Two notification sounds chimed one after the other in Lin Xu's mind.
That was unexpected! I just used a piece of leftover dough, treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, and I actually triggered a hidden task? And I even obtained the Perfect Level Oil-poured Hand-rolled Noodles Technique! What an unexpected delight! Now I can make more dough this afternoon. Even without toppings, I can still sell Oil-poured Noodles. After all, they're all Perfect Level. There's nothing to criticize about the taste.
"Damn, this spicy fragrance is just addictive!"
"Boss Lin actually managed to make Oil-poured Noodles."
"I haven't even started on my Tomato Egg Noodles, does anyone want to trade?"
"Boss, if there's any leftover, save a bowl for me, will you?"
The diners nearby, who were eating, couldn't sit still anymore. They were initially glad to have queued early and gotten one of the last few bowls of noodles. They didn't expect Oil-poured Noodles to be available next. Everyone wanted to try something new.
On social media platforms, the comment section under the topic of Lin Ji's Food was bubbling with excitement:
"Holy shit! There are Oil-poured Noodles now!"
"I haven't had enough of the Tomato Cubes Noodles yet, and here come the Oil-poured Noodles. Boss Lin has gone mad today."
"With Boss Lin around, who the hell still wants to lose weight!"
"Ahhhhhh! Boss Lin is really the Demon King on my weight loss journey."
"Have you guys forgotten about the braised snacks for tomorrow and the day after?"
"Say no more, see you at five in the evening!"
"See you there!"
"..."
Lin Xu made a total of eight bowls of Oil-poured Noodles. I had wanted to save a bowl to try the taste myself. But in the blink of an eye, customers snatched them all up. And many more customers didn't even get a chance to grab one.
"This afternoon, Oil-poured Noodles will be available at the store, everyone stay tuned."
Now that I have the technique, there's no need to hide it. Getting it out there to make money is the right thing to do. With money, I can live in a comfortable big house, and my parents will have the funds to develop the scenic area.
Lin Xu tidied up the kitchen a bit. Then he took a drink from the cold beverage cooler. While sipping slowly, he opened his phone. It was only then that he realized his mom had actually transferred twenty thousand yuan to him.
Tsk, we've video called already. Is she still worried I'm in some pyramid scheme trap? Lin Xu smiled wryly. But with these twenty thousand yuan, I can start looking into renting a place. Commuting back and forth every day really isn't sustainable. It would be better to rent a place nearby as soon as possible.
He opened the short video social platform. The topic of Lin Ji's Food had already surpassed five hundred followers. Lin Xu scrolled through it. Aside from some customers checking in and discussing, there were even employees from other restaurants speaking up.
For example, a user called Northeast Little Sweetie commented enviously: "I'm so envious of customers and bosses like you. Our boss just tries every possible way to scam customers, even wanting to charge for the public parking spaces in front of the shop."
Another user named Che Zai also complained: "Our boss is even more disgusting. Not only does he scam customers, he doesn't spare us employees either. I was promoted to assistant chef in April, but I'm still getting apprentice wages. It's infuriating!"
Looking at these complaints, Lin Xu had a good idea of what Lin Ji's Food's values were. It's about exchanging sincerity for sincerity. I've always been genuine with my customers, and the customers have been really good to me in return. If it had been one of those unscrupulous bosses, Panda and the others probably wouldn't have such strong cohesion.
After resting for a while, Lin Xu started to clean the kitchen. Then he set up the wok and prepared to simmer a batch of universal mixed noodle sauce.
Commercially, when making Oil-poured Noodles, seasonings like salt aren't spooned into bowls one at a time. This method is not only inefficient but also prone to mistakes. Moreover, if customers don't mix their noodles well, they're likely to bite into clumps of salt, which severely affects the taste and appetite. To improve efficiency, a pre-mixed sauce is often used in commercial preparation. This "mixed noodle sauce" involves simmering all the seasonings together to create a stock. When serving, only a scoop of this sauce is needed. This ensures consistent flavor, is convenient and fast, and is very suitable for mass commercial production.
He started by heating oil in the wok. Before the oil was fully hot, Lin Xu added scallion sections, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, tsao-ko, dried chilies, and other aromatics and spices to the wok. He then sautéed them over low heat to release their fragrance. Then he poured a kettle of Chen Vinegar into the wok.
With a SIZZLE, a pleasant sour aroma rose from the wok.
This step is called Chili Vinegar. This tempering process removes the harsh acidity and pungency from the vinegar, making its aroma smoother and more lingering. Furthermore, after tempering, the vinegar undergoes an esterification reaction in the oil. This produces aromatic esters, making the vinegar's fragrance even richer. Some dishes are enhanced by drizzling a spoonful of vinegar along the side of the hot pan during cooking; this utilizes the vinegar's esterification reaction to add fragrance to the dish.
"Wow, that smells so good."
"What is Boss Lin preparing to make?"
"Aren't you taking a break at noon?"
The customers in the restaurant had already left in twos and threes. But there were still some slow-eating customers lingering in the store. The sour aroma drifting from the kitchen immediately captivated them.
Lin Xu said, "I'm simmering some sauce for the Oil-poured Noodles. It needs to cool before it can be used, so I have to prepare it in advance."
Hearing that it was for the Oil-poured Noodles, the customers immediately looked forward to dinner.
"Just for that vinegar aroma, I'll definitely have to get a bowl of Oil-poured Noodles tonight to try."
"Right, I didn't get to try it earlier. I'll have to taste it tonight."
Before long, the Chen Vinegar in the wok came to a boil. Lin Xu poured an equal amount of Bone Soup and an equal amount of chicken soup into the wok with the Chen Vinegar, along with a large spoonful of salt, a large spoonful of Light Soy Sauce, and half a spoonful of Dark Soy Sauce. After stirring it well, he continued to simmer. Bone Soup can increase the aroma of the mixed noodle sauce, while chicken soup can enhance its umami taste. Both can make the flavor of the mixed noodle sauce richer and more enticing.
After simmering in the wok for three to five minutes, Lin Xu added two teaspoons of sugar. In Chinese cooking, sugar not only adds sweetness but is also a binding agent for various flavors. Nearly all complex flavor profiles require sugar for balance.
After adding the sugar, Lin Xu stirred the contents of the wok a few times with a spoon, then turned off the heat. He poured the mixed noodle sauce from the wok into a basin to cool naturally. The scallion, ginger, and various spices inside could not be removed yet, since the mixed noodle sauce was still very hot, and the spices were still releasing their aroma. Only after it had completely cooled could these spices be filtered out.
After the customers left in groups, Lin Xu tidied up the restaurant. He made a phone call to Ou Hua, asking him to bring some supplies over when he had time. The beverages in the store were running low, and the North Pole sodas were completely gone.
After making the call, he locked the restaurant door and rode a shared bicycle to the Spring Wind Food Market. He bought some more small bok choy from Uncle Shen. With Oil-poured Noodles now on the menu, the small bok choy he'd originally stocked was no longer sufficient, so he needed to buy more.
「At five in the evening,」 Lin Xu placed the electronic blackboard at the entrance again. It displayed tonight's main dishes:
[Signature Tomato Cubes Noodles: Large bowl 30 / Small bowl 27]
[Tomato Egg Noodles: Large bowl 28 / Small bowl 25]
[Oil-poured Hand-rolled Noodles: Large bowl 28 / Small bowl 25]
[Additionally: Seeking to rent a nearby apartment, two bedrooms and one living room preferred, not for sharing. Those with available properties, please contact me. A generous reward is guaranteed!]