Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Who’s Stealing the Food?!

“This dish is a famous Sichuan specialty, garlic pork, the slices of meat are fatty but not greasy, with a spicy, fresh and flavorful taste!

This jug is filled with freshly made, rich black sesame paste. It’s a bit hot, so please be careful when you drink it!”

The waiter placed a large, beautifully arranged plate of garlic pork and a 2-liter transparent glass jug on the lazy Susan.

The jug was brimful with black sesame paste, emitting waves of enticing sesame aroma from the open spout, seeping into everyone’s nostrils, making them take a deep breath.

“Come, come!”

He Xiaowei didn’t know what politeness was. He stood up directly from his seat, picked up the glass jug, and walked over to Duan Yiming, pouring for him as he laughed and said,

“Let me fill up the host of the day. We’ll first taste the black sesame paste made by Boss Xiao Jiang, and then dig into the garlic pork!

This is what we call, ’eating spicy and drinking savory’!”

“Haha! We are indeed eating spicy and drinking savory today. Come on, fill up, fill up!”

Duan Yiming was very happy too. He lifted his full cup of black sesame paste to his nose, took a deep inhale, and said with a face full of delight,

“This black sesame paste, it’s fragrant to the bone!”

The sesame paste in the cup wasn’t as thick as what one might make at home, but it wasn’t too thin either. It was just right to serve as a mealtime drink.

Before long, He Xiaowei had filled everyone’s cups with the sesame paste. Seeing this, Duan Yiming raised his cup, tapped it lightly on the table, and chuckled:

“Come, come, don’t be shy, let’s drink something hot to warm up and stimulate our appetites, so we can enjoy more dishes later!”

“Thanks to Lao Duan, otherwise we wouldn’t have this treat. Cheers!”

“Today, we owe it to Lao Duan, I toast to you!”

“Haha! Come on, cheers, cheers!”

“…”

Amidst laughter and chatter, a few men drank half a cup of black sesame paste in one go.

Duan Yiming closed his eyes, savoring the rich and smooth black sesame paste flowing in his mouth, and couldn’t help but sigh:

“This black sesame paste is so fragrant, with a single sip it’s filled with rich aroma, making one feel overjoyed!

The texture is indeed as the advertisement says, as smooth as silk, and if you’re not careful, it slides down your throat!

So now my stomach feels warm and cozy, what a comfortable sensation!”

“Indeed it’s fragrant! The reason this sesame paste is so smooth must be because it’s mixed with glutinous rice flour.”

“Apart from glutinous rice flour, there must be other nuts added, but exactly how much, we can’t tell from tasting!”

“Who cares what’s in it, as long as it tastes good, right?”

“Boss Xiao Jiang really put effort into this, I’m telling you, just these homemade hot drinks could become the restaurant’s specialty product, definitely attracting a slew of foodies to come and taste!”

“Hehe, that is if they manage to reserve a private room first…”

“…”

After they finished tasting the black sesame paste, their attention finally turned to the plate of garlic pork on the table.

On the white porcelain plate, it was filled with red oil sauce, with bits of white sesame evenly sprinkled in the sauce, burying the white pork slices stacked in a volcano-like shape within.

The mixture of red and white, with a sprinkling of green scallions, instantly ignited one’s appetite at a single glance.

“Let’s stop staring and start eating!”

Duan Yiming picked up his chopsticks but couldn’t help reminding again,

“Let’s be civilized today, no rushing the food!”

“Right, right! Rushing food is too over the top, that’s what uncivilized barbarians do!”

He Xiaowei’s eyes had never moved away from the plate of pork, he chimed in, then reached out with his chopsticks to grab some, still talking,

“I’ll try a piece first to see how it tastes!”

A piece of pork drenched in red oil sauce was picked up, quickly stuffed into He Xiaowei’s mouth.

As soon as the pork hit his mouth, he couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Wow! This taste, this taste… I can’t figure it out, no way, I need another piece!”

With that, he swiftly reached out with his chopsticks again, grabbed another piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Duan Yiming and others were stunned!

They had seen shameless acts before, but never had they seen someone so brazen!

Clearly, he promised not to rush the food, yet He Xiaowei was the first to do so!

Moreover, he even had the nerve to say he couldn’t figure out the taste… what a shameless scoundrel, clearly just wanting to eat more meat!

At this, Duan Yiming and the others couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up directly, reaching out with their chopsticks towards the plate.

Garlic pork, this dish had never appeared in the Seventh Dining Hall before, and this was the first time the people present had tasted something cooked by Jiang Yu.

Once the pork drenched in red oil sauce entered their mouths, the expressions on Duan Yiming and others’ faces changed.

This sauce, it was too perfectly seasoned!

As everyone knows, with garlic pork, cooking the meat isn’t the main focus, the key lies in how the red oil sauce is prepared.

If the red oil sauce is well-prepared, the dish is full of rich, satisfying flavor. But if not, the dish would count as a failure.

The garlic slices of pork made by Jiang Yu are not only fatty but not greasy, and the sauce is spicy and flavorful, with a rich garlic aroma.

By the end, your mouth is numb and spicy, yet you can still taste a subtle sweetness!

This flavor is an experience that Duan Yiming and others have never had when eating this dish elsewhere.

How could this not shock them?

The dishes made by Boss Xiao Jiang in the No. 7 dining room are much tastier than those made in the first-floor dining hall!

Previously, they made so many calls to book this private room, it was totally worth it!

At this moment, there was no distinction between host and guest in the private room; everyone was quickly putting chopsticks to work, surrounding the plate of garlic slices of pork and eating with oily mouths, incredibly enjoyable.

Even Zhu Youfeng, who was initially a bit reserved, was now completely open. His chopsticks were fast and precise, grabbing one piece of meat at a time, and soon his face was red, sweating.

No wonder, this garlic slices of pork were not just numbing but also extremely spicy!

As a Northerner, even though he can eat some spicy food, he can’t handle this level of spiciness without breaking a sweat.

But if you tell Zhu Youfeng to stop eating…

How could that be possible? Such a delicious dish, who knows when the next chance to eat it will come? Now, every bite counts!

As for whether the trip to the bathroom tomorrow will be hard…

That’s a problem for tomorrow. Right now, who has time to worry about tomorrow?

Speaking slowly, but actually quickly, within just a few minutes, the plate of garlic slices of pork was completely devoured by everyone.

Duan Yiming and Deng Linhui were still not satisfied, looking at the empty plate with only a little red oil sauce, they couldn’t help but complain:

“He Xiaowei, you went too far, I told you not to grab, but you were the first to grab!”

“Exactly, I only ate three or four pieces, and such a big plate of garlic slices of pork is gone, totally gone!”

“…”

He Xiaowei, with a cheeky smile, retorted:

“You call this grabbing food? You guys really haven’t seen how people grab food elsewhere!

They directly pick up the plate and dump the food into their own bowl, while others haven’t even started with their chopsticks, the whole dish gets into their bowl!”

“…”

Duan Yiming and Deng Linhui exchanged glances, seeing the murderous intent in each other’s eyes.

Would He Xiaowei still dare to grab food like this?

No doubt, they all rushed up, intending to teach He Xiaowei a lesson!

Just as they sat down, the waiter came to serve another dish, this time bringing a dish of fermented bean curd braised pork.

This fermented bean curd braised pork is on the traditional braised pork base, adding fragrant, spicy, and refreshing fermented bean curd and its juice, as well as a small amount of rock sugar, making it a delightful dish.

The dish is rich in oil and red sauce, aromatic and tender, fatty but not greasy, soft yet refreshing, spicy and appetizing.

As soon as the fermented bean curd braised pork was served on the table, Duan Yiming and others’ attention was instantly drawn.

Though they just ate garlic slices of pork, who could be satisfied with just a few thin slices?

They aren’t even enough to get stuck in the teeth!

Now, a plate full of square-cut braised pork was in front of them, the enticing meat aroma mixed with the unique freshness of fermented bean curd wafted over.

Within it, there’s also a fleeting sweetness, making one’s mouth continuously water.

It smells amazing!

“This time, we really shouldn’t grab, let’s be civilized, having a chopstick battle while eating is too embarrassing.”

Duan Yiming spoke, glaring fiercely at He Xiaowei, this guy is the best at grabbing!

“No grabbing, no grabbing!”

He Xiaowei had already picked up his chopsticks, smiling and said,

“Let’s quickly start eating, once this braised pork gets cold, it won’t taste good anymore!”

Deng Linhui also said, “Don’t worry, Lao Duan, I’m watching, if He Xiaowei dares to grab again, I’ll deal with him!”

Though they know it’s a joke, Zhu Youfeng couldn’t help but shrink his neck.

Everyone having a meal together, if they really fight over food, wouldn’t that be funny?

“Let’s eat!”

Duan Yiming nodded, quickly reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fatty and lean red braised pork, biting it at the mouth.

He hadn’t even exerted force, and the piece of pork easily broke in his mouth, Duan Yiming subconsciously chewed twice.

This meat was tender and flavorful, within the rich meat aroma there was a distinct spicy flavor of fermented bean curd, perfectly resolving the greasy taste of braised pork.

By the end, there was even a hint of sweetness, leaving a lingering aroma and a lasting impression.

This braised pork was simply delicious!

After finishing a piece, Duan Yiming felt unsatisfied and quickly reached out his chopsticks toward the plate!”

It was then that he suddenly realized, he had only eaten one piece of meat, how could this plate of braised pork have decreased by a small half already?!

Who is sneakily eating?!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep