Chapter 168 It Wouldn’t Be Too Much to Call Him a Culinary God!

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 It Wouldn’t Be Too Much to Call Him a Culinary God!

At noon, the number of patrons at the Sichuan restaurant began to increase.

Jiang Feng also quickened his pace of stir-frying dishes.

Sometimes, several orders came at once, which he could prepare all in one wok.

After all, most people ordered the same few dishes: Yu-Xiang pork shreds, Kung Pao chicken, Mapo tofu, husband and wife lung slices, double-cooked pork, spicy diced chicken...

Jiang Feng could handle these dishes completely.

Shen Hai was in charge of preparing cold dishes and serving drinks.

There was also an apprentice responsible for simple tasks like washing vegetables and cleaning.

The restaurant wasn’t large, so a few people could manage it easily.

The most important among them was Jiang Feng. Shen Hai paid him a daily salary of eight hundred, with an additional commission based on turnover.

Jiang Feng didn’t really care about this, but of course, the more money earned, the better.

The restaurant soon filled up.

Once the dishes were served, the diners were captivated by the food.

When they picked up their chopsticks and tasted the dishes, their eyes lit up.

Holy cow! This is amazing!

The Yu-Xiang pork shreds were rich in sauce, the Kung Pao chicken was tender and flavorful, the Mapo tofu was fragrantly spicy and delicious, and the husband and wife lung slices had a lingering aftertaste.

This restaurant looks so unremarkable, how can the Sichuan dishes be this tasty?

Something’s off. Very off.

One table was filled with regular customers who knew both Shen Hai and Zhu Hong.

Upon seeing Shen Hai emerge, one of the regulars eagerly asked, "Boss, did you change chefs? The food tastes incredible!"

"These skills are truly impressive!"

"There are so many Sichuan restaurants around here, but it’s rare to find one this authentic!"

Hearing the regular’s comments, Shen Hai smiled and replied, "I specially hired him at a high wage, but he’s only going to be here for a short time. It wasn’t easy for me to get him even for these few days."

Shen Hai couldn’t reveal that the chef was Jiang Feng, as he had promised him.

The regular marveled, "This chef’s cooking skills are amazing! Is he one of those officially ranked chefs? Those are hard to find!"

"I’m not sure about that. As long as the customers enjoy the food, that’s all that matters," Shen Hai replied politely.

Shen Hai noticed that the atmosphere in the restaurant was somehow different from before.

It’s hard to pinpoint what’s changed, he thought, but the customers seem much more cheerful, and everyone’s smiling.

The atmosphere was electric.

The dishes Jiang Feng made seemed to possess a unique magic, unconsciously making people happy.

At that moment, another order for spicy diced chicken arrived in the kitchen.

Jiang Feng immediately got busy.

Spicy diced chicken was another famous Sichuan dish. Its chicken appeared tough on the outside but was tender and soft when eaten, making it a favorite among many.

However, many Sichuan restaurants struggled to prepare this dish well. Their spicy diced chicken would often be overwhelmed by chilies, forcing customers to hunt for the chicken amidst the peppers.

Jiang Feng, always conscientious, ensured there was plenty of meat.

He cut the chicken into pieces, added various seasonings and flour, mixed them evenly by hand, and marinated it for over five hours. These chicken pieces had been marinated earlier, ready to be cooked and served.

Preparing spicy diced chicken was straightforward.

He heated oil in a wok. Once the oil temperature rose, he added the diced chicken leg pieces to the hot oil to deep-fry them.

As soon as the chicken hit the oil, bubbles immediately surfaced. Under the hot oil, the chicken quickly turned golden brown.

After frying until cooked, he removed it and placed it on a plate. He then increased the oil’s heat and deep-fried the chicken a second time. This second frying removed moisture from the chicken’s surface, achieving a dry and fragrant texture. The essence of spicy diced chicken was its dry, slightly tough skin and overall lack of moisture. Jiang Feng executed this perfectly.

After frying, he filtered out all the oil, leaving only the fried chicken pieces in a strainer.

Next, he added Sichuan peppercorns and numbing peppercorns (ma jiao) to the wok, followed by a large bowl of chopped dried chilies, stir-frying them until fragrant and crispy.

Jiang Feng expertly wielded the spatula. The wok was filled with red dried chilies, alongside yellow Sichuan peppercorns and numbing peppercorns. This vibrant pot of chilies was incredibly appealing to spice lovers, while those who couldn’t handle spice might feel dizzy just looking at it.

The chilies required constant stirring. Soon, the aroma of toasted chili seeds filled the air. The chilies turned a deep red and became crispy.

At that point, Jiang Feng added all the chicken pieces, sprinkled in a handful of sesame seeds, chopped green onions, salt, and MSG, and began to stir-fry.

With one hand grasping the wok’s handle and the other holding a large spoon, he expertly tossed and flipped the contents. With every movement, the chilies and chicken pieces leaped and fell back into the wok.

The seasonings all melted, quickly combining with the chicken at the high temperature. Every piece of chicken was thoroughly coated with flavor.

When it was nearly done, Jiang Feng turned off the heat and plated the spicy diced chicken.

The chicken on the plate had a deep, sauce-like color, with sesame seeds clinging to its surface. The chilies were a deep red, stir-fried until dry and crisp. A few chopped green onions were scattered as a garnish.

With that, the spicy diced chicken was complete.

In a restaurant kitchen, one wouldn’t fry just a single serving at a time; more had to be prepared. The amount of spicy diced chicken Jiang Feng made was enough for three plates.

Conveniently, there were several orders for spicy diced chicken, all of which could now be fulfilled.

Soon, the spicy diced chicken was brought to the customers’ tables.

The regulars who had been chatting with Shen Hai earlier were the ones who had ordered it. After tasting Jiang Feng’s other Sichuan dishes, they had been completely captivated and decided to order a portion of their favorite, spicy diced chicken.

Once the chicken was served, a dry, fragrant aroma assailed their senses.

This dish wasn’t exquisitely plated; it was simply chicken mixed with chili peppers. The chicken pieces were relatively large and stood out clearly among the peppers, requiring no special effort to find.

The regulars couldn’t wait, immediately picking up a piece of chicken and putting it in their mouths.

Upon tasting it, they could feel the skin was crisp, perhaps even a bit rough. A spicy flavor with hints of numbness, along with a savory fragrance, emanated from the dish. The sensation was extremely pleasant.

They gently chewed the spicy chicken. It wasn’t very juicy; it was pure, flavorful meat. As they chewed, the texture of the chicken broke apart, releasing an increasingly rich taste.

The texture is incredible!

The dry and firm texture of this spicy chicken was unlike any other dish. And the flavor was truly unique.

Jiang Feng used authentic Da Hong Pao chili peppers, stir-frying a large quantity of them with Sichuan peppercorns and numbing peppercorns to intensify their flavors. It was an immediate assault on the taste buds.

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" one exclaimed.

"Wow, Boss, the chef you hired is truly amazing!"

"This spicy chicken is unbelievably delicious!"

The regular customers’ eyes lit up.

I’ve never tasted spicy chicken this good! they thought. The texture, the flavor—it’s perfect!

Spicy chicken is a common dish, but making it truly delicious isn’t easy.

To cook it to this standard means the chef is absolutely top-notch!

What followed was a familiar pattern.

Customers began recommending the restaurant to their relatives, friends, and colleagues. The restaurant’s reputation started to spread.

Jiang Feng was used to this.

As long as the food is delicious enough, there will never be a shortage of customers, he mused.

Although restaurants were plentiful, those serving food so delicious it earned fervent praise were genuinely rare. Moreover, Jiang Feng’s culinary skills were far from average; they were memorable enough to ensure customers kept coming back.

"I have to come back this afternoon and bring my wife," one regular declared. "She absolutely must taste something this delicious."

This regular clearly doted on his wife. However, he still felt the need to make a couple of jocular remarks. "Yeah, even the old missus deserves some fine dining once in a while."

This was deliberately said in front of others, a playful attempt to project a bit of masculine bravado. If his wife had been present, he wouldn’t have dared utter such a word.

The owner, Shen Hai, replied with a smile, "You’re always welcome! We close at nine, but feel free to come anytime before then."

The regular nodded. "No problem."

As he spoke, he continued to eat the spicy chicken. The pieces were delightfully chewy and satisfying. Eating them felt less like a main course and more like enjoying an addictive snack. Having such a dish at the dinner table was a truly delightful experience.

Shen Hai watched the bustling restaurant with a smile.

The chef situation had been troubling me for days, he thought, but then, in an unexpected turn of events, everything suddenly improved. However, Jiang Feng only agreed to stay for seven days. I still need to hurry and find a permanent Sichuan chef. After all, I’ll have to rely on myself in the long run.

His admiration for Jiang Feng grew. A great chef truly is a great chef; his skills are extraordinary. For the first time, the word ’delicious’ feels almost tangible. Seeing Jiang Feng, I can’t help but think of that word. He’s not just a master chef; he has incredible personal charisma too.

Perhaps the most difficult dishes to perfect were home-style ones. Because people eat them often, they develop a baseline expectation. Take shredded potatoes or braised pork, for instance. Having eaten these dishes frequently, everyone naturally develops a discerning palate. So, when they try these dishes at a restaurant, they can offer a fair judgment.

The same was true for spicy chicken in this area.

Initially, customers didn’t have particularly high expectations for the spicy chicken. But once they actually tried Jiang Feng’s version, their perceptions completely changed. It far surpassed their expectations, convincing them it was the best spicy chicken they had ever eaten.

At least in the surrounding area, no other restaurant could match this level of culinary skill. Perhaps only chefs at top-tier hotels could achieve such perfection.

Business at Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant began to improve.

The first wave of customers wasn’t very large, as the restaurant’s reputation hadn’t spread far yet.

By six in the afternoon, as hunger drew people out to eat once more, the restaurant saw even more customers than it had at midday.

This was partly because lunch customers, impressed by the food, returned with relatives and friends. Additionally, new customers steadily arrived.

Those in the restaurant business often believed in feng shui, and this sudden success seemed connected to it. Outwardly, Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant appeared unchanged, yet customers were inexplicably drawn in.

Shen Hai was a strong believer in feng shui; in fact, he believed in many things. He revered the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God, Lord Guan Yu, the Divine Dragon, and even pandas. But appeasing these deities wasn’t easy, and the restaurant’s business had always been just mediocre.

Now, with Jiang Feng’s arrival, the feng shui seemed to have shifted, and everything started to improve.

It’s as if I’ve truly invited a ’living deity,’ Shen Hai thought. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to secretly call him a Culinary God.