Chef Hua
Chapter 478 - 261: Night by the Lotus Pond

Chapter 478: Chapter 261: Night by the Lotus Pond

The restaurant was elegantly decorated, and according to Meng Yuhuai, it specialized in selling novel dishes. However, after Hua Xiaomai tried it, she found that the flavors were just ordinary, nothing outstanding. It was the presentation of the dishes that truly showed some insight.

A dish, with its colors dazzlingly matched and its presentation delicate, was already enough to capture attention from the start. Then, with a pleasant name added, it was mostly successful before even reaching the mouth, much to the delight of some connoisseurs of elegance. As for the actual taste, perhaps that was not as important.

Such an approach might seem to neglect fundamentals in favor of trivial details, but after all, the quality of a dish is inseparable from its color, aroma, and taste. On top of ensuring "taste," adding a bit of color would only gild the lily.

Beautiful things have always been liked by everyone.

Hua Xiaomai silently memorized the presentation of several dishes on the table, pondered for a while, and had an idea. In the evening, when she returned to Fire Knife Village with Meng Yuhuai, she specifically picked a food box, visited the restaurant again, and had the chef pack three or two items to bring back for Elder Mrs. Meng to try something new.

Exquisite dishes, may seem overly grand for ordinary diners, but having one or two of them at a banquet can be very pleasing. She had to learn this quickly.

By the end of July, autumn had begun, but the heat of the late summer was still severely oppressive.

The sunshine baked the ground until it was cracked and scorching. If one stood under the sun for a little while, one’s cheeks and neck would feel unbearably hot, almost as if branded with fire.

Inside the Meng Family’s courtyard, the bright red chilis basked in the sunlight, emitting bursts of spicy fragrance. Hua Xiaomai hid in that patch of shade, carefully tasting the "Stuffed Fried Eggs" that Zhou Yunyun had just made.

Boiled eggs were cut in half, the yolks were scooped out, and the finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, shrimp meat, and green onion whites were stuffed inside. Then, they were dipped in flour and fried in oil until golden brown. Served with five-spice salt, it was an exquisite appetizer.

"Is it alright?" Zhou Yunyun asked nervously, rubbing her hands together, "This time I followed the master’s instructions precisely, without a single mistake. Does it taste okay?"

"Hmm." Hua Xiaomai stuffed half an egg into her mouth, unable to speak, and could only nod vaguely.

"Could you at least say a few words? What’s the point of just nodding?" Zhou Yunyun urged with a mix of laughter and exasperation.

"Not bad, but the egg was boiled too long. Next time, take it out as soon as the yolk sets to prevent it from affecting the texture. Other than that, everything else is pretty good." Hua Xiaomai hastily swallowed what was in her mouth and earnestly gave her a critique.

"I knew it myself." Zhou Yunyun was not the least bit discouraged and agreed wholeheartedly, "I was thinking of scooping out the egg earlier, but I wasn’t sure about the timing and ended up delaying it. No matter, I’ll try again tomorrow, and then, Master, you can help me taste it again."

In the span of half a year, Hua Xiaomai had watched her transform bit by bit from a shy and timid girl into someone increasingly cheerful. Although she was still not very talkative in front of others, the smile on her face grew more frequent, an undeniable fact.

"That’s the right attitude," she praised, patting Zhou Yunyun’s shoulder, "To be a chef, one must not be afraid of trouble. Try each dish repeatedly until it satisfies everyone."

Zhou Yunyun nodded again and again in agreement, thought for a moment, and then said, "But Master, aren’t you really not going to check out our little restaurant’s fish pond and see what it looks like now?"

In the morning, Chun Xi and La Mei had come by, gleefully informing Hua Xiaomai that the fish pond behind the small restaurant was finally filled with water. Lotus flowers had been transplanted, and a batch of fish had been released. Bathed in the sunlight, the sight was truly delightful, and they had wanted to drag her over to see it right away.

The completion of the fish pond naturally filled Hua Xiaomai with excitement, and she couldn’t wait to dash over immediately.

However...

It seemed like a better option to wait for a certain someone to return in the evening and then go see it together.

This little whimsy, of course, she would not share with Zhou Yunyun, the unmarried girl. She just showed a mysterious smile and said, "No rush. I’ve told Sister-in-law Chun Xi and the craftsmen to be ready. We’ll settle their wages tomorrow. It’s terribly hot right now, and I don’t want to walk around outside."

"You’re not in a hurry, but I can’t wait to see it!" Zhou Yunyun grumbled, pouting her lips and whispering, "So, Master, if you’re going east of the village tomorrow, wait for me in the morning. I’ll accompany you."