Chapter 679: Chapter 663: Falling Short of His Former Five-Star Chef Demeanor
"Squeak~"
The shop door was slowly pushed open.
Old Qin, dressed in Tang clothing and holding a folding fan, pushed the door open while inhaling the aroma wafting from inside the shop, unable to resist taking a deep breath and savoring it.
Hey~
What smells so good?
It seems like the scent of chili and Sichuan pepper!
Could it be... Boss Huang’s shop is finally serving spicy dishes?
Hmm~
This aroma, feels so familiar!
It smells like... the fragrance of Kung Pao Chicken?!
Old Qin’s cloudy eyes suddenly lit up like light bulbs, and he quickly rushed into the shop, afraid that he might miss the chance to taste the Kung Pao Chicken if he was any later.
"Boss Huang, you’re sneakily making new dishes again, aren’t you?"
He called out. Upon getting closer, he saw a bunch of rich second-generation individuals seated around the table, all holding chopsticks, devouring two plates of Kung Pao Chicken with relish, and he laughed, "Hey, you guys came early! Already eating?"
"How does it taste? It must be delicious, right!"
He couldn’t help but ask the question he was most concerned about, but then he realized that it was a rather foolish question.
When has Boss Huang’s cooking ever been bad?
Even with different cuisines, Boss Huang could still handle it perfectly.
Ma Junwen and the others glanced at Old Qin and continued to work hard, not willing to waste a moment. They managed to free one hand to give a thumbs-up sign.
Indicating approval.
Now.
Old Qin’s craving grew even stronger, wanting to taste it immediately!
However, everyone else had already started eating, and no one invited him to join, so he felt embarrassed to snatch food from others’ mouths...
After all, such a move would not befit his former five-star chef’s demeanor.
Just as he was about to ask Huang Tao if he could buy a portion of Kung Pao Chicken first, Huang Tao’s voice rang in his ears: "Elder Qin, you’re here at the right time! I just tried making some Kung Pao Chicken, guessing you might come by, so I set aside some for you. Come over and taste my skills."
This comment was exactly what Old Qin wanted to hear.
It also made his mouth corners, which were originally drooping, curl up to his ears instantly, filling him with a sense of warmth.
He didn’t expect Huang Tao to specifically leave him a portion.
Old Qin liked the sense of camaraderie that Huang Tao had.
He smiled and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Sure, then I’ll shamelessly give it a try."
Huang Tao casually waved his hand: "This is not being shameless, it’s just a tasting sample. Back in Old Street, our neighborhood customers used to bring me things, and you brought me quite a bit of food too!"
"Just a tasting sample, feel free to eat."
Since Huang Tao thought Old Qin was getting on in years and might have some dietary restrictions, he worried Old Qin might not be able to eat spicy food, so he asked: "Oh, by the way, can you handle spicy food?"
Old Qin, guessing Huang Tao’s intent, gently shook his fan and said: "I’ve aged a bit, but over the years in this city, I’ve still eaten some spicy things. I don’t have much dietary restriction; as long as it’s delicious, eating happily is what matters."
"As long as you have no dietary restrictions!"
Saying this, he took out the small plate of Kung Pao Chicken specially reserved for Old Qin and handed it to him.
"Thank you!"
Old Qin took it, expressing his gratitude, and smiled with joy.
If the folks from Old Street knew that Boss Huang specifically saved him a tasting sample, they would definitely be envious to death and would think of all kinds of ways to prank him.
Luckily, now that he’s in the city area, even if the folks wanted to prank him, they couldn’t reach him.
This feeling is really comforting!
Of course.
He occasionally misses those folks, especially during moments of emptiness and loneliness.
After all, in this city area, he doesn’t have many friends, and his family isn’t around him.
He is just a lonely, empty old man.
Only at Huang Tao’s restaurant can he find some solace, and only by eating the delicious food at Huang Tao’s restaurant can his empty spirit be satisfied.
He thought while sitting down at a table, picked up chopsticks, picked up a bite of Kung Pao Chicken, and examined it.
This Kung Pao Chicken, just by looking at its color, promises to be delicious!
He put it in his mouth.
The tip of his tongue first felt a slight numbing sensation and a hint of spiciness.
However.
After Huang Tao adjusted it, the spiciness and numbing sensation were relatively lighter, just perfect for Old Qin!
Then spreading inside the mouth was a refreshing sweet flavor; upon slow chewing, there was also a faint sour taste lingering between the lips and teeth.
The chicken is tender.
The peanuts are crispy.
The flavor is rich and mellow.
The texture is excellent!
After a few bites.
Licking the sauce lingering at the corner of his mouth still brought that unforgettably delicious sweet and sour taste.
Truly deserving of Boss Huang’s craftsmanship; the flavor of this Kung Pao Chicken is indeed much better than those made at outside Sichuan restaurants!
The sweet and sour balance is precisely on point.
A little more and it would taste like sweet and sour pork; a little less and the spiciness would overpower it.
Only this proper balance of sweet and sour, with a moderate numbing heat, can be called the Kung Pao Chicken’s unique "little lychee flavor."
"Delicious!"
Old Qin ate with relaxed brows, smiling as he asked: "Boss Huang, did you specially alter the flavor?"
Huang Tao nodded: "Yes, it’s slightly less numbing, slightly less spicy."
Old Qin gave a thumbs up in admiration: "You are amazing, the flavor adjustment is spot-on, perfectly fitting our Wenling people’s tolerance for spiciness."
"Just right, and satisfying!"
"Very delicious!"
Huang Tao laughed: "As long as it’s delicious, that’s good."
And those rich second-generation individuals had finished eating. Now seeing Old Qin leisurely enjoying the Kung Pao Chicken, they couldn’t help but swallow again.
Indeed.
They still hadn’t had enough and wanted to eat several more plates!
But there was nothing they could do; they certainly couldn’t snatch food from Old Qin’s hands!
As self-healing five-good youths, they certainly wouldn’t do such a thing.
They had no choice but to wait until noon when the shop opened, so they could order several more portions to satisfy their cravings.
As usual, Huang Tao uploaded a picture of the tempting Kung Pao Chicken to Weibo for promotion.
Super Delicious Restaurant: Wow (starry eyes), the spicy dish everyone’s been waiting for... Kung Pao Chicken is new at noon! Not many, about 100 portions, preorder quickly! Customers who generally can’t handle spicy food, it’s suggested you also grab our new drink... Watermelon bubbly slush, guaranteed to give you a refreshing delight~ Pic jpg1, pic jpg2.
In the first picture is a cup of bright red watermelon juice merged with slush, the chunky watermelon flesh allowing glimpses of the translucent bright red bubbles floating within, plus wisps of rising icy vapor, making it particularly enticing.
The second picture should show tender diced chicken stained with brown-red sauce, garnished with faint white chopped scallions and dried chili segments, with a glimpse of pale yellow peanut halves nestled among the chicken; red oil dripping from the chicken, staining the clean white plate, looking tempting.
