Chapter 194: Special-Flavored Lobster Soup with Rice

Li Xiao deftly scooped up a large spoonful of the fragrant lobster soup rice, the fine Thailand fragrant rice unfurling its unique flavor in his mouth.

Thailand fragrant rice, famous for its rich aroma and long, pointed shape, has a firm texture that allows it to remain solid when soaked in lobster soup, preventing it from becoming too soft or mushy.

This gave every mouthful of rice a rich texture and complexity.

As the rice entered his mouth and he chewed it carefully, Li Xiao had to admit he had underestimated this bowl of lobster soup rice.

The ingredients used were far more abundant than he had imagined. In that one bite alone, he tasted three different kinds of shrimp.

He closed his eyes again to savor the second bite, unwilling to miss a single detail.

As he slowly swallowed, he nodded in satisfaction, full of praise.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

"The rich lobster soup is completely absorbed by the Thailand fragrant rice, and the rice’s texture is firm enough that it just gets more flavorful the more you chew."

"Also, the combination of ingredients is quite inspired."

As he spoke, he lifted a spoonful of the lobster soup rice and tilted the spoon slightly, letting the orange-yellow lobster broth drip back into the dish so everyone could get a clearer look at the soup rice’s consistency.

"Some might think this soup rice is too plain, with only rice and no other ingredients, but that’s not the case."

"The reason it might seem that way is because the chef has minced the other ingredients to the size of a grain of rice."

"In fact, this humble soup rice contains the meat of three types of shrimp: nine-section shrimp, Boston lobster, and river shrimp."

"Three different kinds of shrimp, bringing three different sensations."

"Each variety of shrimp provides a subtle change in texture and flavor."

"This bowl of soup rice contains not only three types of shrimp, but also dried scallops, shark fin, shredded egg white, Jinhua ham, and sea urchin, creating a sumptuous seafood feast. The fragrances of white wine and yellow wine are rich, and the spices are perfectly balanced, ensuring the entire bowl of soup rice is free of any fishiness."

"However, if this were all, this lobster soup rice would score 85 points at most, because there’s still one crucial element missing."

"And that is the soul of soup rice, its supporting actor: puffed rice."

"Actually, many of us have had puffed rice as kids. You just take steamed rice, deep-fry it until it’s golden brown, then take it out and drain the excess oil."

"This small portion of puffed rice right here doesn’t have much of an oily smell. It’s very dry and very crisp."

Saying this, Li Xiao picked up a single golden kernel of puffed rice and tossed it into his mouth.

The puffed rice was incredibly crisp, dissolving on his tongue with just a single, sharp CRACKLE.

The flavor was clean, fragrant, and crisp. The inside of the puffed rice was airy, without a trace of excess grease.

This also proved that the chef’s control over the heat and timing was impeccable.

Skeptical, Li Xiao quickly tossed another seven or eight kernels into his mouth. Without exception, every single one was perfectly crisp, without a drop of excess oil.

He nodded in satisfaction. ’As expected of a seven-star restaurant. They even prepare a small bowl of puffed rice with such diligence.’

He poured the entire small bowl of golden puffed rice into the soup rice and quickly mixed it in with a golden spoon.

Visibly, the amount of broth in the lobster soup decreased significantly. Of course, it didn’t just evaporate into thin air.

All of that missing broth had been completely absorbed by the half-bowl of puffed rice he had just added.

"Now, this is the perfect form of the lobster soup rice,"

Li Xiao said excitedly, once again scooping up a spoonful of the soup rice, now mixed with the puffed rice, to taste.

The puffed rice, having soaked up the essence of the rich lobster soup, transformed from crisp to soft, melting in his mouth like quicksand. The savory, rich flavor was almost beyond words.

The combination of the soup rice and the puffed rice created distinctly different textural layers in his mouth, weaving together an irresistible deliciousness.

"After adding the puffed rice, the lobster soup rice has a much richer complexity of flavors."

Li Xiao commented, "If the previous version was only worth 85 points, then with the puffed rice, it’s worth at least 90."

"Li Garden’s culinary standards are truly high. For anyone who likes Cantonese cuisine, this is an absolute must-try."

"As long as you don’t live too far away, it’s really worth making a special trip here to try their Cantonese food."

"While I can’t say this is the pinnacle of Cantonese cuisine, it’s probably not far off."

While eating the soup rice, he chatted with his audience about which kinds of soup rice were the best.

The next dish to arrive was an Agrocybe mushroom and squab soup, which left Li Xiao a bit confused.

’Honestly, any Cantonese restaurant with a bit of common sense would never serve the soup last.’

’What’s more, this is Li Garden, of all places?’

However, his confusion was quickly dispelled by the waitress:

"My sincerest apologies, sir. Our kitchen’s order-dispatching system had an issue today, and the serving order was accidentally mixed up."

"We are deeply sorry that you’re only getting your soup this late."

"These four 100-yuan vouchers with no minimum spend are a small token of our apology."

"On behalf of Li Garden, I apologize!"

After hearing her explanation, Li Xiao felt a bit resigned.

’In such a large restaurant, the kitchen relies entirely on the system to dispatch orders. If the system has a problem, there’s really nothing to be done.’

He took the vouchers from her and waved his hand.

"Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. Not a big deal."

The waitress let out a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your understanding. Thank you."

With a grateful expression, the young woman turned and left.

However, after she closed the door, Li Xiao shook his head.

’She gave a decent reason, but it seems a bit unconvincing to me.’

’If this were the main dining hall, a single server would indeed have to attend to a large number of guests.’

’Forgetting to keep track of the serving order would be understandable.’

’After all, people aren’t machines. When you have too many customers to look after, you’re bound to forget things sometimes.’

’However, this waitress is providing one-on-one service. She only needs to serve this private room, and my dishes are almost all here.’

’And she still didn’t think to go to the kitchen and check on the soup I ordered?’

’That seems a bit unprofessional.’

’Especially since this private room comes with a 10% service charge.’

But since they had basically compensated him for the cost of the soup, Li Xiao couldn’t be bothered to press the issue.

Looking at the four no-minimum-spend vouchers in his hand, Li Xiao waved them at his livestream audience.

"Looks like four 100-yuan, no-minimum-spend vouchers just fell from the sky. I’ll set up a giveaway with no entry requirements in a bit. It’ll be up to your own luck. Whoever wins can leave their address, and I’ll mail them over."

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