The Gourmet Customizer

Chapter 255: Chapter 128: Who Said They Had a Small Appetite

In a practice room, this peanut dish would be B Level at best, but food has a peculiar quality.

Beyond personal preference, when you eat certain foods in a specific atmosphere, you tend to overlook the actual taste. Even the simplest meal can create top-tier physical and mental pleasure and wonderful memories.

Like... the bowl of beef noodles you ate with your girlfriend when you were eighteen.

"Folks, how about you try my Pomegranate Eggs?" Ah Bao was quite confident in this dish.

Pomegranate Eggs was something of a signature dish for Liu Ahbao. It was the very dish that had made him a senior technician back in the day, and for a time, it even led many to believe that Ah Bao had the potential to surpass his masters.

But as it turned out, he had peaked at his debut.

"Why are they called Pomegranate Eggs? This egg is a little weird!" Zhang Li picked one up with her hand and looked it over, feeling a bit unsure of how to even start eating it.

"Don’t you think this egg looks a lot like a pomegranate?" Ah Bao said, a little annoyed.

Zhang Li stared at it. "Does it?"

’Damn it!’

’If he could, Ah Bao really wanted to snatch that egg back and beat Zhang Li until she was crying her eyes out.’

"It doesn’t look like one?"

Su Chen stepped between them. "Let me try one too. It does look a bit like a pomegranate, but it requires a little imagination."

"This dish is a lot of trouble to make, you know..." Ah Bao grumbled.

Su Chen had noticed this as well. "Ah Bao is right. This dish is similar in principle to Xue Dan, but for this one, you first have to steam the egg until the white is firm, then poke a hole in the top to remove the yolk."

Following Su Chen’s explanation, Ling Shuyu also picked up an egg to inspect.

Looking through the hole at the top of the egg, she could see it was stuffed with a filling made of diced ham. The aroma that wafted out was not just ham, but also sesame oil and braising liquid.

’Smells absolutely divine!’

Su Chen added, "But I have a suggestion."

"Please, tell me!" Ah Bao quickly put down his chopsticks and listened intently.

Earlier today, that group of chefs from Lu Province had all had an epiphany, but Ah Bao had been hiding in the back and didn’t grasp a single thing. Now he finally had a chance to achieve enlightenment. How could he not be happy? How could he not be excited!

"Your method is to remove the yolk, mix the diced ham with egg wash, and then stuff it back in to steam. My suggestion is, you could first stir-fry the diced ham with lard and clear stock, and include a bit of that sauce when you stuff it."

"And honestly... I personally think the Blasting and braising are completely superfluous. It completely ruins the original flavor of the ingredients. Of course, that’s just my personal opinion. You can try it out later."

These were Su Chen’s most genuine feelings after taking a bite, and also the most direct sensations brought by the Peak of Flavor.

"This..." Ah Bao was lost in thought.

After speaking, Su Chen said no more. Because this Pomegranate Egg had no yolk, and during the final step, it was lightly Blasted in sesame oil and then braised for a few minutes.

As a result, it had the texture of a tiger-skin egg. But calling it that wasn’t quite right, since it was missing the flavor of the yolk, which made the dish’s characteristics less distinct.

But it was still good enough to be rated A Level.

"But it’s still really good!" Zhang Li was already starting on her second Pomegranate Egg.

Ah Bao, however, downed a cup of liquor by himself, feeling like something was starting to sprout in his mind.

’If I do it the way Boss Su suggested...’

’The ham, stir-fried in clear stock and lard, would have its inner fragrance released. During the steaming, the ham flavor could permeate the egg from the inside out.’

’And without the Blasting and braising, the texture and flavor of the egg white would remain in its original state.’

Liu Ahbao tried to imagine the texture and taste.

’Hiss! It seems... it really would be more delicious, wouldn’t it?’

’Plus, doing it this way would feel like simplifying the complex, making the preparation process easier and faster.’

Thinking of this, Ah Bao’s hands even started to itch with the urge to rush into the kitchen and try it right away.

Su Chen saw through his thoughts.

"Don’t be hasty. Skill isn’t built in a day. Have a drink first!"

GLUG GLUG GLUG~

The two men clinked glasses again. Sipping this beer, and taking another bite of...

’Wait, where’s the Crispy Rice with Pork Slices?’

He had been so engrossed in chatting with Ah Bao that he hadn’t paid any attention to the table. Where was that plate of Crispy Rice with Pork Slices?

He and Ah Bao hadn’t had a single bite, but looking across the table, the two girls were each gnawing on a duck leg. Where did it go?

"Boss, that pork dish you just made was so good! The crispy rice was super crunchy, and the pork was super tender, hehe!"

Zhang Li had the nerve to say that.

Ling Shuyu nodded in agreement. "It would be great if it could be added to the second-floor menu."

’Good grief!’

Su Chen and Ah Bao exchanged a look, both clearly helpless.

’And you said you don’t eat much? That big bowl of duck is nothing but bones now.’

On the other hand, the duck snacks Zhang Li bought had barely been touched. Su Chen could only silently pick up a piece of fish tofu and start chewing.

"Oh, right, Boss!" Ling Shuyu, having eaten and drunk her fill, wiped her mouth, took another sip of alcohol, and looked utterly content. "Today, besides asking me about the design, Director Li mentioned something else."

"What is it?"

"You know about the Xiaqing Competition, right? Director Li mentioned it in passing. He said the government fought to host this competition to further promote the development of the high-tech zone. There’s a stadium not far from us, right? The competition will be held there."

Su Chen nodded. "I’ll figure out a way to get some tickets later so we can all go watch. What are they competing in?"

Ling Shuyu paused, a bit confused by Su Chen’s train of thought. "That’s not what I was going to talk about."

"Then what?"

Ling Shuyu’s expression turned serious. "They have a venue for the Xiaqing Competition, but the problems of lodging and dining haven’t been solved yet. The original plan was to house them in the city, but the organizing committee objected, saying it’s too far from the city to the stadium and it might affect the athletes’ performance!"

’They’re just looking for trouble, aren’t they?’ Su Chen thought. ’A trip of a little over ten minutes is far?’

"The government is having a headache over this now. If they build a separate lodging area and cafeteria, it’ll be useless after the games are over, making the investment a complete waste. But if they don’t build it, the whole project might fall through!"

’Hiss!’

Su Chen suddenly felt like Ling Shuyu had a hidden meaning in her words.

"My idea is, maybe we can proactively contact the officials. We could take on this investment in the form of a loan. They give us the money to open a new division, and we pay it back once the company becomes profitable."

’Holy shit.’

Su Chen’s heart suddenly started pounding like a drum!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!