Chapter 291

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

Zhou Yang licked his lips, looking at that amber-like thing, muttering to himself in speculation: "This thing tastes of seafood, and it's crunchy too. Could it be made from some seafood I've never seen before?"

Liang Shuang, sitting beside him, poked at that thing with her chopsticks.

Through the chopsticks she could feel a soft, springy elasticity coming from it. However it looked, it didn't resemble seafood. Somewhat disbelieving, she said: "What seafood would grow in this shape? I've certainly never seen any."

The several tables of diners around them who had ordered Dongpo Pork Knuckle also ate this thing one after another at this moment.

They too felt incomparable curiosity toward this unfamiliar-looking delicacy.

"At first glance I thought it was Pork Skin Jelly, but eating it there's a seafood flavor. Looks like it isn't."

"Could it be fish maw? I've eaten it before, just never had this thing so crunchy."

"This thing eats quite fresh. Could it be Boss Lu's secret ingredient?"

Everyone began discussing with each other, but no one could accurately say what exactly this thing was.

Someone had already been tormented by curiosity until their heart itched and liver scratched. They simply stood up and shouted loudly at everyone in the hall: "Has anyone eaten this thing before? Can you give everyone a popular science explanation?"

"Or... ask Boss Lu?"

Someone looked toward the kitchen's direction and proposed.

As soon as these words came out, several people couldn't help standing up, preparing to go to the counter side to ask clearly.

"I know what this is."

A voice carrying a few parts of smugness suddenly rang out in the hall.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Qian Laoban smiling smugly.

He finished the last piece of knuckle on his plate, swallowed the meat in his mouth, and then unhurriedly said: "If I haven't guessed wrong, this should be made with Deer Horn Vegetable."

"Deer Horn Vegetable?"

The diners looked at each other in blank dismay, then one after another revealed expressions of sudden realization.

Zhou Yang couldn't help slapping his thigh: "Right! I was saying why this texture felt a bit familiar. It's exactly the same as the crisp, refreshing texture of the cold-tossed Deer Horn Vegetable I've eaten before!"

Deer Horn Vegetable is an algal plant growing on seaside rocks. Its root system is slender, and its color looks like amber.

Because it has many branches, and its tips extremely resemble deer antlers.

Therefore it got the name Deer Horn Vegetable.

This thing is also very common in restaurants. Mostly it's cold-tossed.

After Deer Horn Vegetable is soaked and cut into sections, tossed with vinegar, sesame oil, and minced garlic, it eats with a crisp, refreshing texture, cuts greasiness and whets the appetite.

Liang Shuang frowned, then looked again at that jelly-like Deer Horn Vegetable in Zhou Yang's bowl, and asked with some puzzlement: "Although this thing's texture is indeed very similar to Deer Horn Vegetable, I remember Deer Horn Vegetable doesn't seem to grow in this shape either?"

"This is indeed Deer Horn Vegetable, only Boss Lu has stewed it into a gel."

Zhao Zhenhui, hearing Qian Laoban say this, also nodded in agreement and said with some emotion: "To be able to make Deer Horn Vegetable into this form, who knows how Boss Lu did it. There should be other things added. The texture actually eats both crunchy and tender."

"Not just these. This Dongpo Pork Knuckle is made with very high skill."

Qian Laoban took over the conversation, his tone full of admiration: "Have you noticed? The Deer Horn Vegetable's flavor and the knuckle's flavor are separate. When Boss Lu removed the bone, he actually didn't damage that layer of fascia between bone and meat at all. This layer of fascia just happens to separate the Deer Horn Vegetable's flavor and the knuckle's flavor. Eating it, they don't mix flavors, each singly maintaining its own texture. This culinary skill isn't something an ordinary chef can achieve."

Qian Laoban looks rough and carefree on the outside, but when facing food he behaves more meticulously than ordinary people.

With one glance he saw the difference between this Dongpo Pork Knuckle Lu Feng made and what other chefs make.

"So that's it. Boss Lu's knife work has truly reached the realm of the marvelous!"

Everyone listened and nodded repeatedly. Looking again at the knuckle on the plate, their eyes also held a few more parts of admiration.

Truly worthy of Boss Lu. Just this skill on the knife instantly kills many chefs in restaurants.

The diners who previously felt the Dongpo Pork Knuckle's price was a bit expensive now also began to understand where the expense lay.

Just the handling of this Deer Horn Vegetable and the bone-removal skill alone are far more high-end than ordinary restaurants' knuckles.

"I suddenly feel this 298 Dongpo Pork Knuckle is sold a bit cheap!"

A diner who ordered Red Braised Pork slapped the table, saying with a face full of regret: "If I'd known I'd have ordered the knuckle too. Just now I felt it wasn't worth it. Now hearing you all say this, I feel I missed out!"

"Of course. One part price, one part goods."

The diner beside him, eating Dongpo Pork Knuckle, laughed in agreement: "Not to mention anything else, just Boss Lu's technique alone is already worth the ticket price. This is the first time I've eaten such a meticulous Dongpo Pork Knuckle!"

"Heavens! Boss Lu's Dongpo Pork Knuckle is this awesome. How am I supposed to face other Dongpo Pork Knuckles in the future!"

"Ingenious ideas, supreme skill, and the taste is this perfect. Boss Lu's culinary art is getting more and more heaven-defying!"

"Thinking that tomorrow and the day after the shop rests, and I can't eat Boss Lu's skill, how am I supposed to spend this weekend?"

The diners' discussions rose and fell in succession. The hall instantly became lively again.

The surrounding discussion sounds made the hall as noisy as a weekend vegetable market, yet Zhao Zhenhui and Qian Laoban, the two of them, acted as if they hadn't heard.

Their gazes were fixed tightly on that plate of Dongpo Pork Knuckle still untouched on the table.

"General Manager Zhao, can we eat now?"

Qian Laoban swallowed his saliva and asked with some anticipation.

The flavor of that portion of hot knuckle eaten just now still lingered in his mouth, not yet dissipated.

The two of them had just shared and finished one plate of knuckle.

For Qian Laoban, having eaten only half a portion, he felt he hadn't eaten enough at all.

"Wait a bit more. Still short one minute."

Zhao Zhenhui just had a tiny bit more patience than Qian Laoban.

He looked at the time on his watch, forcibly enduring the impulse to start eating immediately.

He was also curious — what difference would there be in the taste of the Dongpo Pork Knuckle Lu Feng made after letting it sit for ten minutes.

Since Lu Feng said to wait ten minutes, not a single second could be shorted.

"Still have to wait one minute? This pork knuckle has gone cold by now, right?"

Qian Laoban glanced at the pork knuckle in the plate; by now it was no longer steaming heat.

Dongpo Pork Knuckle is clearly a hot dish — if it cools down, can it still be delicious?

In his heart he couldn't help but give rise to a few points of doubt.

"Alright, ten minutes are up, we can eat now!"

Zhao Zhenhui looked at the time on his watch, his tone carrying surprise as he spoke.

Then he looked at Qian Laoban and said with a smile: "Qian Zong, you've clearly been unable to wait since just now — you taste the first bite."

"Can we really eat now?"

Qian Laoban didn't move his chopsticks for a moment; instead he leaned close to the pork knuckle and looked, his heart full of puzzlement.

Just dry-waited ten minutes like this, did nothing, didn't add anything else, and a new texture can be tasted?

This way of eating he had never heard of before.

Just now when the pork knuckle was hot the taste was still very delicious, but now the pork knuckle has gone cold — is it still delicious?