Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

’Pain!’

’So much pain!’

Huang He felt like he’d been swindled by a capitalist.

But on second thought, at this table, his family were the capitalists.

The pain in his heart intensified.

Feiyan Restaurant had been in his family for three generations. It had never been one to rest on its laurels; he was in contact with famous Chefs from Jiazhou and even Rongcheng, and he frequently visited top-tier restaurants to taste their food and learn.

His own cooking skills might not have reached the level of a Third-level Chef, but his palate was certainly refined.

He knew whether a dish was good or not after a single bite.

These braised pork ribs were indeed better than what his restaurant served. They were even better than Li the Third’s.

Huang Ying loved food as much as he did, and her little mouth was even pickier. Her praise might have been a bit exaggerated, but she was telling the truth.

And Huang Bing, a guy who usually didn’t care for meat, was already sucking on his third rib. That said it all.

"Is it really that good?" Seeing the look on Huang He’s face, Zhao Shulan already had an idea. She picked up a rib, took a bite, and after savoring it carefully, her eyes lit up. She praised, "This is truly excellent! The seasoning is top-notch, and the Fire Control is perfect. It’s tender, succulent, and full of flavor. I never expected such a small restaurant could make such delicious braised pork ribs."

Zhao Dong placed two ribs into Mrs. Xiang’s bowl, a smug look spreading across his face. "See? I told you it wouldn’t be bad. Brother-in-law, don’t worry about delivering the wine. I’ll come pick it up myself next time."

"Not so fast!" Huang He glared at Zhao Dong, gritting his teeth. "We ordered six dishes. You can’t declare me the loser based on just one! We need at least... two!"

He wasn’t heartbroken over two bottles of good wine, but seeing that pin he’d almost had in his grasp slip away was truly painful enough to take his breath away.

"Three dishes! So you’ll be thoroughly convinced when you lose," Zhao Dong said with a brilliant smile. "Brother-in-law, I trust your character. That mouth of yours has tasted too many good things. You know perfectly well what the standard of a dish is; you can’t lie to yourself."

"Fine!" Huang He nodded, standing up to pick out a piece of beef and a piece of dried bamboo shoot for his bowl.

Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots, a classic braised dish in Sichuan Cuisine.

For this dish, just cooking the beef well isn’t the real test of skill. The key is whether the dried bamboo shoots are delicious.

The best cut for braising beef is the brisket—lean with a bit of fat and some tendon. When braised until tender, the meat doesn’t fall apart, and the texture is even better.

He tried the beef first. The fatty parts melted in his mouth, the lean meat was soft but not mushy, and the tendon was tender and glutinous. His teeth sank through it with a gentle bite, no effort required. It was even a little springy to the chew, and the juices burst between his teeth, rich with the fragrance of beef and a pleasant, spicy heat.

Huang He nodded slightly, then put a piece of dried bamboo shoot into his mouth.

CRUNCH!

It still had a crisp, refreshing texture, but the bamboo shoot had completely absorbed the beef broth, filling his mouth with a rich, savory flavor as he chewed.

Huang He was silent for a moment, then nodded. "This Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots is better than what Li the Third makes. You won’t find any better in all of Jiazhou."

Just as Zhao Dong had said, he had tasted the cooking of too many famous Chefs. He knew good from bad in a single bite and couldn’t bring himself to say something he didn’t believe.

That was why many master Chefs liked to call him over to taste their new creations.

Because he was direct. He said what he thought and never flattered someone just because of their status.

Li the Third’s freshly braised beef was excellent, but in terms of seasoning, it was clearly inferior to this Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots. The difference was obvious.

For someone who was only twenty to be able to make two braised dishes to this standard was honestly shocking to Huang He.

Plenty of old masters with decades of experience couldn’t produce beef like this. ’Could... could he really be a genius?’

Everyone was surprised to hear this, not expecting Huang He to praise the Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots so highly.

"This is so yummy! This beef broth would be amazing mixed with rice! Uncle, can you get me a bowl of rice, please?" Huang Ying had already presented her bowl to Zhao Dong, who was in the middle of serving rice.

"You got it." Zhao Dong took the bowl with a smile, then looked at Zhao Shulan. "Zhou Yan’s Zhenzi Rice is delicious too, on par with our mother’s cooking. Sis, you want a bowl?"

"Really?" Hearing this, Zhao Shulan’s interest was piqued. She immediately handed over her bowl. "Just half a bowl is fine."

The earthenware bowl held half a serving of rice. A faint, woody scent mingled with the aroma of the rice. A poke with her chopsticks revealed grains that were distinct yet slightly sticky.

Zhao Shulan lifted a mouthful of rice to her lips and chewed it slowly, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. After swallowing, she looked at Zhao Dong and said, "Mom doesn’t cook anymore, so it’s been a long time since I’ve had Zhenzi Rice this good. It’s fragrant and soft, with a subtle sweet aftertaste when you chew. It really is about the same as Mom’s."

"Mom, add some broth to your rice! It’s even more delicious!" Huang Ying shoveled rice into her mouth, chewing with gusto, not forgetting to give her mom a strong recommendation.

"Is it really that good?" Even Huang Bing couldn’t resist scooping half a bowl of rice. He used the serving spoon to ladle a few spoonfuls of beef broth over it, took a big bite, and his eyes immediately lit up.

’This is so fragrant!’

’This rice, coated in the rich beef broth, fills your mouth with a savory aroma. And when you add a piece of beef and bamboo shoot, it’s just impossibly delicious.’

’This beef... when did it get so delicious?’

’I eat at our own restaurant every day. How come it never tastes like this?’

"Here’s your Twice-Cooked Pork and Sliced Beef," Zhao Tieying announced, arriving with more dishes.

There were two portions of Twice-Cooked Pork, and one of the Sliced Beef, which he placed in the middle.

These two were stir-fried dishes.

Huang He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the Twice-Cooked Pork. The slices were curled into perfect little cups, glistening with a beautiful sheen of oil. His heart went cold.

’It looks too beautiful!’

’The only thing is that the plain serving plate is a bit lacking. If this were on one of our Feiyan Restaurant plates and brought into a private room, we could sell it for three-fifty a portion without a problem.’