Beside the stove lay a pile of ingredients!!
Bay leaves, yam, cordyceps mushrooms.
The first round of simmering, to lay down the base flavor!
Dried shrimp, kelp.
The second and third rounds of simmering, specifically to draw out the saltiness!!
Bamboo shoots, dried shiitake mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, old hen, the fourth round of simmering.
Enhancing the umami while extracting the rich, fragrant chicken oil from the old hen.
The fifth and sixth rounds were both repeated simmering of the chicken.
After six rounds of simmering, the resulting chicken broth wasn’t about the texture of the meat, but about extracting its essence into the clear water.
Such a bowl of fresh chicken broth was the essence of the Wensi Tofu Soup, and also the key to its success or failure.
Six rounds would take at least half a day.
Let the simmering begin!!
Lin Xiao got busy in front of the stove.
His technique could be described as skilled to the extreme.
His control over the ingredients and the heat for each round achieved perfection within perfection.
As the sun slowly set, the afterglow bathed Liyue Harbor.
The workers at the docks put down the tasks in their hands.
Some shops along the street also closed for the day.
Smoke and fire rose from every household as people prepared for dinner.
Restaurants would also usher in their peak hours for customers!
Chihu Rock Street was bustling with noise and excitement.
Men and women, young and old, wore smiles as they chose a restaurant.
It was a joyous scene of worldly life.
But just today…
On Chihu Rock Street, a remarkably rich and savory aroma lingered in the air at all times.
Even those who had already sat down at the night market stalls and started eating couldn’t escape this incredibly fresh and fragrant scent.
This aroma was very pure, smelling fragrant yet very natural!
“Wow~~~ Which restaurant is this aroma coming from? It’s so fresh!!”
“I don’t know, I’ve never smelled it before when coming to Chihu Rock. The further in you go, the stronger the aroma gets.”
“I can’t take it anymore, I can’t stand it. Quickly find this restaurant! We have to eat there today. This scent is simply tempting me like a great beauty.”
“Hahaha, what kind of analogy is that? But it really does make one salivate!! Which one is it exactly!!”
The crowds on the street were all following the scent to find the source of the savory aroma.
Upon smelling this fragrance, everyone had made up their minds.
Tonight!
They had to eat the delicious food from this place!!
The crowd surged forward.
Surprisingly, everyone headed towards the alley, not lingering around the surrounding shops.
Even the restaurant bosses began to wonder where this rich aroma was coming from.
Could it steal all their business based solely on its scent??
The middle section of Chihu Rock Street.
At this time, only Wanmin Restaurant was full of business.
After all, the taste of Wanmin Restaurant could still retain many people.
However, right now.
A short-haired girl was leaning against the window, her cute little nose sniffing constantly.
“Is this….. simmering soup??”
“Which restaurant is cooking? How is it possible to be this umami!!”
Xiangling was shocked.
She, who revolved around the stove every day, had invented many cuisines for Wanmin Restaurant.
But even she, who studied recipes every day, couldn’t simmer a soup with such a rich and fresh aroma.
Xiangling’s beautiful eyes were filled with curiosity.
Even this head chef of Wanmin Restaurant inadvertently swallowed her saliva.
Alas, she simply couldn’t get away right now!!
…..
The end of Chihu Rock Street.
Lin’s Chinese Cuisine.
At the door!
Stood a great many people.
“That’s right, it’s this Lin’s Chinese Cuisine.”
“Eh? That’s strange, I remember they only had fried rice before, but this aroma doesn’t quite smell like fried rice.”
“Ah….. they’re actually closed.”
“Help~~ I’m going to cry from cravings.”
Waves of fragrance wafted through the crack in the door, truly making everyone swallow their saliva furiously.
But they could only watch helplessly.
“Boss?? Is the boss in?”
“How can you be closed during the peak dining hours?”
“When will you open? Your aroma has drifted all the way to the street entrance, who can resist it?”
Right at this moment.
The door of Lin’s Chinese Cuisine opened.
A large cloud of steam wafted out.
At this moment.
Faced with this savory aroma hitting their faces, the crowd was almost knocked out by it.
Intoxicating!!
Too intoxicating!!
Everyone present closed their eyes, greedily sniffing this fragrance.
They saw a rather handsome young man standing before them.
Lin Xiao also didn’t expect that the aroma of the simmering chicken broth would attract so many customers…..
“Boss, boss!! Are you getting ready to open???”
“What exactly is Chinese Cuisine? I’ve never heard of it. Can you quickly let us in to sit??”
Unexpectedly.
Lin Xiao waved his hand.
“I’m sorry everyone, today my humble shop needs to simmer a broth to prepare for a new dish. We probably won’t open until midnight.”
“There’s no need for everyone to wait either. If you can’t sleep tonight, you can come over and have a midnight snack.”
Hearing this news, there was visible disappointment…..
Following the scent here only to not be able to eat, it was maddening and too torturous.
After Lin Xiao closed the door, everyone had no choice but to leave.
The surrounding bosses were all dumbfounded…..
They didn’t expect it to actually be ‘Lin’s Chinese Cuisine.’
“What did I say? This young man’s culinary skills are definitely not simple, and you still didn’t believe me? Just smell this broth, can you simmer it?”
“Hey, I’m really getting more and more curious about this Chinese Cuisine now. Just the aroma of the broth attracted so many people.”
“I just don’t know what he’s thinking…. actually turning away so many customers.”
An inexplicable sense of wariness arose in the hearts of the bosses.
From the wok-tossing skills this morning, to this savory aroma right now.
This young man didn’t seem like a reckless novice at all; it seemed a real heavy hitter had arrived!!
…
Although the people had left, their souls had been completely hooked away.
Even if they were eating at other restaurants right now, they were being painfully tormented by the aroma from the street~~
Even in that Wanmin Restaurant, some customers were saying:
“No, I’m eating a little less for dinner today, I definitely have to go find out what’s going on at midnight.”
“Me too!! Once they open at midnight, I want to see what dish this broth is preparing for.”
“This is really the first time I’ve heard of Lin’s Chinese Cuisine. If it weren’t for this aroma today, I wouldn’t even know this shop existed. What a missed treasure!!”
Chef Mao was a little dazed….
Never before had someone eaten at his place while thinking about another’s.
Xiangling also heard it very clearly.
New dish…..
Opening at midnight….
Once curiosity is planted, it’s very hard to unravel~~
On the other side, Lin Xiao.
He was feeling a real heartache!!
He clearly could have welcomed so many customers, but without bringing out the ultimate potential of the ingredients, he wasn’t willing to let customers eat an unfinished product.
He could only politely refuse everyone, which also caused him to lose a great opportunity for positive reviews.
But what he didn’t know was…
Even though everyone had left, their hearts were tied to it.
At this moment on Chihu Rock Street, who wasn’t making plans to go eat a midnight snack later?