Volume 4: It's Dark, Please Close Your Eyes Chapter 12 I Want to Buy a Recipe from You
While Tang Zheng was still looking at the scenery and talking casually, two girls with smiling eyes, wearing garlands on their heads and exuding the youthful aura, walked in gracefully, one holding an exquisite cookbook and the other holding a large plate of fruits unique to Licheng.
"Sir, this is the menu of our Haitian Yisese Tower. Please take a look. If you like what you want to eat, just call my name. My name is Xiaodie, and I am the exclusive maid of Tingtao Pavilion." The girl holding the menu bowed to everyone present and handed the menu to Tang Zheng.
"Uh, no need to order." Tang Zheng took the menu but didn't rush to open it: "Just serve all your best and most expensive dishes, especially your exclusive dish, the Baixiang Secret Milk Soup. Serve one for each of us."
Faced with Tang Zheng's generous behavior, Xiaodie remained calm. She just repeated Tang Zheng's request with a smile, then left and went to place an order for them.
However, the girl who brought fruits to Tang Zheng and the others had a slightly strange look on her face. However, this slight change in expression was only fleeting, and she soon put on her very polite smile again.
“Haha, Xiaodie, where did this young man come from? I guess has taken a fancy to you again and is trying hard to show how generous and rich he is. But why do they always use the same method? It’s too old-fashioned…” The girl who was serving the fruit whispered teasingly to the girl named Xiaodie as she and Xiaodie walked towards the lobby on the first floor.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful if the customers find out and complain to the boss about you, he will tear your mouth apart." Xiaodie said in a low voice.
"Ha, I'm not afraid. Our boss is the real rich young man... It's a pity that he comes to the store too seldom. I've been here for two years and have only met him once... Besides, my voice is so soft, who can hear it?" said the girl holding the fruit with a hint of "resentment".
"Cough cough——" Tang Zheng, who was originally admiring the sea view in front of him and thinking about reciting a poem to suit the scene, suddenly coughed twice. When he looked up, he found that the atmosphere in the room was indeed a little weird, and everyone was looking at him strangely.
"Why keep your voice down... Everyone is obviously fine, okay?" Tang Zheng couldn't help but secretly complain about the maid who delivered the fruit.
"Well, you guys probably don't really think that I want to seduce that girl... I'm just spending money normally. To be honest, it's too frustrating to be looked down upon for spending money." Tang Zheng touched his nose and said.
At this moment, the whole room suddenly erupted in laughter. Everyone laughed without giving any face, especially Xiao Tang, who held her belly and pointed at Tang Zheng, laughing so hard that she couldn't straighten her waist. "Haha, I didn't expect that the Master would be regarded as a scoundrel one day. Well, he is a scoundrel with very old-fashioned means, hahaha!"
Tang Zheng shrugged helplessly. At this moment, even if he was well-versed in knowledge, he could not argue. However, he was somewhat concerned about the owner of the hotel mentioned by the girl. Such a famous restaurant located in a prosperous area and luxuriously decorated must have cost a lot of money. However, this owner was so trustworthy that he only came to visit once or twice in a year or two. He either had a big heart or a big wallet, or maybe there was something else behind his identity?
"It's quite interesting..." Tang Zheng muttered to himself as he looked at the sea view outside the window.
At this time, delicious dishes filled with fragrance were brought into the private room by girls who were dressed neatly and uniformly .
The large table in the middle of the private room was gradually filled with dishes that were rich in color and presented in unique and interesting ways.
The attraction of delicious food finally dispelled the embarrassment of Xiaotang and others who continued to tease Tang Zheng about how he spent money like a "old-fashioned playboy".
"Wow, this fish is delicious." Xiaotang picked up a large piece of white and tender fish, dipped it in the fragrant sauce made from tomato-like fruits in the small dish next to it, and put it into her mouth. A sour, sweet and refreshing fruit aroma removed the fishy smell and retained the fresh and smooth fish meat. A unique taste moisturized her taste buds and almost melted in her mouth.
"Wow, this crab is so good!" Little Bell also raised a big crab claw and shouted loudly.
The crab claw was as big as a chicken leg and had been carefully peeled by the chef, revealing half of the tempting scarlet crab meat, and the crystal glutinous rice that had been ingeniously stuffed into the crab claw. When you take a big bite, the fresh crab juice flows into the fine and chewy glutinous rice, which is really delicious.
Little Lingling's small mouth was immediately filled with delicious food. Her cheeks bulged, her throat whimpered with joy and happiness, and her big watery eyes narrowed with happiness. No one knew what she said while eating.
The room suddenly became much quieter, and everyone was enjoying the delicious food prepared by the famous Haitian Yiselo restaurant.
In the entire room, except for Tang Zheng and Xiao Lingling, everyone else has been under tremendous pressure during these days at Yisu Academy.
Whether it was Leng Zhan, the martial arts fanatic, or Jiang Wuyan , the clan leader, or Fenghua and Xiaotang... some were pursuing higher martial arts, some for the future of the clan, and some for the safety of their loved ones...
These pressures forced them to spend almost every moment and every second on cultivation.
The enjoyment of life? They have never even thought about it.
Today's great victory over Alsophila Academy, coupled with Tang Zheng's cooking bet, finally allowed them to temporarily put aside all their stress and worries, and return to being ordinary boys and girls, laughing, eating, and drinking heartily...
"Well, after eating so much, I have a general understanding of some of the cooking methods, favorite ingredients, and flavor preferences in Licheng." Tang Zheng wiped his mouth, put down his chopsticks, and began to think about tonight's bet.
The climate and topography of Licheng are somewhat similar to the customs of Southeast Asia that Tang Zheng knew in his previous life. As for food, since all kinds of fruits are produced here, naturally, delicious and fresh fruits are an important raw material for their food.
Similarly, they also have a huge saltwater lake that can be called an "inland sea", so all kinds of fresh seafood are also important ingredients in the gourmet food.
Among the dishes that Su Miyan and her friends like, whether it is the "Passion Spice Secret Milk Soup" or the remaining "Grilled Salmon with No Flowers", "Three-bearded Eel and Lychee Roll" and "Splendid Hundred Flowers Platter", you can tell from the names that they are all related to fruits or seafood.
As for cooking techniques, because of the unique high-quality ingredients and the natural love of the people of Licheng, the cooking skills passed down over the years are mainly based on retaining and integrating the characteristics of the ingredients themselves to the greatest extent, supplemented by various unique spices, and finally cooked into delicious dishes.
"Ingredients that are better than those in Southeast Asia, a concept similar to Kaiseki cuisine, coupled with hundreds of years of unique heritage...it's hard to imagine that the food in Pear City is not delicious. Tonight's bet is indeed difficult enough." Tang Zheng thought to himself after tasting several delicacies, especially the two famous dishes "Grilled Fig Salmon" and "Three-bearded Eel and Lychee Roll".
At this time, the girls finally brought up the unique dishes of Haitian Yiseselou and bent down to present them to everyone.
"Ah, is this the Hundred Flavor Secret Milk Soup? Hey, why doesn't it have any fragrance or heat? Is it a cold dish?" Xiaotang looked at the unique ceramic container in front of her with a soft luster and the style of Pear City. She couldn't wait to open the ceramic cup, but exclaimed in surprise.
Upon hearing this, Tang Zheng also unveiled the ceramic cup in front of him. Inside the cup was half a bowl of mango soup with a fine and soft texture. On the surface was an exquisite pattern made of white milk, similar to coffee latte art. From the appearance alone, it looked as delicate as a painting in the cup.
However, just as Xiaotang said, this soup did not have any heat or fragrance at all, which really made people curious.
Tang Zheng took a look at the soup, smiled slightly, took a small spoon, reached into the bowl, and gently scooped out a small gap on the surface of the fine and soft soup, revealing the tender yellow liquid fruit soup inside.
As a wisp of whitish mist rose up, a refreshing yet fragrant frankincense scent immediately diffused throughout the private room.
Even though everyone in the room had already eaten a big meal and had plenty of food in their stomachs, after smelling this unique aroma, they actually felt a little hungry again.
"Oh, so comfortable, warm and smooth. Oh my god, the air I exhale is so fragrant..." After Xiaotang scooped a mouthful into her mouth, she exclaimed again.
Upon hearing this, everyone started eating, with a satisfied and happy expression on everyone's face.
This Baixiang Secret Milk Soup is indeed worthy of its reputation.
Tang Zheng also slowly finished his own cup. Even with his keen five senses and his love for delicious food, he was still unable to fully taste what ingredients were used in this Hundred Spices Secret Milk Soup, what heat was used, and how it was cooked.
Tang Zheng smiled and hooked his finger at Xiaodie who had been standing at the door with a smile: "Call your lobby manager... no, the shopkeeper over."
…
A moment later, a slightly plump, kind-looking middle-aged man stood in front of Tang Zheng and said, "Excuse me, sir, what can I do for you?"
"Well, I don't have any instructions, I just want to discuss something with you." Tang Zheng said with a smile.
"Please tell me, sir. I will definitely do it as long as it is within my ability." The shopkeeper also smiled very honestly.
"I want to buy a recipe from you." Tang Zheng scooped another spoonful of secret milk soup into his mouth and said casually.
"Recipe?!" The shopkeeper, who had always been smiling , suddenly became a little stiff after hearing this.
