novelraw Chapter 474 - 472: Which Bastard Is Riding a Bicycle?!
Chapter 474 - 472: Which Bastard Is Riding a Bicycle?!
Parker is the head waiter at Le Jules Verne.
He has been working at this restaurant for 15 years, but even with his experience, he has never seen a situation where all the customers returned their dishes simultaneously.
And the reason for returning the dishes was that they wanted the chef to perfectly season them all before serving again.
Sometimes salads are served with ingredients and dressing separated, allowing guests to customize the mix themselves according to their own taste, since no one knows themselves better than they do.
In his perception, sashimi was somewhat similar to salad, requiring guests to adjust sauces according to their taste, but astonishingly, none of the guests were willing to do it!
Unfamiliarity might be one reason, but the most likely reason is that all the guests thought that only the chef’s preparation would be the most delicious.
Unheard of and unseen before.
Truly magical oriental cuisine and a magical oriental chef.
Peering through the window at the busy Wang Fan, Parker instructed all passing waiters: "Pay careful attention to the introduction that lady provided, and share it with the guests at the right time. I doubt any guest tonight wouldn’t be interested in these delicious dishes and stories. I am confident that after tonight, your wallets will be fatter."
Service charges are a tradition in French dining, forming part of a waiter’s salary.
Some restaurants have fixed service charges, while others leave it completely to the customer’s discretion.
Typically a tip is around 10%-20%. To get the guests to willingly give more, it solely depends on whether they are satisfied with the service.
The waiters are also smart; today’s guests are elite among elites, and it’s clear they are very satisfied with today’s appetizers. Keep this momentum going, and today’s tips will undoubtedly be a handsome income.
Everyone touched the cue cards in their pant pockets, sneaking a look when guests didn’t need them to avoid making mistakes in introductions—after all, they wouldn’t let money slip by.
Most importantly, the generous and beautiful chef’s wife had already given everyone a tip in advance.
She said, once work is done, payment is deserved. The chef today isn’t the restaurant’s staff, so he must be paid for his work.
Whoever spread the rumor that Oriental people are stingy was out of touch, only pinpointing people from Japan and Korea, who also like to impersonate people from Huaxia.
Wang Fan wasn’t surprised by the returned dishes, as this was his intention.
The main idea is that after being mixed, no matter how you present it, it won’t look delicate. If delicacy is desired, the only option is to plate it directly after slicing.
Wang Fan meticulously mixed each sashimi portion anew and had waiters bring them back to each private room.
Then he continued to work on today’s main dish.
The first dish was Longjing shrimp.
Fresh river shrimp had been chilled in the refrigerator for thirty minutes, making shelling incredibly easy once removed.
River shrimp are smaller compared to sea shrimp, so peeled shrimp are also smaller, appearing pale white with a hint of pink, looking dainty and attractive.
Using a paper towel, Wang Fan patted the shrimp surface dry, then put them in a bowl with a spoon of salt and gently kneaded with his hands.
His slender fingers slowly and gently stirred in the bowl, causing each shrimp to mischievously slip through his fingers like a child.
A gelatinous film gradually formed on the shrimp, and he stopped stirring when he could obviously feel the stickiness.
Xue Feng was ready with egg whites, which he poured into the bowl and gently beat until fully combined, then added a bit of sugar to continue beating, and finally incorporated cornstarch.
The slight steam rising from the oil pot indicated to Wang Fan that it was the perfect time to slide the shrimp into the oil pot.
At three-tenths heat, the oil completely submerged the shrimp, producing no sound, but releasing the unique, mellow aroma of river shrimp.
After roughly 15 seconds, Wang Fan used a skimmer to remove all the shrimp.
After this oil slide, the shrimp had become obviously fuller, appearing even more translucent and glistening with oil.
On the table was an unusual iron dish, where Wang Fan placed the dish containing the shrimp in the center while Zhuo Qianqian shaped a circle with dark green dried tea leaves around the iron dish, then astonishingly used a blowtorch to ignite the tea leaves!
Tea leaves being relatively flammable, quickly caught fire, releasing a fresh fragrance as they burned.
Wang Fan cautiously placed a glass cover over the burning tea leaves and shrimp. As the glass cover settled, the flames on the tea leaves quickly extinguished, yet smoke billowed within, spreading thicker and soon filling the glass cover.
Through the glass cover, Wang Fan, Xue Feng, and Zhuo Qianqian watched the swirling smoke, finding it uniquely flavorful.
The smoke color constantly changed, from initial white to grey, containing the fragrance and essence of tea leaves, a method Zhuo Qianqian devised to counteract the slight bitterness of tea leaves.
Since stirring them in would create bitterness, simply smoke with them!
This modest amount of tea leaves isn’t sufficient for smoking meat, only endowing river shrimp with a touch of tea leaf freshness and a barely noticeable, but magical smoky aroma.
As time passed, the smoke gradually dissipated, and the glass cover cleared once more. Wang Fan lifted the glass cover and carefully observed the tea leaves inside.
The tea leaves had turned to ashes, causing Wang Fan’s heart to ache slightly.
This was 100 Euro per kilo of Longjing tea! Practically daylight robbery!
Although his earning was substantial, he wasn’t accustomed to lavish spending, considering 100 Euros for a kilo of tea a significant expense.
Thankfully, today’s guests would pay for it, though Allen hadn’t specified the amount, seemingly basing it on guest satisfaction.
Surely they’ll cover at least the cost of the tea?
Shaking his head, Wang Fan presented the plate in the middle, containing river shrimp. Externally, nothing seemed to have changed, but the faint fishy odor had vanished, leaving only refreshing tea aroma and the unique freshness of river shrimp.
Heating the pan again, he put in the shrimp, adding a splash of Shaoxing Wine to the pan. As the wine fragrance released, he poured in cornstarch water, quickly stirring once more from start to finish in a matter of seconds.
Shrimp surface appeared only brighter, with no color change, remaining tender and white, while the scents of wine, tea, and shrimp pervaded the kitchen.
Even Parker, standing at the serving counter, couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
Wow!
A intoxicatingly refreshing scent!
He stood silently, taking a deep breath.
The aroma slowly entered his chest through his nose, like an extraordinary journey.
He felt as though he had entered a tea garden, where the fresh tea aroma evoked images of morning dew rolling on tender green leaves.
Shortly thereafter, he detected a hint of rich, seductive wine aroma. This wine scent was not overwhelming, yet it bore a unique charm, like the essence distilled from years of aging, making him indulge irresistibly.
The addition of refreshing elegance brought depth and mystery, enriching the flavor’s layers.
He was captivated by the aroma, losing track of time, as if time had stood still at this moment.
His thoughts wandered, recalling beautiful moments from childhood and sensing endless possibilities in life.
At this moment, he felt at one with the world, experiencing the allure of nature and the miracle of life!
Hmm? Who the hell is riding a bicycle?
Annoying bicycle bell!
Parker opened his eyes somewhat irritated, returning to Le Jules Verne restaurant.