The Gourmet Customizer

Chapter 108: Chapter 78: New Department: Delicious Small Eatery (3)

Later on, Huaiyang cuisine started appearing frequently at state banquets and gradually gained prominence. However, in recent years, Huizhou cuisine has been featured more often. It’s hard to say which is definitively better.

So, when Su Chen heard the client wanted authentic Huaiyang cuisine, one thing immediately came to mind.

This client had to be from the Huaiyang region. Or if not, they at least had some deep connection to it.

"A budget of five hundred... He’ll be able to afford two dishes at most."

"Is Huaiyang cuisine that expensive?" He Shuting’s eyes widened.

’Over two hundred for a single dish? What kind of family can afford that!’

"It’s not that Huaiyang cuisine is expensive, it’s that rarity dictates value. I’m not exaggerating when I say that in all of Jingzhou, you can’t even find a passable version of Huaiyang cuisine, let alone an authentic one. Of course, that excludes the eight-yuan Yangzhou fried rice from the big market."

Su Chen wasn’t just talking nonsense. Although Huaiyang cuisine is famous throughout the country, very few restaurants specialize in it.

The main reason is that its flavors don’t have mass appeal.

It can’t compare to the numbing and spicy, heavy flavors of Sichuan and Hunan cuisine.

"Huaiyang cuisine emphasizes the ingredients’ natural flavors. Its knife work is the most intricate, which makes it time-consuming. The taste tends to be light or sweet, so in today’s fast-paced world, it’s just not as popular as Sichuan or Xiang Cuisine."

Su Chen smiled and shook his head. "There’s no point explaining further; you wouldn’t get it. Anyway, Aunt Fang, sorry to trouble you, but could you make another trip to the big market? I’ll write up a list of ingredients for you in a moment."

"Since you’re making two dishes, what are you planning to prepare?" Ling Shuyu asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The two most classic dishes, of course." Su Chen had already made up his mind, and nothing tested a chef’s skill more than the classics: "Steamed Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe, and Wen Si Tofu."

"Even the names of the dishes sound incredible!" Liu Shengnan muttered under her breath. "It’s a good thing you’re the boss. Who else could cook so many different types of cuisine?"

Su Chen didn’t say anything.

’I’m learning this from scratch too!’ he thought.

"Alright, everyone, get back to work. Just leave tonight’s two clients to me. You all go on with your own tasks."

Ling Shuyu said, "I’ll get back to the blueprints, then. I’ll have the design proposal ready by tomorrow at the latest."

Zhang Li silently fiddled with her fingers.

’Why am I still doing design work, even at Meiweilai Company...’

Although Ling Shuyu’s primary specialty was advertising design, the overall design for the little Meiweilai eatery was fairly simple, so dabbling in interior design wasn’t a major issue for her.

With all the tasks assigned, Su Chen stood up and left the conference room.

The next step was to quickly master these two dishes in the Gourmet Practice Room. The Wen Si Tofu, in particular, was all about knife skills!

But with his "Fast, Fierce, and Accurate" badge, Su Chen wasn’t worried. As long as he got enough practice, the dish wouldn’t be a problem.

The Clear-Broth Lion’s Head Meatball with Crab Roe, however... that one was all about technique!

The dish used very little seasoning. Done right, the meatball would be exceptionally rich and tender, the crab roe savory and fragrant, and the greens meltingly soft and palate-cleansing. It was an absolutely first-rate delicacy.

But if done poorly, the meatball would either fall apart, or it would have an unavoidable fishy or gamey taste, making it quite disgusting.

Without further ado, Su Chen followed his usual routine and first synthesized the recipe for Wen Si Tofu. He’d been selling stir-fried chicken for a while now, so the cooldown period for almost all his ingredients had ended.

It was an unremarkable green-level recipe.

Clear-Broth Lion’s Head Meatball with Crab Roe: a purple-level recipe.

Quite satisfied, he entered the Gourmet Practice Room and took a deep breath.

He immediately summoned a block of silken tofu and a bok choy sprout. With these two ingredients, he had basically everything he needed for the Wen Si Tofu.

But Su Chen added two more ingredients.

A carrot and a black wood ear mushroom. This combination was the optimal result he’d achieved after countless experiments in the synthesis system.

Although carrots were rarely used in traditional Wen Si Tofu, Su Chen had chosen the ingredient after careful consideration.

Huaiyang cuisine stresses a harmony of color, aroma, and flavor. If the dish were merely white, black, and green, it would look a bit cold. Adding carrot would change the color palette completely.

Besides, the sweet taste and crisp texture of the carrot would add a unique layer of flavor to the dish.

"Time to get serious about practicing my knife work!"

Su Chen pinned the badge from his inventory to his chest. He never imagined that something so inconspicuous could be so incredibly useful now.

He trimmed the edges of a block of silken tofu, transforming it into a rectangular prism with a surface so smooth it was almost reflective.

Then, drawing his knife from the outer edge inward in a parallel slice, he cut the block of silken tofu in half horizontally.

"Tsk! My hand isn’t steady enough."

He made the cut very slowly, terrified the blade would tilt. If it did, the resulting piece of tofu wouldn’t be a perfect block!

But alas, his hand still trembled slightly halfway through the cut.

"Again!"

As the pile of tofu scraps in the corner grew ever larger, a full two hours passed in the Gourmet Practice Room.

For those two hours, Su Chen did nothing else. He only practiced that single cut.

"Damn it! How is this so hard?"

Su Chen squatted beside the cutting board, bringing his eyes level with the cut surface of the tofu. He could clearly see that a section near the edge still wasn’t perfectly horizontal.

’A master chef’s knife skills are honed over a decade of practice...’

’But they don’t practice every single day, and even when they do, their time is limited...’

’But I can practice one single motion over and over again!’

Su Chen stood up again, glaring with utter frustration at the wobbly block of silken tofu.

"Damn it all!"

With a roar of frustration, he brought the knife down in a vicious chop!

...

「Jingzhou City, Yuhua Scenic Garden District.」

"Babe, trust me! The food at this restaurant is absolutely incredible! When your parents visit, we’ll take them here. I’m taking you for a trial run today!"

The person on the phone was none other than [Plenty of Time].

"Doesn’t your dad always say he’s worried you won’t eat well if you marry me and move to Jingzhou? When he visits, I’ll take him to this restaurant. I guarantee it’ll win him over!"

Brother Fang Chang puffed out his chest, full of confidence.

The woman on the other end of the line was speechless. "I grew up in Yangzhou. My family owns a restaurant. And you’re trying to talk to *me* about food?"

A sycophantic smile spread across Brother Fang Chang’s face. "You’re right, you’re right! I’ll pick you up at six o’clock sharp tonight, and we’ll eat right at seven, ’kay!"

After hanging up, Brother Fang Chang let out a long sigh of relief.

He opened WeChat and sent a message in his "Gourmet Hunting Squad" group chat.

[Plenty of Time: No more BS. Your bro is heading to the Development Zone tonight. Hope for a chance encounter!]

[Zhan Yang: You’re going out for good food and didn’t invite me? I get off at eight. I’m coming to hunt you down!]

[Plenty of Time: Chill, just kidding. I’m taking my girl out to eat today.]

[Zhang Yi: I’m already on my way to Delicious...]