Chapter 683 - 536: Boundless Future (Part 2)
Yang Deyi warmly greeted everyone.
"Don’t worry, Old Yang, there’s no need for formalities between us, right? I definitely won’t treat you as an outsider."
Old Jia smiled and patted Yang Deyi on the shoulder.
As Old Jia finished speaking, the guests also picked up their chopsticks and began to taste the delicious dishes on the table, rich in color, fragrance, and flavor.
Even though they were somewhat prepared, knowing that these meticulously prepared dishes wouldn’t disappoint, when the actual flavors hit their palates, they were still slightly shocked by the delicious taste.
The food was truly exquisite!
The cold dishes were crispy and refreshing, each bite seeming to dance on the tip of the tongue, making it unforgettable; the hot dishes were incredibly tasty, each bite full of the chef’s exceptional skill and deep expertise.
The guests present were all successful business owners, and most of them had a sophisticated palate.
Having eaten a lot of good food, they had high standards for taste and quality, able to discern the good from the bad at a single taste.
They slowly savored the dishes, feeling that the flavors were excellent.
Especially the garlic lobster and Longjing shrimp, which were simply delicacies.
The aroma of garlic lobster was captivating, with the meat being tender and juicy; the Longjing shrimp was refreshingly unique, perfectly blending the tea aroma with the fresh shrimp, each bite telling a story of spring, utterly enchanting.
Old Jia especially loved seafood, but due to gout, his family always watched him closely, not letting him eat too much.
However, today, he indulged himself by eating quite a bit of seafood.
Especially the Longjing shrimp, which tasted very familiar to him, akin to a dish made by an old acquaintance.
He couldn’t help but glance at Huang Jun nearby, then asked, "Chef Huang, did you personally cook all these dishes?"
Huang Jun smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, I cooked every dish myself."
"Old Jia, what’s the matter? Is it not to your taste, or is there another reason?"
Yang Deyi, noticing Old Jia’s unusual expression, couldn’t help but ask out of concern.
Despite having full confidence in Huang Jun’s culinary skills and finding the food delicious, taste preferences vary greatly, and what he thinks is good might not be perceived the same by others...
"Not at all, every dish is delicious!"
Old Jia waved his hand, his gaze shifting to the now empty plate of Longjing shrimp, a trace of sadness in his eyes: "It’s just that this dish made me think of an old friend. He was an extraordinary chef, but alas, heaven is jealous of talent, and he’s no longer with us. The taste of Chef Huang’s dish is nearly identical to what he used to make, instantly bringing him to mind."
"An old friend? Who was it?" Yang Deyi asked, full of curiosity.
Old Jia calmly replied, "His last name was Yu."
"Yu? That name doesn’t ring a bell..."
He searched through his memory repeatedly but still couldn’t find a corresponding memory.
He laughed at himself, "It’s normal, after all, Old Jia, you have a wide circle and know a lot of friends."
Having said that, he turned to look at Huang Jun, his eyes shining with anticipation: "Chef Huang, you are a rising star in the culinary world, have you heard of this renowned Chef Yu?"
"I don’t know him."
Huang Jun shook his head lightly, looking puzzled.
Old Jia nodded slightly, a deep sense of nostalgia in his gaze: "Chef Huang, you are much younger than Chef Yu, so it’s normal not to know him. But it’s really unexpected, you at such a young age, with culinary skills so outstanding, can be compared to Chef Yu back in the day, or even surpass him in some respects."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jun quickly waved his hand, a humble smile on his face: "Ah, you’re flattering me too much. I’m just starting to explore the path of culinary arts, how can I compare with the experienced Chef Yu? However, receiving your praise is indeed a great encouragement for me."
Old Jia nodded, a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "Young and accomplished, humble and steady, Chef Huang, your future is limitless."
The surrounding guests also nodded, expressing their sincere admiration for Huang Jun’s humility and culinary skills.
At this moment, Yang Deyi warmly invited everyone, "Don’t just chat, come on, eat, eat, try the clear stewed crab roe lion’s head made by Chef Huang, it’s delicious."
With that,
he brought a delicate lion’s head to his table, lifted the lid of the stew pot.
Instantly.
A tempting aroma wafted toward them...
The aroma fused the mellow scent of pork, the rich flavor of the broth, and the freshness of shrimp and crab.
Just a gentle sniff...
It was as if every pore in the body relaxed in this wonderful scent.
This dish, from the aroma alone, was enough to captivate someone, making them unable to extricate themselves.
He picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of hot soup from the pot, but didn’t rush to taste it, instead carefully poured the hot soup over the layer of fine crab powder and shrimp roe on the lion’s head.
This approach aimed to fully infuse the savory essence of the crab powder and shrimp roe into the broth, enhancing the soup’s exquisite flavor.
At the same time, pouring the hot soup allowed the crab powder and shrimp roe to spread evenly over the lion’s head surface, allowing the shrimp and crab’s savory flavor to permeate every inch, making the dish’s texture even more layered.
He lightly touched the slightly rugged but flavorful lion’s head inside the stew pot with the spoon, which immediately quivered with a gentle touch,
which was the unique effect of being made purely from meat without starch, with the filling tightly bound together while maintaining the meat’s natural elasticity.
He inserted the spoon into the lion’s head, gently twisted and lifted it, and a plump lion’s head appeared on the spoon.
It trembled slightly on the spoon, shimmering with a tempting luster from the rich oil, resembling a meticulously carved amber, crystal-clear and pleasing to the eye.
He brought this piece of meat to his mouth, with just a gentle touch of the tongue, it leisurely unfurled in his mouth, transforming into a delicate minced meat, achieving the ultimate level of melting-in-the-mouth.
Absolutely delicious!
In that moment, he seemed to be immersed in a sea of gourmet food, each chew indulging his taste buds to the fullest, more like a soothing massage for the soul.
As the lion’s head entered his mouth, everything around seemed to fade away, leaving only this sensory feast, the most brilliant existence in the universe.
This feeling was truly wonderful!
Beside him, the guests also launched an "attack" on the lion’s head.
Old Lu just took a small bite, his eyes instantly lighting up: "Wow, this clear stewed crab roe lion’s head, although light, is so fresh it’s overwhelming!"
Old Jia nodded in agreement: "Indeed, this clear stewed crab roe lion’s head has a subtle and not greasy flavor, with a refreshing and unique texture, that every bite is perfectly measured, making one feel utterly relaxed, unconsciously lost in this sensory feast."
The other guests felt the same, thoroughly enchanted by the delicious lion’s head.
Initially, they worried about consuming such a large lion’s head after so many dishes, but as they regained their senses, the lion’s head, the size of a fist, had vanished without a trace.
It wasn’t that each of them had an astonishing appetite, rather, this extraordinary taste made them completely forget about their meals’ quantity, solely indulging in the melting glorious taste.
After savoring the lion’s head, they also cleared the plate of the accompanying bok choy.
The bok choy absorbed the essence of the soup, coupled with its inherent fresh texture, bringing another kind of delight to the taste buds.
Finally, they didn’t forget to drink all the soup from the stew pot, leaving not a drop.
In conclusion, all the guests present were profoundly amazed by this meal, truly a rare opportunity, everyone ate happily and felt quite full, so when it came to tasting the birthday cake, nobody could eat anymore.
Even Qingqing and Weiwei, who usually had a soft spot for sweets, only tasted a symbolic bite before claiming they couldn’t manage another morsel.
As the cake tasting concluded, this birthday feast gracefully drew down its brilliant curtain, adding a perfect footnote to the day’s beautiful memories...