Chapter 85 - 80: Taste Test

Chapter 85: Chapter 80: Taste Test

Everyone took their seats in the chubby middle-aged man’s restaurant.

Gates surveyed the lavishly decorated hall and gestured toward the chubby middle-aged man with his chin.

"Not bad taste, but it’s a bit empty. I bought a sculpture at auction in Central City a while back. Interested in seeing it?"

The chubby middle-aged man said flatly, "Thank you for the kind offer, Chairman Gates, but I’m not interested in such things. I wouldn’t want to trouble you."

Rejected so directly, Gates simply raised an eyebrow and said no more, busying himself with the watch on his right wrist. Carolyn’s gaze drifted between the two men, a hint of amusement in her eyes. Meanwhile, the four old men beside her were staring intently in the direction of the kitchen, their anticipation palpable.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Connie appeared, leading Youzhen and several servants who were carrying trays.

"Here are the cold appetizers for the banquet. Please, enjoy."

A pristine white plate was placed before each guest. On it, adorable, emerald-green radish sprouts formed a cross, dividing the plate into four sections. Each section held a small portion of food, unlike any appetizer they had seen before. Yet, the colors and presentation were on par with the best restaurants in the First Ring. Leitel was now grinning from ear to ear, incredibly pleased with his decision to hire Ning He to cater the banquet.

The others also had looks of novelty or amazement in their eyes; clearly, the opening act was a success.

Connie took in everyone’s changing expressions, and her initial nervousness quickly subsided.

With a smile, she introduced the four small dishes to everyone.

The first was tortilla chips with salsa, a dish Ning He had made on his first trip out of the city. Tortilla chips were a common snack, and when paired with a fresh, crisp salsa, they were a safe bet for a multi-person banquet like this. Even the pickiest eater could accept it.

The second dish was a shrimp salad on a potato chip. Two agricultural companies in Beiluo City had mastered the technology for farming freshwater prawns, and they had specialty retail stores in the First Ring. Ning He had been overjoyed when he found them. Dozens of ways to prepare shrimp flashed through his mind, but he ultimately chose a more Western-style, cold-eat preparation. Plump shrimp, poached in warm water, were coated in a mayonnaise mixed with concentrated orange-flavored soda, then placed on a potato chip sprinkled with diced cucumber and cherry tomatoes—a perfect single bite. The combination was creative, with outstanding colors and flavors. Even Ning He himself had wolfed down several in a row the first time he made them.

The third dish was braised dried tofu, inspired by Grandpa Miao’s old-recipe braised dried tofu. The fact that it could be served at a banquet for the gourmet society proved its level of acceptance among high-end foodies. Ning He had made some improvements to Grandpa Miao’s version.

The dried tofu was deep-fried in stages, forming a loose, porous skin on the surface that readily absorbed the sauce. Then began a long simmering process. It was cooked until it swelled slightly, at which point various spices, sauce blocks, and sugar were added. It was then slow-cooked over a low flame until the sauce finally reduced.

The finished dried tofu was intensely savory and fragrant, with a perfect balance of salty and sweet. It was plump, juicy, and had a texture that was soft yet resilient, remarkably similar to meat.

When Connie and the others first tried it, they couldn’t believe it was made from tofu.

The final dish was bacon and bell pepper pinwheels. A thin crepe was layered with an equally thin slice of ham, spread with sauce, and finally sprinkled with slivered bell peppers and other leafy greens. It was then rolled up and cut into bite-sized segments. The cross-section, with its interweaving white, red, green, and yellow, was incredibly pleasing to the eye.

Connie had only introduced the names and ingredients. The moment her voice fell silent, Leitel and the others eagerly dug in. However, unlike their uninhibited behavior in the pavilion, their table manners were much more refined now. Clearly, they still observed proper etiquette in a formal setting.

The first dish, the tortilla chips, was delicious and refreshing. It left a clean taste in their mouths with no heavy feeling. Everyone showed their satisfaction. Gates raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The second dish, the shrimp, was poached in warm water to perfection. The shrimp was plump and springy. The crispness of the cucumber and the light sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, combined with the crunch of the potato chip, created a texture that was near its peak. The sweet and sour sauce also made the flavor flawless.

"An interesting combination, yet the effect is nearly perfect. This is the first time I’ve had shrimp prepared in a way that I find so satisfying. The Dean’s eye for talent is as sharp as ever," Carolyn said with a slight smile.

The Caroline family was exceptionally wealthy. She had been raised in luxury and had sampled countless delicacies not just from Beiluo City, but from other cities as well. To receive such a high compliment from her made Leitel stroke his beard and smile, his eyes crinkling.

"Haha, this is nothing! The real surprises are yet to come!"

Beside them, after tasting the braised dried tofu, Gates’s previously calm and nonchalant expression vanished. He cut the other piece of tofu open and examined it closely, then brought it to his nose to sniff it a few times. Finally, he popped it into his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he savored it.

Although he didn’t cook, he managed so many high-end restaurants that he could see the intricacies better than the average person. More precious than creating a new dish was developing a new flavor profile or a new cooking technique. This braised dried tofu had a flavor he had never tasted before—it was rich in aroma and had a unique texture. If paired with a glass of fruit wine right now, it would be the ultimate indulgence!

The chubby middle-aged man had the same idea.

Ordering a servant to fetch a bottle of white wine from the cellar, the chubby middle-aged man poured a glass for each guest.

"Good food deserves good wine. Cheers!"

In that moment, all worries about natural disasters and beast tides—the troubles that weighed on their minds and kept them tossing and turning at night—were cast aside.

Everyone raised their glasses.

"Cheers!"

After the cold appetizers came the hot dishes, the first of which was a cream of mushroom soup.

After the stunning appetizers, this classic dish, available in any Level 3 Restaurant in the Inner Ring, seemed rather ordinary.

But after one taste, everyone changed their minds.

Compared to this, all the other versions they had tasted before seemed to be missing something. Whether it was the rich, silky texture or the soup’s aroma, this cream of mushroom soup was executed to perfection.

Gates recalled the same soup he’d had at his own restaurant two days ago and let out a soft snort, his expression turning sour.

But he had no time to dwell on how he would push his restaurants to improve their quality, because every dish that followed made it difficult for him to think at all.

There was the spicy shredded potato salad, which was sour, fragrant, numbing, and crisp. The skinny old man declared on the spot that he would never eat mashed potatoes again!

Then came the dry-fried green beans with minced meat. For the first time, everyone felt that the green beans were even more delicious than the meat. The skin was dry and fragrant, while the inside was tender. It was savory, aromatic, and numbing—simply irresistible. The chubby middle-aged man drank an entire glass of wine with just his small plate of it.

Next were the fish fillets in sour soup. The soup base was made from Ning He’s own pickled mustard greens and pickled radishes. Its sour, savory, and sweet notes, with a hint of the unique flavor of pickled chili, stimulated the taste buds and whetted their appetites. Because the seasonings had been strained out beforehand, the soup was clear. In the end, not only were the tender pink fish fillets gone, but every last drop of the soup was drunk as well.

"So fish can be cooked this way? Then what does that make those luxurious fish fillet feasts we used to eat?" the old man with the cane said, his mustache twitching.

"Today has been a real eye-opener. Actually, we got to try another dish before the meal started that was even more amazing. You’ll know when you taste it. It was simply—"

The gray-haired old man hadn’t finished his sentence when a rich, meaty aroma wafted over. His eyes flew open, and in the next second, a piece of soy-red meat was placed in front of him.

"That’s it! That’s the smell!" the skinny old man suddenly exclaimed.

Leitel remembered it too.

This aroma was unmistakably the one they had smelled for the first time earlier.

"This dish is called Red-Braised Pork Belly. It’s made with pork belly, stewed with spices. Please, take your time and enjoy."

Connie hadn’t even finished speaking before Leitel and the others had picked up their knives and forks and started eating. Only Carolyn hesitated slightly.

She wasn’t fond of pork, especially the fatty parts.

But on this occasion, she had to at least try it.

Besides, the piece of meat on her plate—half the size of her palm, drizzled with a soy-red sauce, and emitting an enchanting aroma—did look truly tempting.

Carolyn gently cut into the piece of meat with her knife. The alternating layers of fat and lean meat were distinct, dyed a deep soy-red. The fatty part was translucent and crystalline, like amber. Carolyn speared a small piece of meat, dipped it generously in the sauce, and placed it in her mouth.

The instant it touched her lips, there was a slightly sticky, gelatinous sensation—the result of the collagen from the skin and fat being fully rendered. Then, with a gentle press of her tongue, the fat melted instantly, with no hint of greasiness. The lean meat was also so tender it practically fell apart without chewing. All the essence was concentrated in the sauce. Every drop was brimming with the savory flavor of meat and soy sauce, a perfect blend of salty and sweet, with a faint, lingering aftertaste from the various spices that danced on her palate.

"Quick, get me a bowl of white rice!" the old man with the cane shouted impatiently.

"I’ll have one too!"

"Don’t forget me!"

In the end, a small serving of rice was brought out for each of them.

They mixed the remaining small pieces of red-braised pork into the rice. A spoonful brought the satisfaction of savory meat, rich fat, and carbohydrates, bringing the dish to a perfect conclusion.

By now, Gates had completely forgotten why he had come. He was immersed in the sublime enjoyment of the red-braised pork. He even ignored the palate-cleansing pickled vegetables Connie had specially prepared, having no desire to wash away this flavor.

After that, more dishes arrived one after another: yellow braised chicken, braised beef brisket with potatoes, seaweed and fish ball soup, hot and sour tofu soup, pasta with tomato meat sauce, and ham and egg fried rice.

The pasta with tomato meat sauce, which Leitel had considered his "safe" dish, turned out to be the most unremarkable of the lot. The sound of knives and forks clattering against plates echoed throughout the restaurant, never once ceasing.

When the last dish was finished and the plates were cleared, Gates propped his head up with one hand and tapped his fingers on the table a few times.

"Now then, Dean Leitel, hurry up and let us meet this incredible chef!"