Chapter 100 - 93: Impromptu Interview

Chapter 100: Chapter 93: Impromptu Interview

"Are you sure this is the place?" Cindy asked her companion, looking up at the unremarkable storefront.

"No doubt about it. All these people are here for malatang, and Mark saw that Chef Ning with his own eyes, greeting customers!" The photographer, Karen, finished speaking and took a deep sniff of the air, a look of pure bliss on her face. "Yep, that’s the smell!"

"Alright, let’s go check it out."

The people waiting by the entrance had already filled up all the temporary seats, but no one seemed impatient.

After all, it was the only place in the whole city that sold malatang. It was delicious and affordable, so what was a little wait?

Cindy’s goal today wasn’t malatang. After entering the shop, she flagged down a server, asked a quick question, and soon zeroed in on the second floor. She paid, got a meal card, and went upstairs.

"Over here!"

Mark, who had already been waiting at a table for a while, saw them and excitedly stood up, waving.

"How did you manage to find this place?"

Cindy set down her bag and surveyed the restaurant.

The space wasn’t large. A dozen or so tables were set up, and they weren’t completely full yet—there were probably only about twenty customers. Aside from the sound of people eating, the entire restaurant was very quiet.

Although the decor was simple, it was clean and bright, with a fresh and natural color scheme that put people at ease.

The buffet line was against the opposite wall, a long row of serving trays. From a distance, she could only vaguely make out a wide variety of colors, a rich palette. Two servers were also preparing something on the spot, with several people lined up in front of them.

But what surprised Cindy the most was another line, forming in front of a spot where there wasn’t even a serving tray. It was empty!

"Is it really as good as you said?" Cindy asked. "I’ve never seen a vegetarian restaurant before, but if the food isn’t up to snuff, it’s not worth a special report from us."

"You’ll know once you try it." Mark said, a look of profound feeling on his face. "It might even make you question every food report you’ve ever done."

"That much of an exaggeration? I don’t believe it. It’s still vegetarian food, how good can it possibly be? As fragrant as a cream stew is, if I have to choose between that and a roast chicken, I’m still picking the roast chicken!" Karen said.

"Alright, we’ll know once we try. This buffet isn’t cheap. If the food isn’t even good, this report might have to take a different angle."

As she spoke, Cindy stood up, glanced at the buffet line, and finally walked toward the line that had formed in front of the empty spot.

’I’ll see for myself just what could make these people line up and wait for it in advance.’

Ning He came running up from downstairs, carrying a huge basin of glistening golden stir-fried shredded potatoes. The aroma drifted out along with the steam, even luring over two customers who had originally planned to eat malatang.

The moment Cindy saw the mountain of a golden dish—each shred distinct, dotted with green chopped scallions, bits of red pepper, and diced purple onion—her appetite involuntarily flared to life.

’This color, this aroma... it wouldn’t be out of place in a top-tier restaurant. No wonder people were lining up in advance.’

But what surprised Cindy was that the customers ahead of her in line didn’t take much; they took a single spoonful and walked away satisfied. As a reporter, Cindy had a habit of getting to the bottom of any question. So, she tapped the shoulder of the customer in front of her to get their attention.

"Hello, excuse me. Why is everyone taking so little after waiting in line for so long? This dish looks like it should be delicious, right?"

Tom turned around, holding his plate, glanced at Cindy, and spoke slowly.

"It is delicious. It’s the most delicious way I’ve ever had potatoes prepared. It’s flavorful enough that it doesn’t need any dipping sauce."

"Then why isn’t everyone taking more?" Cindy grew even more curious.

"Because there are even better things to eat."

Having said that, it was Tom’s turn. He said no more, turned back, took a small portion for himself, and returned to his seat to savor it slowly.

Cindy snapped back to reality, quickly stepped forward to take a little herself, and stood to the side to try a bite with her chopsticks.

That one bite was all it took. Her trip today had absolutely been worth it!

The shredded potatoes, still a bit hot from the wok, were only four or five millimeters thick. The moment they entered her mouth, there was a crisp "CRUNCH," a fluffy crispiness that surpassed even french fries.

Biting through the crispy outer shell revealed an inside that retained a hint of soft, starchy fluffiness, adding another layer of texture.

The seasoning wasn’t complex: lightly salty with a touch of pepper’s spice. A layer of white sugar sprinkled on top was the finishing touch, a masterstroke for the palate. The sweet and savory aftertaste mingled with the starchy aroma of the potatoes—it was so natural and simple that you could eat it forever without getting tired of it.

But the most irresistible part was its aroma:

The base note was the scent of deep-fried potato starch, mixed with the fragrance of pepper, and accented by minced scallions, onions, and garlic. Then came a hint of chili oil made from a special variety of pepper grown by Ning He herself—one that was eighty percent fragrant and twenty percent spicy.

If food could be perfume, this one would undoubtedly conquer every heart!

After trying this dish of Chinese-style shredded potatoes, Cindy found it truly hard to believe. ’Could there really be something even more delicious here?!’

「Half an hour later.」

Cindy, a veteran TV reporter known for her efficiency, had finished sampling all the dishes.

She also understood what Tom meant when he said there were even better things to eat.

There was the chive pocket, shaped like a dumpling; one bite and the aroma was so intense she was almost rendered speechless.

The dry-fried spicy mushrooms showed her the meaning of "wouldn’t trade it even for meat."

The vegetarian chicken cutlet with fresh pepper sauce was in no way inferior to a real chicken cutlet. The fresh pepper sauce on top, made with some unknown seasonings, was savory, spicy, sour, and sweet—utterly appetizing. She even went back specifically to get another spoonful.

The golden corn pancake, a sweet web woven from tender corn kernels, made one feel as if they had fallen into a beautiful dream with a single bite. She ate two large pieces without even realizing it.

The pumpkin and fermented rice soup with little rice balls—where silky-smooth pumpkin purée met sweet fermented rice, accompanied by chewy little rice balls—served as a dessert that brought joy to both body and soul.

Whenever her taste buds felt a little fatigued from the bombardment of flavors, a bite of aged-vinegar cucumber or some crisp, sweet-and-sour pickled radish would instantly restore them to their peak, and even whet her appetite further.

By the time she finished her meal, Cindy had a smile on her face. She was utterly conquered.

’Next up, I’m going to get a special interview with this incredibly young and talented female chef!’

However, after asking around, she learned that Ning He was currently busy in the kitchen downstairs. Cindy had no choice but to wait where she was.

"Why don’t we interview a few customers first and see what they think?" Karen suggested.

"Good, let’s do that."

Cindy scanned her surroundings and suddenly spotted a familiar face. A flash of surprise and delight appeared in her eyes.

She quickly stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked toward a table by the window with a smile.

"Chairman Gates, I never expected to see you here! Are you also here to patronize the first restaurant opened by Chef Ning He, the creator of malatang?"

Gates looked up and quickly recognized the TV reporter in front of him. He had been interviewed by her before.

"Well... I suppose so," he answered vaguely.

Cindy’s smile grew even wider.

"In that case, would you be available for a brief interview?"

Gates calmly crossed his left leg over his right and flashed a charming smile. "Of course. I welcome any form of personal publicity."

"Wonderful!" Cindy pulled a notebook and pen from her bag, motioned for Karen to set up the camera, and then began her questions.

"Excuse me, in your opinion, is Chef Ning’s decision to open Beiluo City’s first vegetarian buffet—and at such a high price point—a bold challenge to other high-end restaurants, or a sign of absolute confidence in her own culinary skills?"

The smile on Gates’s face froze.

After a long moment, he suppressed the urge to scowl and maintained his composed demeanor as he answered.

"It’s too early to jump to conclusions on that question. The market will provide the best answer."

Cindy quickly jotted it down.

"Then do you believe today’s vegetarian buffet was worth the price? Or to put it another way, will you be coming back?"

"Of course—"

The delicious flavors he had just tasted flashed through his mind, and Gates forcefully swallowed the two words "I won’t."

’This is an official interview. Once I say I won’t come back, I really won’t be able to.’

’That fierce girl will definitely hold it against me and bar me from entry!’

’I am the esteemed Chairman of the Food Chamber of Commerce! I should be able to eat wherever I please!’

"...I will be back. Some of the... dishes here... are quite... good."

Gates squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.

"To receive the affirmation of Chairman Gates, who is so worldly and has such strict standards for food, is proof enough that the vegetarian cuisine here is truly a success. So, which dish was your favorite?"

Gates thought of something and suddenly curled his lips into a smile.

"It was a dish called Fish-Fragrant Dragon Eggplant. However, since this is a vegetarian restaurant, it should be a bit more pure. You have to be careful with the ingredients, even in the seasonings. After all, many vegetarians are very particular about that. But it’s understandable for a young person who lacks experience and is eager to prove herself to make such a mistake—"

"There’s no fish in that dish, you know."

Ning He walked up with a grin, not even sparing Gates a glance as she extended a hand to Cindy.

"Thank you for coming to do a story on our restaurant. I can answer that question for you."

Finally, the person in charge had appeared. Cindy was naturally delighted.

"That’s great. I actually loved that dish too. If there’s no fish used in it, why is it called Fish-Fragrant Eggplant?"

"Because this dish is cooked with the seasonings used for fish, borrowing the same flavor profile. It doesn’t mean there’s fish in it. Think about it, did you taste any fish in there?"

Cindy thought back carefully.

"No, I didn’t. I just remember the flavor was very unique. I bet it would be great for cooking fish, too!"

"Exactly. I’m sure Chairman Gates’s misunderstanding was completely unintentional. How could a man of his stature publicly slander a small business owner like me in front of the media? Let me tell you a secret: he’s been a huge supporter of my career. I even got the idea to open a vegetarian buffet from him!"

"Really? That’s amazing! Chairman Gates is truly a leader in the food and dining industry! To have such foresight!"

Cindy said, jotting a few more notes in her little notebook.

Gates’s mouth twitched a few times, and he shot to his feet.

"I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be taking my leave."

"Of course. Thank you, Chairman Gates. I will be sure to report everything truthfully, so as not to betray the painstaking effort you’ve put into cultivating the next generation of the restaurant industry!"

Gates’s steps faltered for a moment, then he quickened his pace, practically fleeing the restaurant.