2201 Oh, it's fine then
Secretary Wu was the leader of the officials this time. He was about the same age as Master Li and had a good relationship with him. He had also played a part in this matter.
Although he was the team leader, the official requirements were not lowered at all. Perhaps the officials really cared about this Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area, so they spent a lot of effort on the selection of judges. They did not hire a special food critic or chef, but a random draw through the official Weibo lucky draw. The winner would pay for the car and a day’s accommodation. This was also considered an early promotion of the scenic Area.
As a result, there were people from all walks of life. There were shop owners who stayed at home to guard their small shops, and there were also factory workers who were indispensable. There were also men in charge of families, white-collar workers in the company, and so on. Of course, a few of Secretary Wu’s colleagues were also here.
“I wonder how old Li’s preparations are. I hope he can pass.” Officer Wu looked at the wooden signboard that had a bit of an ancient charm.
He was just afraid that his old friend would feel bad if he couldn’t pass. He knew his old friend’s level. It was quite difficult to pass, but this was the best result.
“Ah …”
Officer Wu sighed in his heart, but he didn’t show it on his face. He led his men inside and happened to bump into Master Li, who had come out to welcome them.
“Secretary Wu, welcome, welcome to long Yue. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed this time.” Master Li walked up to him with a confident smile.
Although officer Wu was confused about why Master Li looked so confident, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. He held Master Li’s hand and said politely,””Master Li, you’re too kind. Are you ready? we’re all here.”
Business was business, and private was private. The two of them had a good relationship, but in formal occasions, they were both sensible people, so they followed the standard requirements.
“Don’t worry, it’s already prepared. There are five tables in total, with ten dishes per table for ten people. After eating, you can make your choice. This way, please. ” Master Li led the group toward the main hall while introducing the place.
The Longyue restaurant, which was regarded highly by the officials, was indeed worthy of its reputation as a century-old restaurant. It was almost entirely made of wood.
Not far from the hall, there was a wooden partition with many flowers, birds, insects, and fish carved on it. A huge water tank was placed below it. When he walked closer, he found that there were a few pink and purple lotuses blooming inside, revealing the delicate pistils inside. Just looking at it made him feel comfortable.
There was also a faint lotus fragrance at the tip of his nose, which made him feel relaxed and happy. There were also some Red China knots tied to the wooden structures at the side. They were big and small, but they were all very exquisite. The environment was quite good.
Along the way, the 50 judges at the back all knew what they were here for today. From the entrance, many of them were carefully observing. After all, the environment was an important part of eating. Of course, when they saw such a pleasing scene, many of them were still very satisfied.
The main entrance wasn’t too far from the main hall. They arrived in three to four minutes. After entering, they saw a relatively large main hall. There were many tables of various sizes inside. The most eye-catching thing was the five large round tables in the middle. At this time, a few cold dishes were already placed on them.
“Come, come, come. Quickly sit down. The dishes are about to be served. Everyone, don’t stand on ceremony and eat to your heart’s content.” Master Li asked everyone to sit down.
Officer Wu looked around and was very satisfied. He gave his assistant, Xiao Li, a look, and the young man immediately came out to greet everyone.
By the time they were all seated, the dishes were already served.
The main event was here.
Although the quality of the dishes served was not bad, it had not reached the point where it had to be you. It was at an acceptable level. Officer Wu noticed that many people had a trace of disapproval on their faces, and he felt that it was bad.
He looked at Master Li, who came back again with a confident look. He was a little puzzled. What kind of secret weapon did he have?
More than half of the dishes had been served, and there were only two dishes left. There couldn’t have been any accidents, so officer Wu was puzzled.
At this moment, a rich aroma entered his nose. It was so fragrant that officer Wu almost stood up and looked in the direction of the aroma coming from the door.
It took a lot of effort to stop this impulse. Executive Wu had such self-control, but the others didn ‘t. There were more than one person who stood up and looked around.
There were many of them. Now, the person who was still sitting at the table was more conspicuous. Secretary Wu glanced at the young man who was sitting opposite him. He looked a little familiar, but he couldn’t recall who he was.
When Yu Chu saw that Secretary Wu was paying attention to him, he even nodded his head politely. However, in his heart, he was making a mental note. The fragrance can be worth 0.4 Yuan. It smells pretty good.
That’s right. Yu Chu was one of the people who came for the food tasting this time. He had also participated in the lucky draw and even won.
In fact, it was all thanks to Yuan Zhou that Yu Chu was able to participate in the lucky draw this time. Otherwise, no matter how well he publicized himself, he would still be a distance away from Yu Chu.
Yuan Zhou also intended for Yu Chu to come and comment on it so as to increase the reputation of his restaurant.
It just so happened that he knew about this event. Yu Chu immediately signed up for it, thinking that it was just right for them to come together. His luck was pretty good as well, as he had managed to draw the lottery.
This time, in order not to appear abrupt, he did not take out his usual small notebook to record it down. Instead, he recorded it in his heart and made up for it when he went back.
Of course, Master Li didn’t know that. He thought it was already a great favor for Yuan Zhou to give him some guidance.
When the waiter placed the dishes on the table, everyone finally saw the true nature of the fragrance. It was the preserved meat with garlic sprouts that had been returned to the pot.
The green garlic sprouts were dark green in color, and even the stem had a hint of green. At a glance, one could tell that the species of the garlic sprouts was not bad. Their cutting skills were also good. Each root was distinct, and they were basically of the same length. The edges of the flesh had a little black cured meat, which was particularly eye-catching against the green color. The cured meat was of the same thickness, which was very appetizing.
“If we’re just looking at the color combination of the plate, these can only be considered as 0.2 yuan.” Yu Chu recorded it in his heart.
“When did old Li’s dish improve so much?” Secretary Wu was a little confused, but it didn’t stop him from picking up his chopsticks and eating.
Besides, he had the highest status at his table, so he had to eat first. Otherwise, the others wouldn’t be able to eat. This was the rule.
When he put the cured meat in his mouth, a dry fragrance unique to the cured meat spread in his mouth. There was also the fragrance and spiciness of the garlic seedlings lingering in his mouth. The taste was quite good. He didn’t care about his image and reached out his chopsticks to pick it up a second time after swallowing it.
The others were also very satisfied with this dish. As they ate, they nodded and said that it was delicious. It was completely different from the expression they had when they ate the dish before.
Seeing everyone nod their heads as they ate, Master Li finally felt at ease,”no wonder President Cheng is called the king of Sichuan cuisine. His Sichuan cuisine is really good. I can’t imagine how head chef Yuan would look like if he’s even better than President Cheng.”
As the saying went, there was always a higher mountain. After crossing the hill, they found Yuan Zhou was standing on the top of the hill.
He secretly made up his mind to thank his old friends, President Cheng, and head chef Yuan.
……