Chapter 876 - 753: How Did He Manage That

Talking about Guobaorou, it really is Qianlima customers’ "favorite dish."

It can be said to be a must-order dish when entering the restaurant.

Everyone says it’s hard to satisfy all tastes, but this Guobaorou is the "little sweetheart" that everyone loves at Qianlima’s dining table; a menu without Guobaorou is incomplete.

The authentic Guobaorou involves quite a complex process: oil-frying, thickening, seasoning... every step has its subtleties.

Xiaolin has eaten Guobaorou quite a lot, and she has tasted this dish at the restaurant.

So when she saw the plating in front of her, she knew this Guobaorou was authentically made.

But because it looks so genuine, one can’t help but wonder, have the battered pork loin slices really been replaced with another ingredient?

If they were indeed replaced, how come there’s no difference at all?

Even Sun Mingze, looking at this finished plate of Guobaorou, felt astonished.

Turns out that gluten can actually substitute pork loin in cooking!

Although he didn’t get the chance to taste it, Zhang Jinyu’s reaction already explained everything.

Behind him, the male student who was talking to Sun Mingze earlier also looked incredulous.

Did they really make it?

No tofu, no fish, not even shrimp; just flour turned into the substitute ingredient?

Fu Yu smiled slightly at Xiaolin; Zhang Jinyu and her reaction already proved that the dish was very successful.

At this time, Zhao Meng also had a dish ready to come out.

After quickly finishing the plating, Zhao Meng casually placed the dish on the pass.

Upon hearing Xiaolin’s words, he glanced at the plate of Guobaorou beside him and casually asked, "What’s up with this dish?"

Sun Qingning, always interested in gossip, originally gazed curiously at the people gathering at the pass, raised an ear to listen as he saw Zhao Meng inquire.

Upon hearing Zhao Meng’s question, Fu Yu quickly turned around and explained, "A customer ordered Guobaorou, but they have dental issues and hope the kitchen can help by replacing the ingredients to make another portion."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meng frowned, "Why didn’t you just suggest they change the dish?"

Xiaolin swiftly said, "It’s an old lady; she has her heart set on eating Guobaorou from our restaurant, and her children couldn’t do anything but plead with me to negotiate with the kitchen to see if they could help."

Upon learning the customer was an elderly person, Zhao Meng’s expression visibly softened.

You occasionally encounter situations like this.

Whether you are willing to help largely depends on the chef’s mood.

However, Fu Yu seemingly never refuses, always striving to fulfill customer requests.

This kid is too kindhearted and soft; also, very responsible.

Actually, this quality is not good for work.

Because some customer requests are extremely bizarre, even though a chef’s duty is to make dishes that satisfy customers, some overly unreasonable requests deserve rejection.

They work at the restaurant mainly to earn money, and there’s no need to add burdens to their workload.

However, although Zhao Meng didn’t approve of Fu Yu’s easygoing nature, he had to admit it was indeed Fu Yu’s merit.

It was precisely Fu Yu’s kindness and sincerity that initially drew his attention, making him feel this kid was worth befriending.

Everything has advantages and disadvantages.

Zhao Meng scrutinized the Guobaorou; just from its appearance, the dish still seemed quite authentic, at least not showing any signs of ingredient replacement.

"It’s not made with pork loin?" Zhao Meng turned to ask Fu Yu.

Qianlima makes Guobaorou never using tenderizing powder; the dish is renowned for its distinctive crisp and chewy texture.

Zhao Meng has always maintained his own standards when it comes to cooking.

He doesn’t use tenderizing powder himself and requires his sous-chefs not to use it either.

Fu Yu has always been obedient in this aspect; since he didn’t use tenderizing powder, he must have replaced the ingredients with something else.

Fu Yu nodded and truthfully said, "I made Guobaorou using gluten to replace pork loin; the taste is quite similar, but chewing it feels a bit softer."

Zhao Meng’s face immediately dropped upon hearing gluten was used.

Gluten, an ingredient not usually stocked in the kitchen, when needed definitely has to be freshly made.

But this stuff is very time-consuming to make; it can’t be done in less than two hours or so.

If a customer can request the kitchen to help substitute ingredients for Guobaorou, it already indicates they’re not easy to deal with.

If delayed further, should any issues arise, it could turn a goodwill act into a bad situation.

It’s not that Zhao Meng maliciously judges others, but he’s worked in kitchens for long enough, having encountered situations like these too often.

Zhao Meng hastily asked, "How long did you spend making this dish?"

Fu Yu quickly replied, "About an hour and a half, I did it as fast as I could."

Zhao Meng frowned and said, "Then why are you hesitating? Hurry up and serve the dish. If the customer complains, just explain properly that the dish itself takes time, and because the ingredients were replaced, some delay was inevitable."

Xiaolin quickly agreed and went to serve the dish.

Once she left, Zhao Meng asked, "Did you just make gluten in an hour and a half?"

Fu Yu nodded, "Yeah, the resting time delayed things; otherwise, it could’ve been even faster."

Zhao Meng could only marvel, "I’ve made gluten too; just the production took over two hours!"

Once Zhao Meng said that, people around him instantly quieted down!