Chapter 15 Chapter two

The plate of cucumbers had already been eaten, and Old Su obviously had more to say, "Can I have another plate of cucumbers? It's so delicious!" The woman said lukewarmly: "Sorry, we only serve each dish once here, and we will never repeat it." Old Su seemed worried that he would never be able to eat this delicious cucumber again, so he asked anxiously, "Never again? You won't have to eat it next time?" The woman thought for a while and said, "I can't tell next time, maybe there may be, or maybe not, it all depends on us." Murray said to the disappointed old Su: "Okay, let's taste the next dish."

The woman put a hot dish in her hand on the table. Murray had never seen it before, and asked, "What is the name of this dish?" After the woman put the dishes away, she smiled slightly, "The head of the house hasn't had time to pick it up yet? No name." After speaking, she left again. Lao He glanced back at the woman's back, and said to a few friends, "Listen, this dish was only developed today?" "Didn't I say it before? A good chef is like an artist, and he has to improvise to create the best work," Chen said. Lao Su looked at this steaming, mouth-watering dish.Putting down the attachment to the plate of cucumbers just now, he moved his index finger again, "Stop talking, eat quickly. I will evaluate after eating."

Everyone moved their chopsticks together. The second dish was a plate of meat dishes topped with thick soup. It looked a bit like chicken or goose from the outside. Mu Le tasted it and was shocked again from the bottom of his heart—the meat was tender and smooth, with layers of flavors. It is clear and all-encompassing. If the dish of cucumber just now is described as a fresh and refined girl, then this dish is like a beautiful woman who has experienced all kinds of flavors in life—rich, mellow, full, and lingering aftertaste. "This meat is so delicious!" Lao Su took the first bite, excited, "There are at least a hundred different flavors in one dish, unfolded one by one, and finally integrated. How can there be such a flavor in the world? Deep, rich food?"

"It's not only delicious." Lao Yu sighed, "Eating a bite of food can actually make me reminisce about my life and recall the wasted years...it's unbelievable." At this time, Lao Chen took off his glasses and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Everyone looked at him in surprise and asked, "What's wrong with you, Lao Chen?" Old Chen looked up and sighed, "For some reason, after eating this dish, I actually thought of my dead wife..." He smiled slightly, "It doesn't make people sad, but it just reminds me of the happy times in the past. "

Lao Chen's words aroused everyone's reverie, and it seemed that everyone had some triangles because of the taste of this dish.Everyone silently picked up the dishes and savored each mouthful, like walking along the corridor of memories. When the dish was almost finished, Shixian said, "I want to ask you, have you figured out what kind of meat this is?" "It looks a bit like chicken breast." Old He said. "Don't be kidding," Shixian immediately vetoed, "how can chicken breast have such a delicate taste?" "I'm just saying it looks like it. What do you say it is?"

Shi Xian obviously couldn't answer, so he asked Murray, "What do you think, old Mu." Murray remained silent.After a while, he said hesitantly: "I think this dish is very similar to a lost ancient delicacy - 'peacock breast'." Shixian was taken aback, "The dish of peacock breast is said to have been lost in the Ming Dynasty, how could you have eaten it?" Murray said: "Of course I haven't eaten it, but I have read the records of this dish in some ancient books. It is said that Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin loved this dish very much, because every time he ate it, he would think of a dead concubine. I I just heard what Old Chen said..."

Shi Xian pinched a small beard on his chin, "If you put it this way, the meat of this dish is not fish, let alone pigs, cattle, sheep and other livestock. It does look like some kind of poultry... but it is definitely not chicken, duck, and goose. Ordinary poultry like this, could it really be..." But peacocks are protected animals now!Can I eat it? "Old Yu asked suspiciously. "It may be a new breed of special poultry." Lao He said, "But even if you get peacock meat, you have to know how to cook peacock breasts! Since it has been lost, how will the chef of this family do it?" Come out?" Old He sat with his back to the door.When I said this, I didn't know that the hostess of this house was walking to the door with a new dish.The woman heard the word peacock breasts out of his mouth.A look of astonishment flashed across his face.But soon she regained her composure.Walk in the door and put the third course on the table.

The woman's expression changed slightly.Just happened to be seen by Murray.He stared at the woman for a few seconds.No show. The third course was a river fish with incomparable flavor.It also won unanimous praise from six gourmets.The following dishes are wonderful, and each one can be called the best.Now it seems that the middle-aged man's recommendation is indeed true.The dishes of this private restaurant are even regarded as divine products by these professional gourmets, let alone ordinary people. Seven dishes were served in a row, and each one was eaten up.Everyone gradually figured out the characteristics of this restaurant.Instead of serving a large table of dishes quickly, they serve them one by one.The cook and the person serving the food seemed to calculate when they had finished the last course.Also serve the next dish.In this way, not only is there no waste.And every dish can be eaten while it is still hot.At the same time, the next dish will arouse new expectations from everyone.This arrangement is very scientific and keeps people fresh and fun throughout the meal.Several gourmets are very respected.

The eighth course was different from the previous ones.The previous ones were all large plates or pots, but this time they were divided into six small earthen pots, which contained fresh soup and a large square piece of lean meat.The woman put six small and medium-sized crock pots in front of each guest.And tell them it's the last course of the evening.Finishing off with soup is the norm for a meal.But for this private restaurant, it seems that it can innovate on this routine.Generally speaking, the last bowl of soup is mainly light.Because the guests ate too much meat in front of them.In the end, I always hope to have a refreshing soup.But the soup in this earthen pot is thick and delicious, and the square lump of lean meat is at least about four taels.At the end of the banquet, it is impossible for most people to eat such a large piece of meat.From this point of view, this arrangement has the potential to be wasteful.

Several gourmets are apparently aware of this.Besides, they ate up all the previous dishes.In fact, I was already full, and it was a bit difficult to see such a large piece of meat at this time.Old Chen said regretfully.Every previous dish in this restaurant has been delicious, and the order and arrangement of the dishes were impeccable.But in the end, this soup is too thick, and such a big piece of meat, can we eat it? It is true that the last dish will deduct points from the whole table.Lao He shook his head and said: "Although it is a good thing to have a large portion, it depends on when it is served and it is not appropriate to serve such a large piece of meat at the end."

Lao Su said: "It's not appropriate for you to start criticizing without taking a bite. I smell this soup very fragrant." Lao He said: "I'm not criticizing it for its poor cooking, but that it shouldn't be served at the end. I can't eat this dish no matter how delicious it is." Shixian said: "Then eat as much as you want. In general, I ate all the dishes today. It's not a waste." He scooped up a spoonful of soup and took a sip with his mouth, "Enxiang! What a treat! It's so delicious!" Shi Xian picked up the big piece of meat with his chopsticks.Take a bite and taste carefully.At this time, the other five people did not move to see his reaction after eating. Shixian chewed, his eyes widened, and his face flushed.He whimpered something that no one heard clearly.But I saw him put down his chopsticks and grab the big piece of meat with both hands and start to eat it. The five people were dumbfounded.Shixian is the most stable and reserved among them.In the past, no matter how delicious things came across.You always act like that's all it takes to be stingy with compliments.But now his performance is obviously that the delicious food in front of him has surpassed everything, and he has lost all pretense and restraint.I put my heart and soul into this deliciousness. Old Su was stunned for a while, looking at his crock pot, then picked up the piece of meat and took a bite.After a few seconds, he cried out from the bottom of his heart with tears in his eyes, "God, what kind of meat is this? How can there be such a delicious thing in the world?!" After saying this, he dropped his chopsticks and picked up the piece of meat like a food fairy and began to gnaw.Eating more than a food fairy is more devoted, as if he has been hungry for several days, completely disregarding his image. The other four now also obviously wanted to taste it right away.But seeing Lao Su and Shixian's gaffe-like appearance.I was also worried that I would become like this after I ate it, and I was not sure whether I should eat it or not.They are still rational at the moment and are puzzled by the behavior of Lao Su and Shixian... Is the delicacy of this meat really so exaggerated? Murray finally couldn't take it anymore.He picked up the meat in the crock and took a bite. Lao He, Lao Yu and Lao Chen haven't eaten yet, looking at Murray.After a few seconds, they were surprised to see that Murray's reaction was different from Lao Su's.After eating this kind of meat, he trembled all over and showed horror. Old Chen felt something was wrong.Murray's expression didn't look like he tasted delicious food, he looked like he saw a ghost.He tentatively asked, "Old Mu, what's wrong with you?" Murray's forehead was dripping with sweat, his eyes were wide open and his mouth was wide open.The meat caught on the chopsticks slipped into the pot and the soup splashed on the clothes.He also completely ignored.After a while, he suddenly looked at Lao Chen, and said to Lao Yu in amazement: "This kind of meat... I have eaten it before!" Lao He, Lao Yu and Lao Chen looked at Murray together and asked, "You Have you ever eaten? Where?" Murray said with trepidation: "When I was 18 years old." "Huh? Nearly 40 years ago?" Lao Yu said in surprise, "Then what kind of meat is this?" "I have no idea……" "have no idea?" Murray stood up: "But I must figure it out this time! I'm going to ask that chef!" "Old Mu, have you forgotten their rules here? You can't inquire about the source of ingredients and cooking process of any dish." Old Chen reminded. "I can't care that much!" Murray said excitedly. "I have eaten all over the world and searched for nearly 40 years just to find this dish, or this kind of meat! Now it has finally reappeared again, I said Ask about everything!" After speaking, Murray left the table, and several people at the table were stunned, wondering what the relationship between Murray and this kind of meat was. Murray walked into the main room, with a side room on the left and right sides.The woman always brought the dishes from the left side room—from this, it can be judged that the kitchen and the chef must be in that room. When Murray walked to the door of the side room, the woman just came out from inside. She saw Murray standing at the door and asked, "Mr. Mu, have you finished eating?" Murray adjusted his emotions, curbed his excitement, and tried to calm himself down, "Yes, eat." "Does the food taste good?" "very good." The woman smiled: "That's good, are you paying the bill now?" "Yes, how much?" "A total of 960 yuan." "Okay," Murray readily agreed.He took out 15 100-yuan bills from his wallet and handed them to the woman. The woman looked at Murray hesitantly, and said, "Mr. Mu may have misheard, I said 960 yuan." "I heard it right, I just think the dishes on the table tonight are really rich and wonderful, and it's worth the price I'm paying now." The woman took the money with a smile, then took out 40 yuan from the bag, and handed it back to Murray together with the excess 500 yuan, "Thank you for your praise, but the price of each table of our dishes is set by the head of the house. It’s also set—never discount or overcharge.” It seems that this trick is not working.Murray was slightly embarrassed.After putting the money away, he tentatively said: "I know the rules here, you are not allowed to inquire about the source of the ingredients and the cooking process. I don't inquire about these, just tell me one thing - the last dish." Crock Pot Meat', what kind of meat is it made of?" "Are you still asking if you don't know?" "I don't know where the meat came from, just what it is." The woman smiled and said, "Mr. Mu, we are all adults in our decades. Is it interesting to play this kind of word games?" Murray pondered for a moment and said, "Then, please introduce the chef for me, and I can talk to him, is that okay?" "I'm afraid that won't work either." "Why?" Murray was a little anxious, "Among the rules here, there is no rule that guests cannot meet with the chef, right?" "There is no such thing. But it also depends on whether the chef wants to meet the guests?" "How do you know he doesn't want to see me?" "On the basis of what you intend to inquire about, he must not want to." Murray didn't want to waste any more time with this woman, he took a step forward and said firmly: "No matter what, I must see the chef today!" The woman's face darkened, and she blocked the door, "Are you trying to force your way in or something?" Seeing that the woman showed no signs of weakness, Murray didn't dare to really break into her room. When he was about to lose his way, he suddenly remembered a rule in the catering industry. The question, of course, you have to ask the chef to understand, is this wrong?" The woman didn't expect Murray to do this, she froze for a moment, blushed and said: "Mr. Mu, please speak responsibly, my food , what's the problem? After you eat it, is there any discomfort?" "I ate unexplained meat, of course I feel uncomfortable!" Murray raised his voice again, "As a consumer, I have the right to ask the chef to give me an explanation..." "Who is making noise outside the door?" Suddenly, there was a resounding sound in the house, which sounded like a bell. Murray and the woman were stunned at the same time, and at the same time, Murray thought happily——Great, I finally used this trick to lure the chef out! The woman turned her head and saw that the head of the house really came out. Murray took a closer look, he was an old man with white hair and childlike face, twenty or thirty years older than himself.The old man's expression was calm, but he faintly revealed an aura of calmness and arrogance, which made people look awe-inspiring.For some reason, Murray felt that the old gentleman was somewhat familiar, as if he looked like someone he knew, but he couldn't remember who it was. The old man was wearing a traditional white double-breasted shirt, with his hands behind his back, staring at Murray, and said, "I am the chef here, are you looking for me?" Murray thought for a while, bowed respectfully to the old man, and said, "Old man, to tell you the truth, I am a food critic who has studied food for most of my life, and I have eaten countless delicious dishes. But until today you After eating this table of dishes in the family, you have tasted the real treasure. Your cooking skills are really amazing, which is very insightful and amazing." The old man waved his hand slightly: "There is no need for compliments, you Didn't you just say that there is something wrong with the dishes I cook? If there is something wrong, tell me." Murray said embarrassingly: "Actually, there is no problem. It's just that this lady has always refused to let me see you. I made this move out of desperation. The purpose is only to attract your attention, get to see you, and offend you." Please forgive me." The old man was not angry, but smiled slightly, and gently stroked his white beard with his left hand.The aura revealed in his gestures is not like a chef, but like a sage with extremely high attainments.Murray could see that his petty skills had been seen through by the old man long ago. He was not provoked by the provocative method, but came out to meet him out of some consideration. But no matter what, the goal was finally achieved.Murray said respectfully: "Actually, I just want to ask you one thing, old man. You probably heard it in the room just now. What kind of meat was the last pot of meat we ate?" "Didn't Qinghui (that woman's name) tell you?" The old man said, "Our ingredients and cooking methods are all secrets and cannot be disclosed to others." "Old man, I know the rules of private restaurants, and I understand that these things cannot be leaked. But I assure you... I can swear! I will never tell or publish it, and I only inquire about this dish, and I will That's the meat—I don't know a word about the rest." The old man shook his head slowly: "No, once the rules are established, they must be followed, otherwise what are the rules?" "Old sir, please tell me, I really..." Before Murray finished speaking, the old man had already turned around and walked into the house, "Qinghui, see off the guests." At this time, some of Murray's friends also came out of the main room and came to Murray's side. In front of his friends, Murray couldn't continue pestering him so shamelessly, so he had to give up. Qing Hui sent the group out of the gate, bowed slightly, and said: "Everyone, please go slowly," and then closed the two wooden doors. It was already night, and the streets of the ancient town were extremely deserted.Several people walked towards the parking place, commenting on tonight's dinner with great interest. "Old Mu, I have to say that the person who recommended this private restaurant to you is really a bole who knows how to discover delicious food." Lao He said: "I have never eaten such delicious food in my life, especially the last one. The canned meat is simply a divine product, after eating it, it still smells delicious on my lips and teeth.” "That's right! The meat and soup are combined into one, with a long aftertaste." Old Chen said, "Now it seems that this dish is arranged at the end. Not only is there nothing wrong with it, but it is the finishing touch." Old Su smiled and said, "Didn't you two say you couldn't eat it before? Why did you drink up all the meat and soup in the end?" "It's strange to say that my stomach is really full," Lao He said, "but I can't stop eating the meat. What's more amazing is that my stomach is warm after eating, without any feeling of swelling, but more It's comfortable, it's really incredible, the strange thing is that Old Mu actually stopped after taking a bite, and went out." Murray couldn't get the answer from the old man's mouth, feeling lost and feeling very depressed.Old friends talked endlessly about him, hardly listening to him, indulging in his own reverie.Until Lao Su touched him with his elbow. "What are you thinking about? After you came out of there, Lao Mu, you just didn't say a word and looked preoccupied." Murray came back to his senses with a shake, "Ah, what are you talking about?" "Let's talk about the stewed meat in the earthen pot. How could you leave the table after taking a bite?" Old Su said, "By the way, you went to find the chef of that restaurant and what did you tell him?" "nothing." "Old Mu, I heard that you had eaten this kind of meat decades ago." Shixian was completely indulging in the deliciousness at that time, and was very surprised when he heard Lao Chen and the others talk about it.