I Run a Restaurant in a World of Natural Disasters

Chapter 59: Chapter 54: Numbing, Spicy, Hot

The malatang soup base was made in two parts: a bone broth and a spice packet.

The bone broth was simmered with pork bones, while making the spice packet was relatively more complex. Given the limited ingredients, Ning He simplified the recipe. For example, she only chose two types of common dried chilies from the market: one for high heat and one for a rich aroma.

The dried chilies were boiled in a pot until soft, then mashed with garlic cloves to create a ciba chili paste.

She redeemed two types of Sichuan peppercorn powder and a thirteen-spice powder from the system store and soaked them in rice wine.

She also got a portion of Connie’s family’s sauce paste ready.

She heated peanut oil and lard in a pot, then added cilantro, scallion segments, and ginger, frying them until golden brown before fishing them out. Next, she lowered the oil’s temperature and added the sauce paste and the ciba chili paste, sprinkling in powdered sugar at the same time. She slow-cooked the mixture over low heat until most of the moisture had evaporated, then poured in the soaked Sichuan peppercorn and thirteen-spice powder.

Once the alcohol smell had mostly evaporated and the numbing, spicy aroma emerged, she turned off the heat. She then stirred in a spoonful of fermented rice wine, and the spice packet was complete.

Without doubanjiang and fermented black beans, the flavor was slightly lacking. But for the people of this world, whose palates were still quite simple, it was more than enough to be a shock to the system.

She packed some of the finished sauce into a cheesecloth bag and dropped it into the pot of bone broth to simmer. With that, the bone broth malatang soup base was ready.

This preparation method even allowed the broth to be drunk, perfectly avoiding any waste.

Connie didn’t know what the powders Ning He had pulled from her pocket were, but judging by the aroma wafting from the pot, they were definitely extremely expensive spices.

She was both shocked and delighted, and she could already imagine just how delicious and popular this pot of broth would be.

The bone broth still needed to simmer for a while longer. Ning He looked at the baskets of ingredients that Connie and Ah Huai had sorted on the stall and picked out the one containing the soy products.

With meat being scarce, soy was the primary source of protein for most ordinary residents. Soy products could be found in every city in the Alliance, but the variety was limited.

Soybean yields were limited. After the oil was extracted, the remaining high-protein soy pulp couldn’t be wasted and was made into a type of artificial meat called soy meat. Connie had bought quite a bit of it; it was yellowish, came in thin, somewhat wrinkled sheets, and felt very tough after being soaked. She also had several large blocks of firm tofu.

Add soy milk and tofu pudding to the list, and that was basically the extent of the soy products available on the market.

Ning He took a block of tofu, cut it into small cubes, and soaked them in hot saltwater for a while before scooping them out and draining them. She heated oil in a wok and fried the tofu cubes in batches. Slowly, the cubes began to expand and float to the surface. Finally, she refried them all until they were completely afloat and golden brown. The fried tofu puffs were ready.

Next, Ning He cracked a few eggs, whisked them, and poured them into the hot, oiled wok, making a batch of deep-fried eggs.

Once they’ve soaked up the broth, the fried tofu puffs and deep-fried eggs in a malatang are divinely delicious.

By the time the deep-fried eggs were done, the bone broth had been simmering for two or three hours and was just about ready.

Just then, Connie and Ah Huai also finished their prep work for the youtiao, sugar cakes, and fermented rice balls, so Ning He called them over for a taste test.

"Pick whatever you like, and I’ll cook a bowl for each of you."

Even with the lid on the pot, the air was filled with the tantalizing aroma of the bone broth, enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Connie was practically bursting with anticipation.

She chose a few slices of cabbage and potato, a small piece of soy meat, a few fried tofu puffs, and a bundle of thin noodles, handing them to Ning He.

Ah Huai, on the other hand, opted for a piece of the deep-fried egg, a handful of spinach, a few pieces of tofu, and a bundle of rice vermicelli.

Ning He fired up two separate woks, ladling a scoop of the soup base into each. She added Connie’s and Ah Huai’s chosen ingredients, gently stirring and pressing them down into the broth. Once everything was soft and cooked through, she poured the contents into large bowls.

After sprinkling on some chopped scallions, Ning He handed the bowls to them.

"Give it a try."

Steam billowed up, and the bowls were still hot to the touch.

The temperature outside was below negative twenty degrees Celsius. While it wasn’t quite that cold inside the stall, it was no warmer than five degrees, so they still needed to wear heavy clothing to stay warm.

In the midst of all this ice and snow, the mere sight of such a steaming hot meal was a comfort.

Connie and Ah Huai carried their bowls to a nearby table. Just as they were about to dig in, they suddenly remembered something, quickly pulling out a phone to snap a picture and post it in their foodie group chat.

"New today: Malatang! Come and get it!"

They followed it up with their address.

Now that the outdoor temperatures had stabilized, the inner city gates had opened two days prior. Public transportation was also gradually resuming, so getting around wasn’t too difficult.

After sending the message, Connie put her phone aside, cupped the bowl in her hands, and took her first sip of the broth.

The fragrant, savory, and rich flavor of the creamy-white pork bone broth, combined with the numbing, spicy, and savory notes from the spice packet, created a complex symphony of taste that left Connie speechless.

It was a flavor she couldn’t have conceived of in her wildest imagination. The culinary academy had never taught anything like it, and nothing like it had ever appeared on the market.

The steaming pork bone broth slid down her throat, spicy and hot. A wave of warmth spread through her chest and stomach, heating her entire body from head to toe.

Forget all the delicious ingredients in it—Connie would have gladly paid just for a bowl of the broth alone.

She tried the vegetables. Having absorbed the savory flavor of the broth, their own subtle sweetness was enhanced, and they were anything but bland. The tender and chewy soy meat now had a flavor that surpassed real meat. But compared to the fried tofu puff she tasted next, everything else paled in comparison.

Connie was certain of it: this little cube, capable of soaking up so much broth, was destined to be their next bestseller.

Ah Huai, who had just taken a bite of the deep-fried egg, thought the exact same thing.

Ning He cooked a bowl for herself as well and sat behind the food cart, slowly savoring her meal.

’By her standards, the broth still lacked a certain depth of flavor, but for the residents here, it was a total game-changer.’

’It was enough.’

After tasting their two star items, she was even more certain.

The three of them polished off everything, right down to the last drop of broth, then gathered to discuss pricing.

"This broth’s quality is incredible, and the cost isn’t low, either. The bowls you just cooked for us probably cost six or seven original coins in materials alone. I think we should price the broth base at ten original coins a bowl," Connie said with firm confidence.

"That price is fair, but the residents of the Fourth Ring probably can’t afford it," Ah Huai said after a moment of thought. "We could sell it as half broth, half water, and cut the price in half. The flavor will be a bit diluted, but I’m sure it won’t hurt sales."

Ning He always deferred to them on matters like this, so it was settled.

Even diluted with water, the malatang would still be flavorful enough not to disappoint any paying customer.

"As for the other items, let’s sell them in small portions and price them low. Noodles for one original coin per serving, vegetables for two, tofu for three, and soy meat for four. As for these fried tofu puffs and deep-fried eggs... this is my first time seeing them. Why don’t you set their price?"

Since Ning He had specially prepared those two items and there was no market price for them, Connie deferred to her judgment.

"Five original coins for the fried tofu puffs, eight for the deep-fried eggs," Ning He decided after a moment’s thought.

Unlike the tofu puffs, the deep-fried eggs absorbed a lot of oil, so their price had to be higher.

"Alright. We’ll set the serving size at 50g. That way, our overall profit margin shouldn’t exceed the regulations. I’ll go write up the menu right now."

Connie hurried off, full of excitement. Ah Huai hesitated for a moment before asking, "The fried tofu puffs and deep-fried eggs are priced so high that Fourth Ring residents probably won’t buy them. You prepared those for other customers, didn’t you?"

Ning He nodded. "The profit margin on the other ingredients is too low, and our neighbors can’t afford them if we price them any higher. These two are for customers from inside the Third Ring. They’ll be our main source of profit."

Ah Huai studied her for a moment. "You really don’t mind?"

He still clearly remembered the surging rage and resentment in her eyes as she’d frantically pounded on the city gate.

They had almost died.

It wasn’t an experience one could easily forget.

Ning He shook her head. "No, I do mind. It’s something I’ll never be able to forget. But they weren’t the ones who locked me out. Instead of taking my anger out on other powerless people, I’d rather figure out a way to change the rules completely. But for now, all we can do is focus on making good money."

Ning He gestured with her phone. On the screen, the group chat already had over a hundred new messages.

Though he didn’t understand what Ning He meant by "changing the rules," Ah Huai nodded in support. "We’ll do it your way."

The three of them continued with their final preparations. A short distance away, Ito, his shift finally over, led his patrol team into the shantytown.

"Damn, it’s cold. I feel like a human popsicle. Let’s find something to eat, quick."

Having just finished their patrol, every member of the squad had a layer of frost on their eyebrows and seemed to radiate cold. They slapped the snow from their greatcoats as their eyes scanned the shantytown, searching for an interesting food stall.

"Hey, isn’t that... Ning-something? The one who sells youtiao in the mess hall?" a squad member suddenly shouted, pointing.

Ito followed his gaze and, sure enough, saw a few familiar figures.

"They’re out here now? Why don’t we try something else for a change? Don’t you guys ever get sick of eating at the same place?" he suggested to the others, frowning unconsciously.

"But they haven’t been in the mess hall for the past few days! I haven’t had their youtiao and sweet rice balls in ages."

"Yeah, Chief! My feet are frozen numb. I just want a bowl of their hot, sweet fermented rice balls. Just thinking about it warms me up!"

Everyone looked at Ito with pleading eyes, and in the end, he relented.

"Fine, let’s go."

"Alright!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the young privates charged toward Ning He’s stall like starving tigers pouncing on their prey.