Chapter 218

Chapter 218 - He had no choice but to go and get Tong Xuelu (3)
Edited by: Lulu
Tong Xuelu soaked the potato strips in water to get rid of the starch. While waiting, she started on the mapo tofu.
There were two keys to good mapo tofu. One was the tofu, and the other was the sauce.
The tofu can’t be too soft or too firm.
The tofu also needed to be soaked in salt water for a little while after they were sliced. That way the pungent smell of the tofu will disappear, and the tofu would come out silkier.
Although there was no chicken powder for flavoring in this day and age, there were black beans and bean paste that could fortunately be used as substitutes. She would definitely need those two ingredients to spice up the mapo tofu.
A strong aroma came from the kitchen shortly thereafter. The aroma of spicy food was pungent and appetizing. Those sitting in the lobby became hungrier.
The bald man from earlier said, “It smells incredible. I have never been to this government-operated restaurant before. Little did I know that they have such a great chef here!”
Another person also chimed in, “I have never been here either, and we would not have come today had it not so happened to be lunch time.”
The others nodded in agreement.
The group had just come back from a business trip and passed by this government-operated restaurant from the train station. Since it happened to be lunch time then, they decided to walk inside.
They weren’t expecting such a great surprise.
Tong Xuelu had Meng Qingqing bring the food out when she was done.
Meanwhile, Tan Xiaoyan got herself another bowl of rice and kept on eating. She never stood up the entire time, never mind bringing the dishes out.
Seeing that, Liu Dongchang got progressively angrier. If there weren’t any outsiders present, he would have given her a lecture by now!
The group of men were already hungry from the smell of the food. Now that the dishes had been served, they finally understood what it meant by presentation, smell, and taste.
The mapo tofu was fiery red, and its heat immediately flowed through their nose. Just one bite, and their mouths were filled with the spiciness and softness of the tofu. It was incredibly tasty!
The skin on the pig feet was glistening from the grease, and its color was a translucent red. The meat melted instantly in their mouth, and the sauce from the dish complemented the rice perfectly. It couldn’t have been more delicious!
The hot and sour potato was crispy, spicy, and sour all at the same time. It was yet another great dish to go with rice!
The group of men acted like they had been starved for a long time and started wolfing down the food. It was as though they stood to lose a lot if they didn’t eat fast enough.
Truth was, all three of them felt that there was not enough food, but not wanting to waste any, they decided against ordering more.
Luckily, two out of the three dishes had sauces in them, and they could have yet another bowl of rice with just the sauce alone!
After lunch, all of their bellies were protruding out.
“This was the best meal that I have had in years, especially that mapo tofu dish. It was spicy, aromatic, and silky. It was just perfect!”
“I like the pig feet. It was so soft and melted right in my mouth. No wonder it was a house specialty!”
“For me, I liked the potato strips the best. It was hot and sour and so appetizing!”
The bald man smiled. “That’s what they call a crouching tiger, hidden dragon. A small restaurant like this is serving better food than the restaurant serving foreigners!”
With that said, Liu Dongchang, who had been waiting to one side, dashed out instantly and said, “Hi everyone. I am Liu Dongchang, the manager of this restaurant.”
The bald man looked him up and down and said affirmatively, “Very well. Your service and food were both impeccable. Oh right, who was the chef who made these dishes? We would like to meet him.”
Liu Dongchang had wanted to suck up to the government officials. It was not his intention to bring up Tong Xuelu and the others at all.
But they had already asked. He had no choice but to force a smile and get Tong Xuelu.