Cold dishes are served first, a tradition of outdoor banquets.
But today's cold dishes look particularly appealing.
The Braised Pig Ears are sliced extremely thinly, piled high on the plate, making them appear quite substantial. Some slices even peek through the pile, allowing light to filter through.
The color, infused with the braising liquid, is breathtakingly beautiful, resembling a glossy red amber. The cartilage in the center is like decorative patterns, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal.
They rarely see such thinly sliced ears at outdoor banquets. The chef is usually busy preparing 'Three Steamed Dishes And Nine Large Bowls' so the cold dishes are all sliced by the aunties who help out with the cooking. It's considered good if they can slice them evenly.
The chef's knife skills are superb today.
The Braised Pig Heads meat is sliced a bit thicker than the ear slices, with a good balance of fat and lean. Also infused with the braising liquid, its glossy red color is incredibly enticing, and even before tasting it, they can't help but imagine its rich, oily texture.
The fascia of Braised Beef Shank is as colorful as amber, making it look equally tempting.
The last dish, Cold Chicken Dish was particularly eye-catching.
Each piece of chicken was coated in bright red chili oil, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and the fragrant, spicy aroma of the oil wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.
In some places, Cold Chicken Dish is also called "Saliva Chicken" because its appearance is so tempting, making one's mouth water just looking at it.
These leaders usually eat well at home and frequently attend large banquets.
Nine large bowls of food are nothing special to them; the skills of the local chefs are all pretty much the same, and eating too much of it can feel greasy.
Cold dishes, however, vary from family to family, and these three today look quite good.
"These braised dishes and Cold Chicken Dish look really good." Deputy Director Sun Yan said with a smile. "Zhou Yan learned this skill from the old lady, right?"
"Judging from the presentation, he's definitely mastered it." Huang Chen also smiled.
When they come to visit during holidays, the old lady sometimes invites them to stay for lunch.
If it were anyone else, they might refuse, but the old lady's braised and cold dishes were so delicious that they would usually bring an extra bag of rock sugar and insist on eating with her, even if it meant being shameless.
Don't even mention Suji, you can't find such delicious braised dishes and cold chicken dish in Jiazhou.
They can only eat it once or twice a year, and sometimes just thinking about it makes their mouth water.
The old lady smiled and nodded, "He learned it from me. He's a self-employed person; he opened a restaurant near the textile factory. He's learned most of my skills."
"That's wonderful!" Everyone's eyes lit up at this.
"Whether it's good or not, you'll have to try it to know." the old lady said with a smile. "Don't be shy, the dishes are all served, let's eat."
Since the old lady had spoken, everyone followed suit.
Sun Yan first picked up a slice of pig's ear, without dipping it in chili powder, and put it directly into his mouth.
The pig's ear, soaked in the aroma of braising, had a soft and chewy texture with a hint of crunchy bone. The braising flavor exploded between his teeth, becoming more fragrant with each chew—a truly exquisite taste.
Yes!
This is the taste!
It was exactly the same as the old lady's; he couldn't taste any difference.
After swallowing, the lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth was a rich, long-lasting aroma of braised meat, leaving a lasting impression.
Sun Yan picked up his liquor glass, took a sip, and then let out a satisfied sigh: "Wow, this braised pig's ear is truly a perfect dish to accompany liquor!"
On the other side, Huang Chen tasted a piece of braised pig's head.
With one part skin, six parts fat, and three parts lean, the pig's head meat has a tender and juicy texture when bite into it. The slight thickness adds a meaty feel that goes perfectly with the pig's head meat.
The braising sauce and oil intertwined, resulting in a flavorful yet not greasy, tender yet not mushy texture—it was incredibly fragrant!
Pig's head meat that wasn't prepared properly had a strong odor and was greasy.
But this piece was simply the pinnacle of Braised Pig Head!
The flavor of the braising sauce and the thickness of the slice complemented each other perfectly; neither could be lacking.
Huang Chen took a sip of liquor and exclaimed, "This braised pig's head is delicious! Zhou Yan's skill is already eight or nine-tenths of the old lady's. Next time if I crave braised food, I can go to his restaurant."
This is truly wonderful!
The others tried it and praised it highly as well.
Sun Yan looked at Zhou Weiguo with a hint of envy and said, "Weiguo, you're really lucky."
Zhou Weiguo smiled and nodded, "Zhou Yan's cooking skills are indeed excellent, and he learns quickly too."
He had just tasted the braised pig's head and was actually a little surprised. How had Zhou Yan learned it in just a few days?
The taste of his braised food was still slightly different from the old lady's, but it was already excellent.
"I'll try this cold chicken dish again. The last time I had the old lady's cold chicken dish was the year before last. Since then, whenever I've had it made by others, it just doesn't feel quite right." Sun Yan picked up a piece of chicken with skin on from the bowl.
The red chili oil evenly coated the chicken, seeping into the bone. Sesame seeds swayed with the chicken. Before even tasting it, the numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorn oil and the smoky fragrance of the red chili oil filled his nostrils.
He popped a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewed.
Oh!
The skin was so crispy! You could even hear it crackling as you chewed.
The chicken meat was tender yet firm, with a satisfying chewiness. The sesame seeds burst open with each bite, infusing the meat with a fresh, fragrant flavor. Even the bones were flavorful and spicy.
Spicy, numbing, sweet, salty, sour, savory, and fragrant – all seven flavors were perfectly balanced!
The various flavors were harmoniously blended, creating a rich, layered taste that was incredibly delicious.
Some cold dish chefs only focus on presentation when making cold chicken dish, the flavor is superficial, initially fragrant but fading with each chew.
But this chicken's flavor had permeated the meat itself, becoming increasingly fragrant with each bite.
"Absolutely amazing! This cold chicken dish is absolutely fantastic! The five flavors are perfectly harmonious, simply divine!" Sun Yan exclaimed, completely won over.
Hearing this, the others couldn't resist any longer and eagerly picked up their chopsticks to try the cold chicken.
"It's really delicious! Even better than the state-owned restaurants!"
"The heat control is perfect! The chicken skin is crispy, and the meat is tender yet chewy, not mushy!"
"This chili oil smells so good! It would be perfect for mixing with noodles!"
Everyone praised it highly, frequently raising their glasses, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.
"Weiguo, what's the name of Zhou Yan's restaurant?" Huang Chen asked.
He stayed in his dormitory in town from Monday to Saturday, so it was quite convenient to ride his bicycle to the textile factory for a meal; it only took ten minutes.
The others also looked at Zhou Weiguo.
These four cold dishes alone were worth trying.
If guests came over, they could pack these four dishes to take home, and then quickly stir-fry a couple more dishes; the guests would be very satisfied.
Some guests were better suited for family dinners; they had that need.
"It's at the main entrance of the textile factory, Zhou Erwa Restaurant." Zhou Weiguo replied.
"Okay, I'll try it another day."
...
In those days, wedding ceremonies weren't as elaborate. When the bride and groom entered the house, they were served tea to the groom's family, and after the wedding banquet was served, chopsticks were distributed to everyone.
Second Uncle Zhou Ze toasted the guests at the banquet, and didn't forget to advertise for Zhou Yan: "These cold dishes are braised and mixed by our Zhou Yan. If you like them, go to his restaurant next time. His restaurant is at the entrance of the textile factory. The workers at the textile factory love to eat there, and his business is booming."
The guests already raved about the cold dishes, so they naturally responded enthusiastically.
Everyone knew that Old Lady Zhang's braised dishes were excellent, but it was a rare treat, only available at Zhou family banquets.
Now that Zhou Yan had learned his grandmother's skills and opened a restaurant, it would be much easier to eat them in the future.
"Dad, this is the taste! Absolutely perfect! I'll get some every week to take home with drinks, it'll be so satisfying!"
"Great! Now we can each have a few more slices."
Zhou Hongwei, watching his dad and grandfather whispering amongst themselves, found it a bit amusing and quickly picked up a slice of ear and put it in his mouth.
Delicious! Absolutely delicious!
Zhou Yan is serious?
He actually mastered Grandma Zhang's braised dishes!
Look at the father and son, they're almost moved to tears.
As everyone ate, the hot dishes arrived one after another.
Xiang Wan, Salted Braised Pork Belly, Steamed Pork Slices with Red Bean Paste, Steamed Pork With Rice Flour, Braised Chicken, Pearl Meatballs, Dongpo Pork Knuckle, and Pork Tripe Soup—that's the eight large bowls feast.
A braised carp also arrived.
Nine large bowls, plus four cold dishes.
This whole table of meat dishes, with their perfect color, aroma, and taste, looks amazing!
The presentation is far superior to what most village chefs make.
With all the dishes on the table, the chef and assistants finally had some free time.
Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, who was covered in sweat, and smiled, saying, "The three of us are really amazing."
Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang smiled too. It was their first time organizing a large scale banquet, and so far, it had gone quite well.
"Everyone has worked hard today. We've reserved two tables over here; please come and sit down to eat." Zhou Jie said, bringing over the dishes and arranging for them and the helpers to sit down.
The head chef holds a high position at the banquet and has a special seat reserved for him, with someone from the host's family accompanying him.
"Zhou Yan, is there any leftover Cold Chicken Dish or pig's ear? The leaders' table is almost finished." Zhou Jie asked quietly, pulling Zhou Yan aside.
"We're out of pig's ear, but there's an extra plate of Cold Chicken Dish. You can take it." Zhou Yan said, turning around to bring him the extra plate of Cold Chicken Dish.
"Okay, go sit down first, and keep your master and Master Zheng company. You all have worked hard today." Zhou Jie picked up the Cold Chicken Dish and quickly left.
"Come on, let's eat!" Aunt Zhao called out to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Momo was already eating at the children's table. As the darling of the group, her mouth hadn't stopped eating since she woke up in the morning, so there was no need to worry about her not getting enough to eat.
On the contrary, because Aunt Zhao was worried that she would eat too much, she had already emptied her pockets three times.
"Alright!" Zhou Yan replied, quickly following and sitting down next to his master.
There was another meal that evening. Given Zheng Qiang's incredibly low alcohol tolerance (he can't hold his liquor even after one drink), Zhou Yan poured him a cup of tea.
"Let's drink tonight, until we're completely drunk!" Zheng Qiang picked up his tea cup, looking quite bold.
Master Xiao smiled without saying a word; that would be too quick a break.
The criminal would return to the crime scene to admire his masterpiece.
The chef, on the other hand, would secretly hide to observe the guests' reactions.
"This Salted Braised Pork Belly is absolutely delicious! A true master chef's skill!"
"This Xiang Wan is truly fragrant! Even the Sweet Braised Chicken is delicious!"
"The Braised Chicken is incredibly fresh! This soup is simply amazing!"
"Master Xiao's skills are truly superb! No wonder he's the head chef of the textile factory!"
Today's steamed dishes received unanimous praise from the guests, with endless compliments for Chef Xiao.
The same nine large bowls, with similar ingredients, can look completely different when prepared by different chefs.
Chef Xiao took a small sip of his liquor, a slight smile playing on his lips, exuding the air of a master chef.
"This braised fish is also excellent! Spicy, sour, and sweet, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, incredibly flavorful."
"The fish is so tender, not a trace of fishiness. No wonder it's prepared by the head chef of Rongcheng Restaurant! Truly a master!"
"Things are getting better for us; we can enjoy the flavors of Rongcheng Restaurant right here in the village."
Zheng Qiang's braised fish also received unanimous approval from the guests, even the aunties helping out at the table praised it.
Zheng Qiang's lips curled into a wide smile.
That's it! This is exactly the effect he wanted!
Master, I didn't let you down!
"Master Xiao, please try my braised fish and give me some pointers." Zheng Qiang said to Master Xiao with a nonchalant expression.
"Master Zheng is joking again. What advice could I possibly give? Everyone who ate it praised it highly. The braised fish at Rongcheng Restaurant must be exceptional. I'll try it and see. I'll definitely ask you for your guidance later." Xiao Lei said with a smile.
Zheng Qiang's smile nearly stretched to his ears. He waved his hand and said, "Oh, that's not true. Master Xiao, just ask me anything you want. My master said that communication among colleagues should be open and honest so we can learn from each other and improve together."
Zhou Yan pursed his lips, mentally reviewing all the painful things in life, almost unable to suppress his smile.
Master Xiao picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish belly meat, dipped it in the thick broth, and put it in his mouth. He savored it, carefully removing two fish bones, and nodded, saying, "Mmm, this fish is spicy, fragrant, and flavorful, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The broth has completely seeped into the fish, the fishy smell is perfectly masked, and the broth is perfectly seasoned."
"The heat and seasoning are perfectly controlled! Master Zheng's skill level is truly exceptional!"
Upon hearing this, Master Zheng's face lit up with excitement. His eyes darted left and right, almost floating on air, and he smiled broadly.
"I think your skill in making braised fish is on par with my senior brother, Xu Yunliang. He might even have to back down when you make it." Master Xiao continued.
"I..." Master Zheng was about to say something modest when his eyes suddenly widened, and he abruptly turned to look at Master Xiao. "You...who did you just say?"