Chapter 449 - 168: Deep-fried Pork Ribs and Rice Cakes, Not a Peep Now

Chapter 449: Chapter 168: Deep-fried Pork Ribs and Rice Cakes, Not a Peep Now

With every step completed, he’d use the brief interlude before the next to wipe away any grease splatters.

The workstation in front of Su Chen was always kept in an extremely clean and tidy condition. This alone was enough to make watching him a pleasant experience.

The raw, red pork rib sections were fried in lard for about four or five minutes before Su Chen scooped them out. By now, they had turned a pale red and looked surprisingly appetizing.

But clearly, Su Chen had no intention of stopping there.

He placed the scooped-out rib sections on a strainer to drain the oil while he held scissors in his left hand and chopsticks in his right.

"SNIP! SNIP-SNIP!"

He aimed the scissors at the meat on both sides of the bone, making three snips on each side. Each cut was spaced identically, stopping half an inch from the bone. With just a few cuts, a flat spare rib immediately fanned out, resembling a Buddha’s Hand citron.

This seemingly ordinary action was utterly magical in Ah Wu’s eyes.

"Boss Su’s blade work is the most interesting I’ve ever seen."

Feng Yaoyang turned halfway, his eyes still glued to Su Chen’s hands. "Oh?"

"His earlier knife work looked wild, but there was precision in its ferocity. Now, his work with the scissors looks lightning-fast, but every snip is perfect—not too much, not too little. To reach this level of skill definitely isn’t something that can be achieved overnight."

"How does he compare to you?"

Feng Yaoyang’s sudden question made Ah Wu break out in a cold sweat!

’What a question...’

Ah Wu chose to pretend he hadn’t heard.

But his act didn’t even last a minute.

"Compared to him? Heh, forget him. With Boss Su’s skills, you might not find a single person in the entire country who can match him."

The two of them turned their heads in unison to look.

At some point, a white-haired old man had appeared behind them. Although his face was wrinkled, his spirit and energy were remarkably full.

"And you are?" Having navigated the business world for many years, Feng Yaoyang was always polite when meeting someone new, at least until he’d gotten a measure of them.

"Me? Just a customer." Lu Yongliang clasped his hands behind his back and turned toward the kitchen. "Fifth Brother, that’s not very nice of you! Making something so delicious without calling me? You stuck me in that hotel upstairs, and I was about to die of boredom."

Su Chen shot Old Lu a look. "We’re busy, aren’t we? I was afraid no one would be around to look after you if you came over. I’m not making any more rice noodle rolls, but if you want some of this, I can spare a portion for you later."

Unlike other snacks, the pork ribs and rice cakes were made in a large batch, so sparing a bowl wasn’t a big deal.

Old Lu quickly waved his hands with a smile. "Never mind, never mind. This is a custom dish for this gentleman. How could I have the nerve to steal it? You go on and get busy. I’ll go wander around over there."

Having not seen it for a while, Lu Yongliang was also curious about the changes at Delicious.

Never mind the second floor; he hadn’t even tried the food on the third floor yet. He followed the crowd and got in line at the opposite kitchen window, simultaneously using his phone to scan a QR code and look at the menu.

After Su Chen finished cutting all the ribs, the temperature of the oil in the iron wok had also dropped.

He added the same seasonings as before, but this time, he also threw in a handful of scallions.

He reheated the oil until it was about seventy percent hot, then immediately turned the heat down to low. Ah Wu saw this small action but didn’t understand what it meant.

The ribs went back into the wok for a second frying, again for five minutes.

The pale red ribs turned a purplish-red. Although they had been fried twice, Su Chen’s technique kept them flat and uncurled.

He scooped out all the ribs, placing them on the strainer again to drain, and at the same time, he put the prepared rice cakes into the hot oil and began to fry them.

"Boss, what are you making here!"

Without looking up, Su Chen replied, "Pork Ribs and Rice Cakes."

"Really? I’ll have one!"

Only then did Su Chen look up. "These have already been custom-ordered. If you’d like to have some, you’ll have to ask this gentleman."

The young man standing at the window had a ring of red oil around his lips. It was clear he had just finished eating either Mapo Tofu or Yu-Shiang Shredded Pork.

He didn’t go ask Feng Yaoyang. Instead, he kept looking at Su Chen. "Boss, your food is seriously delicious. In a few days, our company is having a team-building event. Can we book a spot here?"

Su Chen glanced outside. "Zhang Li! What are you doing?"

Zhang Li finally wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. "That... uh! A team-building event, right? Please, come with me."

Just a moment ago, watching Feng Yaoyang eat the rice noodle rolls had made Zhang Li feel ravenous. Now, watching Su Chen make the ribs and smelling the unique, meaty aroma of deep-fried pork, she was so entranced she had started to drool.

Snapping back to reality, she immediately called the young man over and led him away.

"Business is good here, Boss Su."

Su Chen smiled. "It’s all thanks to everyone’s support."

Unlike the ribs, the rice cakes required a much shorter frying time—just three minutes was enough.

He scooped out the fried rice cakes as well.

Then, Su Chen arranged five pieces of rice cake on a plate, placed two ribs crosswise on top, and said, "Here you go. Deep-Fried Pork Ribs and Rice Cakes."

Feng Yaoyang was taken aback.

’That’s it?’

But after his experience with the rice noodle rolls, he cautiously carried the plate to the table. Beside him, Ah Wu had already rolled up his sleeves, ready to dig in!

"’The rice cakes are soft, sticky, and chewy, and let’s not even talk about the ribs... It seems I’m not fated to enjoy this snack.’ Feng Yaoyang gazed at the glistening Pork Ribs and Rice Cakes and sighed heavily."

He had to admit, just a moment ago he thought Su Chen’s method was overly simplistic. But as he carried the plate away from the kitchen window, an incredible, meaty aroma washed over him.

It wasn’t just the simple scent of meat, either; he could clearly distinguish the fragrance of the spices mixed within.