Chapter 160: Chapter 160: The Most Perfect Crawfish!
The crayfish restaurant had quite a crowd on its opening day.
After all, Jiang Feng’s small establishment had some local fame.
Plus, with the busy street and constant foot traffic, people were always stopping by.
Jiang Feng bustled about the restaurant, continuously frying up batches of crayfish.
After cooking, they had to sit for a while before being served to customers.
Some customers wanted takeout, which was also an option.
However, takeout had to be ordered in person at the restaurant. Jiang Feng hadn’t joined online platforms like Meituan or Ele.me, so his shop couldn’t be found for delivery.
Jiang Feng simply didn’t have the energy to manage delivery channels.
Business was booming, and he cooked the crayfish with orderly precision.
Meanwhile, Liu Lei was walking along the roadside when he immediately spotted Jiang Feng’s crayfish shop.
He was an ordinary worker, a department planner, who worked very hard every day.
Many say Chengdu is a laid-back city with a slow pace of life, but that’s only true for a few; many still struggle daily.
Liu Lei had just learned over the phone that his son, who was in sixth grade, had done very well on his exams, ranking first in his class.
He suddenly felt full of motivation.
At this age, a child truly occupies a very important place in the family.
He got first in class; I should reward him today.
They both love crayfish, so I’ll buy some.
Liu Lei saw that Jiang Feng’s little shop was crowded, with people waiting in line. Figuring the crayfish must be tasty, he decided to buy some for his family.
Liu Lei stood in line, observing the other customers eating crayfish.
Wearing disposable gloves, they skillfully peeled the shells, pulled out the tail meat, and stuffed the bright red crayfish into their mouths, their faces showing utmost satisfaction.
Watching them made Liu Lei’s mouth water.
He overheard two people talking.
"This is so delicious!"
"He’s truly a great chef!"
"I’ve heard everything he makes is tasty!"
"I’ve seen his videos; I want to eat all of that!"
Only then did Liu Lei realize that the owner of this small shop was also a rather formidable chef.
He grew even more eager to try the food.
Soon, it was Liu Lei’s turn at the counter.
He looked at the menu signs.
To prevent customers from getting confused, Jiang Feng had added a small serving size to the menu.
There were now small, medium, large, and extra-large servings.
Thinking of three people eating, Liu Lei decided to order a bit more.
"Owner, I’ll have a large serving."
"Alright. Dining in or takeout?"
"Takeout."
"Would you like fried dough sticks and noodles?"
"Add three fried dough sticks and a serving of noodles."
Jiang Feng didn’t just sell crayfish; he also offered the option of adding other items to the spicy crayfish, like fried dough sticks or twisted dough strips.
The noodles were hand-rolled and served separately. Jiang Feng would cook them, and customers could choose when to add them to their meal. Plus, for those dining in, they could opt to add the noodles at the end, ensuring they were still hot.
The spicy crayfish alone might not be filling, but the fried dough sticks and noodles certainly were.
This was another unique feature of his shop.
Liu Lei hadn’t expected this spicy crayfish restaurant to offer extra side dishes, and his anticipation grew.
"The fried dough sticks are two yuan each, and the noodles are four yuan per serving."
"That’ll be 98 yuan in total."
Jiang Feng began to fry the crayfish.
The fried dough sticks needed to be added at the end to maintain their crispy texture. If added too early, they would become soft and sticky, and not as tasty.
Liu Lei scanned a QR code to pay and waited outside the shop.
He peered inside and saw several large pots brimming with crayfish.
How great it would be to eat all those crayfish in one go! That would be quite the treat.
Soon, Jiang Feng fetched a plastic food container, ladled in a heaping portion of crayfish, and added some cut-up fried dough sticks.
The container was packed full.
Seeing this, Liu Lei felt quite satisfied.
Given the market price of crayfish, the portion Jiang Feng’s shop offered was quite generous.
A conscientious merchant.
"Do you want me to heat up the noodles now, or will you heat them yourself later?" Jiang Feng asked. "If I heat them now, the noodles might get clumpy."
"I’ll warm them up myself. It’s easier at home since I have a pot."
"Okay."
Jiang Feng packed up everything Liu Lei ordered, wrapped it in insulating material, placed it into a bag, and handed it to Liu Lei.
"All set."
"Thank you."
Liu Lei took the bag and left, feeling contented.
Carrying the bag of crayfish, his steps grew steadier on his way home. He walked taller, radiating confidence and a touch of triumph.
He sent his wife two voice messages:
"Honey, don’t cook tonight, I’ve got it covered."
"Wait for me to get home."
His wife replied, "Okay, what did you buy?"
"You’ll see when I get back."
Soon, Liu Lei returned home.
His wife and child were both there.
The child was doing homework, and his wife was helping their son with it.
Seeing him come back, his wife and child immediately came over.
"What did you buy?" Liu Lei’s wife asked curiously, her face bearing an expression of surprise and joy.
Liu Lei’s son, Liu Zixuan, also came closer.
"Crayfish, bought from a popular online chef."
"Let me tell you, that owner is amazing. There’s always a huge crowd at his shop eating crayfish."
"I heard people in line say that the owner is a top chef, with really good skills."
"Come on, try some."
Liu Lei put the bag on the dining table, and his wife and child gathered around.
"Crayfish? We haven’t had them in such a long time."
Liu Lei’s wife was very happy, but then a thought struck her as odd, and she asked, "Where did you get the money to buy crayfish?"
"Don’t I still have a bit of pocket money I can spend? I can surely afford one meal of crayfish," Liu Lei replied with a chuckle.
At that moment, Liu Zixuan had already begun to unwrap the crayfish.
In a kid’s world, there’s only eating.
"I think I know the chef you’re talking about. Just the other day, Sister Li mentioned that he was running his Bowl Chicken Shop last week, and said her child wanted to eat there every day."
"I thought those stalls wouldn’t be very sanitary, so I didn’t go," Liu Lei’s wife recalled.
"Mm, I assure you these crayfish are clean."
As they were talking, Liu Zixuan had already opened the lid of the food container.
Instantly, a delicious aroma wafted out.
Each bright red crayfish, glistening in the spicy chili oil seasoning, looked plump, tantalizing, and incredibly delicious.
The rich scent instantly captivated the family of three.
"Let’s eat."
The three of them donned disposable gloves and began to eat the crayfish from the container.
They located the second joint in the crayfish tail, squeezed it firmly, pushed inward, then pulled, detaching the head.
The meat was then easily pulled out.
The surface of the crayfish meat was covered in a bright red, spicy seasoning.
The white meat exuded a fresh, savory aroma.
At times like this, one couldn’t worry about anyone else; you ate the crayfish you peeled yourself first.
Liu Lei’s wife placed a piece of crayfish meat into her mouth.
Instantly, the complex spicy flavors from the seasonings exploded in her mouth, stimulating her taste buds and fully awakening her appetite.
Liu Lei’s wife hadn’t expected the crayfish to be so delicious.
Her mouth was filled with the spicy flavor.
Her mouth began to water uncontrollably.
"Mmm, delicious!" Liu Lei’s wife exclaimed in surprise.
Liu Zixuan and Liu Lei also tasted the crayfish.
The crayfish chosen were all large and meaty.
Cooked tender in the broth, steam escaped when they bit into them. The spicy seasoning spread through their mouths, making their tongues tingle with sheer deliciousness.
The flavor was truly exceptional.
The three of them ate in silence, focusing on the crayfish.
Then, Liu Lei picked up a piece of the cut fried dough stick.
This piece of fried dough stick had absorbed so much of the spicy sauce it seemed completely saturated.
Liu Lei immediately popped the dough stick into his mouth.
He felt it was the most delicious fried dough stick he had ever eaten.
Because it was added later, the dough still retained its original firm texture.
It had absorbed the secret spicy sauce, and with each chew, the sauce seemed to dance in his mouth.
That savory, spicy sensation was pure bliss.
When he swallowed it, he felt as if he had entered a mystical state.
Liu Zixuan also tried a piece of fried dough stick and, finding it especially delicious, began to pick out only the dough sticks to eat.
"Save some for your mom," Liu Lei finally said.
The three of them ate joyfully.
This dinner lightened the mood in the house, making everyone feel relaxed.
"It’s so delicious! This chef really lives up to his name!" Liu Lei’s wife, thoroughly satisfied, praised endlessly.
"Of course," Liu Lei nodded. "The place is always packed, inside and out. You have no idea how lively it is."
Just then, he remembered something. "Oh, right, I also got a serving of hand-pulled noodles."
"Later, we’ll cook the noodles and add them to the spicy crayfish broth."
"We can have spicy crayfish noodles."
Hearing this, Liu Lei’s wife became excited again.
What a great combination!
Crayfish are delicious but not very filling.
Adding a portion of noodles would be simply perfect.
So after finishing the crayfish, she added water to the rice cooker, ready to cook the noodles.
Eating a meal of these crayfish was truly a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful experience!