Chapter 303: Breakfast in Douluo Continent
The night passed without incident, and soon it was the next day.
Qi Han had already decided that during the three days of the food festival, he would not enter the training space to practice making Dinghu Shangsu. He saw it as a chance to give himself a break and take the opportunity to taste the various dishes featured in the festival.
So, when Ru Yi woke him up early in the morning, after a quick wash-up, Qi Han grabbed Pururu and set off.
Yesterday afternoon, he had only managed to try two of the top ten dishes, meaning he had missed out on many others. Now, heading to the food street early in the morning, he figured there would be fewer people, making it easier to enjoy his meal.
During the food festival, Qi Han didn't have to worry about vendors not opening early. Some had even taken shifts to stay open overnight to maximize their business.
Well… that's intense.
Not everyone, after all, could be as immune to the competition as Qi Han.
Even during the food festival, he refused to work overtime—something only Han Shi could afford to do. Other restaurants wouldn't dare.
After all, every extra customer meant more profit.
"Eh?"
As soon as he arrived at the food street, Qi Han's face showed a hint of surprise.
It was still early morning, and the sparse sunlight slanted across the street. The remnants of last night's bustling business had already been thoroughly cleaned up, leaving the old cobblestone road spotless.
In a world where wind and water-element spirit masters existed, keeping the streets clean was an easy task.
But that wasn't what surprised Qi Han. What caught his attention was that many of the food stalls and restaurants looked completely different from the night before.
For example, at the corner of the food street, on the right, there was a shop Qi Han remembered well. Yesterday afternoon, they had been selling grilled meat skewers, which had smelled quite appetizing.
But now, there was no aroma of grilled meat in the air. Instead, the shop had placed large steamers and tightly covered pots at the entrance. Seven or eight sets of tables and chairs had been arranged outside, with many people sitting down and eating hurriedly.
The same slightly simple-minded yet warm-smiling middle-aged man was still in charge, meaning the shop hadn't changed ownership overnight.
And this wasn't an isolated case—looking around, Qi Han noticed that many stalls and restaurants seemed to have suddenly changed their menus overnight.
This unusual phenomenon piqued Qi Han's curiosity.
Every morning before this, he had gone straight into the training space after waking up, so he had never paid attention to the food street's morning scene.
Now that he was here, he decided to take a closer look.
He settled on checking out the grilled meat shop from yesterday.
With his target in mind, Qi Han casually walked over.
Since it was still early, there weren't many people in the food street. The middle-aged man quickly noticed Qi Han approaching. He recognized him immediately, and his smile became even brighter.
"Boss Qi, what would you like to have?"
Qi Han didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked around curiously.
Getting closer, he could finally see what the customers were eating.
They had steamed buns and plain mantou, while some also had bowls of rice porridge with simple pickled radishes to go along with their meal.
"I remember your shop was selling grilled meat skewers yesterday. Why the sudden switch to this?" Qi Han couldn't help but ask.
Hearing Qi Han's question, the middle-aged man's expression turned a little strange. "Boss Qi, it's morning now. Of course, we sell breakfast. Who eats grilled meat skewers for breakfast?"
Qi Han was momentarily stunned by the man's words.
Then, he couldn't help but chuckle at himself.
I really wasn't thinking straight.
He had gone so long without a proper breakfast that he nearly forgot the concept of eating three meals a day.
But now that he was here, he became interested.
What exactly did people in Douluo Continent eat for breakfast?
"What kind of breakfast do you have here?"
"Heh, Boss Qi, you've come to the right place." The middle-aged man grinned and pointed to a sign behind him. "My shop is in the perfect spot, right at the entrance of the food street. People don't have to go deep inside to find a meal, so it's ideal for serving breakfast. In fact, my breakfast selection is the most complete in the entire food street. Whatever you want, I've got it. Come take a look!"
Oh?
That was even better.
Qi Han had originally planned to visit several shops to see the different breakfast options. But if this one place had everything, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Following the shop owner's gesture, Qi Han looked at the menu on the wall—and was surprised.
There really were a lot of choices.
Meat buns, vegetable buns, mantou, white porridge, sweet rice wine, boiled eggs, and various pastries were all available.
Even Star Luo City's sweet pine cake was on the menu.
"I'll have a meat bun, a mantou, a bowl of white porridge, and a piece of Qingyu Cake," Qi Han decided after a quick glance.
"Got it!" The shop owner responded enthusiastically. He lifted the steamer lid, took out a meat bun, a mantou, and a greenish-colored pastry, then placed them all on a plate. He then filled a large bowl with steaming white porridge and handed it over. "Here you go."
After Qi Han took the plate and bowl, the owner pointed to two nearby jars. "If you like it sweet, you can add sugar to your porridge. If you prefer something salty, help yourself to the pickled radish."
The middle-aged man chuckled. "I make this pickled radish myself—everyone who tries it says it's great!"
Not bad at all.
For a moment, Qi Han felt like he was back on Earth, eating breakfast at a local street stall.
Smiling, he nodded in response, then set his food down at an empty table. He grabbed a small dish and took a portion of pickled radish.
He could eat porridge either sweet or salty, but he was curious about the shop owner's homemade pickled radish.
Looking at the hearty breakfast in front of him, Qi Han couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
How long had it been since he last ate breakfast?
In the training space, he was always in peak condition and never needed breakfast. But now, faced with a simple yet comforting meal, he actually found himself craving it.
His gaze first landed on the bowl of white porridge.
White porridge, also known as congee, is made by cooking rice with an excess amount of water until it softens, without adding any seasoning.
Since porridge has a completely different texture from regular rice, its thickness is important. It shouldn't be too thick—when scooped, it shouldn't clump together but should flow smoothly. However, it also shouldn't be too watery—if there's a layer of rice water floating on top after settling, then it's not ideal.
For the perfect consistency, one could refer to canned Eight Treasure Congee—its viscosity is the standard for well-made porridge.
The cooking process also matters. If the rice grains remain fully intact and floating in the liquid, it would be more like "rice soaked in water" rather than proper porridge. True white porridge should be simmered until the rice is completely tender and slightly broken apart, releasing the starch into the liquid. This thickens the porridge and enhances its texture while making it easier to digest.
A well-cooked bowl of porridge should be visually appetizing—so much so that even without any seasoning, it would make one's mouth water.
Achieving this level of quality required skill.
And this middle-aged shop owner was clearly an expert. The porridge before Qi Han instantly whetted his appetite.
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