Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 266 182: Endless Supply, Great Xia's Twenty Dishes of Gourmet Cuisine (Part 2)

Under the influence of high heat, the unique aroma of ginger and garlic quickly filled the air.

About seven or eight seconds later, Lin Chen picked up another metal basin, which contained marinated beef slices.

Seeing the meat slices, Nagishiro Sho's expression froze.

He tried to recall in his mind the marination process, techniques, and seasonings for these beef slices, but was alarmed to find that he couldn't differentiate it from the marination methods of other meats at all.

Some had water and starch, some had water, starch, and oil, some added eggs, some even added various seasonings. Overall, they seemed similar, yet the details were quite different.

At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder, did Lin Chen prepare all the ingredients beforehand for cooking convenience, or to prevent him from learning by stealing techniques?

With so many differently processed meats placed together, can one really distinguish which basin is for which dish?

The beef slices went into the pan, the spatula gently shook them apart without stirring, allowing them to soak in the hot oil and quickly change color.

In about ten seconds, Lin Chen moved.

The spatula quickly and precisely pierced the bottom of the pan, flipping the beef slices along with the ginger and garlic, then his left wrist flicked, and all the ingredients flew up into the air in an instant.

A little soy sauce was added, steam rolled upwards, flames burst forth the moment it touched the edge of the pan, a fierce blaze shooting into the air.

Lin Chen continued tossing the wok, unfazed, and quickly stir-fried a full basin of mixed peppers a dozen times, the flames in the pan extinguished, the spatula already prepared with oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, MSG, and pepper powder, finally sprinkling in some cilantro before removing from the heat.

The entire stir-frying process took less than forty seconds.

"Stir-fried Beef, please enjoy."

Just as he was about to reach for his chopsticks, Lin Chen moved again, placing another iron pan on the stove to heat up, while asking Jonathan to help clean the just-used iron pan.

Nagishiro Sho was dumbfounded, never having imagined that the process of Chinese cooking could be so simple, brutal, and fast-paced. He could hardly wait, scooping a spoonful of stir-fried beef into a bowl.

This plate of beef seemed to be full of peppers, but the smell was okay, still predominantly fresh and spicy.

In addition, he could faintly smell the sourness mixed in from pickled peppers.

Next, Lin Chen fully demonstrated to him what is meant by the diversity of Chinese cuisine.

Dry pot beef intestines, black pepper beef cubes, chive stir-fried ox face, stir-fried beef tripe, braised golden coin tripe, boiled beef offal, water-explosive tripe, slow-braised beef ribs, grilled beef tongue, meat sandwiches, chive beef potstickers, handmade beef noodles...

In total, nearly twenty dishes were served, making everyone present completely full.

Even Jonathan, who was helping on the side, ate until his belly was rounded, satisfied as he leaned back against the chair.

"I'm convinced, totally convinced, Lin, do you Great Xia people always eat so well?"

"What are you talking about."

Lucas patted his shoulder: "These dishes can almost be found in any roadside restaurant in Great Xia, but Lin Chen has combined the specialties from different places."

"If it weren't for limited time and materials, he could keep cooking indefinitely. Saying that he could go a month without repeating a dish is quite simple."

"????"

"A month without repeating a dish??"

"Yeah," Lucas said as a matter of course, "there was once a foreign blogger who came to the Sichuan and Chongqing Region or somewhere, claiming to eat through Great Xia in a year, but years later, he hadn't even made it out of the local province."

"... That's really exaggerating."

Nagishiro Sho scratched his head, the shock in his eyes not yet faded.

Tonight was truly an eye-opening lesson; he finally got in touch with what Chinese cuisine truly means.

You could say he learned a lot of new knowledge, indeed, but it's all fuzzy and indistinct.

You could say he didn't learn anything, but his mind was filled with countless inspirations, filling his notebook with more than a dozen pages.

"All full, right? Should we continue with the remaining meat tomorrow?"

Lin Chen had already tidied up the countertop, as a qualified chef's basic operation involves cleaning as they go.

Seeing everyone slumped in their chairs with round bellies looking like they couldn't eat another bite, he waved his hand, heading straight to the back kitchen.

Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly stood up and followed, and moments later, the two pushed out a cart filled with several large boxes from the back kitchen.

"?"

Nagishiro Sho asked in confusion: "Mr. Lin, what is this?"

"Setting up a stall, everything's prepped, can't leave it overnight, anyway, there's some time before bed, nothing better to do."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone present was rendered speechless.

Is this guy a robot? Never gets tired?

After making two meals during the day, then cooking continuously for four hours at dinner, and now he wants to set up a stall?

It's already ten o'clock at night, who's going to be out looking around!

"I'm not saying anything, Old Lin, are you short on money or have a masochistic tendency?"

Wang Ziqin couldn't stand it any longer and stood up to ask.

He's seen people who are diligent, but never this diligent, this is outright exhausting oneself.

"Me?"

Lin Chen paused, patting his chest: "I am the King of Diligence!"

"...Get lost!"

At this point, he calculated that he's actually not short on money, making thousands easily every day from the stall, tens of thousands aren't hard either, plus the new job's salary and benefits are high; within a month, he earns more than in three or four months previously.

Especially after he raised the price of stall items to a range of fifteen to twenty euros, sales skyrocketed two or three times over, earning tons of money.

Even after paying wages to Lucas and Dais, there's still plenty left.

The reason he insists on setting up a stall every day is mainly out of habit.

Commonly known as being a glutton for punishment.

People, when busy, want to rest, but when resting, they feel bored and want to work.

Besides, he's too embarrassed to drag on repaying money owed to relatives and friends back home; in these tough economic times, everyone's having a hard time, so he figured he might as well pay back as soon as possible.

Better to work hard up front, then slack off later.

A shortfall of hundreds of thousands can be made up in about a month at this earning rate, maybe even less.

Plus, there's the Kite Festival, a large event with several girl groups coming for the opening ceremony, and the foot traffic will surely be considerable, with daily income possibly doubling or tripling.

In the days leading up to the opening ceremony, he needs to manage popularity well; laziness is not an option.

"What's on sale?"

"Still raw marinated foods. It's convenient, time-saving, and delicious, and I'm not foolish enough to give myself extra work; after the event, I'll consider doing something more elaborate."

Upon hearing the words raw marinated, Chu Yueyue's eyes lit up.

Last time, she didn't get enough of the raw marinated foods she took home, never expecting she'd get to enjoy it again so soon.

But with her stomach now...

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Had I known, I wouldn't have drunk those two bowls of soup!"

"Uh, so it's my fault?"

Lin Chen scratched his head, feeling like he didn't force anyone to drink.

"No worries, I'm making it these days anyway, and after all, as the general manager's wife, my direct superior, if you want raw marinated foods, it's just a word from you, at your service anytime~"

"Hmph, that's more like it!"

"What about me?" Jiang Shuqi smiled at him.

"You..."

Just as he began to speak, he saw Wang Ziqin winking at him, pretending to understand: "President Wang, what's up, if you don't want to give her any, just say it. It's your hotel, no need to signal."

"Oh? Is that so."

"Nonsense!! Sis, don't listen to that guy's nonsense... ouch, it hurts, don't pinch, don't pinch, there are still guests, leave me with some... ouch!!"

Though Nagishiro Sho couldn't understand their conversation, he could sense the relaxed and happy atmosphere, suddenly feeling that this seemed quite nice as well.

In his usual work, might he be too strict with his employees?

Reflecting on this, he also stepped forward to follow, wanting to see what kind of food this mysterious and powerful Great Xia chef prepared to sell.

The food sold in the restaurant and on the food cart were entirely different, just like in his own shop, with take-out boxed meals and a la carte orders being two completely different categories.

At ten o'clock at night, outside was already pitch black.

Despite the coast road being lit, there were no silhouettes of people wandering outside.

He couldn't help but wonder.

At this late hour, would anyone really come out to buy food?