Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 581: Chapter 493: Secret Efforts, Lucas’s Assist

"Who’s afraid of whom!"

Magna stiffened his neck and said defiantly, "People like us who go out fishing have much better stomachs than ordinary folks. Underestimate me, just wait and see!"

"I’m waiting."

Lin Chen smiled and patted his shoulder, "You start eating first. If you need a drink, get it yourself. I’ve got to get busy."

"When you get some free time, go online and look for some videos. See if there’s anything you’d like to eat, and I’ll make it for you to try out."

"OK!"

Magna made a confident gesture, though he was still a bit skeptical inside.

The fish entrails hotpot Lin Mingming made last time was said to be at normal spice level. The first time eating it was a bit spicy, but by the second time, he was already used to it.

He didn’t believe he couldn’t handle Great Xia’s normal spice level. That guy must think little of foreigners!

If it was said to be medium or extra spicy, he might hesitate a bit, but what’s mild spice?

He reached into his bag, pulled out a braised meat bun he hadn’t tried before, took a big bite, and enjoyed as the beef tallow mixed with the rich soy sauce flavor spread in his mouth. Magna didn’t linger much longer and turned to leave the kitchen.

There were still over a dozen deliveries to make today. If he didn’t hurry, he’d lose customers and reputation.

Once everyone was full, they returned to the work of slicing and preparing ingredients, completely unaware of the passing time.

It was only when Lucas and Dais showed up that they realized it had unknowingly reached six o’clock.

"Everyone! Pause what you’re doing and start making buns again."

"Dais, gather some people to prepare the utensils and take-out boxes. Helena, you’re still in charge of the restaurant, I won’t interfere."

"Got it, chef!"

According to usual practice, by six thirty, there should already be customers sneaking around the restaurant, loitering nearby and taking a walk while conveniently securing a good spot.

But today, just a few minutes past six, a queue of over a dozen people had already formed outside the restaurant door.

Even with barriers and signs in place, it couldn’t stop the diners’ enthusiasm for getting the jump on things.

Dais, coming out from the side door with the waitstaff, noticed this scene and could only shake her head helplessly.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to manage it, she just couldn’t.

Yesterday, the hotel front desk had been asked to notify guests in every room that starting today, the restaurant would be serving meals at seven, including the dining carts.

Yet not only did this have no deterrent effect, but the guests seemed even more eager to come earlier to queue.

After all, they were guests. If they wanted to line up, as servers, they couldn’t say much.

They couldn’t exactly tell guests to leave, could they?

They could only pretend not to see and focus on their work.

"Arrange the number cards in order, place the take-out bags within easy reach, and spread the meal boxes across the table without stacking them too high. Around a dozen is fine; too many would be inconvenient to take out."

"You two, check if the POS machine and speaker have enough charge."

"Ladies! Please arrange all the plastic chairs in this area neatly. Today we’re selling buns; you can eat them while holding them. Not many people will need tables, but set them up as usual."

"Dear, pour half a pot of water into those few pots, so the chefs can use them directly later."

As Dais issued command after command, the waitstaff quickly dispersed and busied themselves.

It seemed like they were doing different tasks, but at a glance, everything appeared orderly.

Most importantly, nearly all the waitstaff were stunning beauties. In their fitted uniforms bathed in morning sunshine, they appeared even more graceful, captivating the diners’ attention.

The only two handsome waiters stood out like cranes among chickens, their broad backs and strong arms showing their robust physiques, mesmerizing many female diners who couldn’t stop staring.

Dais was long used to such a scene, as were the waitstaff themselves.

In this line of work, it was mainly about making the most of one’s youth, especially in upscale restaurants.

Far from feeling any mental burden from the guests’ gazes, they were instead filled with confidence.

If no one was looking at them, that would be a real problem!

As soon as the venue was set up adequately, the voice of Lin Chen came through the walkie-talkie on Dais’s waist.

"Ladies!"

She clapped her hands to gather everyone’s attention.

"Just got notified by the chef: once you’ve finished your current tasks, head to the back kitchen to help transport ingredients. The chef will tell you what to do specifically."

"Everyone, be careful. Remember, this is our breakfast!"

"Don’t worry, Dais, we’ll get the job done!"

"I don’t want to work on an empty stomach. I’ll take care of that food like it’s a baby!"

Scenes like this happen every day and are the moments they most look forward to; they immediately swarm toward the restaurant.

When they appear again, several carts piled high with ingredients are already being pushed in front of them, along with many stacks of steamers taller than a person.

"Here they come, here they come!"

"Today’s breakfast!"

"What are those things, why do they look like columns?"

The eyes of the guests lined up at the restaurant entrance light up, and they all stand on tiptoe to look over there.

"It’s steamers! Oh my, are we having buns for breakfast today?"

"Definitely, I saw it in an online video, the Great Xia Buns here have soup inside, the kind that squirts out when you take a bite!"

"What, what? Which video, how come I haven’t seen it?"

"It’s from Old Lu’s account in North America, scroll back, there’s a video cover with buns on it, click in to watch."

If it weren’t for securing a good spot, these diners would have rushed over to see the situation up close.

Unfortunately, they’re surrounded by competitors; taking a step forward could cost them anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour. No one wants to waste that time and start queuing all over again, so they hold back their curiosity and patiently wait in place.

After all, once the meal starts, they can also see the situation on-site, no need to rush.

Tailing the service staff are chefs in black uniforms, with aprons around their waists clearly stained with white powder, which is obviously flour.

Once everyone sets up a vacant table, they begin unloading the ingredients from the carts. Lin Chen, Zhao Shun, and Old Chen each push a cart piled high with a mountain of steamers to the stove.

"Huh?"

Seeing that the pot is already half-filled with water, Lin Chen glances at Dais in surprise and gives her a thumbs-up.

The staff has grown, it really makes a difference. Now, they’re even helping prepare kitchen tasks in advance. It’s no wonder she stood out among the many strong competitors at the God’s Kiss Amiens Store and was voted Service Star by customers.

Even after becoming a manager, she still pays attention to these small details despite having more to consider.

This performance makes Lin Chen very satisfied.

Some people show a significant change in attitude and behavior when promoted from regular employees.

Many feel that after finally making it to a managerial position, they shouldn’t have to do the tasks of other employees; they should command others to do it to show their status and authority.

It’s truly rare to find someone like Dais who maintains their original intentions and continues to do everything personally.

Baskets of buns are placed into the pots, flames blaze beneath them and reflect in the eyes of the service staff, awakening the hidden cravings deep within.

Before seeing these steamers, honestly, no one really felt hungry yet.

But once the fire is lit, their stomachs start growling loudly, the hunger becomes overwhelming.

The chefs, already full, have organized their workstations and begin focusing on making buns.

There are five flavors, and the bowls for stuffing are the largest size, filled to the brim, making them quite difficult to move, so today’s stationing is different than usual.

The five bowls of stuffing are central, with chefs on both sides of the table concentrating on pleating the dough.

Zhao Shun and Old Chen stand on the left and right, dedicated to rolling the dough.

As skilled workers, they roll the dough with incredible speed, easily supplying five people at once. Especially Zhao Shun, his dough-rolling skills are so masterful he doesn’t even need to use a rolling pin!

He takes a thick stack of dough pieces, rolls them a few times on the table, gives them a casual shake, and they become a uniformly thin bun skin.

This truly extraordinary skill leaves the chefs awestruck, secretly marveling that this is the true level of a Great Xia chef!

It’s not just them; the service staff who have finished their tasks and are waiting for mealtime have also witnessed this scene.

"Oh my, what just happened?"

"Isn’t a rolling pin supposed to be used? Why did he just roll it with his hands and it was done?"

"I always thought Chef Zhao was great at making desserts. Those sweet soups last week were delicious, but I didn’t expect his pastry skills to be this strong too!"

"If I’m not mistaken, Chef Zhao can also bake, right? Did you see the baking special uploaded yesterday? It made my stomach growl in the middle of the night, and I couldn’t sleep."

"What? There was an update yesterday? When did this happen, how did I miss it!"

The girls whispered among themselves, quickly discovering Lucas had uploaded a new video on his social platform.

Since it’s not working hours, Dais didn’t mind them chatting as long as the job was done. Instead, she perked up her ears and listened closely, then took out her phone, opened the app, skillfully found Lucas’s avatar in her following list, and, indeed, saw a newly updated video at the top of the list.

This video’s cover was piled with all kinds of baked goods, completely different from the earlier sales video. It was actually from a time when the chefs showcased Great Xia’s baked products in the back kitchen.

This kind of preparation in the kitchen was like private internal training, with no other outsiders aware except for those present.

[Great Xia Desserts that Shocked a Michelin Chef!]

Mumbling the title, Dais narrowed her eyes. Her feminine intuition kicked in as she stared at the half-exposed figure of Zhao Shun on the cover for a few more seconds.

Something’s not right!