls with the shepherd’s purse balls, they absorb a bit of the flavor of the herb and tofu. Eating the shepherd’s purse balls first followed by the yellow croaker balls makes the taste even better; it’s best to try a bit of the soup while eating.”

“This dish, besides salt and sesame oil, has no other seasonings, letting the natural freshness of the ingredients shine through, which is why they must be fresh. I think this dish fits very well with the theme of the spring limited set menu, but since Master Jiang’s pickled and bacon soup has been selected as the main dish, there’s no need for a second soup. This dish could instead be turned into a mustard green and yellow croaker ball noodle dish. Adding some other ingredients to the noodles would also make them taste very fresh.”

Wang Hao: …

All the talking was done by you; what else am I supposed to say?

The candied soft-shelled turtle and shepherd’s purse tofu meatball soup each had their own merits, one bold and flavorful, the other light and elegant, one rich and nourishing, the other fresh and lively.

After setting down his bowl, Wang Hao had made his decision.

“Mr. Jiang, though your candied soft-shelled turtle is indeed delicious, I think it might not quite match the spring seasonal set menu,” Wang Hao finally said.

“Where doesn’t it match?”

“This dish of yours has a flavor that’s a bit too intense. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I found it slightly too sweet when I was eating earlier. Of course, the overall taste is very good, with the soft-shelled turtle meat being rich and flavorful, starting off sweet and ending with a hint of saltiness, and most importantly, not fishy at all. The sauce is thick and it feels a little like aspic when eating it.”

“The presentation is also very attractive, with the whole turtle looking a vibrant red. However, there’s a bit of a cloying aftertaste.”

“This dish would fit into any set menu without a problem, especially on a banquet menu. If a banquet could feature this candied soft-shelled turtle, it would certainly add a lot of appeal, and even elevate the whole meal. But if it’s served as part of a small set menu for fewer than four people, such a dish might create an unspoken pressure for average diners like us.”

“Look, this dish is so delicious that it would be a shame not to finish it, but forcing oneself to finish might end up feeling too rich. Our set menu is a springtime special and spring should be about freshness and vitality. Having a dish that seems slightly cloying in a spring menu feels a bit out of place.” Wang Hao demonstrated what it meant to be eloquent with his remarks.

After providing his critique of Jiang Jiankang’s candied soft-shelled turtle, Wang Hao then enthusiastically praised Ji Xue’s shepherd’s purse tofu meatball soup as a good choice. As Ji Xue mentioned, with the inclusion of pickled pork with bamboo dishes, there was no need for a second soup in the set menu. Changing the shepherd’s purse tofu meatball soup into a shepherd’s purse yellow croaker meatball noodle dish was a great alternative, especially since the main course of the menu hadn’t been finalized yet.

With Sir’s approval, Ji Xue’s shepherd’s purse yellow croaker meatball noodles became the main course for the springtime special set menu. In a way, noodles are better than soup, saving on meatballs, especially since yellow croaker prices are not low these days.

The springtime special set menu is intended for 2 to 3 people, but Fan Mei’s idea was to make enough for 4 servings under the guise of a meal for 2 to 3 people. The set initially required only four dishes: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, one soup, and one main course. Adding a side of delicate small dishes and fresh juice would make the set seem very abundant.

Now that both the soup and main course had been decided, the competition between meat and vegetable dishes became particularly fierce, especially the meat dishes.

After an intense afternoon battle, Dong Shi stood out with his Bibo mandarin fish—a dish with a pleasant-sounding name, relatively simple recipe, attractive appearance, and a flavor that was very fresh, which as per Wang Hao’s description, could let people taste the vitality of spring.

Bibo mandarin fish just required steaming the fish and then pouring hot oil over it, followed by adding side ingredients and seasoning. As long as the knife skills were proficient and the fish slices looked appealing, by the time the hot oil was poured over, causing the fish skin and meat to curl like a blooming flower, the dish would look sufficiently high-end.

It could only be said that Wu Minqi and Zhang Guanghang lost fairly to such a dish.

In the end, with only a slight edge, Zhang Guanghang secured the final spot in the competition using stir-fried clams with golden needle mushrooms, narrowly defeating Wu Minqi’s asparagus stir-fried with shrimp.

Then Jiang Feng noticed that Wu Minqi, who had lost two rounds in a row, seemed a bit downcast.

Although it wasn’t very apparent, as Wu Minqi was deliberately keeping her slightly low and discouraged mood from others, Jiang Feng, as her boyfriend, still noticed.

Madam Wu was not in great spirits at the moment.

The reason for her displeasure was quite evident.

But Jiang Feng didn’t quite understand why Wu Minqi would be upset because her dish wasn’t selected for the springtime special menu.

In Jiang Feng’s recollection, Wu Minqi seldom showed emotional fluctuations over such matters, even treating wins and losses very indifferently during the Good Taste culinary competition.

She is a competitive person, but she is certainly not one to be petty over minor issues.

Jiang Feng guessed all night but couldn’t figure it out, and he was still puzzled as he walked home from work with Wu Minqi. Just as he hesitated whether to ask her directly, Wu Minqi spoke first.

“Fengfeng, don’t you think I’ve always had the wrong idea?” Wu Minqi said.

“Huh?” Jiang Feng didn’t understand.

“I’ve always thought that spicy is the best flavor since I was young, and spicy dishes have the most soul,” Wu Minqi frowned as she spoke, “but I realized that you don’t really like spicy. You treat it as an accent, but you can’t accept it as the main focus.”

“That’s not what I want, nor the kind of food I want to make. Mr. Xu said in ‘Taste’ that the food I make now is painful, and there is only a fine line between extremity and pain. I want to find that line, but I can’t find or feel it now.”

“Now when I cook, I have to consciously hold back a little, add a little less, but that’s not what I think of, and the result is not what I want.”

Wu Minqi looked up at Jiang Feng with confusion written all over her face: “I feel like I’m almost losing my ability to cook. This afternoon, when I was making spicy bean paste fish, I didn’t dare to add too much seasoning, and what I made was neither here nor there. Even making something with a light taste like stir-fried asparagus with shrimp feels a bit off, and it makes me uneasy all over.”

“Fengfeng, what should I do?”