Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Unique Hot Pot Base Ingredient! Signature Hot Pot!
Shen Hai was amazed by the taste of the tripe. It wasn’t just the texture, but also its unique, rich aroma. Although it was spicy, it wasn’t greasy at all. After eating it, once the spicy sensation dissipated, his appetite became even better. Moreover, the more tripe he ate, the more evident this feeling became.
No way, how can this soup base not be greasy? Shen Hai wondered.
He scooped up a spoonful of the broth and examined it closely. In the broth, there were chilis, tofu, and a bit of duck blood. Looking closely, only a very thin layer of oil floated on the surface of the broth, not even enough to cover the entire spoon.
Ordinary hot pots are known for their heavy oil. If you scoop some broth and let the spoon sit for a while, a yellow layer of fat solidifies on the surface. So, while hot pots are delicious, the excessive oil means that if you eat one for lunch, you absolutely wouldn’t want another for dinner. Or, if you ate one the day before, you wouldn’t have an appetite for hot pot the next day.
But Jiang Feng’s hot pot was different. After the spiciness, it still felt refreshing. There wasn’t much of an oily sensation in the stomach; if there was any, it was from the sesame oil in one’s own dipping sauce.
Zhu Hong lifted a piece of the black tripe and dipped it fully into her oil-based dipping sauce, coating it with coriander, scallions, and chili oil. She put the tripe in her mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed. It was so delightful she didn’t want to speak.
"So tasty," she murmured. "It gets more flavorful the more you eat!"
Quickly, the plate of black tripe was wiped clean by the two of them.
Next, they put the white tripe into the pot. The white tripe had an even more tender texture, as if you could squeeze water out of it with just a pinch. After heating it in the hot pot for a while and then dipping it in the sauce, the tender and springy texture made them exclaim in satisfaction.
The two of them stopped talking, silently placing ingredients into the hot pot, waiting for them to cook before eating. In the past, eating hot pot was always accompanied by conversation. Here, there wasn’t much talking; they were all eagerly waiting for the food to cook so they could eat quickly.
After finishing the tripe, there was still beef. The beef was also high quality, with its fresh red color and white marbling of fat. When the beef slices were placed in the hot pot, they quickly curled up as they cooked. Under the high heat, the fat rendered out, leaving only lean meat. Dipping this beef into the sauce to soak up the flavors and then eating it was exceptionally satisfying.
After eating for quite a while, both of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads. It was the middle of a cold winter, and the weather was chilly. Eating a steaming, spicy hot pot in such cold weather warmed their entire bodies.
"PHEW! That was so delicious!" Zhu Hong exclaimed. Having eaten her fill, she leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of satisfaction.
Shen Hai, while eating, was still studying the hot pot base. What exactly did he put in this soup base? It’s just not like the ones from ordinary small shops. How is it not greasy! Incredible!
Seeing Shen Hai’s engrossed expression, Zhu Hong said, "They’re a high-end Sichuan restaurant, after all. They must have a secret recipe they don’t share. It’s not like the hot pots from small eateries, which can basically be made by following online recipes. Otherwise, how could this place be so popular? This hot pot is really tasty, and the dipping sauce they serve is aromatic; I don’t even need to adjust it myself."
Shen Hai nodded. "It might be the high-quality ingredients used by a big restaurant. Their better ingredients lead to better taste. The chilis, scallions, ginger, and duck blood in the soup base must have undergone special treatment."
Shen Hai couldn’t figure out what Jiang Feng had added, which was understandable. The soup Jiang Feng used was indeed no ordinary soup but a superior stock he had simmered himself, characterized by its lightness, yet it could absorb flavors well. Naturally, the ingredients used were also high quality.
Jiang Feng knew that the most important part of eating hot pot was cooking the ingredients well, so a soup base that allowed the ingredients to absorb flavors was a good soup base. Guests don’t drink the soup base directly from the pot anyway. Thus, the ingredients cooked in his soup base were flavorful and not greasy.
This was Jiang Feng’s secret. In the future, all the hot pots at Jiangyue Terrace would use this type of superior stock. There was no need to worry about small eateries copying it, as they couldn’t afford to make this kind of stock. Only large, established restaurants had the resources.
Shen Hai and Zhu Hong, having eaten their fill, had looks of satisfaction on their faces.
"I’m full now, but I feel like I could eat again in the evening," Zhu Hong said.
"That’s ridiculous. Who eats hot pot for both lunch and dinner?" Shen Hai replied with a laugh.
The dishes on the table were mostly finished. With the grand opening promotion, the current prices were also low, so it didn’t cost much. That was why even more people were coming to Jiangyue Terrace.
"After today, Jiangyue Terrace’s hot pot will surely make a name for itself," Zhu Hong mused. "The flavor is truly good. And Boss Jiang himself prepared the soup base and dipping sauces, and he personally sliced the ingredients. It feels really great. It’s like eating a private kitchen meal prepared by a top chef."
Zhu Hong was completely satisfied.
It wasn’t just Zhu Hong; many people shared this thought.
At a nearby table, a young man asked the waiter, "Are you sure this soup base was prepared by Boss Jiang himself, and that he personally sliced all these ingredients? We came all the way here just to try Boss Jiang’s culinary skills."
Hearing the young man’s words, the waiter immediately replied, "Yes, please look at the size, length, and thickness of the tripe. It was all personally sliced by our boss. When the boss personally cooks, the other chefs don’t interfere."
The young man looked at the tripe on the plate. Sure enough, the tripe was neatly arranged, each strip uniform in size and width, presenting a very orderly appearance. With the waiter’s explanation, the young man was satisfied.
Today, nearly all the customers had ordered the tripe hot pot. Jiang Feng indeed intended to make this hot pot a signature dish, relying on his specially made soup base and selection of fresh, high-quality ingredients. The soup base doesn’t have to be heavy on oil; a rich flavor is what makes it delicious.
The shabu-shabu from Capital City is a prime example. The shabu-shabu there is remarkable. After customers order, waiters set up the pot on the table. Then, they add ingredients like scallions, ginger, mushrooms, and other seasonings. Finally, they take a 5-liter bottle of mineral water and pour it straight into the pot. There’s really not much seasoning involved. But when the meat cooked in the shabu-shabu is dipped and swirled in a mixture of sesame paste, chili oil, chopped green onions, and cilantro, and then eaten, it tastes incredibly delicious. Shabu-shabu is also a major feature of Capital City’s cuisine.
So, the most important task for the soup base is to ensure the ingredients taste good after being thoroughly cooked.
Inside Jiangyue Terrace Restaurant, after the diners finished their hot pot, they were also served some fruit. After eating, they felt a satisfying fullness in their stomachs and a warm glow throughout their bodies. The key was that it wasn’t greasy at all but rather refreshing and light. It gave them the urge to eat it again in the evening.
Many people were saying as they walked out:
"This hot pot is truly delicious, no joke!"
"A big restaurant is really on another level!"
"I’ve never doubted Boss Jiang’s cooking. The things he makes just seem different from others!"
"A top-notch chef! It feels like there’s nothing he can’t do!"
The delicious hot pot earned rave reviews from the diners.
Outside the restaurant, many people holding number tags were still waiting in line at this moment.
Seeing some people come out, these waiting individuals would ask, "How was the food today?"
Hearing this, the customers who had eaten the hot pot praised enthusiastically, "It was really tasty! Today Boss Jiang made tripe hot pot, and that hot pot was exceptionally fragrant! I’ve never had such a satisfying hot pot before! The flavor is great; it’s worth the wait."
Seeing their reactions, the others became even more resolute in their decision to wait. There were still many customers outside the restaurant. The queue had extended into the evening.
Everyone was accustomed to it. It didn’t matter; they would first get a number and then go about their business. Some people came to get a number, then went home for lunch, followed by a nice nap. They would take a stroll in the afternoon, check the queue status on the mini-program, and head over when it was about time. By the time they did all that, it would be evening.
The brand-new Jiangyue Terrace Restaurant featured an overall modern Chinese-style decor. The interior design also leaned towards classical. The environment was pleasant, and the walls were made with soundproofing and noise-absorbing materials, ensuring a good customer experience. Business was truly booming.
「Meanwhile」
Yang Juanjuan stood outside, watching the bustling scene at Jiangyue Terrace, grinding her molars in frustration. Formerly, she managed this place, and it was called Taste of Sichuan. But business declined steadily, customers were few and far between, and the restaurant was often deserted. To be fair, this location was excellent, with heavy foot traffic. To run a large restaurant into the ground here truly took a certain kind of "skill." People’s talents differ; some individuals simply lack a broad perspective in business.
For instance, a young woman born in the 90s opened a shop and had her mother help out. When the shop had a promotion where collecting enough coupons entitled customers to a free box of food, her mother would deliberately skimp on the redeemed items every time, believing it was "losing money." Once, a regular customer who had saved up many coupons came to redeem two boxes of food. Her mother not only showed great reluctance but also gave very small portions. The customer was very angry at the time.
When the young woman saw this, she was so angry she almost cried. She said to her mother, "Can you not do this? Are you trying to drive all my customers away? I’m running a promotion! The cost of the coupons has already been covered by their purchases! What are you so worried about losing!"
Despite the young woman’s distress, the regular customer still said, "That’s right. I won’t be coming to your shop anymore."
This kind of stingy mindset, always feeling like one is "losing out," is not conducive to long-term business success. Yang Juanjuan was the same type of person, always feeling she was losing out. Now she regretted selling the restaurant to Jiang Feng. She didn’t realize that the restaurant had been continuously losing money. If Jiang Feng hadn’t been willing to take it over, she would have kept losing more.
But none of this mattered; Jiang Feng had never cared about such things. At this very moment, he was simply thinking, Maybe I’ll do hot pot again tonight. It’s pretty relaxing.