Chapter 189: The Powerful Master of Details

The waitress asked if he wanted to add white sugar, and Li Xiao nodded.

The waitress used a small golden spoon to scoop up some white sugar. Li Xiao keenly noticed that the sugar container was quite unique.

Unlike a normal jar, the lid wasn’t fully open. Instead, it had a metal guard.

Every time the waitress scooped the sugar, she would gently scrape the spoon against this guard, ensuring the amount was just right: a perfect, level spoonful.

One spoonful, two, then three. After adding the sugar, she stirred it evenly with a different, long silver spoon, poured in a small cup of chrysanthemum tea, and asked Li Xiao if he needed more sugar.

Li Xiao was amazed by this meticulous attention to detail.

He had previously only noted the strict standards of the back-of-house, but now he realized the front-of-house service was just as refined. Every detail spoke of professionalism and care.

He nodded in appreciation, his impression of Li Garden deepening.

He picked up the cup, which held only a mouthful of tea, and blew on it gently. The warmth coming off the chrysanthemum tea wasn’t too high—it was the perfect temperature for drinking.

’Wow, they’ve thought of everything. Did they even account for the temperature?’

He poured the pale yellow chrysanthemum tea straight into his mouth. The sweetness of the tea and the concentration of chrysanthemum were perfectly balanced.

Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.

"It’s sweet enough, thank you."

"You’re welcome."

As she replied, the waitress filled Li Xiao’s cup before quietly exiting the room.

Once the waitress had left the room, Li Xiao immediately gave his livestream a thumbs-up.

"Amazing, did you see that? It’s all in the details!"

"When you perfect every single step, you get the best possible result."

"It might seem complicated and overly demanding, but it gives the customer a better experience."

"Just this little detail with the sugared chrysanthemum tea makes me even more excited for the dishes to come."

「Livestream Chat」

"???"

"!!!"

"I’m starting to think the streamer got paid for this. The food isn’t even out yet and he’s already shilling for them?"

"Seriously, is the hater above me just getting on the internet for the first time?"

"LMAO, as if Li Garden needs someone to shill for it."

"Don’t you know the streamer doesn’t do paid promotions?"

"Ooh, look who’s getting triggered. Are the haters getting mad?"

"To all the haters sent by other streamers, just give it a rest. Our guy isn’t even competing with you for business, so why won’t you leave him alone?"

"But for real, Li Garden is the GOAT!"

"Li Garden is delicious, but the portions are too small and it’s too expensive."

...

Since Li Xiao had arrived early, and it was a slow Monday, it wasn’t long after he ordered.

The dishes began to arrive one by one. First up was their flawless signature dish: Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet.

"Here are the Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet. Please enjoy."

The waitress set down the Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet and left, closing the door behind her.

There weren’t many chicken feet—only six in total.

Li Xiao picked up his chopsticks and grabbed one of the chicken feet.

He placed it in his bowl, then turned to the livestream to complain.

"Holy cow, 118 for this dish! That comes out to 20 yuan per chicken foot."

"Today, I’m going to find out if these 20-yuan chicken feet are really worth the price."

Li Xiao carefully inspected each chicken foot. Their skins were perfectly intact, without the slightest tear.

This level of detail wasn’t just about the quality and temperature of the chicken feet. It extended to the cooking heat, the sauce preparation, the marination, and the precise timing of when they went into and came out of the pot.

A single misstep in any part of the process could have caused the skin to break.

Li Xiao noticed the chicken feet had been cleaned immaculately, with even the talons neatly trimmed off.

In the livestream, the audience held their breath, curious to see what these pricey abalone sauce chicken feet were actually like.

He gently lifted a chicken foot with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and took a small bite.

Li Xiao popped the entire chicken foot into his mouth. A rich abalone sauce aroma immediately bloomed across his taste buds.

The first thing he felt was the springiness and resilience of the skin. The flavor was exquisite, the meat of the foot firm yet succulent.

The skin and meat were tightly bound together. Every bite released the savory flavor of the inner meat and its abundance of collagen.

The abalone sauce was rich and balanced. It wasn’t overly salty, nor did it overpower the natural flavor of the chicken foot. Instead, it allowed the two tastes to meld together perfectly.

He could easily tell that the abalone flavor in the sauce came from simmering real abalone, not from chemical additives or some pre-packaged abalone paste.

The sauce seemed simple, but it was a fusion of various seasonings and spices, slow-cooked to give its flavor distinct layers—it had the savory umami of the sea, complemented by the aroma of the spices.

As the sauce and chicken foot came together, the tender meat, having soaked in the rich sauce and absorbed its essence, made every mouthful a complex delight.

As Li Xiao savored it, he could perceive the subtle changes in the sauce’s flavor, which started with a savory saltiness that gradually gave way to a delicate sweetness, leaving a long, pleasant aftertaste.

The depth and complexity of the abalone sauce stood in stark contrast to the simple, fresh taste of the chicken foot, yet they complemented each other perfectly, creating an unforgettable delicacy.

Now Li Xiao was beginning to understand why these Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet were so expensive.

After all, the cost of the abalone sauce alone couldn’t be cheap.

[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 63rd entry in your Food Tome.]

[Food Tome Entry Unlocked: Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet]

[Dish Rating: 96/100 (Excellent)]

[Due to the Excellent rating, reward is multiplied by 4.]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Abalone Sauce Chicken Feet Recipe]

...

After swallowing the last of the pre-deboned chicken foot, Li Xiao licked the lingering sauce from the corner of his mouth.

He turned to the camera and began his satisfied review.

"Excellent. Truly excellent."

"Both the quality of the chicken feet themselves and the flavor of the abalone sauce used for seasoning are top-notch."

"You can tell at a glance that these are fresh chicken feet. The meat is very plump, and there isn’t the slightest hint of any unpleasant, gamey odor."

"The chicken feet you usually get are made from chilled, not fresh, chicken. Many restaurants even use pre-made, chilled ’tiger-skin’ chicken feet."

"That’s why you’ll find that most chicken feet nowadays are a bit spicy. It’s not because people in Guangdong Province suddenly started loving spicy food, but because the chefs have no other choice."

"When businesses cut costs by using chilled chicken feet, there’s inevitably a noticeable gamey taste. The only way to cover up that taste is to use chili peppers."

"But here, there’s no need for that. They use fresh chicken feet, so the meat is firmer and more gelatinous, and any inherent gamey taste is extremely faint."

"And don’t even get me started on the abalone sauce. You can tell with one bite that it’s a genuinely slow-cooked sauce, not that low-quality stuff from a jar."