The farce at the factory canteen today made those workers who liked to eat stir-fried dishes realize the true nature of Wang Defa and Huang Fusheng.
Therefore, Zhou Erwa Restaurant, which has recently become famous, became everyone's second choice.
The food at the state-owned restaurant is actually quite good, but it's not very convenient to get there, and the service is slow, and you can't even rush them.
Because the waitresses at the state-owned restaurant had terrible tempers; they would curse at you, and sometimes even resort to physical violence if they got angry.
In contrast, Aunt Zhao at Zhou Erwa Restaurant was truly kind and friendly. If the food was slow to arrive, she would even proactively give you a complimentary serving of pickled radishes and say a few nice words.
Those who could frequently eat stir-fried dishes were generally the management and technical backbone of the factory, earning seventy or eighty yuan or more a month, and would occasionally get together with friends for a meal.
Of course, many people were visiting for the first time, and seeing that the prices were even more expensive than the stir-fried dishes at the factory canteen, they were still a little hesitant.
Just then, the factory director and deputy director's families were having a meal together, ordering several dishes, and everyone was waiting for the director to finish eating and give his opinion.
Currently, the minced beef with double peppers, braised beef with dried bamboo shoots, braised pork ribs, and cross-legged beef have all received unanimous praise, leaving only the most expensive dish, the perilla-flavored crucian carp, awaiting judgment.
"Director, everyone's waiting for your comments." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, having already sensed the other guests' thoughts.
Although he hadn't tasted Zhou Yan's perilla-flavored crucian carp before, he had confidence in Zhou Yan. Since it was the last dish to be served, it certainly wouldn't be bad.
"Don't worry, everyone, I'll taste it first, and I'll give an honest and fair assessment." Wang Hongliang said cheerfully, picking up a piece of fish from the belly with his chopsticks.
The sauce was perfectly thickened, coating the fish meat, giving it a slight sheen without being overly sticky.
As the fish meat entered his mouth, the flavors of numbing spice, spiciness, freshness, aroma, and sourness all came together. And among them, the unique aroma of perilla stood out, elevating the overall taste to another level.
The method of making perilla-flavored crucian carp is not uniform; every chef makes it differently. This difference starts with the pickled long beans and pickled chili peppers used.
Sourness enhances freshness and pairs well with fish, which is why people in Sichuan and Chongqing love to add pickled vegetables when cooking fish. Adding long beans is for the same reason: to enhance the flavor and remove the fishy smell.
Wang Hongliang's family has several pickling jars, containing pickled cabbage, pickled long beans, pickled chili peppers, pickled ginger... Every season, he pickles the seasonal vegetables and locks them away in the cellar where only he has access. They are precious ingredients, whether for serving with rice porridge, stir-frying, or cooking fish.
The pickled chili peppers and long beans in this perilla-flavored crucian carp dish are indeed perfectly pickled, sour and refreshing, distinct yet not overpowering.
The harmonious blend of multiple flavors shows Zhou Yan's exceptional talent.
Biting into the fish, the slightly crispy skin is especially fragrant, while the fish meat is exceptionally tender.
Delicious and flavorful!
There are two ways to prepare perilla-flavored crucian carp: one involves frying first, then simmering and reducing the sauce.
The other method omits the frying step, directly simmering the fish in a rich broth, then reducing the sauce, aiming for ultimate tenderness.
Clearly, Zhou Yan used the first method, which Wang Hongliang also prefers.
In his opinion, fish isn't flavorful unless it's fried; even the tenderest fish lacks something if it's not fried. But if it's overcooked, the fish becomes tough and loses its smooth texture, so controlling the heat is crucial.
The heat control for this perilla-flavored crucian carp was perfect.
The heat and seasoning were perfectly balanced. This perilla-flavored crucian carp had already become his favorite dish, even better than the one he had at the restaurant in Chengdu.
Wang Hongliang pursed his lips, spat out a small fish bone, and stood up, looking at Zhou Yan. "Master Little Zhou, your perilla-flavored crucian carp is truly excellent. It's spicy, fragrant, and full of flavor, no less delicious than the one at the restaurant in Chengdu. I enjoy cooking, so when have some free time, let's exchange some cooking tips."
"Wow..."
The customers in the restaurant exclaimed in surprise, not expecting the factory director to give such high praise after eating the perilla-flavored crucian carp.
Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe were also somewhat surprised.
The factory director's way of addressing Zhou Yan changed from "Comrade Little Zhou" to "Little Zhou" and then to "Master Little Zhou" showing the change in Zhou Yan's image in his mind.
Before the dishes were served, the old factory director said he wanted to give little Zhou some pointers.
Now, it had turned into wanting to have a good exchange with Master Little Zhou.
Sigh, even the old factory director has two faces!
Meng Anhe pursed her lips, slightly lowered her head to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth, and picked up a piece of fish to taste. Her eyes quickly lit up; she was truly impressed.
The design institute's reception standards were quite high, and she had eaten at many of the famous restaurants in Chengdu. If Zhou Yan's dish of crucian carp with perilla leaves were on the menu of Rongleyuan, it could easily become a signature dish.
It should be said that it wasn't just the crucian carp with perilla leaves; the braised beef with dried bamboo shoots, the double pepper minced beef, and the braised pork ribs were all top notch, not inferior to any famous restaurant in Chengdu.
Meng Anhe seriously examined this young man for the first time.
This restaurant in a small town couldn't contain his talent. Given some more time, he might be able to make a name for himself in the catering industry.
The three little ones at the table stared at Zhou Yan, their eyes filled with admiration. The food today was simply delicious!
Especially the ribs; they wanted to eat every last bit of the bone!
"You're too kind, I still have a lot to learn from you." Zhou Yan said humbly with a smile.
"No, no, no, I'm telling the truth. When it comes to cooking, I'm never one to mince words." Wang Hongliang waved his hand and said with a smile, "Your master is more comprehensive than you, but you have more talent. Even the first level chefs in those big restaurants in Chengdu would have a hard time making these dishes better than you."
As soon as he said this, the gazes of all the guests in the room towards Zhou Yan changed somewhat.
If it was someone else, people would think that Zhou Yan had hired someone to praise him.
But the old factory director was different; he had traveled extensively and was very particular about food. For him to say such a thing showed that Zhou Yan's dishes today were indeed excellent.
His skill was even better than the head chef at the Restaurant Rongcheng!
If this news spread, many people would surely come to eat here tomorrow.
Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes. This child must have suffered so much.
"Boss lady, we'll have a serving of the perilla-flavored crucian carp."
"We'll have a serving of the double-pepper minced beef and a serving of the perilla-flavored crucian carp..."
The customers couldn't sit still any longer and began ordering. The perilla-flavored crucian carp and the double-pepper minced beef became hot commodities.
Zhou Yan exchanged a few polite words and then went back to the kitchen to get busy.
Factory Director Wang was quite interesting; he wasn't pretentious at all and spoke very nicely.
"Come, Director, have another drink." Lin Zhiqiang poured wine for Wang Hongliang.
"Two ounces of liquor is enough for me, I'm going to have some rice." Wang Hongliang waved his hand and said with a smile, "These dishes are meant to be eaten with rice; rice is more satisfying than drinking."
"Okay, then I'll have rice too." Lin Zhiqiang said, smiling as he put away the liquor.
In a short while, the braised beef with bamboo shoots and the minced beef with double peppers were sold out and moved to the "sold out" section.
"I'm sorry everyone, these two dishes are gone. There are still three portions of braised pork ribs, six portions of perilla-flavored crucian carp, and about ten portions of cross-legged beef. After these are ordered, everything will be sold out for today." Aunt Zhao apologetically announced.
The braised pork ribs and crucian carp with perilla leaves were slightly more expensive, but this didn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm at all. On the contrary, they were afraid that others would get ahead of them and they wouldn't be able to eat anything, so they all crowded forward to order.
Several dishes were ordered in no time, and even the cross-legged beef was completely sold out.
"Aunt Zhao, please prepare more dishes tomorrow. Judging by this situation, business will definitely be booming tomorrow."
"That's right, I'll come tomorrow at noon!"
Those customers who didn't manage to order anything said wistfully.
"Okay, we will definitely prepare more dishes tomorrow so that everyone can eat." Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
The three little ones finished eating and left the table first, coaxing Zhou Momo out of the kitchen to play with them.
"Sister Momo, do you get to eat the dishes your brother cooks everyday?" Lin Bingwen asked Zhou Momo, "Are they always so delicious?"
"Yes." Zhou Momo nodded, "Everyday."
The three little ones were incredibly envious upon hearing this.
Lin Bingwen turned to look at Lin Jingxing: "Brother, when are you going to cook for me?"
"Huh?" Lin Jingxing shrugged.
Everyone finished their meal, paid the bill, and left satisfied.
"Zhiqiang, you're really good at finding places like this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known there was such a hidden gem of a restaurant right under my eyes." Wang Hongliang said, pulling Lin Zhiqiang aside as they left the restaurant.
"I just enjoy the lively atmosphere; only the factory director can truly appreciate the food. Little Zhou cooks well, and he's a nice person too." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.
"That's great. I'll have to come and ask him for some advice sometime. This is much more convenient than going to Chengdu." Wang Hongliang nodded.
The two families parted ways at the entrance. Wang Hongliang rode his bicycle, carrying his grandson and Li Meilin back home.
Lin Zhiqiang's family, on the other hand, walked leisurely along the riverbank towards the residential compound.
"Dad, Mom, when are you going to send my brother to learn how to cook?" Lin Bingwen shook Lin Zhiqiang's hand, whining, "Other people's brother know how to cook delicious food!"
"Give it a rest!" Lin Jingxing rolled his eyes at him, then turned to Meng Anhe, linking her arm and playfully saying, "Mom, when are you going to have a little sister? Sister Momo is so cute!"
"Having a little sister would be great too!" Lin Bingwen's eyes lit up.
"You two really dare to dream."
Meng Anhe and Lin Zhiqiang couldn't help but laugh.
The family's laughter echoed along the riverbank, and the setting sun cast long shadows of them.
...