Chapter 234: Chapter 234 Practice
Translator: 549690339 |
“Boss, I’ll have a serving of pomelo fish cake!”
Standing in front of the nearest food stall, Qin Lang, finally at the front of the line, couldn’t wait to place his order.
“Alright! Just a moment, young man!” The stall owner was a simple and honest middle-aged man, who gave Qin Lang a smile and continued with his cooking.
In no time at all, a hot and freshly baked pomelo fish cake was wrapped in wax paper and handed to Qin Lang.
It was about a centimeter thick and about the size of half a palm; a round pastry with a golden surface carrying hints of dark brown, its appealing oily sheen sparkled under the evening glow.
A strong, tempting aroma wafted up to him.
The fragrance carried the freshness of the pomelo and the richness of the pancake; besides this, there was also a clear scent of fish.
“Both of you, don’t rush,” advised Qin Lang, tearing off two hefty pieces to hand to the impatient Dan Bao and Spicy. He then picked up what was left and took a bite.
The texture of the fish meat interwoven within the pastry surprised Qin Lang with its unique tenderness.
It was the special delicate texture unique to Longli fish.
What was even more admirable was that the Longli fish meat in the pomelo fish cake was not entirely ground into a paste and mixed with flour, but was preserved in small chunks.
As a result, the unique texture of the Longli fish was maintained to the fullest extent, preventing this ingredient from blending into the crowd.
There were also some other auxiliary ingredients in the flour mixture, which even Qin Lang could not fully identify. These ingredients, some soft and some with a slightly hard texture, added layers to the taste of the pomelo fish cake.
Such a dish for only twenty yuan was quite reasonable.
After all, even though Longli fish is not a precious ingredient, it is still a seafood product.
In the seafood-rich Mingjing Province, sea fish are usually freshly caught the same day in coastal cities, and then transported to various other cities.
The same items would be cheaper in the coastal cities.
“Come have a look! Don’t miss our newly baked garlic grilled prawns!” The call from another stall nearby attracted the attention of the group, who had just enjoyed their pomelo fish cake.
“Three servings, please!”
Seeing the giant prawns, which were several sizes bigger than prawns, split in half after deveining, evenly covered with garlic sauce, emitting an amazing fragrance on the grill, Qin Lang couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.
This also looked very appetizing.
“Ten yuan per serving, thank you for your patronage!”
The owner of the small stall gave a hearty smile and quickly handed over three servings after Qin Lang had paid.
The next round of tasting began.
As soon as the last bit of prawn was finished, Qin Lang, without hesitation, headed towards the next stall.
Weird-taste oysters, lemon-scented yellow croaker, spicy squid skewers…
Various delicious foods completely delighted Qin Lang and the two little ones.
Before he knew it, Qin Lang had reached the busiest food stall.
Standing at the end of the long line, he savored the various foods he had just sampled while thinking and reflecting.
This had become Qin Lang’s habit since he came to this world.
For every new dish, he would ponder the unique culinary insight hidden within, and try to recreate it in his mind in his own way.
This introspection helped him continually absorb and assimilate new things, thus significantly enhancing his own cooking skills.
By the time he had finished his reflections on the snacks he had just tasted, it was finally his turn in the constantly advancing queue.
“What would the customer like?” Qin Lang was slightly taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting of the stall owner.
This stall owner was different from those he had previously encountered.
There were three Three Star Food Spirits fluttering around him, busily assisting him in his cooking!
It was not uncommon to see food stall owners who were also Spirit Chefs, but like the stall owner in front of him who obviously had the strength of three Food Spirits and yet still manned a stall, was quite rare.
Also…
The way he spoke was with a foreign accent, seeming not to be a local of Yue Hu City.
“Customer?” Seeing Qin Lang in silence, the stall owner spoke again.
“Alt! Sorry!” Qin Lang came back to his senses, “Give me a serving of Vinegar Fish, an Explosive Carp Flower, and a serving of Wine Smoked Abalone.”
Having said that, Qin Lang suddenly felt something was not quite right.
The price of these three dishes seemed off?
The cheapest was the dish called Vinegar Fish, priced at fifteen bucks, then came the Explosive Carp Flower, priced at fifty bucks, and finally, the Wine Smoked Abalone, priced at one hundred and twenty bucks.
The three different prices seemed to categorize these dishes into different ranks, as if targeted at different demographics.
With the powerful skills of the Spirit Chef himself and the foreign accent…
A bold guess suddenly appeared in Qin Lang’s mind.
“Alright.” Seeing Qin Lang ordered one of each dish with different prices, the stall owner immediately broke into a smile. After all, it was rare for customers to order such expensive dishes, “You might have to wait a few minutes. Please feel free to give any comments after tasting.”
Having said that, he began to get busy.
Just as the man was busy, Qin Lang suddenly spoke up, “Uncle, are you preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet?”
“Huh?” The stall owner, who seemed to be about forty, paused for a moment and looked at Qin Lang with a slightly off gaze, “Are you also participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet?”
For a moment, a hint of wariness appeared in the stall owner’s eyes.
However, noticing Qin Lang’s age, this wariness quickly disappeared.
At his age, he would be participating in the All-age Group.
And Qin Lang, who seemed to be in his teens, obviously was participating in the Youth Group.
There was no competition between them, so there was no need to be on high alert.
“Didn’t expect you to know the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet in advance.” The stall owner relaxed again and smiled kindly, “That’s right, I am indeed preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet.”
Qin Lang suddenly realized.
The specific rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet were supposed to be announced ten days before the banquet, which was the day after tomorrow.
Thanks to Zhou Qing’s connections, he learned the specific rules two days in advance.
However, among other Spirit Chefs, there must also be plenty who figured out similar information.
But what does opening a food stall now mean?
“Uncle, are you practicing running a food stall in advance?”
“That’s right.” The uncle laughed, “Running a food stall is quite different from regular cooking. I need to practice in advance, or I’ll be at sixes and sevens when the time comes.”
“Also, trying out in advance allows me to test the customers’ reactions to different dishes. If any dish is not quite suitable, there is still time to change it now.”
“I see!” Qin Lang felt like he had been taught a lesson.
His previous plan was to determine the dishes he was going to prepare and practice in advance, and then run his food stall directly at the Leaping Fish Banquet.
It seems his idea has quite a few gaps.
Once he decides on the dishes, he should also try running a food stall in advance to get the hang of it.
“Uncle, thank you for your advice.” Qin Lang spoke sincerely.
“If you’re really grateful, then give me your opinion.” The stall owner gave a hearty smile and handed the finished dishes to Qin Lang, “Wanna have a taste?”
Quick Links: [Monthly Ticket][Recommendation Ticket]