N-M Chapter 93: Methodical
Chapter 93: Methodical
Stir-fried mutton with scallions is a popular dish throughout northern China, but when made with mutton from the northern border region, it develops an even more exquisite aroma.
The guests were starving after their journey and finally found a place to eat.
Their original wish was simply not to add chili peppers, as long as it was edible.
After all, the difference in taste made it difficult for them to find food along their journey through Northwest China.
Unexpectedly, the dish made them feel so comfortable, not only filling their empty stomachs but also satisfying their taste buds.
The second dish was braised egg bubbles, a classic Northwestern-style home-cooked dish.
Tomatoes are stir-fried to create a red broth as a base flavor, complemented by the aroma of Sichuan peppercorn oil.
The natural milky aroma of bok choy complements the eggy and wheat aromas of the egg bubbles.
It's not spicy at all, and it's not overly flavorful, but it creates a very complex and multi-dimensional taste.
"Is this what they call egg bubbles?"
A customer picked up a piece; the egg bubbles, soaked with broth, looked plump and juicy, like a fat cat wiggling its bottom.
Suck!
It has a soft texture at first bite, but then it has a slight chewiness.
In an instant, a refreshing aroma filled my mouth, a completely different style from the stir-fried mutton with scallions I had just tasted.
"It's delicious!" The customer nodded affirmatively, "We people from Jiangnan would never cook like this, but it's absolutely delicious!"
Another customer picked up a piece of egg bubble and tasted it, nodding repeatedly as he said:
"This tastes pretty good, but have you noticed that people from Northwest China love to use reduplicated words, like 'egg bubbles,' 'vermicelli,' and 'bitter greens'..."
"Yes, yes, yes! The rugged image of Northwesterners combined with this reduplicated word creates quite a contrast!"
As they were talking, the waiter brought out the meatball soup.
The main ingredients of Jiaban meatball soup are Jiaban (a type of meat sandwich) and meatballs. The meatballs are usually made from the leftover minced meat from making Jiaban and fried separately.
The side dishes include winter melon, tofu, wood ear fungus, and glass noodles, along with Lu Yuan's special broth, making it fresh, fragrant, and refreshing—a very comforting drink.
"Wow, this soup is amazing! If it were served at the New Year's Eve dinner, it would definitely amaze everyone!" The guest said with a satisfied expression after taking a sip.
Using a sieve to make soup will infuse the clear broth with a touch of oiliness, making it less bland and more flavorful.
However, drinking soup in the summer can be a bit too warming. But if you have a bowl of this in the winter, it will definitely warm you up from head to toe.
The hall was full of diners, who then began to move to the backyard.
After observing for a while, Lu Yuan noticed that the kitchen staff were not flustered at all, and Xiaowen, the woman in the front hall, was also handling things with ease. So he got up and went to the house of Old Man Lu next door.
The reason Lu Yuan looked at Uncle Lu's side first was mainly because the dishes there were all local specialties.
He needs to come and see for himself whether out-of-town diners can accept it.
Apart from the stir-fried lamb, the dishes served at Old Lu's place are all common home-style dishes that appear frequently throughout the country.
Aunt Caixia was in charge of the kitchen, mainly cooking stir-fried lamb, while also preparing dishes such as stir-fried pork with chili peppers, spicy chicken, braised beef, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and stir-fried pork slices.
Aunt Yuhua was in charge of the second stove, where she would cook some common vegetarian dishes, including braised eggplant, home-style tofu, hot and sour shredded potatoes, hand-torn cabbage, and tomato and egg.
Aunt Lianhua specializes in making cold dishes, including shredded chicken, sliced beef and tripe in chili sauce, cold mixed shredded vegetables, tofu skin and cucumber, and preserved egg and tofu.
Sixteen dishes are just the right amount for a kitchen staff of three.
The front hall of Old Lu's restaurant was also full of diners, most of whom had already started eating, and the few who were waiting were not impatient.
The advantage of Mr. Lu's kitchen trio lies in their youth, quick hands and feet, and fast movements.
They served the food even faster than Aunt Guifen, and they didn't seem flustered at all.
The cashier in the front hall, Sister Wenjuan, has a completely different personality from Sister Xiaowen on Uncle Lu's side.
Sister-in-law Wenjuan doesn't talk much, but she's extremely efficient and arranges everything for the customers in a very organized way.
Customers often don't need to call for a waiter; they usually get what they need.
Lu Yuan learned from his experience at the mala tang restaurant and made sure to prepare the tableware thoroughly.
However, even the best-laid plans can go awry, and a problem still arose when the crowds were still thronging around 1 p.m.
Aunt Caixia was the first to sound the alarm, sending a waiter to tell Lu Yuan that the prepared dishes were not enough.
Since Uncle Lu and Old Man Lu's menus weren't complicated, they didn't include chopping boards.
All the side dishes were prepared in advance by the three aunts, so the workload wasn't too heavy.
But today's business still exceeded Lu Yuan's expectations. From 11:30, the front hall, backyard, and private rooms were always full.
The prepared meat also needs to be taken care of for lunch, so there is still a lot left.
However, the side dishes were originally intended for the afternoon meal after lunchtime, so they are about to be completely consumed due to the huge flow of customers.
So Lu Yuan decisively called over Lu Fa and Lu Qiang, and had them each stay in a shop to temporarily act as cutting board chefs.
These two brothers have been studying for almost a month, and their attitude is very positive. They are also willing to put in a lot of hard work.
With their current abilities, they could easily be competent as chopping board chefs in a small, home-style restaurant.
This also served as a reminder to Lu Yuan that he needed to put them on the front lines of these kitchens to gain experience.
If you just follow behind them, they will have fewer opportunities to learn and practice.
After Lu Fa and Lu Qiang joined in, the situation immediately improved, and lunch proceeded smoothly.
Lu Yuan stopped wandering between the two shops and went to the mala tang shop next door.
The mala tang restaurant's business license was first removed, and then it was impacted by the opening of a new store next door, resulting in a sharp drop in revenue today.
By 1:30, the older woman and her second aunt had completely finished their work and were sitting under the awning by the door, enjoying the cool air.
Lu Yuan also sat down and watched with them the lively scene of Uncle Lu and Old Man Lu coming and going.
When the old lady saw Lu Yuan come over, she poured him a cup of iced tea and then asked, "Little Yuan, have you had lunch yet?"
Lu Yuan shook his head and said, "I haven't eaten yet."
"What would you like to eat?" The old woman stood up immediately. "I'll make you something to eat."
"Auntie, just make me some cold noodles." It's too hot, and Lu Yuan doesn't really want to eat spicy hot pot or anything that's too hot.
He was never polite to his aunt. Since they were little, he and his brothers had always eaten at their aunt's house, their second uncle's house, or Lu Yuan's house.
The elders were also used to serving them food and drink; they were all their own children, and wherever they went, they would ask if they were hungry.
A moment later, the old lady came over with a plate of cold noodles. The portion was significantly larger than usual, and it was covered with a layer of gluten.
"Auntie, why did you mix so much for me!"
Watching the old lady slowly move over, carrying the spilled cold noodles, Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile and immediately got up to take them from her.
The old woman glared at him and said, "You young man, how can one serving of cold noodles possibly fill you up?"
"I'm not my brother Jie..." Lu Yuan said helplessly, picking up a mouthful of cold noodles with his chopsticks and slurping it up. It was sour, spicy, and refreshing!
Upon hearing Lu Jie's name, the old woman sighed and said:
"Don't even mention him! It's like I gave birth to a pig! The other day, after you guys had your private banquet, that guy ate eight steamed buns with chili oil in them!"
Lu Yuan recalled what Lu Jie had done at the private banquet a few days ago—roast a whole lamb?