Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 55: The Small Noodle Stall at the Street Food Stand!

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: The Small Noodle Stall at the Street Food Stand!

A new booth opened in Juxing Shopping Mall’s food stall area.

The owner was a clean-cut young man, not at all like a chef seasoned by the hustle and bustle of a kitchen.

Whenever a new booth appeared, other stallholders would observe it and then discuss it among themselves.

Most of the stalls here were run by couples.

"Look over there, another youngster has shown up."

"There isn’t much business in this mall; I bet he’ll be gone in a few days."

"What’s the lad selling? He better not be taking business from our potstickers."

"Looks like he’s selling noodles."

"Noodle business is tough; two stalls have already left."

The other stallholders discussed amongst themselves.

From the food stall area, one could see the stoves inside the kitchens at a glance.

Here, bowls and chopsticks were provided centrally, and designated cleaners handled the cleanup. Stallholders only needed to pay a management fee.

This was quite convenient for Jiang Feng.

At that moment, Jiang Feng was busy preparing the fried sauce for his noodles.

For the day, he planned to offer only two types of noodles: Zhajiangmian and Wonton Noodles.

Customers usually didn’t start trickling into the mall’s food stall area until around 11:30 AM.

It was still early then, so he had plenty of time to prepare.

Doing the lunch rush is much more comfortable, Jiang Feng thought. Running a breakfast stall meant getting up far too early, a day-night reversal that not everyone could endure.

Jiang Feng took out a large piece of pork belly, slicing off the skin.

He didn’t waste the skin. He put it aside in a small bowl, intending to make chilled pork skin jelly later—a nice cold appetizer.

He sliced the remaining high-quality pork belly and then minced it.

The minced pork for Zhajiangmian differed from that used for buns. It shouldn’t be chopped too finely.

It needed some texture, so that when eating Zhajiangmian, the larger pieces of meat would provide a satisfying chewiness.

These were the details that mattered.

He placed the prepared minced pork in a bowl for later use.

Then, he finely chopped a few shiitake mushrooms, diced some fresh scallions, and minced a piece of ginger after slicing and julienning it.

With these seasonings ready, he could start cooking the pork.

Jiang Feng put a wok on the stove, lit the burner, and heated some oil.

Even though he had switched to a different stove, it didn’t affect his cooking skills at all.

Jiang Feng poured all the minced pork into the wok, and it let out a SIZZLE as it hit the hot oil.

He used a spatula to break up the pork and stir-fry it. Soon, the aroma of cooking meat began to waft from the wok.

The pork needed to be stir-fried a bit longer to render out its fat and cook off excess moisture.

Once the pork in the wok had thoroughly changed color, Jiang Feng added a spoonful of high-proof liquor.

The alcohol helped eliminate any gaminess from the pork, allowing its richest fragrance to emerge.

Then he added the minced scallions and ginger, stir-frying until fragrant.

He added two spoonfuls of yellow soybean paste and three spoonfuls of sweet bean sauce, stir-frying for about a minute. The pork, previously just meat-colored, instantly took on a rich, dark sauce hue, looking even more appetizing.

The aroma of the simmering sauce also began to fill the air.

Zhajiangmian, a household favorite and a traditional dish found in countless ordinary homes across China, doesn’t have an overly complex preparation process.

Dishes widely accepted by the public often encapsulate the essence of China’s culinary culture.

Of course, whether a noodle dish is delicious also depends on the skill of the chef.

Following the same procedure, some can create a delicious delicacy, while others might produce utter slop.

The slightest error at the start could lead to a world of difference in the outcome.

Jiang Feng added all the chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-frying them until their moisture evaporated and they became aromatic.

Once the mushrooms were fragrant, he added half a bowl of hot water, followed by dark soy sauce for color and a spoonful of oyster sauce for an umami boost.

He also added a spoonful of chicken bouillon powder and a spoonful of sugar.

At this point, Jiang Feng maneuvered his spatula swiftly, ensuring the sauce didn’t stick to the bottom of the wok and that all the seasonings fully melded together.

Once more of the liquid had evaporated and the sauce had developed a rich, savory aroma, it was ready.

Jiang Feng had bought the noodles from a shop specializing in hand-pulled noodles.

These noodles were rather thick, almost like a data cable, which meant they absorbed sauce well and offered a more satisfying texture.

Moreover, being hand-pulled, the noodles were particularly chewy and had a slight translucence when cooked.

He just had to wait for customers. Then, a generous scoop of the hot fried sauce would be ladled over a serving of noodles.

A steaming bowl of Zhajiangmian would be ready in moments.

The other type of noodle dish Jiang Feng prepared was Guangdong-style Wonton Noodles.

The Guangdong-style wontons he prepared had key differences from more common wontons. For instance, their wrappers were made with duck egg yolks and flour, while typical wonton wrappers used only flour and water.

The Yuntun wrappers were thicker, and each wonton was typically a perfect mouthful.

Enjoying Wonton Noodles is all about savoring their exquisite freshness.

The preparation involved stir-frying dried shrimp in a hot wok before adding water to boil the wontons. The wontons themselves were also filled with shrimp to guarantee a fresh, savory aroma.

The noodles used were very thin bamboo pole noodles (jook-sing noodles), long and resiliently chewy, not easily broken by chopsticks.

Between the two noodle dishes, those who favored heartier flavors would likely prefer the Zhajiangmian, while those who preferred lighter tastes would opt for the Wonton Noodles.

He aimed to cater to diverse tastes.

Everything was ready; all he needed now were customers.

The other stall owners in the food area were also waiting for the lunch rush.

This mall wasn’t particularly large, so customer traffic wasn’t massive.

However, with many residential areas nearby, and people these days often preferring to eat out rather than cook, business was reasonably steady.

Across the road, near the Public Security Bureau and the courthouse, there were no shops at all.

Civil servants there usually ate in their respective department canteens.

Only occasionally, if they missed canteen hours, would some change into civilian clothes and grab a bite at the food stalls.

Furthermore, the food in the City Public Security Bureau’s canteen was notoriously bad, a common complaint among many police officers. However, the canteen was run by a relative of a leader within their system, so no one dared to raise the issue with superiors, and thus the situation had persisted.

Soon, the food stalls saw their first wave of lunchtime patrons.

These were mostly regulars, well-acquainted with the offerings.

They knew which stalls had the best dishes and what to order from each.

Consequently, this first wave of customers headed for their familiar favorites, and no one initially patronized Jiang Feng’s new stall.

Jiang Feng wasn’t in a hurry, though.

His weekly goal was to sell one hundred servings of noodles, a relatively modest target.

With normal customer traffic, he could easily achieve it.

Customer flow wasn’t significant before 11 AM, but numbers started to increase after 12 PM.

Yet, by noon, Jiang Feng’s stall remained empty of customers.

To be honest, after getting used to long queues, this sudden quietness is a bit boring, Jiang Feng mused.

Dogs weren’t allowed in the mall, so Little Black was waiting at home.

Jiang Feng had hoped to finish work early and go home to walk his dog.

Before long, Jiang Feng finally saw his first customers approach.

Two young men approached. They had neat short haircuts, were clean-shaven, and their fingernails were closely trimmed.

Both were young police officers on secondment from local precinct stations to gain experience at a higher level.

Their profession required strict adherence to appearance standards: no long hair, no stubble. Daily grooming was a must.

"The food at the bureau is terrible," one of the young officers complained. "I heard our captain say it was bad, but I didn’t realize it was *this* bad."

"Exactly," the other replied. "All the dishes are just a mush. No idea how they manage that."

"Let’s head to the mall’s food stalls. We can grab anything there," one suggested.

"Sounds good. My treat, whatever you want," the other offered.

"How about some noodles?" the first one said. "I’ve been starving these past few days. Noodles would really hit the spot."

"Alright."

With a plan decided, they headed over to the food stall area.

As newcomers to the bureau, they weren’t familiar with the local eateries. They’d only heard colleagues mention that the food stalls here were decent and a good option when working late.

They quickly spotted Jiang Feng’s sign.

A few large characters on the signboard read:

Zhajiangmian: Small Bowl 16, Large Bowl 20

Wonton Noodles: Small Bowl 18, Large Bowl 22

"Let’s get the Zhajiangmian," one of them said.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing."

The two agreed.

So, they walked up to Jiang Feng’s stall and ordered two bowls of Zhajiangmian.

"Coming right up, just a moment," Jiang Feng replied.

With an order in, Jiang Feng got busy.

He dropped two portions of the chewy noodles into boiling water. Once cooked, he fished them out, ladled a generous dollop of the hot meat sauce over them, and then sprinkled fresh, julienned cucumber on top.

The Zhajiangmian was ready.

A basket nearby held garlic cloves, cilantro, chili oil, and chopped scallions for customers to add to their liking.

The two young police officers took their bowls of Zhajiangmian, added a couple of garlic cloves each from the basket, and then found a table to sit at.

At that point, they didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary, assuming it was just a typical bowl of Zhajiangmian.