Chapter 19 Huayuan Bathhouse·Xilaishun Chuxiang

Before the Anti-Japanese War, Beiping could be called a Muslim restaurant. There were Yuanxingtang, Tonghexuan, Liangyixuan, and Cuifangyuan in the southern city, and the famous Donglaishun in the eastern city. There were no decent Jiaomen restaurants in the northwest city.In the Niujie area of ​​Guang'anmenli, most of the people living in the Muslim religion are religious people. When there are weddings and funerals, those who specialize in arranging religious banquets mostly live in the vicinity of Shalan Hutong. There is a chef named Chu Xiang, who is called "Xiangzi" by everyone.In a few years, Chu Xiang was considered to be the best in the kitchen business of running a greenhouse.He first learned his skills at Yuanxingtang, and then took charge of cooking at Liangyixuan. Later, he also learned western food techniques at Jinghan Canteen and Xieying Western Restaurant.He not only has both Chinese and Western skills, but also has a far-sighted vision.He saw that West Chang'an Avenue was gradually becoming a commercial district, and there were more than a dozen restaurants called this spring and that spring, but there were no Muslim restaurants.Coincidentally, not far from Tianyuan Soy Sauce Garden, there is a Huayuan bath house for rest, with the bottom of the house and the top of the house.This Huayuan bathhouse was originally a high-end bathhouse, which is more stylish than Dongxi Shengping. It only buys single rooms without a large pool. There are also a few special seats in the west courtyard, equipped with soundproof equipment.During the Beiyang period, there were many institutions along Chang'an Street, and the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communications, the Salt Administration, the Municipal Office, and the Presidential Palace were all located on this street.High-ranking officials and powerful officials have some affairs that are inconvenient to be disclosed. Almost all of them go to Huayuan and find a room to discuss in secret.Before the conversation was over, and he didn't want to go to the restaurant to eat, he asked the waiter to go to the opposite Xuan Nanchun, and asked some dishes to come and talk while eating.At the end of the Beiyang era, the central government of the Kuomintang moved southward with the government. The Huayuan bathhouse had lost its original location and location. After a while, it had to close its doors. Chu Xiang turned the whole shop upside down and founded a new type of Muslim restaurant——Xilai Shun.

As soon as Xi Lai Shun opened, not only did it attract many customers from Liang Yi Xuan and Cui Fang Yuan, but even old customers who were accustomed to eating Dong Lai Shun would come to Xi Lai Shun for a change of taste.In fact, Xilaishun's dishes are 10% to 15% more expensive than those of other Jiaomen restaurants. However, in terms of cooking, in addition to maintaining the original flavor of the Halal restaurant, a number of new dishes have been added at the same time. In the past, old-fashioned restaurants refused to use new varieties of vegetables imported from foreign countries, such as tomatoes, asparagus, yams, and lettuce, and even resolutely resisted seasoned salad dressing, tomato sauce, curry powder, cheese powder, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh milk.Chu Xiang was ingenious and added curry to the stewed beef strips. Everyone boasted that it was more delicious than curry beef in western restaurants.He steamed cabbage heart, wild rice stem, and asparagus separately in high broth, and simmered them in fresh milk. This plate was grilled with three white silver shreds and ice sprouts.

His family has a dish of duck mud bread.Cut the fresh toast into cubes, and then deep-fry them in sesame oil, so that they are crispy but not burnt, and don’t let the wind cool them down; (he also sells roasted ducks in the oven, everyone eats the skin and not the meat) Remove the tender meat of the duck breast and mash it (be careful not to cut it) and simmer it in extremely hot broth, put it in a container with a cover that does not dissipate heat, and pour the deep-fried croutons into the boiling duck soup when serving Among them, there is a "chi la", which is more fragrant and crisp than Chen Guolao's invention of "bombing Tokyo with a thunder".

Chu Xiang has a special beet dish called "Yo Bump", which he said was improved after he learned how to make mashed taro from a famous chef in Fujian.The taro is steamed and mashed into taro paste, the orange cake is cut into thin slices on the bottom, spread a layer of mung bean paste, put the oil-filled taro paste on it, and spread fine bean paste around it, and steam for one hour with a steaming bowl on high heat. Thicken it with flour, pour it on the upside-down taro bump, and serve it in the pot.Because there are orange cakes, red bean paste, clear and soft, it is better than taro puree alone.Fu Zengxiang, an old man in the Tibetan garden, praised the taro bumps made by Chu Xiang as the best in sweets.The old gourmets treat guests in Xilaishun, and they always order a taro to taste.

Ma Lianliang is considered a gourmet expert in Liyuanxing.Immediately after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the situation in Beiping was very chaotic. The reception officers who flew from the sky and drilled out of the ground, some real and some fake, all gathered in Pingjin.Because Lianliang was forced to participate in the "Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" labor performance during the Japanese Occupation, and went to the Puppet Manchukuo to participate in the founding ceremony, so after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Ma Wenru, who is usually arrogant and sharp-tongued, immediately became half shorter. , Try to build relationships with all parties.His apartment in Dover Lane, every night is a feast of incense and wine, and the wine glasses are all drunk, turning it into a high-end club.At that time, the reception staff and the staff of the forward command post always had to finish their supper at Duofu Lane every night before leaving.Since Ma Lianliang and Chu Xiang had an emotional quotient every night because of the gathering of guests, they would go to Ma's house to have a supper every night.Chu Xiang's midnight snacks are often refurbished, and everyone enjoys it.Crab roe siu mai, minced chicken steamed dumplings, and chicken wontons are the most popular.

A few days ago, a friend living in the United States came back to Taiwan for vacation. He heard that Chu Xiang passed away as early as the 36th year of the Republic of China.Last fall, when I was in San Francisco, I stumbled into Houdefu for dinner. I didn't dare to have any extravagant expectations, and the purpose was just to eat.Although I only ordered a scallion fried mutton, I saw that the scallions were cut obliquely, and the meat slices were not thick or thin. What is rare is that they are fried with sesame oil. What about mutton that tastes like this?If the master master Hou Defu is really Chu Xiang's apprentice, it's no wonder he has such a high skill.