The Gourmet Customizer

He added some lard to the wok, then tossed in the greens, which had crosses cut into their bases. He stir-fried them briefly until they turned a vibrant emerald green. He then added a pinch of shrimp roe and fine salt, poured in some pork broth, and brought it to a rolling boil over high heat before setting the wok aside.

"Huaiyang Cuisine is all about the authentic, natural flavor. For a dish like this, this is all the seasoning it needs."

Su Chen grabbed a clay pot and set it on the stove. He rubbed the bottom of the pot with a piece of pork rind to grease it, then placed the emerald green vegetable hearts inside.

Liu Shengnan eyed the two large meatballs and the small pot of broth. "This looks so bland. Can it really be good?"

Jingzhou People generally preferred stronger flavors, with meals heavy on oil and salt. Seeing such a clear broth and lightly seasoned meat for the first time, she naturally thought it wouldn’t taste very good.

Su Chen chuckled. "Too bad. If I’d known, I would have made a few extra meatballs for you to try."

Liu Shengnan pouted. ’You’ve cooked so many times, but I’ve never seen you offer me any,’ she thought.

He arranged the vegetable hearts on the bottom of the clay pot, placed the two crab-roe-inlaid meatballs on top, and then poured in the pork broth that had just been boiled. Finally, he covered the surface of the broth with a layer of green vegetable leaves.

Once the broth in the clay pot came to a boil again, he turned down the heat, letting the liquid inside maintain a gentle simmer.

"Done!"

Su Chen clapped his hands together, looking at the clay pot on the stove with satisfaction. "This thing needs to braise. The customer will be here in about an hour, so the timing should be just right."

After all, there were only two meatballs in the pot. If he were making more, they would need to braise for at least two hours.

"This dish is all about technique," Liu Ahbao remarked, having watched Su Chen’s entire process. "For Lion’s Head meatballs, they can’t be packed too tightly, but they can’t fall apart either. If they have any gamey taste, it’s a complete failure. They’re really not easy to make."

If they’re packed too tightly, it means the meat has been overworked, and they’ll have a chewy, bouncy texture when eaten.

And if they fall apart, that goes without saying—a total failure.

Su Chen nodded in agreement. "I don’t know who this person is, specifically requesting Huaiyang Cuisine. It’s the kind of thing you avoid if at all possible."

The first dish was on the stove; it was time to start the second.

Su Chen mulled it over for a moment. "Why don’t you guys step out for a bit?"

Making Wen Si Tofu wasn’t difficult; it was all about the knife skills. But Su Chen’s knife skills were so shockingly unconventional that he really didn’t want anyone to see them.

"No way!" Liu Ahbao was the first to object. "Watching Wen Si Tofu being made is a sublime experience. If I miss this, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!"

Liu Shengnan was also buzzing with excitement. "Yeah, yeah, Boss! We’ve never seen you show off your knife skills before. I’ve seen videos online of how to make Wen Si Tofu. Can you really slice tofu thinner than a strand of hair?"

"I find it a little hard to believe myself," Aunt Fang added, her interest piqued even more.

’If I really see it with my own eyes, I’ll probably go home and secretly practice it tonight.’

Seeing they were all dead set on staying and watching, Su Chen curled his toes in embarrassment. He waved his hand awkwardly. "Everyone, back up."

Liu Ahbao: ???

’You’re just cutting a vegetable, and we have to back up?’

Though bewildered, the three of them obediently took a step back.

"Keep backing up."

Liu Shengnan took another few steps back. "Boss, what are you doing? Any further and we’ll be out the door!"

Su Chen sneered. ’If you don’t back up now, don’t blame me for what happens next!’ he thought.

He selected a thin ceramic knife. If he used a standard chef’s knife, its speed would create an "impact" effect as the spine passed through the tofu. A thin blade was much better.

Liu Ahbao remained standing just two meters away from Su Chen, watching with great interest.

Following the method he’d used in the practice room, Su Chen trimmed all four sides of the block of silken tofu, leaving only a perfect, neat square.

He measured the exact center with his eyes, and under the effect of [Precise Strike], the position was seared into his memory.

The feeling was a bit like when he was throwing darts at the big market the other day.

With the thin knife in hand, he focused his intent.

Su Chen lowered his center of gravity, gripping the knife handle in his palm like a dagger. He took a deep, centering breath.

"Ha!"

He let out a sharp cry as his arm swung in a blur.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Su Chen stood up straight again, the three onlookers were completely dumbfounded.

Liu Ahbao had already subconsciously retreated behind the door.

’No wonder Boss Su told me to back up, back up, back up! That was terrifying!’

’But he’s just cutting a block of tofu. Why be so dramatic?’

’Is it just for a more visually stunning effect? Is he just trying to show off?’

Liu Ahbao truly didn’t understand.

’You could just press the knife against the tofu and slice it slowly...’

As a master chef himself, Liu Ahbao admitted he couldn’t slice tofu threads thinner than hair, but he could manage a decent general cut. However, if he were asked to cut it like *that*...

...who knows where the knife would have ended up!

Liu Shengnan was even more stunned.

The block of silken tofu on the table still looked like a block of silken tofu, without the slightest change.

But then Su Chen gently separated it into two pieces with his hands. Which meant... that single slash just now had actually, precisely, cut right through it?

Before any of them could ask anything, Su Chen half-squatted into a horse stance, one hand behind his back.

He gripped the thin knife in his right hand and took a deep breath.

’This is so fucking awkward!’

’Why are my knife skills so different from everyone else’s?!’

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

As his hand rose and fell, accompanied by the sound of the knife striking the cutting board, Su Chen used his left hand to scoop up some fresh water and pour it over the tofu.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

He repeated the same action, wildly chopping at the silken tofu on the cutting board with just one hand!

Liu Shengnan watched in disbelief as the once-smooth block of silken tofu was gradually reduced to what looked like a pile of pulp.