Chapter 200 - 142: Promoting TikTok
Hongji Square!
"Anything you all want to eat?" Su Chen asked, looking at the girls beside him.
When it came to good food around Shanghai University, it was best to ask the university students. After all, their opinions were the most authoritative.
"Beef brisket hot pot!"
"Stove-top chicken stew!"
"Linyi-style stir-fried chicken!"
The moment Su Chen finished speaking, three voices rang out at once.
The speakers were Su Qingya, Qin Nan, and Zhao Ya. The three of them glanced at each other and chuckled.
"Uh... I don’t think any single restaurant sells all three of those, right? Why don’t you all discuss it a bit more?" Su Chen felt a little bemused. ’Why do girls these days love to giggle so much?’
This time, the three of them didn’t answer. Instead, they turned their gazes to Wang Yue, as if seeking her opinion.
A flash of surprise flickered in Su Chen’s eyes. It seemed this Wang Yue held a dominant position, whether in their daily lives or their work...
On second thought, it made sense. After all, Wang Yue’s family background was not simple. In terms of knowledge, perspective, and intellect, she was a cut above Su Qingya and the others.
It was only natural for her to be the "big sister" of the group.
After a moment of contemplation, Wang Yue said, "Let’s go to Minjian Sichuan Cuisine. It’s been a while!"
The name "Minjian Sichuan Cuisine" might sound like a roadside hole-in-the-wall, but it was anything but. It was a little-known private Sichuan restaurant near Shanghai University—little-known only to ordinary people, of course.
Wang Yue had taken Su Qingya and the others there twice before. It wasn’t cheap, costing around a thousand per person, and the restaurant wasn’t open to the public—it was members only!
"Minjian Sichuan Cuisine?" Excitement spread across Qin Nan and Zhao Ya’s faces. They had been craving the Sichuan food there for a long time.
"I’m in! It’s been so long since I’ve had Sichuan food, I’ve really been missing it!" Su Qingya chimed in.
The restaurant wasn’t far, so the group of six walked over. Along the way, Su Qingya kept pointing out which snacks on the surrounding food street were the tastiest to Su Chen.
"Bro, the food street only gets lively at night. I’ll bring you here for some good food next time we have a chance!" Su Qingya said with a serious expression.
Su Chen couldn’t help but laugh. The university was already on break, which meant many of the shops on the food street would be closing up to go home for the New Year. Even if they wanted to eat there, they’d have to wait until next year.
They soon arrived at their destination. The Sichuan restaurant wasn’t located on a main road like other eateries, but was tucked away in an alley, quite well hidden.
Su Chen sized up the entrance. The entire restaurant seemed to be a converted old Western-style villa. The villa was completely obscured by a three-meter-high wall, preventing passersby from seeing anything inside. The privacy was excellent.
The entrance was a set of double mahogany doors. He could faintly see a plaque hanging above, inscribed with four large Chinese characters: Minjian Sichuan Cuisine!
Wang Yue lightly knocked the ring-shaped handle on the door, producing a crisp "KNOCK KNOCK" sound.
The door swung open in response, and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit emerged. Upon seeing Wang Yue, he quickly bowed and said, "Miss Wang, welcome!"
Wang Yue glanced at Su Chen, gave a slight nod, and then walked inside. Su Chen and the others quickly followed.
Once inside, they found themselves in a quaint, antique-style courtyard. Low-lying groves of mottled bamboo flanked a narrow bluestone path, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere.
"I never thought a place this serene existed in Shanghai," Su Chen couldn’t help but remark. In a bustling metropolis packed with skyscrapers, a unique private restaurant like this was truly one of a kind.
When Su Chen stepped into the villa, he discovered that the interior decor was also very simple, with a gray and white color scheme reminiscent of an ink wash painting.
It had something in common with Young Master Huang’s place: the entire restaurant consisted of only two private rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.
Led by the middle-aged man, Su Chen’s group went directly to the second floor.
After everyone was seated, the middle-aged man presented a thick menu to Wang Yue with both hands. "Miss Wang, here is the menu. Please take a look."
"The guest of honor today is Mr. Su~" Wang Yue said, gesturing with her right hand toward Su Chen beside her.
The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment. He knew that the first person to order was typically the most distinguished person at the table. As the "butler" of Minjian Sichuan Cuisine, he was naturally aware of Wang Yue’s status.
For her to say something like this, the man she deferred to must have an even more extraordinary status.
Snapping back to his senses, he hurried to Su Chen’s side, bowed at a sixty-degree angle, and said, "Mr. Su, please, you order!"
Su Chen smiled, nodded, and took the menu from the butler. A quick flip through revealed an incredibly rich selection of dishes. Besides the common Upper River Sect dishes, it even had items from the Lower River Sect and Little River Sect.
You see, Sichuan cuisine is divided into three major styles. The first is the Upper River Sect, centered around Rongcheng and Leshan, characterized by its wide variety of dishes and milder flavors.
In contrast, the Lower River Sect and Little River Sect both make liberal use of chili and Sichuan peppercorns, causing many outsiders to shrink back in fear.
Imagine you’re treating an important corporate client to a meal, and you order Lower River and Little River Sect dishes. Everyone would be sweating profusely, their clothes soaked through. The food might be delicious, but it would be a major loss of face.
This is why most Sichuan restaurants opened outside the province are dominated by Upper River Sect cuisine, mainly to cater to the local palate.